TheSurpriseChristmasBride Read online

  He turned around to look at her. “All right what?”

  “All right, I’ll marry you.”

  The bow tie was back. Strangling him.

  Beauty and the Beast.

  The phrase leaped into his mind as he watched his bride on her father’s arm, moving sedately across the great room toward him. Casey looked beautiful. Her hair fell loose in shining waves beneath a crown of red roses and carnations. Soft filmy white cotton fluttered and swirled about her legs, and he had to admit that he liked this dress much better than the one she’d been wearing the week before.

  His gaze shot to the Beast. Henderson Oakes. A man of little humor and even less patience. Grimly, as if under protest, he escorted his smiling daughter toward her groom.

  In the front row of chairs Frank Parrish sat beside Emma, who continually dabbed a flowered hanky to dry eyes. On the other side of the makeshift aisle, Casey’s mother, Hilary, was dressed to the teeth in raw silk and diamonds. She perched uncomfortably on her chair as if expecting the thing to collapse beneath her perfectly toned and sculpted body.

  No wonder Casey hadn’t wanted to call her parents until the night before the wedding. Hell, he wouldn’t have blamed her if she hadn’t called them at all. He even understood more clearly now why she had agreed to this marriage in the first place. Marrying him had to be better than having to listen to those two tell you what a disappointment you were.

  Then the Beast was there. In front of him. He placed Beauty’s hand in Jake’s, then took a long step back, distancing himself from the union.

  Tucking her hand in the crook of Jake’s arm, Casey turned with him to face Uncle Harry, who was conducting the ceremony. The moment she touched Jake her insides settled down. She felt her parents’ disapproving gazes driving into her back. But offsetting their grimness were the combined good wishes of everyone else gathered here at the ranch. And her brothers were on her side. Casey leaned forward and looked at the twin standing beside Jake. J.T. winked at her.

  Grinning, she straightened again, glanced at Annie on her left, then focused on the minister.

  Watery sunshine sifted through the tall front windows, and the scent of fresh pine drifted to them from the decorative boughs hung about the huge room. This small informal wedding, planned and thrown together in less than a week, was, to her mind, more beautiful than the “event” her mother’s personal planner had spent four months staging.

  A log in the fireplace snapped, and Casey moved closer to Jake. Odd how things worked out. Technically she should have been on a honeymoon in Hawaii with a different groom. Yet here she was marrying a man she’d loved since childhood, despite the fact that he was a reluctant groom.

  “I do,” Jake said, and his deep voice rumbled through her. Casey blinked and brought her wandering attention back to the business at hand just in time to promise to “love, honor and cherish.”

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Uncle Harry smiled benevolently. “You may kiss your bride, Jake.”

  He turned obediently to Casey and looked down into green eyes that held far too much optimism. A flicker of regret sputtered to life inside him, then faded again. He had already learned the hard way what marriage was like. It was a shame that he would have to be on hand to watch Casey’s education. Almost made a man wish he actually believed in happily-ever-after.

  A smattering of applause rose up from their small select audience, demanding the wedding kiss. The light in Casey’s eyes had dimmed a bit, and he knew it was his fault for hesitating. Dipping his head, he bent to claim the obligatory kiss. The moment his lips brushed hers, though, obligation flew out of his mind. She leaned into him, tipping her head back. His arms closed around her and he deepened the kiss, parting her lips with a thrust of his tongue. Something fluttered into life in his chest. His blood roared through his veins. Electricity hummed between them. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him. Her tongue met his in a silent dance of promise, and his body’s response was staggering.

  Absently he heard people cheering and above the raised voices, a wild whistle that had to have come from one of the twins. Lifting his head again, he stared down at his wife and heard his uncle Harry say, “Guess there’s no denying this is a love match!”

  Love, he wasn’t willing to bet on, Jake thought.

  But lust, at least, was honest.

