Bride by Mistake

by Shank, Marilyn

  Then a female voice that sounded exactly like Liza’s said, “Meg? Meg? Are you there? Pick up, Meg, it’s me, Liza. I want you to know I’m thinking of you. Telling Zach that you and I traded places is a tough assignment, but it will all work out. I promise. Call me after you tell him. Bye.”

  At first, Zach couldn’t make sense of the words. How could Liza leave a message when Liza was upstairs showering?

  Then slowly, ever so slowly, the words took on meaning. Liza once told Zach that she and her identical twin had traded places in high school. Meg hadn’t wanted to attend prom with a certain boy and Liza had filled in for her. And now and then they’d taken tests for each other.

  Trading places. Trading places. The truth hit Zach with the force of a meteor shower. That wasn’t Liza showering upstairs! It was her twin sister!

  Suddenly, the puzzle pieces eased into place. The romantic feelings stirring inside him weren’t for Liza at all. They were for her twin sister! Meg and Liza had concocted a scheme that made him a laughingstock. And he’d hadn’t suspected anything. Until now.

  Zach shook his head. He’d have chuckled about their little stunt except for one thing: he’d lost his heart in the process. He must be the biggest sucker on the planet. Oh, their little hoax had worked, all right. The O’Malley sisters had pulled off the biggest farce of all time! Why, those two had even upstaged Shakespeare!

  Zach sank into a chair and buried his face in his hands. All the attraction and feelings of love he’d experienced moments ago drained away. He’d been bamboozled, big-time. And deceived all over again. Why was it that the women he gave his heart to had trickery in mind? Was there something about him that brought out the worst in women?

  A short time later, Meg O’Malley came to join him, looking clean and gorgeous. Every trace of smeared mascara was gone, and her unruly hair had been tamed. She flashed him a dazzling smile, and his traitor heart lurched. Shape up, you idiot, he told himself. Hadn’t he played the fool long enough?

  When Meg’s gaze caught his, Zach had to look away. This woman whom he’d thought he loved had lied to him. Again and again. Denise was a novice compared with Liza’s twin sister!

  Zach shook his head in disgust. “I’ve changed my mind about breakfast,” he told the lovely Benedict Arnold. “The thought of food is nauseating.”

  Her look of concern seemed genuine. “I hope you aren’t catching something, Zach.”

  What an actress this woman was!

  “I’ve already caught something. The stupid disease.”

  Those luscious lips parted slightly and her green eyes widened. “What are you talking about?”

  “There’s an important message on your answering machine,” he said. “Go listen to it.”

  She bit her lip and looked puzzled. “There’s no hurry. I can play it back later.”

  “No. Listen to it now.” Zach’s gaze caught hers again and bored through it.

  Liza’s twin blinked rapidly. Several times. “If you think it’s that important…”

  “Trust me. I do.”

  Meg O’Malley walked over to the answering machine and hit the PLAY button. The voice of her twin sister filled the room and confirmed that the jig was up.

  Meg shook her head and placed her hands over her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Zach. So desperately sorry. I’ve wanted to tell you ever since the pretending began. And I tried to several times. Even last night.”

  “But you never managed to pull it off, did you, Meg?” Zach heard cynicism echo in his voice.

  Her sigh carried the weight of the universe. “No, I didn’t. And there’s no excuse for my behavior.”

  “You’ve got that right,” Zach sneered. He shook his head again, trying to clear his jumbled thoughts. After several long moments, he said, “Let me ask you one question. Was anything you told me the truth? Anything at all?”

  Tears welled in her green eyes and she tried valiantly to blink them away. “One thing was.”

  “Care to share that with me?”

  Meg met his gaze head-on. All blinking stopped, and she suddenly seemed in perfect control. “When I said I loved you. That was true. One hundred percent true. I do love you, Zach Addison. With all my heart.”

  “Love,” he scoffed. “Neither of us has a clue as to what that word means.”

  He strode to the door and turned back for one last look at the woman whom he’d fallen in love with—the woman who had trampled on his heart. Zach sighed. Meg O’Malley had made him the biggest fool in Jackson County.

