by C. C. Coburn
“What isn’t out of my control is you two marrying right now, in order for Adam to have custody of your children.” He turned to Adam. “Are you still of that mind?” he asked his brother.
“Of course,” he said, reaching for Carly’s hand.
“That’s very sweet of you, Adam,” she murmured. “But there are laws governing blood tests and waiting periods, aren’t there? I could be in jail for weeks before we’d be eligible to marry.”
Adam and Matt exchanged furtive smiles. “What are you two up to?” she demanded.
“I suspect,” said Becky, coming through the door, followed by Adam’s parents and the rest of his brothers, “that Matt hopes I’ll waive the usual waiting period and marry you and Adam right here and now.”
Carly’s spirits lifted. “You can do that?”
“If I can run the mayor and his pig outta town, I can surely marry two people who are so obviously in love that there’s no need to wait several weeks.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Sarah O’Malley cried, and hugged her son. She smiled at Carly with tears in her eyes. “I’m so happy to welcome you to our family.”
“I thought you hated me…”
“No! Never. Where on earth did you get that idea?”
“You acted strange on the phone this morning. I thought it had to do with me being suspected of burning down the stables with my children and your grandchildren inside.”
“Not to mention the horses,” said Luke.
“And the dogs,” Will added.
“Then you really do believe I’m innocent?”
“Of course we do!” they all chorused.
“There’s still the circumstantial evidence,” Matt reminded them.
Luke grabbed Matt in a headlock and pretended to punch some sense into him. “Sometimes you take your job too seriously.”
“He’s a very serious person,” said Beth, coming into the room. “What’s up? Mac phoned and told us to get down here ASAP.” She moved aside, so Megan could enter, too.
“Adam and Carly are getting married!” his mother said.
“So they’ve dropped the charges?” Megan said, and threw her arms around Carly in congratulation.
“Er, no,” Adam told her. “But I’m marrying Carly so her children will be living with someone they know while she’s in jail.”
“Sorry, can you rewind all this? I’m totally confused.” Megan patted her stomach and moved to her husband’s side. “Pregnancy brain.”
“Carly’s bail is set at four hundred thousand dollars,” Matt explained.
Soft whistles filled the room. “We could help out,” Will said. “If we all pool our resources, we might be able to come up with something close to that. And if we can’t, I’m sure Frank would come to the party.”
“Not after this morning,” his wife reminded him.
Frank Farquar was believed to be richer than Croesus. He was generous, but given that he was mayor of a town in which one of the fires had been set, he was unlikely to contribute to the cause. There was also the matter of Louella.
“I could offer to give him a lifetime of ‘get out of court free’ cards for Louella,” Becky said.
“There’s such a thing?”
“Of course there isn’t.” She smacked her husband good-humoredly. “But Frank doesn’t know that.”
Carly was enjoying the banter. It was what she loved about the O’Malleys, their ease with one another. But she didn’t enjoy the thought of spending the night in jail, or however many nights after that. She couldn’t put these people in debt to help her, though. Somehow she’d raise the bail. She’d start by selling her home in San Diego. It wasn’t as if she wanted to return there anytime soon.
Ideas for raising bail money were flying around the room. Carly’s head was spinning as she tried to sort one from the other. Finally, she put a stop to it by raising her hand and requesting silence.
With all eyes trained on her, she cleared her throat and said, “Thank you. All of you. You’re wonderful people and I appreciate from the bottom of my heart your attempts to help me. But I have to be honest with you, if I’m released on bail, I will take my children and run.”
There were gasps of shock, followed by a great deal of denying that Carly would do any such thing. They were finally silenced when Sarah declared, “And in your position, Carly, I’d do exactly the same thing.”
“Mom!”
“Matt!” she said, mimicking him. “I would.”
“And I’d go with her,” Mac said.
“Well, that’s a given,” Will said with a smile, and dug his elbow into Luke’s ribs.
“You’d run, even though you claim to be innocent?” Luke asked.
“I don’t claim to be innocent, Luke. I am. And yes, I would, because if the case went against me, I’d lose everything that’s dear to me. My only alternative is to run. I can’t accept your money. But thank you all for offering.”
She took a step toward Becky. “I’ll be able to post bail once my home in San Diego is sold, but in the meantime, I’m resigned to going to jail. I’d very much appreciate it if you’d do Adam and me the honor of marrying us.”
“Here?” Sarah cried.
“Yes, Mom, right here. Right now,” Adam said. “Would you stand up for me?” he asked Jack, and all his brothers came forward.
Becky smiled and said, “We just need one of you. Now, Carly, who would you like to stand up for you?”
Carly looked at the other women in the room. “All of them. But since you’re being economical…” She turned to Megan and said, “Would you be my matron of honor?”
Tears sprang to Megan’s eyes and she hugged Carly.
“If all of you women don’t stop crying, the wedding photo will be a mess.” Will held up his camera phone.