  “Be honest, Cassandra,” her father said. “You participated in this…marriage as a way of saving face. Steven humiliated us and you thought to assuage that somehow.”

  She swallowed and looked through the doorway into the great room. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. She wished desperately she was out there with them, not standing in the kitchen listening to the lecture she’d known was coming.

  “How you could believe that marrying a man you hardly know within a week of being—” her mother lowered her voice, “—jilted would erase public humiliation, I have no idea.”

  “I’ve known Jake for years, Mother.”

  Hilary’s eyebrows drew together before she apparently remembered that frowning caused ugly lines. Her features resettled into a familiar expressionless mask.

  “Of course, you’ve known the family. But really, Cassandra, one doesn’t simply put aside one fiancé and snatch up another as if they were apples in a barrel.”

  Casey inhaled deeply.

  “I’m certain young Steven would have come to his senses shortly.” Her father’s voice sliced at her. “There was no need for you to panic.”

  “I didn’t panic,” she said firmly. “And even if Steven had come back, I wouldn’t have married him.”

  “Of course you would, dear. Simple misunderstandings are no reason to throw away a perfectly good future. These things happen between couples.” Her mother waved a silk handkerchief scented with designer perfume to make her point.

  Simple misunderstanding? Being left at the altar in front of a few hundred people could hardly be called a simple misunderstanding.

  “I’ve already spoken to Steven’s father. He’s going to straighten out that son of his and then things will be as they should. As soon as we take care of this marriage of yours, Cassandra,” her father said briskly. “Which wouldn’t have been necessary if you’d bothered to tell us of your plans beforelast night.”

  That was precisely whyshe hadn’t told her parents about her wedding until the night before. In fact, if Jake hadn’t insisted, she wouldn’t have told them at all until well after the ceremony.

  And how typical of Henderson Oakes to attend the wedding and give the bride away, all the while trying to figure out ways of ending the marriage. She’d never doubted that her parents would show up of course. Above all, Henderson and Hilary were concerned with the appearanceof things. They’d always held the opinion that as long as they looked like a happy family, they were.

  “Father,” she said, determined to make him listen, “I’m married to Jake now. And that’s how it’s going to stay.”

  “Nonsense.”

  Nothing had changed. But then, why had she expected it to? They never listened. They never heard her. Casey wanted to run into the other room, where dance music issued from the stereo. She wanted to lose herself among the laughing, smiling, dancing people. Distance herself from the people who should have loved her most.

  “Casey dear, divorce is simply a part of life.” Hilary Oakes waved her hanky again. “Why in even the best of families, divorce has become…commonplace.”

  “I’ll have my accountant contact Mr. Parrish,” Henderson said. “I’m sure we can work out a reasonable solution to this and compensate him for any inconvenience.”

  Casey’s fingernails dug into her palms. She concentrated on the physical pain because it was so much easier to bear than her parents’ dismissive words. Inconvenience.She couldn’t help wondering if Jake thought of her as an inconvenience, too.

  “Casey?”

  She spun around to look at her husband as he walked toward them. Never had she been so glad
to see him. He looked wonderful in his tuxedo, even though she knew he hated getting what he called “duded up.”

  He nodded briefly to her mother, then held out his hand to her father. Reluctantly, it seemed, Henderson Oakes shook his new son-in-law’s hand. He opened his mouth to speak, but Jake forestalled him, turning, instead, to Casey. He took both her hands in his and gave them a gentle squeeze. “I came to claim our first dance, Mrs. Parrish.”

  She blinked, swallowed and blinked again.

  It must be the overhead lighting. Making her see things in his eyes that she wanted to see. Concern. Genuine caring. Perhaps just a hint of love.

  But it didn’t matter, anyway. Whatever the reason he had come, she was grateful for the rescue.

  “I’d be delighted, Mr. Parrish.”

  Seven

  “Imoved my things into the spare room,” Jake said, and somehow managed to avoid her eyes.

  “I don’t understand.”

