The Reluctant Groom

by Kimberly Rose Johnson

  Ray’s pulse thrummed in his ears. Katie stood and walked toward his office door. A tingle zipped through him. He was getting married! She’d surprised him, and now everything was going to be okay. Well, almost okay. Life would never be the same after losing his sister and brother-in-law, but they were at least on the track to a new normal.

  He stood and strode to her side, reaching for her hand. “Don’t leave, Katie. Let’s go ring shopping. We need to announce our engagement, and people will expect to see a ring on your finger.”

  “Oh. I didn’t think of that.” Her sweet and innocent blue eyes met his gaze. She blinked long lashes. “Are you sure?”

  He caught his breath. He’d always thought she was cute, but up close like this, she was truly beautiful. How had he not noticed before? He cleared his throat. “Yes. If you’re free, we could go now.”

  “Really?” Her voice hitched. “Okay. But I don’t get paid until next Friday, so I can’t buy your ring right now.”

  “Men don’t wear engagement rings, so don’t sweat it.”

  “Cute, but I was talking about getting your wedding ring.”

  “Okay.” He knew how much she made, and there was no way he was going to let her pay for his wedding ring. Not after everything she was giving up for him and Emily. “How about you let me pay for my wedding band if we come across one? After all, you’re doing this for me.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “No. I want to pay for your ring. But I’ll need a loan until payday.”

  He let out the breath he’d been holding. “If you insist on paying, I’ll deduct it from your wages for being Emily’s nanny.” He’d adjust her wages to cover the ring, and she’d be none the wiser. He’d never realized how stubborn she was.

  “That works. Thank you.”

  He motioned for her to precede him. “After you.” He followed her down the stairs, told Tasha he’d be back after lunch, and they left. He needed to get to know his future wife because he clearly didn’t know her as well as he’d thought. He never imagined she’d fight him on paying for his ring.

  Based on what he could dig up on her, she grew up in foster care and had little money and no family listed in her emergency contact information—although how she afforded that couture jacket she always wore, he had no idea. Tasha commented about her coat the last time she’d been in. Otherwise he’d have had no idea. He hadn’t been able to glean much of anything else about Katie, though he’d only perused her employee file and spoken briefly with Ian last night. But Ian said that Brandi had been taking care of Katie since they graduated high school. What did he mean by taking care of?

  Though seeing the petite woman at his side now, he wondered how accurate Ian’s assessment had been. It could be Ian was being overly protective of his future wife. They walked a few blocks until they came to a pawnshop, and Katie dragged him inside. This wasn’t the kind of place he planned to buy her ring. What were they doing here?

  Katie seemed to know her way around the store and went directly to a window display of rings.

  A burly dude approached them. “Hey there, Kaitlyn. What brings you by today? You have something to sell?”

  “Not today, Tom. We’re ring shopping. I’m looking to buy a man’s wedding band.”

  Tom’s gaze shot to Ray. “For you?”

  Ray nodded and placed a hand across Katie’s back. He didn’t like the look of this guy. And what was with him calling her Kaitlyn? Sure, it was her legal name, but no one called her that.

  Katie looked up at him. Uncertainty covered her face. “Do you mind a used ring?”

  “Not used,” Tom corrected. “Vintage.” The dude grinned like he’d said something genius.

  “A vintage ring is fine.”

  She beamed a breath-stealing smile at him. “Good. In that case, we’d like to see that one, Tom.” She pointed to a classic man’s wedding band that looked to be platinum.

  “Excellent choice.” Tom handed him the ring. “How about you, mister. We have some nice ladies rings.”

  “Uh. No, thank you.” He much preferred to buy Katie’s from a jewelry store. Ray slid it on his ring finger. “It’s a perfect fit.” He held out his hand and studied the ring.

  “I knew it!” Katie beamed. “We’ll take it.”

  “Don’t you want to know the price first? This is platinum, and it’s four-hundred dollars.”

  “Will you take three hundred?”

  He shook his head. “Not even for you.”

