The Manning Brides Read online

  “Hello.”

  “We met briefly…a while back,” she said, suddenly biting off her words. She cast an embarrassed glance at Rich, as though she’d made a dreadful blunder. Fortunately James didn’t react at all. It wasn’t until they were inside James’s office that Rich remembered the two of them had been introduced at James and Christy’s engagement party.

  “Come on in and sit down,” James said, motioning toward the two upholstered chairs positioned on the other side of his desk. James, who was of medium height with broad shoulders and a hairline just beginning to recede, had a rather formal manner and a natural reserve.

  Rich knew from mutual acquaintances that he’d taken the broken engagement hard. He’d loved Christy and been deeply wounded when she’d married Cody instead. Rich had heard that James rarely dated. If so, that was a shame. James had a lot to offer a woman. He was a junior partner with the firm these days and his talents were in high demand. It would take one hell of a woman to replace Christy, and Rich could only hope that James would find someone just as special.

  “So,” James said, reaching for his pen and a yellow pad, “what can I do for you?”

  Rich leaned back in his chair. “Jamie and I would like you to draft a prenuptial agreement.”

  The attorney’s gaze flew to Rich’s. “Congratulations! I’m delighted to hear it. I didn’t know you were engaged.”

  “We aren’t…exactly,” Jamie said hurriedly. When James focused his attention on her, she shifted in her chair and gestured at Rich. “You’d better explain…everything.”

  “This will be a marriage of convenience,” he announced.

  “A marriage of convenience,” James echoed, as though he wasn’t sure he’d heard correctly.

  “There are…extenuating circumstances.”

  “We’re going to have a baby,” Jamie inserted, then as she realized what she’d implied, her eyes grew wide. “I’m not pregnant, at least not yet, but if everything goes according to schedule, I will be in the next couple of months.”

  James lowered his pen. “This doesn’t sound like a marriage of convenience to me.”

  “We aren’t going to destroy a perfectly wonderful friendship by having sex,” Jamie declared vehemently, slicing the air with her hands. “We agreed on that first thing.”

  The pen was carefully placed on the polished mahogany desk. James frowned at Rich, then cleared his throat. “Let me see if I understand this. You plan for Jamie to become pregnant, but there isn’t going to be any sex?”

  “Before we go any further, I want the details of the divorce clearly spelled out,” Jamie added, sliding to the edge of her cushioned seat. She slipped her hands under her thighs, but continued to fidget, crossing and uncrossing her ankles. “They should be as explicitly drawn up as the particulars of the marriage. And by the way, we won’t be living together. But that shouldn’t matter, should it?”

  “You’re planning the divorce now?” This time, James made a few notations on the pad, frowning again.

  “You don’t expect us to stay married after the baby’s born, do you?”

  “Rich?” James gave him a stern look. “Would you kindly explain what’s going on here?”

  “We’re getting married, having a baby and getting a divorce. A, B, C. Points one, two, three. It’s not nearly as complicated as it sounds.” Rich found he was enjoying this. James, however, obviously wasn’t.

  “A prenuptial agreement—okay, fine. We have several forms already drawn up that you can read over. The two of you can decide which one suits you best and amend it as you see fit. But—”

  “But what about the baby and the divorce?” Jamie asked nervously. Turning to Rich, she added, “I don’t think James understands what we’re planning.”

  “You’re right about that. The marriage I understand—at least I think I do. Unfortunately it’s everything else that’s got me confused.”

  “There’s a logical explanation for all this,” Rich assured him.

  “No, there isn’t,” Jamie said sharply. “Rich insists we marry and I don’t feel it’s necessary, but nothing I say will convince him. If I didn’t want a baby so much, I’d never agree to this.”

  “Rich?” Once again, James looked at him, clearly more baffled than ever.

  “It’s not as confusing as it seems,” Rich told him a second time. “A bit unconventional, perhaps, but not confusing.” He spent the next ten minutes explaining their plans and answering a long series of questions from the attorney.