  Neither did he, completely. All he knew for sure was that vows alone didn’t make a marriage. For that, you needed love. He’d learned that the hard way.

  Their guests were gone. The few leftovers had been stored in the refrigerator. Most of the mess had been cleaned up. Jake and Casey had been left alone.

  And the house was quiet.

  Intimate.

  “Look, Casey,” he said, and shifted his gaze to meet hers now. Anything less would be too cowardly. “We both know this isn’t an ordinary marriage.”

  “It could be.”

  One of the roses in her crown had slipped loose of its wire and was lying along the line of her cheek. Her face was flushed with soft color, and near her right breast were raspberry stains in the shape of tiny fingerprints. Apparently Lisa had claimed a dance or two with her new aunt and hadn’t bothered to wash her hands first.

  Raspberries and Casey’s breasts. An intriguing combination.

  He stiffened, but ignored the stirrings in his body. He’d be damned if he was going to be led around by his hormones.

  “Casey,” he said, his voice thick, “let’s just see how it goes, huh? Give each other a little room here. Get used to each other.”

  She cocked her head and he refused to acknowledge the way her soft sweet-smelling hair lay across her throat.

  “Why did you ask me to marry you?”

  He frowned. “Lots of reasons.”

  “Give me one,” she said, and crossed her arms under her breasts.

  Jake’s gaze slipped, and before he caught himself and looked away, he thought he saw the dark pink tips of her nipples pressing against the fabric of her gown. How in the hell such a modest dress could suddenly seem so enticing was beyond him.

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “You might be pregnant.”

  “Not good enough,” she countered. “We’ll know for sure about that in a week or two. You could have waited.”

  “All right, how about my family catching us in bed together?” He bit back a groan at the memory of her smooth skin beneath his hands. For a solid week those memories had taunted him, tortured him. He remembered all too clearly her hushed whimpers. Her moans of pleasure and the tight hot feel of her body convulsing around his.

  He felt a hardening in his groin, and he shifted position to lean against the doorjamb. It didn’t help.

  “Embarrassing,” she said, tipping her head back to see him, “but hardly earth-shattering.”

  “Dammit, Casey!” he snapped. “What the hell difference does it make why I asked you to marry me? I did, you said yes and now we’re married. Period.”

  “It makes a difference, Jake.” She unfolded her arms and stepped close to him. “Just like the reason you came to save me from my parents’ interrogation makes a difference.”

  He wasn’t sure why he had done that. He’d simply seen her alone, facing down two of the most intimidating people he’d ever known, and gone to help. Protective instincts were just that. Instincts.

  “You looked like you could use a friend,” was all he said.

  “And you volunteered.”

  “I amyour husband.”

  “So you are.” She nodded absently, more to herself than to him. Then she ran her hands up his arms to encircle his neck.

  “Casey.” He stiffened under her touch, summoning up every last ounce of control he could manage to keep from grabbing her and holding her close.

  “Jake,” she said, and rose on her toes. Stopping when her mouth was just a breath away from his, she asked, “Aren’t you curious about why I agreed to marry you?”

  “No.” Yes, he thought, but not enough to ask. Aloud he said, “Probably for the same reasons I proposed.”

  “Nope.” She brushed her lips across his with a feather touch.

  He sucked in a breath and a groan emitted from deep inside him. He curled his hands into fists at his sides.

  “It’s really simple,” she went on, then paused for another brief kiss. “I figured it out myself just this afternoon.”

  Jake knew what was coming. Even before she said it, he felt it and braced for the impact of words he didn’t want to hear.

  “I love you, Jake. Always have.” She kissed him again. “Always will.”

  His hormones stopped sizzling. The flames of desire died as abruptly as if they’d been doused with ice water. Jake stared at her. She sensed that something was wrong. He could see it in her eyes. Slowly her arms slid from around his neck, and she took a single step back.

  “Jake?”

  “You love me?”

  “Yeah.”

