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“So, how’s Rorke doing?” Jesse changed the subject.
“Callie is due sometime in December. I was there last week, and Rorke already has a model train set up.”
It would be a while before Rorke and Callie’s son or daughter was ready for a model train, but there was something heartening about parents who were so excited about the arrival of their children that they went overboard—as opposed to parents who ignored their kids most of the time, then went overboard to ease their consciences.
But he didn’t want to think about his parents now. He would be seeing them soon. After finishing his conversation with Alex, he looked at the calendar, counting the days before he left for Lake Wyndham.
He hadn’t heard from Holly yet.
Jesse was surprised she hadn’t jumped at his offer. Surprised, but pleased. The way she wanted to consider her decision meant she was looking at it as a business deal and not as some women would—as a way to try to bring him to heel.
Of course, he hadn’t expected that from Holly. He’d felt a negative tension from her the times they’d been together. He assumed it was the possible lawsuit that kept her from liking him.
But whatever the reason, it was best that she didn’t. He needed a pretend fiancée for a week. He didn’t need another woman falling in love with him.
Three
Holly stared at her phone. She’d decided to accept Jesse’s offer, but inexplicably hesitated over notifying him.
She snatched the receiver and pushed the buttons before she could chicken out. A secretary answered Jesse’s phone, but rather than having to leave a message, Holly was put right through.
“Ms. Bryant, what can I do for you?”
Over the phone his deep voice had an added warmth she hadn’t noticed in person. “If we’re going to be engaged, shouldn’t we be on a first-name basis?”
“Holly, then. You’re accepting the offer?” Jesse said. He sounded pleased.
“Yes.”
“Good. Are you free Saturday morning?”
Holly glanced at the calendar hanging next to the phone. “This Saturday?”
“Yes. We need to buy an engagement ring and go over the information engaged couples would know about each other. It should only take a few hours.”
A fiancée would most likely know what that heavenly body looked like without clothes and what kind of a lover Jesse was.
She cleared her throat before answering. “I have to be at work by one o’clock.”
“I’ll pick you up at nine-thirty. If you’ll give me your address and directions.”
“Why don’t I meet you at Dad’s shop? That way, if we run behind schedule, I won’t be late to work.”
“Whatever you prefer.”
“Nine-thirty at the shop, then.”
“See you there.”
* * *
Saturday morning Holly changed clothes three times before settling on a colorful tourist look. Jesse couldn’t complain that it was conservative. At the same time a salesclerk in the jewelry store was more likely to take her seriously than if she were in her biker clothes.
She couldn’t remember how old she’d been the first time she’d realized that much of the world looked at the way you were dressed and judged you from that. It didn’t seem fair, but rather than complain about something she couldn’t change, she simply used it to her advantage when she could, and played games and experimented with it the rest of the time.
When she arrived at the tattoo shop, Jesse was already there. He was also dressed somewhere between “decked out” and blue jeans. She could tell from the fit and the fabric that his clothes were top of the line.
They exchanged greetings, then set off.
“Would you like to start with a brief family history, or shall I go first?” Jesse asked.
“I don’t have much to tell. I was born and raised in Daytona Beach. You’ve met my dad. He and my mother were divorced when I was eight. She remarried and has a new family.”
“Did the court give custody of you to your father, or did you have a choice?”
“I got to choose.”
“I would have guessed an eight-year-old girl would be more likely to pick her mother.”
“I’ve always gotten along much better with my father.” That was only part of the reason she’d chosen to stay with him after the divorce. The rest was that, with her eight-year-old logic, she hadn’t thought it fair that after the divorce her mother would have Howard and her father wouldn’t have anyone.
She hadn’t realized at the time that being the single father of a daughter might not be the easiest of circumstances for Red Bryant. All she’d known was that she hadn’t wanted to leave him alone.
“Your father never remarried?”
“No, he dates occasionally, but never anything serious. He’s really into his work.” Holly suspected her father was still carrying a torch for her mother.
“Do you see your mother?” Jesse asked.
“Several times a year I spend a few days with them. Mostly because she feels obligated to invite me. And I go because I feel obligated to accept.”
“Have you been working for your father long?”
“I’ve always been around the shop doing odds and ends, but I didn’t actually start on a regular basis until I was in high school. Dad needed someone to work the counter, and I needed to start saving money to put myself through school. Since we get along so well anyway, it seemed like a good solution.”
He glanced at her. “You’re a student?”
“Part-time, at night.”
“Let’s leave that bit of information out when you meet my family.”
“You don’t want them to know I go to school?”
“It sounds too respectable.”
Holly fought back a smile. He was bound and determined to present his parents with a fiancée worthy of a renegade son. “Maybe you should tell me a little about my soon-to-be, make-believe prospective in-laws.”
He didn’t mention that he’d been disinherited, but he did tell her how his career choice had estranged him from his family—except his younger sister Joanna. Holly was surprised he didn’t sound bitter. Of course, the fact that he’d gone on to find success on his own might have something to do with it.