  “Wait a minute,” she said.

  Meg slipped the diamond off her finger and handed it to him. Zach took it and shook his head. Life had seemed perfect an hour ago. But that was before he knew the truth. “Good-bye, Meg,” he said.

  “Good-bye, Zach.”

  As he strode out of the house, Zach vowed to put the events of the past week out of his thoughts forever. It was a disaster after all. From start to finish.

  CHAPTER 12

  ZACH HEADED TO Addison’s Fine Furniture. He strode through the lobby, and when he entered the inner sanctum of his office he took his first deep breath. Work had become his salvation when Denise had left. He’d submerged himself in all things related to his company and pushed his pain aside. Hard work got him through his last trauma; it would get him through the current one as well.

  His assistant brought him a steaming cup of coffee. “Good morning, Zach.”

  “Hi, Monica.” Zach couldn’t make himself say the words good morning. This was one of the most devastating mornings of his life.

  “Sam Mason phoned,” she said. “He wants to talk to you about the possibility of a new retail store in Tulsa. Shall I bring you the files?”

  “Please,” Zach replied. He couldn’t wait to bury himself in a project. Any project. The more complex, the better.

  Monica brought him the relevant information, and Zach started reading previous letters and proposals. He quickly realized that his mind wasn’t processing the information. Not normally. An hour later, he couldn’t remember anything he’d read. Just as when he was reading the Newsweek article while waiting for Liza—make that Meg—Zach’s brain had absorbed nothing at all.

  He headed for his assistant’s cubicle. “Hold all my calls,” he told her. “I don’t want to be disturbed.”

  “Certainly, Zach.”

  Zach returned to his office and started pacing. He gazed out his window at the city below, where life continued normally. Traffic moved forward, buses pulled to a stop and loaded passengers, people rushed along the sidewalks going who knew where. Life went on for them. And it would go on for him too. At least he hoped so. But at this moment, life had ground to a halt. A terrifying, disappointing, mind-numbing halt.

  He clenched his fists and jammed them into his pockets. He had, indeed, fallen in love again. And for the second time, he’d fallen for a woman who was not what she seemed. A woman he didn’t know at all.

  The next morning Zach awoke early. He’d paced his den most of the night with Inkblot yipping at his heels. But by two a.m. Inkblot had worn himself out and fallen asleep on the hearth rug.

  Zach showered and dressed and glanced at his watch. Seven thirty. Normally he headed for the office at this time. But since his ability to concentrate was zero, he called Monica to say he was taking the day off. Burying himself in work would be his salvation, but his mind wasn’t ready to shift gears. He needed time to regroup after the emotional turmoil of recent days.

  On an impulse, he drove to Jeff’s office. No doubt Jeff would get a belly laugh out of this one. Zach figured he must be the most gullible man in the world. Or the biggest idiot—he wasn’t sure which.

  Jeff’s secretary glanced up from her computer. “Oh, hello, Mr. Addison. May I help you?”

  “Any chance I can talk to Jeff? Or is he with a patient?”

  “You’re in luck. His first patient doesn’t arrive for an hour. I’ll tell him you’re here.”

  “Thanks.”

 
; As Zach entered Jeff’s office, his friend eyed him curiously. “Hey, buddy. How are things going? Are you and Liza hitting it off?”

  Zach grimaced. “It’s a long story.”

  “I’ve got time. Tell me what’s going on.”

  Zach took a seat across from Jeff and told him about the real Liza’s phone call—about Meg’s deception and the little scam the twins had dreamed up. His friend listened patiently, nodding from time to time, looking every bit the shrink he was.

  “Have you ever heard such a story in your life?” Zach asked when he finished.

  Jeff, who had been a model of decorum up until that moment, started to grin. Zach couldn’t believe he was seeing straight. “Does my personal disaster amuse you? I spill out my misery in great detail and you sit there grinning like a chimpanzee?”

  Then things got worse. Jeff chuckled.

  Zach flushed and felt heat rise in cheeks. He thought he’d undergone the height of humiliation at Liza’s condo yesterday. Apparently, there was more to come.