  “It sounds crazy, doesn’t it?” Jamie said when Rich had finished. “You probably think we both need appointments at a mental-health clinic. I don’t blame you, I really don’t.”

  James took his time answering. He continued making notes, then raised his head to look pointedly at Rich. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “I’m sure.” Rich shared few of Jamie’s concerns regarding the marriage. It was merely a formality. She kept talking about it as though it were a deep spiritual experience. For some couples, marriage might well be that. But not for Jamie and him.

  “What about you, Jamie?”

  Her head came up sharply.

  “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  She hesitated, then nodded emphatically. “I’m sure.”

  James paused, rolling the pen between his open palms as he collected his thoughts. “Does your family know about your plans?” The question was directed at Rich.

  He gave a short, scoffing laugh. “You’ve got to be joking. I don’t intend to let them find out, either. At least not right away. They’ll learn about the marriage and the baby eventually—that much is inevitable. But the longer I can keep this from my parents, the better.”

  “On that, I can agree.”

  “So you’ll write up an agreement for us?” Rich asked. He hadn’t missed the subtle note of concern in James’s voice.

  “I’ll have one drawn up within a week.”

  “Good.” Rich took Jamie’s hand. They both stood, and she tucked the long strap of her purse over her shoulder. “Then we’ll go off to the courthouse now and apply for the wedding license.”

  “Might I offer you two a bit of advice?” James asked, standing himself. He rubbed the side of his jaw as if he hadn’t decided exactly what he wanted to say.

  “Please.” Jamie’s tone suggested that she hoped someone would talk her out of this scheme. If that was the case, Rich would be the first to remind her that she was the one who’d started the whole thing.

  “I’ll write up whatever you want me to,” James said thoughtfully, “but I don’t believe there’s any reason to rush into anything. You’ve both waited this long to have a family—a few more months isn’t going to make any difference.”

  Rich looked to Jamie for confirmation, but he couldn’t read her thoughts. “We’ll talk about it,” he promised.

  James nodded. “I’ll give you a call later in the week and you can stop by and read over the agreement.”

  “Great.” Rich steered Jamie toward the door, although she didn’t need any encouragement. She seemed downright eager to escape. “I’ll be talking to you soon then,” Rich said over his shoulder.

  “Soon,” James promised.

  Jamie was quiet on the way to the parking lot. For that matter, so was he. Although James Wilkens hadn’t explicitly stated his misgivings, they were all too apparent—from the questions he’d asked and the hesitation Rich had heard in his voice.

  Rich unlocked the passenger door and held it open for Jamie. He waited until she was inside, his hand on the frame. “Do you want to take some time to think this over?”

  “No,” she said instantly. “Do you?”

  He shook his head. “No.”

  Their eyes met and held until they were both smiling broadly.

  Rich woke early Tuesday morning, before the alarm went off. He turned on the shower and stepped under the plummeting spray, enjoying the feel of it against his skin. He was whistling cheerfully when the
tune slowly faded, one note at a time.

  He quickly finished showering, reached for a towel and headed directly from the bathroom to the phone at his bedside. He punched out the number from memory and waited impatiently for Jamie to answer.

  “Good morning,” he said enthusiastically.

  “Good morning,” came her groggy reply.

  “You know what today is, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do. It isn’t every day a woman gets married.”

  “Second thoughts?”

  “Third and fourth if you want the truth, but now that I’ve had a chance to think it over, I’m more certain than ever.”

  “Good.” He’d grown anxious in the shower, convinced Jamie would change her mind at the last minute. He had to be assured one final time, although they’d talked of little else in the past week.

  James had contacted him Friday afternoon, and Rich had stopped at the attorney’s office on his way home from work. The agreement was several pages long, but when he asked for the bill, James had insisted it was a wedding present. The gesture took Rich by surprise. James was the only person who knew what they intended, and he was acting as though this was a conventional marriage. Of all people, James was well aware exactly how unconventional it was going to be.