“Besides my parents and sister, there will more than likely be a whole collection of aunts, uncles and cousins. Since I don’t see them anymore, it won’t be expected that you would know much about them. I can fill you in as we go along.”
He pulled into the mall parking lot. Since it was early, they found a spot close to the entrance. Once inside, they walked side by side, past a variety of stores decorated for Christmas, until they reached the jewelry store.
As Jesse was about to step into the store, Holly reached out her hand to stop him. The heat radiating from him stunned her and she pulled back quickly.
One dark brow quirked and a knowing smile came onto his face. “You’re going to have to work on that.”
“On what?”
“Being able to touch me without jumping as though you expect me to attack you.” He reached one hand toward her shoulder.
She moved away. “Fine. We’ll work on it, but not here.” She glanced around to be sure no one was watching. Leaning toward him, she spoke quietly, “Do we need to use aliases in there?”
“Aliases?” He laughed.
The sound surprised Holly, but she liked it. Liked it a lot.
And even though she took her question seriously, she had to smile. “In case someone recognizes you.”
He shrugged. “If it happens, it happens. We’ll just play it by ear.” He nodded toward the store. “Ready?”
Half an hour later Holly and Jesse had looked at so many engagement rings, she suspected that if the salesclerk started bringing the same rings back, they wouldn’t even realize it.
The salesclerk smiled, but Holly was sure he was as tired as she was. “I have one more tray, sir. If you’ll wait just one moment.”
Once the man was out of earshot, Holly asked, “Just what is it you’re looking for?”
“Something expensive and gaudy.”
The description fit most of the rings they’d seen. “Don’t make it too awful. We’re going to have to look at it for a week.”
The salesclerk returned. A ring in the upper left-hand corner caught Holly’s eye. It had a substantial-sized diamond, with a sprinkling of smaller diamonds, emeralds and rubies on either side. When it caught the light, it looked like a snowflake sitting on a bed of holly.
Holly picked it up and slipped it on. It fit perfectly. She held it out for Jesse to see. “It looks like holly.”
The clerk perked up. “A lovely ring, miss. And so appropriate with your name being Holly and your getting engaged so close to Christmas.”
But Jesse didn’t seem impressed. He looked at the tray. Reaching out, he picked up another ring. “Try this one.”
Holly reluctantly took off the ring she was wearing and returned it to its spot. She took the one Jesse held. It also slid smoothly into place as if it belonged there. Although it sparkled and shone, she didn’t feel connected to it the way she had the holly ring.
Holly ring? Get a grip, Holly, dear. This is a pretend engagement ring for a pretend engagement....
She held her hand toward Jesse. “What do you think? Do you like this one?”
“It works for me. How about you?”
It was too ostentatious for her taste, but she could live with it for a week. “If you’re happy, I am.”
“All right.” Jesse turned to the clerk. “We’ll take this one.”
“Will that be cash or charge, sir?”
Jesse pulled out his wallet and handed the clerk a credit card. “Charge.”
The clerk locked the ring tray into the glass display case, then headed for the cash register.
Holly leaned forward and took another look at the holly ring.
“I’ll buy it for you if you’d like. You can tuck it away in your hope chest until you meet the man you’re really going to marry.”
Holly straightened, turning her back on the case. She’d watched her friends go through painful relationships and wasn’t interested...thank you very much. Maybe once she had her career on track, she would look for an equally established and settled man. Someone kind and considerate....
Her gaze drifted to the display window where a ceramic Santa stood—his burlap sack stuffed to overflowing with glittering jewelry.
Kind, considerate, established and settled—yes, that’s what she wanted in a man.
“No, thanks.” She looked at Jesse. “That’s a generous offer, but since the only guy I’d even consider marrying would be Santa Claus, save your money.”
Jesse laughed, again. That was twice in one day. Holly wondered if they were setting any records. Sarcasm aside, she felt a thrill of power knowing she’d been the one to make him laugh...and smile.
He was still smiling at her. And she’d been right, he had a killer smile.
A lady-killer smile!
* * *
Once the required ring shopping was out of the way, they strolled slowly through the mall. Christmas carols played over the loudspeakers, and the smell of pine-scented potpourri beckoned to them from every shop they passed.
With all the seasonal enticements, it was hard for Holly not to slip into the Christmas shopping mode. But she deliberately focused herself on the task at hand—for the two of them to share more information about themselves with each other.
“Do you live with your father?” Jesse asked.
“I have my own apartment, but we live on the same street. I’ll bet you have a big oceanfront house with floor-to-ceiling picture windows across the back.” It was where she would live if she had the money for it—plus enough for hurricane insurance.
“No, I have a town house near the Yankee plant on the west side of Daytona Beach. Another in Tucson and an apartment in New York City.”
“Why Tucson and New York?”
“We have another plant in Tucson and our headquarters is in New York. I split my time over the three places.”
“Do you like all the traveling?”
“I don’t mind it.”
“That doesn’t mean you like it.”
He chuckled. “Quite the stickler for details, aren’t you, Ms. Bryant?”