  Then Jeff’s chuckles turned to laughter. Laughter he had great difficulty controlling.

  Zach considered punching his friend in the nose. “What’s so funny?” he demanded.

  Jeff tried to pull himself together. “You got caught in your own trap, my friend. You met your match, and her name is Meg O’Malley.”

  Zach’s anger flared, and it took tremendous discipline not to storm out of the office. “Maybe you’d better explain yourself,” he snapped.

  Jeff wiped the grin off his face. “Listen to me, Zach. You have no one to blame for this turn of events but yourself. You set the deceptive scheme in motion when you asked Liza to pose as your fiancée. You laid down the ground rules. And it’s time you own up to that.”

  “This is entirely different. What I suggested didn’t hurt anyone,” Zach snapped. “My only intention was to make Gram happy.”

  “But the pretending got complicated and backfired. And you’re as much to blame as Meg. You lined up the dominoes by asking Liza to help you, and for some reason Meg stepped in. But take some responsibility, man. If you hadn’t concocted the scheme, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Or fallen in love in the process.”

  Zach shot Jeff a withering glance. “Fallen in love? How can you say that? After all that’s happened?”

  Jeff shook his head. “They say love is blind. And you are a textbook case.”

  Zach couldn’t think of a comeback, so he crossed his arms and stared out the window.

  “Don’t you see? From the first moments you spent with Liza’s twin, you’ve battled feelings you couldn’t explain. You thought your relationship with Liza had changed. But it turns out it didn’t. The minute you laid eyes on her sister, you fell in love.”

  In spite of Zach’s anger, some of Jeff’s comments made a particle of sense. Just a particle.

  “I haven’t lost my mind, Zach, but you, my friend, have lost your heart.”

  Zach felt the color drain from his face. Had he lost his heart? Even with all the sham and trickery, had he given his heart to Liza’s twin sister?

  “Face it, buddy. You’ve been happier this week than you’ve been for years. And you can thank Liza’s twin for that. You felt attracted to a woman again. You kissed her and enjoyed her company. You learned to have fun again. And you left your hermit life behind and started living.”

  More of Zach’s anger melted away. If he denied what Jeff was saying, he’d be lying.

  Zach raked a hand through his hair. “What do I do now?”

  “If I make a suggestion, will you at least consider it?”

  “I’ll listen,” Zach conceded.

  “I suggest you talk with Meg. You both played a dangerous game, and you both got hurt. But in the process you fell in love, and that doesn’t happen often. Talk things out with Meg. Otherwise, she’ll disappear from your life, and you’ll resume your bachelor existence. I’d hate to see that happen to you.”

  Zach shook his head and sat quietly. If he did resume his bachelor ways, he’d probably never date again. And just like Ian, Zach could miss out on the love of his life. After several long moments, he glanced at Jeff. “I did ask Meg if anything she told me was true.”

  “What did she say?”

  “That one thing was.”

  Jeff looked questioningly at Zach.

  “When she said she loved me. Meg said that part was true.”

  Jeff smiled. “We’re done here. You and Meg are in love, and the rest can be worked out. Go and find her before it’s too late.”

  Zach stood and shook Jeff’s hand. “Thank you, I think. Something tells me this is my last visit.”

  “Don’t count on it. If you two get married, you’ll be in here on a regular basis,” Jeff teased.

  Zach felt better as he left Jeff’s office. His friend had helped him to view the situation differently. More honestly. Zach only hoped it wasn’t too late. Would Meg give him another chance? Or had his fury slammed the door on any possible relationship?

  All he knew was the woman he loved was soon leaving town. As he drove to Liza’s condo, Zach broke every speed limit in the city. He figured he’d be pulled over at any moment. Fortunately, no sirens trailed after him.

  Meg packed her suitcase wishing she could have arranged an earlier flight. She stuffed in her clothes in such disarray, she had to sit on it before snapping the latch.

  She’d never imagined she could cry so many tears. Had she set a world record? But the tears hadn’t erased the hurt inside her. Or eased the loss that filled her heart.