  “You think we’re nuts, don’t you?”

  “No,” James had responded with a wry grin. “I think you’re both in love and just don’t know it yet.”

  James’s comment had caught Rich off guard. He would never have taken the attorney for a romantic.

  I think you’re both in love and just don’t know it yet. On this, the morning of his wedding, Rich tested James Wilken’s theory once again. Sure, he loved Jamie, but not in the sense James implied. They were friends. Pals. Not lovers. Not soulmates. Just friends.

  “Have you arranged for a witness?” Jamie asked, pulling Rich out of his reverie.

  “A witness?”

  “Rich—” she groaned “—don’t you remember? When we applied for the license, we were told we’d each need to bring a witness. What do you plan to do, drag in someone from outside the judge’s chambers?”

  Rich thought about it for a moment. “I suppose so.”

  “Don’t forget the ring,” she said, beginning to sound nervous.

  “I won’t.”

  “As soon as the ceremony’s over, I’ll return it.” Rich intended to use a small diamond that had once belonged to his grandmother. Jamie had objected, until she’d hit upon the idea of returning it after the ceremony. Wearing a diamond would raise too many questions, she’d decided. The only reason they even needed one was for the exchange of vows.

  “Who’s going to be your witness?”

  Jamie paused. She couldn’t very well ask any of her friends. “I…I’m not sure yet. I was thinking of Margie from New Accounts. Margie can keep a secret. But then I thought it might not be a good idea if anyone from the bank knew I was getting married.”

  “What do you plan to do?” he asked, mimicking her words. “Drag in someone from outside the judge’s chambers?”

  “I suppose so,” she returned, and laughed. It had been at least a week since Rich had heard her laugh. It encouraged him, and he chuckled, too.

  “You haven’t heard from anyone?”

  “No. You?”

  Their biggest concern was that one or more of their family members would somehow find out that they’d applied for a marriage license.

  In his worst nightmare Rich could envision his mother sobbing hysterically, interrupting the ceremony. She’d be furious that he was marrying Jamie without the large church wedding she’d looked forward to having for Taylor and Christy. Both of Rich’s sisters had chosen small private weddings without any family present. For that matter, so had Paul. And he was doing the same thing.

  The family honor now rested in Jason’s hands.

  Jason.

  “Rich.” Jamie’s voice cut into his thoughts. “Don’t worry, I’ll have a witness.”

  Rich got dressed in a hurry, his movements filled with purpose.

  He grabbed his raincoat on his way out the door and found himself whistling once more as he unlocked his car. He checked his watch and realized he had plenty of time. More time than he knew what to do with.

  He drove to his brother’s veterinary hospital in the south end of Seattle. There he saw three people in the waiting room. Two in the section marked Dogs and one little old lady clinging tightly to her cat on the other side of the room.

  “Is Jason in?” he asked the receptionist.

  “He’s with a Saint Bernard, but he’ll be out soon.”

  Sure enough, Jason appeared five minutes later. He wore a white lab coat, but underneath, Rich knew he had on jeans and a T-shirt.

  “Rich, what are you doing here?”

  “Can you take an hour off later today?”

  “You buying me lunch?” Jason asked.

  “No. I need you to be the best man at my wedding.”

  Five

  Jamie was at the courthouse at the agreed-upon time, pacing the corridor outside Judge Webster’s chambers. Ten to two.

  She was there, but Rich wasn’t.

  If he left her standing at the altar—so to speak—she’d personally see to his tar-and-feathering.

  She called his cell phone. No answer.

  For the tenth time, she checked her watch.

  Seven minutes late. The man would pay for this.

  A woman Jamie assumed was the judge’s secretary stepped into the hallway. “It’s almost two. The judge can see you now.”

  “Ah…hello,” Jamie said, giving the middle-aged woman her brightest smile. “My…the man I’m going to marry seems to have been detained. I’m sure he’ll be here any second.”