  She didn’t sound very pleased about that anymore. Some consolation, he told himself.

  “And a week ago,” Jake reminded her, “you were going to marry somebody else. Did you ‘love’ him, too?” “No.”

  “But you would have married him, anyway?”

  “I like to think I would have said, ‘I don’t’, but we’ll never know, will we?” “We sure won’t.” He pushed away from the doorjamb and inhaled sharply, ignoring the scent of her perfume as it invaded his lungs. Dammit, he wouldn’t allow himself to feel for another woman. To depend on her. They tossed the word “love” around like it was a Frisbee. And the minute a man started to believe it, he was a goner.

  Well, not Jake Parrish.

  Not again.

  If that meant this would be the first platonic marriage on record, then so be it. He’d hoped to reach a compromise of sorts between them. He’d hoped he and Casey could be friends—and lovers. After all, they’d already proved to be mutually satisfying bed partners.

  His brain laughed at the weak description of what had happened between them less than a week ago.

  But if she insisted on dragging loveinto this mess, he couldn’t risk sharing her bed. As much as he wanted to, he wouldn’t make love to her unless she understood that he couldn’t love her. He wanted nothing more to do with love, thanks very much.

  She sucked in a gulp of air and held it. His gaze moved over her quickly, thoroughly. Despite the L-word hovering in the air between them, Jake felt a stirring in his groin again. He might think he knew exactly what he wanted. Apparently his body had other plans.

  “Good night, Casey,” he said abruptly, and left her while he still had the guts.

  Little more than a week later nothing much had changed.

  Casey sat at the kitchen table and stared blankly out the window. Her husband was out there somewhere with the foreman. Just as he’d been every day since the wedding, Jake had done everything he could to avoid spending time with her. Even at night, when the chores were finished and they might have had the chance to talk, he sequestered himself in the ranch office. He kept the door to that room, as well as the door to his heart, securely locked against her.

  Thinking back, Casey knew the real trouble had started the moment she’d told her new husband she loved him. A wry smile lifted one corner of her mouth. Not exactly the words you would ordinarily expect to start a war.

  She sighed and lifted her cup of coffee for a sip.
She’d stopped keeping track of how much she’d already consumed that morning, telling herself to enjoy it while she could.

  If what she suspected was true, she wouldn’t be getting much caffeine for the next eight months or so.

  The rich black brew slid down her throat, leaving a trail of warmth for which she was grateful. She felt chilled. Inside and out. December had hit Simpson a few days ago, but even the recurring snow flurries couldn’t hold a candle to the icy atmosphere inside the Parrish house.

  She’d thought he might be surprised to hear her declaration of love. After all, even she had been taken aback momentarily when the realization struck her. But never had she expected Jake to turn into a tall dark handsome stone.

  The phone rang and she scowled at it. Infuriating to be interrupted in the middle of a perfectly good pity party.

  She snatched the receiver off the hook before it could ring again and snapped, “Hello?”

  “Well, hi to you, too,” Annie answered, and then had the nerve to chuckle.

  “Sorry,” Casey said. “I’m not myself today.”

  “Yeah, I remember how miserable Ifelt this early on.”

  “Annie…” She never should have said anything. Not even to her best friend. Not until she was sure. And certainly not until she’d talked to Jake.

  “So have you done the test yet?”

  “No.”

  “Well, why not? What are you waiting for? A burning bush? A tongue of flame perhaps?”

  Casey frowned at the telephone. “If the answer is positive, it’ll just create more problems around here.”

  “Case,” her friend said softly, “notdoing the test won’t change anything.”

  “I know, I know.” She reached out and picked up the pink-and-white box she’d purchased at the pharmacy the day before. Gripping it tightly, she said with forced lightness, “Besides, I’m probably not. I mean, what are the odds? About a million to one?”

  “About.”

  “It’s not like I haven’t been late a day or two before.”

  “True.”

  “I’m worried about nothing. Right?”