  Katie frowned. “Okay. Let’s go, Ray.”

  “Wait. That’s it? No counter offer?” Tom asked.

  She shook her head. “I can only do three.”

  He rubbed his bearded chin. “I shouldn’t do this, but you’re a good customer. You bought yourself a ring.”

  She grinned wide. “Thanks.” Then she shot a panicked look at Ray and motioned him close. She whispered in his ear. “I don’t have three-hundred dollars, and I don’t want him to see you pay for it.”

  Ray stood to his full height of five-feet-ten inches. “Katie needs to go to the ATM. Will you hold onto that for a few minutes?”

  “No problem. I’ll get the paperwork ready.”

  “Thanks.” He grasped her hand and gently pulled her toward the door.

  “You’re a lifesaver. Thanks for not embarrassing me in there. You don’t happen to have three hundred on you?”

  “Nope.” He drew her toward the crosswalk. “My bank is around the corner.” Ten minutes later they were back at the pawnshop.

  Katie paid Tom and tucked the ring into her purse. “Thanks, Tom.” She waved as they left the store.

  “What’s the story with that guy? I got the impression you’re a regular.”

  She nodded. “I am. Aside from picking up little things from time to time, I go to garage sales on the weekends, find bargains, fix them up, then pawn them at Tom’s shop.”

  He couldn’t help being impressed. “That’s smart.”

  Her cheeks pinked. “One of my foster moms did that and made a nice business out of it. I watched and learned.”

  He nodded and made a decision. He pulled her toward the next corner cafe. “We need coffee and food for you if we’re going to keep going. I had an early lunch.”

  “I didn’t know you were a coffee person.”

  “I like the sweet stuff.” He shrugged and pulled open the door to the café.

  “But you’re kind of a health nut, aren’t you?”

  He chuckled as they walked to the short line. “Not all the time. Come on. This is a big day for me. It’s not everyday a man gets engaged.” He winked and wiggled his ring hand in the air. “We’ll go find yours after coffee. What would you like? My treat.”

  “Water and this salad.” She handed him a very basic looking salad from the cooler.

  “That’s it?”

  She nodded. “I hate tea and coffee, and I try to stay away from sweet drinks. That’s the only gluten free salad here.”

  “Okay.” He pushed away disappointment. How could he marry someone who hated coffee? He placed the order, and a few minutes later they were seated beside the window.

  Katie guzzled down the water like a camel.

  “You were thirsty.”

  She nodded. “There’s something I need to ask you.”

  “Okay.” The serious look on her face made him put down his mocha.

  “You mentioned planning our wedding. I thought a simple ceremony down at the courthouse would be fine.”

  “I’m sure we can do better than that.” His mother would take it as a personal offense if they married at the county courthouse. “My church is out, since we meet in a school. What about yours?”

  She shook her head. “Not a chance. That place has stuff going on every night of the week. It books out a year in advance. I don’t see how we could find anyplace at this late date. I’ve been helping Brandi plan their wedding, and there is no way we will be able to find a site for the ceremony, much less a florist, musicians, cake, and a caterer wi
th our wedding so close. And who knows what else I’m forgetting.”

  “Hmm.” He brought his cup to his mouth and took several sips of the drink. “I have an idea. It’s a bit farfetched, but hear me out.”

  “Okay.”

  “How do you feel about boxing?”

  “Like the sport?”

  He chuckled. “Yes.”

  “I haven’t given it any thought. Why?” Her brow puckered.

  “We could get married in the boxing ring in the basement of The Ring and hold the reception at the community center.”

  A blank look met his gaze.

  “Bad idea?” Disappointment struck him. Which was nuts since he’d never considered the idea before now.

  “I guess I need to see it. I’m not a fan of basements in general. They tend to be so dark. On the other hand, it is kind of a fun idea. Would we wear normal wedding clothes?”

  “Whatever you want.”

  She tilted her head to the side. Sunshine glinted off her golden hair. An inner light shone in her eyes.