  She would phone Liza from the airport and tell her she was returning to Meadow Springs. Then she’d wait at the airport forever, if need be, to catch a flight. She wouldn’t—couldn’t—spend another moment in Liza’s condo living Liza’s life. The memories of the past week tore at her heart.

  How she wished she’d been up front with Zach. They might have laughed about the switch and actually had fun together. Fun based on fact, not fiction. But as each day had passed, the chance to work things out had diminished. And, finally, reached zero.

  And in the worst-case scenario, Zach had learned the truth from Liza, not from her. He would never trust her again, and why should he? After she had told him she loved him, he must have laughed all the way home.

  Meg decided she’d call a taxi and sit on Liza’s porch swing until it arrived. Catching her breath had been a struggle since yesterday’s confrontation with Zach. Maybe she could at least breathe if she sat outside in the fresh air.

  She opened the front door and placed her suitcase on the porch. As she turned to go inside for her purse, a masculine voice called her name.

  “Meg?”

  When she turned, she saw him. Zachary Addison—the most handsome, incredible man she’d ever known. Tears sprang into her eyes as she looked at the man she loved with all her heart and soul.

  But why was he here? A trace of fear attacked her. Had he come to argue some more? Or do her bodily harm? She wouldn’t blame him if he had.

  Meg dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, trying to eradicate the latest batch of smeared mascara. She sighed. Zach wasn’t finished with her yet.

  She squared her shoulders, not sure she could endure another argument. “You’ll be glad to know that I’m leaving town,” she said. “I’m going to the airport, and I’ll board the first available plane to Meadow Springs. That’s where I live, you see. In Meadow Springs, Illinois. I’m a ballet teacher, not a lawyer, not that you’re interested. It doesn’t matter now. But don’t worry. You’ll never see me again.”

  Zach gazed at her, and Meg couldn’t read his expression. If it was fury, he was hiding it well. “That’s not a good idea,” he said.

  His voice was low and sensual, and Meg’s heart began to race. She sniffed and glanced at him as if he’d lost his mind.

  Zach continued to stare at her, and she wanted to yell, Stop it! The same attraction swirled inside Meg—the same desire to hold him and kiss him—even though he did
n’t love her anymore. And quite possibly hated her!

  “May I ask you a question?”

  Meg stiffened. If she wasn’t careful, her knees would buckle and she’d end up in a heap on Liza’s front porch. She nodded.

  “Could we sit in the swing and talk again? It might help us both understand what happened.”

  She supposed the man deserved an explanation. “If you wish.”

  They walked toward the swing and sat side by side. Meg sniffed again, and Zach fished something out of his pocket. She was relieved to see it was his handkerchief, not a gun.

  “Why did you step in for Liza? Would you mind telling me that?”

  Meg drew a steadying breath. “After Liza promised to help you, her law firm needed her to attend a convention in Chicago. I’d just flown in to spend some time with her, but I ended up becoming Liza instead. And becoming your fiancée, as well.” She shrugged. “That pretty much sums it up.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about the switch?”

  “I begged Liza to tell you, but she said that would get too complicated. She thought you wouldn’t be comfortable with me as your pretend fiancée. And besides, she’d only be gone a short time and then she’d take over. No muss, no fuss.”

  A smile played at Zach’s lips. “Sounds like Liza.”

  “I may never speak to her again.”

  The smile broadened. “Me, either.”

  Surely the smiles were encouraging, weren’t they? At least Meg would recall a slightly smiling Zach Addison, not a furious one.

  When he shook his head and turned toward her, Meg didn’t know what to expect. “Look, I don’t know quite how to say this, but even with all the craziness and confusion, this has been the happiest week of my life.”

  “What?” The shock of his comment struck Meg with the force of a bullet. And her heart started racing like a marathon runner. She sat there dumbfounded—staring at Zach in disbelief.

  “I had fun, Meg,” he continued. “I couldn’t wait to see you again. I couldn’t wait to touch you again. And you probably noticed that I kissed you every chance I got. To be honest, while I felt confused most of the time, I loved every minute that we spent together.”