  “I see.” She glanced at her watch as though to say the judge was a busy man.

  “I’m sure he’ll be here,” she repeated. A slow death would be too good for Rich Manning if he wasn’t. “I was wondering…when Rich does arrive, would it be possible for you to be my witness?” She shouldn’t have left it to the last minute like this, but she hadn’t known who to ask.

  “Of course.” The gray-haired woman returned Jamie’s smile. “Let me know as soon as your young man shows up.”

  “I will, thank you.”

  Jamie tried his cell again, and again he didn’t answer. She resumed her pacing. She’d made the mistake of asking for the whole day off. If she’d only taken half a day, she wouldn’t have all this time to contemplate what she was doing. In the last five minutes she’d vacillated between thinking marriage was the best solution and feeling convinced that it was the most foolish decision she’d ever made.

  “Jamie.” Breathless, Rich came around the corner at a half run.

  “Where have you been?” she cried, her voice cracking under the strain. She was caught halfway between abject relief and total fury. Halfway between hope and despair, trapped in a world of nagging questions and second thoughts.

  Rich pulled her into his arms and hugged her close. His breathing was labored, as though he’d raced up several flights of stairs. “I got stuck in traffic.”

  Jamie was about to chastise him for not allowing enough time, but she swallowed her irritation. What did it matter? He was there now. Suddenly she felt a relief so great all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and weep.

  “JudgeWebster’s secretary said we should go into his office as soon as you arrived,” she said, composing herself.

  “Just a minute. We have to wait for my witness,” Rich said, smiling down at her. His beautiful blue gaze was filled with a teasing light.

  “You actually brought someone with you? Who?”

  “Me,” Jason Manning said, hurrying around the same corner Rich had a moment earlier. He, too, was out of breath. “Rich left me to park the car,” he said, pressing his hand over his heart. “Said if he was late for his wedding you’d skin him alive.”

  “He was right, too.”

  Jamie�
�s gaze flew to Rich, whose expression was both tender and amused. He’d brought family! They’d discussed the subject at length and had agreed not to let any of their immediate relatives in on their plans. Not until it was necessary, which they’d calculated would be when Jamie entered the fifth or sixth month of her pregnancy.

  “Bringing Jason seemed like a good idea at the time,” Rich said with a chagrined look. “He spent half the morning arguing with me. According to Jason, we’re both candidates for the loony bin.”

  “We weren’t going to tell anyone, remember?” They’d decided that the fewer people who were in on this, the better. But at the rate Rich was telling people, Jamie wouldn’t be surprised to see her picture splashed across the front of a grocery store tabloid.

  “Don’t worry,” Jason inserted smoothly, “I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”

  “I’ll explain everything later,” Rich promised in a low voice. He draped his arm over her shoulder and inhaled noisily, as though he still needed to catch his breath. “But right now, we’ve got a wedding to attend.”

  Jamie knew the ceremony itself wouldn’t last more than a few minutes; she’d taken comfort in that. They’d be in and out of the judge’s chambers in five minutes, ten at the most.

  They stood before Judge Webster, their backs stiff and straight. The judge attempted to reassure them with a smile.

  Jamie needed to be reassured. Her knees were shaking, her hands trembled and she wasn’t sure she’d be able to go through with this.

  When it came time to repeat her vows, she hesitated and raised her eyes to Rich. How could she promise to love him and honor him for the rest of their lives, knowing full well their marriage wouldn’t last the year?

  Rich must have read her confusion and her fears. Some unfathomable emotion flickered in his eyes, and she wondered if he was experiencing the same doubts. When his hold on her hand tightened, Jamie was grateful. She felt the need to be close to him. She didn’t know why, any more than she understood the reason she’d agreed to go through with this wedding ceremony.

  When she spoke, her voice shook, then steadied and grew strong. Her heart was pounding, then gradually returned to a normal, even beat. She realized that the calmness she felt, the serenity, had come from Rich. His eyes didn’t leave her, and his own voice was confident and sure.