“Glad that’s settled,” Becky said, giving her husband a warning glare. “Next, I need your IDs and birth certificates.”
“All my papers were lost in the apartment fire. I haven’t had time to replace them,” Carly wailed.
“Don’t upset yourself,” Becky said, and sat at her computer terminal. After getting Carly’s birth details, she tapped the information into the computer. Satisfied that Carly was who she said she was, she looked up at Adam, then his parents. “Do you solemnly swear that this man is your son?”
Mac and Sarah nodded enthusiastically. Mac even placed his hand over his heart.
“Carly and Adam, are you both sure this is what you want?” she said, glancing first at Adam and then at Carly, who both nodded.
“I have a distinct feeling of déjà vu,” Megan murmured to her husband.
Carly turned to her in confusion.
Megan waved her concerns away. “Long story, tell you later,” she said. “Hurry up and get married, you two, so we can start celebrating.”
Unfortunately, her excitement fell flat as everyone realized that they couldn’t have a celebration while the bride was in jail.
“I’m sorry, Carly. I wasn’t thinking.”
Carly gripped her hand. “We’ll celebrate. But let’s wait until I’m free and all the children are present.”
Megan nodded. “I’ll make sure it’s extra special.”
FIVE MINUTES LATER, there were hugs and handshakes all around. Carly detected a tear in Mac’s eyes. More worrying was the look of desolation on her husband’s face.
Her husband. Had she really done this? Married a man she barely knew? Carly stared down at her left hand, where Sarah O’Malley’s wedding ring adorned her third finger.
“This has been a lucky ring,” Sarah had said to Carly as she removed it from her finger and dropped it in Adam’s hand. “I hope it’ll help bring you both everlasting happiness, too.”
Carly had been too choked up to reply. Adam had kissed his mother’s cheek and whispered, “Thanks, Mom. I’m sure it will.”
Was that just lip service, trying to reassure his mother that her ring would be lucky for them? What sort of future could they have with her in jail? They couldn’t even plan a honeymoon! And soon, Carly would have to return the simple but beautiful band to its owner. She wouldn’t be permitted to wear jewelry in jail.
“I think we should give these two some privacy,” Matt said above the din of so many people talking at once. “I’ll be waiting outside the door, so don’t do anything inappropriate, okay?” he warned his brother.
“That sofa of Becky’s—” Will started to say but was shushed by his wife and pushed toward the door. But Will wasn’t done yet. “And don’t forget the desk—”
He was cut off by the door’s closing, leaving Adam and Carly alone at last.
He smiled down at her. “Are you a sofa or a desk kinda gal?” he teased.
She pretended to slap him in reproof. “If we knew each other better—the way a married couple should—you’d have the answer to that.”
He rubbed his hands together. “I’m always up for some research.”
“Adam, stop it!” Carly said, trying to keep a straight face. In a little while, they’d be separated for who knew how long.
“Thank you for trying to make me forget what lies beyond that door, but right now, I’m not in the mood for laughing. Or sex.”
He drew her into his arms. “I know that, honey… Do you mind if I call you honey? Maybe you’d prefer darlin’? Sweetheart?”
“Carly will do. Please stop kidding around, Adam. I have a lot to tell you about the children and not much time.”
Adam led her toward the sofa, sat and pulled her onto his lap. “Talk,” he said, and nuzzled her neck.
“I can’t concentrate when you do that!” she protested, loving every second of it.
“Okay, you have five minutes to talk and then we’re going to do some serious necking.”
Warmth flooded Carly. She might not know this man very well, but he was exactly what she needed. Exactly what her kids needed.
She rested her head against his chest and started speaking. “I’m instructing Mike Cochrane to make arrangements to put my San Diego house on the market.”
Adam started to say something, but she silenced him with a finger placed over his lips.
“If you keep interrupting, there’ll be less time for necking.”
“Can you talk faster, then? I want to neck.”
“Adam, this is important.”
“Okay, but skip the changing diapers lesson. I already know how to do that. I also know how to cook nutritious meals.”
That reminded Carly of something very important. “Hang on,” she said, “Who’s going to look after my children when you’re at work?”
“Mom. Will. Megan. Beth. Everyone at the ranch will pitch in. Rory’s mom, Jennifer Bennett, is watching them today. Mom’s been in touch with her. I’d like you to meet her sometime.”
“I’d like that,” Carly said with a smile. She was happy Adam had reached out to Rory’s mom.
“I promise you the kids will be perfectly safe and well cared for at all times, so please cross that off your list. Can we get to the good part about being married now?” He nuzzled her neck.
She snuggled against him and said, “I’m so scared, Adam. I’ve never been to jail before.”
“You’re afraid it’ll be like on those reality TV shows?”
“Yes.” The violence between the inmates depicted on those programs chilled her to the marrow.