  Ray could see she was warming to the idea. “I’m sure I could get my pastor to officiate.” He finished off his mocha. “You ready? I have to be back at the athletic club by one, so we should get a move on.”

  “Sure.” She stood and followed after him. “Where are we going?”

  “There’s a jewelry store a couple blocks over.” He adjusted his stride so she didn’t have to jog to keep up with him. “How tall are you?”

  “Five-foot-four inches. Why?”

  “Just curious.”

  The next hour flew by in a blur. They hadn’t found anything Katie would agree to. She declared everything too fancy or the stones too big. To which he replied engagement rings were supposed to be extra fancy—she wanted nothing to do with those rings. The only thing he managed to accomplish was learning her ring size—a six. He pulled the door open to The Ring Athletic Club. “Come with me downstairs. I want to show you the boxing ring.” He waved to Tasha as they passed by the front desk then trotted down the stairs and stood with his hand in his pocket. “What do you think?”

  Shell-shock covered her face. She glanced at him then at the ring. “Well, I guess I see potential. We could put flower arrangements at the four corners and an arbor in the center.” She looked up at him. “But how would I get in there wearing a wedding gown?”

  “Maybe you could pick out a dress without a long train.”

  She nodded as if contemplating the idea. Then she walked around the ring.

  He realized for the first time all the men had stopped working out and were watching Katie’s every move. A few flung curious looks at him. “Katie.” He held his hand out to her.

  She looked at it as if she had no idea what to do with it but moved toward him. He draped an arm across her shoulders. “As long we have everyone’s attention. I’d like to introduce my fiancée. This is Katie.”

  Katie shot him a look that would silence most people then offered a smile and a wave to the guys. “I need to go,” she said through the side of her mouth.

  “Sorry for the interruption.”

  “When’s the big day?” Rusty, the trainer who’d been on staff here forever, stood beside the ring holding a pair of boxing gloves.

  “We haven’t set the date yet. I’ll let you know.”

  Katie rushed ahead of him and up the stairs. Then without even asking, she hustled to the staircase that led to his office and ran up that one, too.

  He followed and closed the door after her. “You okay?”

  “I don’t know. That was weird.” Her hands clutched the armrests of the same chair she sat in the last two times she’d been in his office.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He eased down onto the chair beside hers. “Do you feel like talking?”

  She nodded. “You didn’t upset me. I got overwhelmed. I do that sometimes. You’ll get used to it.”

  He chuckled. “Okay.” He sure hoped she didn’t make a habit of rushing from rooms every time she got overwhelmed. “What do you think of my idea now that you’ve seen the ring?”

  “It has promise.” Her gaze shot to his. “Are we crazy?” Her eyes searched his.

  He pressed his thumb and pointer finger together then pulled them slightly apart. “Maybe a little. Do you want to change your mind?”

  “No. Not yet at least. Do you?”

  He shook his head. This wedding may be an arrangement between them, but the more time he spent with this Katie, the more he was intrigued. He also knew the Lord had directed the agreement they had made. Even if he’d been uncertain he’d understood Him right and hadn’t proposed to her in the first place, God didn’t need him as it turned out since He nudged Katie too. Now to keep his wits about him and not mess anything up.

  Chapter Five

  Thursday evening, Katie hauled another box down to the garage from the apartment above. Everything was happening so fast. She’d only become engaged to Ray this morning, and now she had a second job, a new apartment, and a fiancé.

  “Remind me again why I agreed to help you with this.” Brandi asked as she passed Katie on the stairs heading back up to the apartment.

  She rolled her eyes. Brandi had given her nothing but grief since she picked up the first box and broke a fingernail. Katie left the box in the corner of the garage and slugged up the stairs. Truth was, this was much harder than she’d expected. When Ray said the place needed cleaning, he failed to mention he was a book hoarder. Too bad he wasn’t here to help.

  Brandi heaved the last box into her arms. “I can’t believe Ray left all of these boxes here for you to move.”