Adam held her close. “Let me assure you, the county jail isn’t like that.”
“And you know this how?”
“I’ve been there.”
“You’ve been in jail?”
“No, Matt took me on a tour when he became sheriff. You won’t be with hard-core prisoners. Just druggies, drunks and illegal aliens.”
“Oh, wow, can we skip the necking and go straight to jail in that case?”
Adam kissed her and she could feel his smile. He finally broke away and said, “Do you know when I first started falling in love with you?”
Carly could feel her heart blooming in her chest. This wasn’t the conversation she’d expected they’d be having right now. “No, when?”
“When I coughed up all that black goop onto your white sneakers and you said, ‘Thank you.’ I liked the way you took it all in your stride.”
“I wasn’t thanking you for spitting on my shoes. I was thanking you for saving my son. And Molly.”
“I know. But at the time, it intrigued me. It also scared me.”
“Why?”
“Because you read me so well. You asked if I always deflected compliments. You’re the only person who’s ever asked me that. Ever noticed.” He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. “I should’ve known then that you’d be trouble.”
She punched Adam lightly and then kissed him.
When they came up for air, he asked, “Are we officially in necking time now?”
“Not yet. There’s something important I want you to do for me.”
“Consider it done.”
“Can you phone my parents? Speak to my mom, not my father. He’s recovering from a stroke and I don’t want him to hear about this. If the news service gets hold of the story and it’s broadcast nationally for some reason, my dad will hear and there’s nothing I can do about it. I haven’t even told them about the fire at the apartment building. They were so distraught after Michael’s death, I didn’t want them to know how close their grandchildren came to dying.”
Adam nodded solemnly.
“Now, since I’ll be a guest of the county for the next days or weeks, however long we need to clear my name, I need to fill you in on what my children—”
“Let’s take this one day at a time,” Adam suggested. “When I think of next week and the possibility that you’ll still be in jail, I feel physically ill.”
“Try thinking about next month,” she said grimly. “Next year.”
“Why don’t we concentrate on the present?” He reached for a notepad and pen from Becky’s desk. “Write down your parents’ details and I’ll call your mom tonight. How’s she going to take this?”
“Not well. But she’s a strong woman. She’s had a lot to deal with.”
“Which highlights how little we know each other,” Adam said, and regretted his words the moment he’d spoken. “Not that I’d take back marrying you,” he hastened to say.
Carly touched his cheek. “I’ve had the same thought. I hope we can make up for lost time soon. Fill in the blanks about ourselves and our lives.”
“Meanwhile, Matt will keep working to find the real arsonist.” He paused and then said, “If you think of anything, Carly, no matter how insignificant you feel it is, tell him about it. He’ll follow up on any lead.”
“Believe me, I’ll try. I haven’t had time to think at all in the past week. Maybe it’s a good thing I’ll have time on my hands now.”
“Was that supposed to be a joke?”
“A really bad one,” she agreed. “I’ll focus on why those fires happened when I was around.” She glanced at the door. “In the meantime, can we forget about everything else for a few minutes? Except each other?”
Adam grinned, scooping her onto his lap. He pulled her close and they kissed as though it would be their last time.
Chapter Sixteen
Matt’s soft knock at the door signaled that they’d soon be parted.
Reluctantly, Carly climbed off Adam’s lap. He caught her hand and pulled her back down to sit on his knee. She
slid her arms around his neck.
“Before you go,” he said. “Tell me about that man you were kissing in the supermarket the other day.”
“What is this? Belated jealousy?” Carly demanded, annoyed that Adam would bring up Jerry at a time like this. “For starters, I didn’t kiss him, he kissed me. Couldn’t you tell I wanted nothing to do with the guy?”
“He seemed pretty possessive of you.”
Carly sighed and got up off Adam’s knee. “Too possessive. He’s the reason I left San Diego.”
“Were you dating him there?”
Carly whirled around. “No! He was a colleague of Michael’s. He helped me out after Michael died.”
“What was he doing here in Spruce Lake?”
“I don’t know. He claimed he was on vacation.” Carly shrugged. “I got the shock of my life when he approached me in the supermarket. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. Then you showed up and all I could think of was protecting you from him.”
“Protecting me? Why?”
“Jerry’s…obsessive. He’s…scary.”
“Why didn’t you mention this to me?”
“I thought he was out of my life. I didn’t tell him where I was moving because I didn’t want him following me. Jerry got way too possessive of me and my time after Michael died. At first I assumed he was just being supportive, but then it got creepy. He was over at our house every night whenever he was off-duty, bringing food, asking me out to dinner. In the end, I decided to leave town.”
“Did you tell him where you were going?”
“Of course not!”
“Is there any way this Jerry guy could know where you were planning to work in Denver?”
“He…could have. He and my mom were close,” she said, then glanced at Adam. “It was the day after I told her I was about to start a job at the Colorado Grand that it was firebombed.”