  “Me neither,” Katie mumbled. She stood in the center of the studio apartment and took in the space now that it was clear of boxes. To the right of the door, a kitchenette with a window that overlooked the driveway had a white Corian countertop and a stainless steel double sink. An apartment-sized refrigerator flanked the lone counter on the far left and a built in oven and stove combo to the right. The rear of the apartment looked like the best option for her bed. Maybe a couple of screens would give her a sense of division from the rest of the room. The center would be her combo dining and living space. Cozy.

  Brandi tromped back inside and wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. “I know I’ve asked already, but are you sure about this?”

  “You mean moving in here and being Emily’s nanny?”

  “Yes. Unless there’s something you left out.” She crossed her arms and raised a brow.

  “Why would you ask me that?” She had deliberately left out the fact she and Ray were getting married. If Brandi was this concerned about her moving here to be a child’s nanny, how would she react to a marriage of convenience? She didn’t want her friend to do anything rash, like refuse to move to England to keep an eye on her. She wouldn’t put it past Brandi either. Then again, her friend would find out sooner or later, and not telling her would have worse consequences than telling her. “You’d better sit.”

  Brandi looked around the space. “Where?”

  “Good point.” She took a bracing breath. “Ray and I are getting married.”

  “And you didn’t tell me until now? So he decided to go through with it.” Brandi shook her head as if in disbelief. “How long will you have to stay married to fulfill the conditions of the will?”

  “Actually we’re not planning to divorce. I like Ray, and I want to help him and Emily. They need me. And I think I need them, too.”

  “Whoa, this is such a shock. Who else knows?”

  Katie shrugged. “The guys at the boxing ring. Other than that, I’m not sure. Everything is going so fast. We only decided to get married today and haven’t set a date, but it’ll have to be soon since Ray needs to be married before his birthday.”

  “I can’t believe the guys at the boxing ring knew you were getting married before me,” Brandi mumbled.

  “That wasn’t my doing. But I get how you feel.”

  Brandi crossed
her arms. “I promise I won’t ask this again, but are you sure about this? Marriage is a huge commitment.”

  “I agree. They need me.” No one had ever needed her. “I want to marry Ray.”

  “Okay.” Brandi’s brow crinkled. “Ray’s house isn’t exactly on the bus line. You’ll have to walk several blocks to get to a bus stop. I didn’t say anything before because I thought you’d only be here a short time. It won’t be fun in the pouring rain. That’s the tip of the iceberg of my list on why this is a mistake. But if you’re sure, there’s nothing so big that can’t be worked out with a little ingenuity.”

  “Agreed. Besides with the extra money I make taking care of Emily, I could buy a car.”

  “Good. I won’t worry about you as much if you have wheels.” Brandi looked sincere. “I’m sorry I’m such a grump today. My best friend is moving out without warning, and I’m going to miss her wedding.”

  Katie shook her head. “Don’t forget you started this by moving to England. It’s not like I had a lot of choice. I had to move one way or the other.” She waved a hand. “Let’s make this shine before Ian and Ray get here with my stuff.” They’d brought cleaning supplies with them. It wouldn’t take too long to wash the three windows, vacuum the carpet, and clean the tiny bathroom near her sleeping area.

  “Where’s Emily?” Brandi asked.

  “She’s staying over at her grandmother’s tonight and tomorrow. I’ll officially start working here on Monday.”

  An hour later, the aroma of lemon filled her apartment, which no longer reeked of dust. Footsteps on the wooded stairs leading to the door alerted her to the guys’ arrival. “They’re here. We finished just in time.”

  “Good. While they move the big stuff in, you can direct them, and I’ll go get pizza. I’m starving!”

  “I only have a bed, a dresser, and a few boxes. Don’t bother, we’ll be finished in a few minutes, and you and Ian can go out together.”

  The guys walked inside.

  Ray grinned. “This is the best the apartment has looked since I bought the place. I forgot how spacious it is.”

  Katie raised a brow at his description of spacious. Without furniture the place looked big, but once she saved money to furnish it, that would change. Or would he want her to move into the house after they were married? Regardless, this space was very livable.