Married by June (7 page)

“We were?” She wasn’t sure she wanted him to answer. At that moment, she really wasn’t sure of anything.

“Your mom was dying.”

“I knew better.” That was probably the thing that bothered her the most. Back when she said yes the first time, she’d known better than to agree to any idea involving her mom, a man and plans for a future. She’d known better than to trust any part of her life to another person’s promises. “The main point is, you don’t want to actually get back together. You want to lie for a few more months until we can break up for real. Again.”

“Jorie—”

“You’re not even putting any effort into it this
time. I’d have thought you’d bring flowers. You brought me flowers once because I got a parking ticket, but that was before. Now that we’re lying, you don’t have to try.”

“You said there was no reason to spend money on flowers when you can get free samples from florists.”

“So this is it. No flowers. No pretty speech. Just you asking me for a pretend engagement to save your brother.”

He nodded.

“No.”

“If we can just—”

“I’m not going to lie.” She stood and realized she was shaking. She took a few steps toward him, hoping to settle herself down by seizing control of the situation. “Despite what you’ve decided, I wasn’t lying when I committed to you the first time we got engaged and I’m not going to start now. I’ve been trying to have a relationship with you—”

He got to his feet and met her in the middle of the room. “You haven’t been trying,” he said emphatically. “After we got engaged, we just talked about the wedding. Our relationship stalled and nothing I’ve tried to do to get closer to you has worked. I booked a weekend away and you canceled at the last minute. You’ve spent two nights a week at the Wish Team planning the registry, and yet you never have
time for dinner with me. I can’t even remember the last time we had a conversation that wasn’t about the wedding.” His expression was bitter and disappointed and she could feel the tension as he leaned toward her.

“I can.” She wouldn’t back up, she was too angry. “I remember the conversation perfectly. We met for drinks after the speech Bailey gave about the education bill. We had a great time. The next night you asked me to marry you, coincidentally ruining what had been a really nice relationship.”

“You said yes, Jorie. You keep saying I persuaded you, but you said yes.”

How was she supposed to have said no to her mother’s last wish? She’d wanted him to convince her and maybe she hadn’t argued as hard as she should have, but her mom had been dying.

“I did.” She had to focus on this moment, not what happened six months ago. She wanted him to understand, but it was so hard. “Which is why I’m not saying yes again.”

“I need this—”

“I know.” She wished she could touch him, reassure him that no matter what happened, she cared about him and didn’t want to see him hurting. “That matters to me because of what you did for my mom. But still, I’m not saying yes to a lie. I can’t.” She meant that. She understood how much he needed
this relationship, but she valued her integrity even more. If she agreed to this charade, how could she live with herself? On the other hand, if she ruined his life and Bailey’s, too, how could she stand it? She wished she still had her drink. She needed something to do with her hands or she was going to reach for him. “I’ll say yes if we agree we’re trying for real. If we start from scratch.” His chest rose as he took a deep breath and she waited to see what he’d say.

W
ELL, THAT
wasn’t what he’d been expecting.

The look she gave him was definitely a challenge. He remembered it from their first blind date. They’d been set up by their mothers, who’d met at a spa in Arizona. Chelsea had been living there and Rachel had gone for a reunion with some college friends. He’d asked Jorie where she’d like to go and she suggested a trip to the Antietam Museum with that same challenge in her eye. She told him later she’d hoped the museum would scare him off. Her mom had a habit of setting her up on blind dates and she’d developed a strategy of boring the guys to death so they wouldn’t call again. Instead, he’d told her he loved the Antietam Museum and she’d given him her first genuine smile, putting one hand on her hip and leaning toward him just enough that he noticed her breasts. He’d realized in that second that he was going on a date with a beautiful history geek who had a hot body and a killer smile and he’d started scheming right then to get closer to her.

He wished he could see that smile now.

“Start from scratch?” he asked. They were standing so close he could smell the faint trace of her perfume. He almost reached out to smooth a strand of strawberry-blond hair that had fallen forward. But he wouldn’t touch her. Couldn’t trust himself when he still wasn’t sure what she wanted from him.

“We can keep the engagement, do what we have to if you’re going to be appointed, pretend nothing has changed. But that’s just for show. A public lie. The two of us are going to be honest and start over again from the beginning. We’re not really engaged. We’ll get to know each other the right way.”

“How far back?”

“It’s nice to meet you, Cooper.” She closed her eyes and then opened them. “My name’s Jorie.”

“I’m Cooper— Wait, Jorie…there’s no point in trying again if we don’t do anything differently than before. I feel like I’ve tried everything and you still won’t open up. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“You’re supposed to try. I will, too. I’ll change… I’ll try harder. We don’t have to wind up engaged for real, but we have to be honest and try.”

He hated what he was doing to her. For just a second, he wondered if he should call this whole thing off. Tell his dad to find some other way. But he knew he’d already gone too far. Jorie was waiting
for his answer and he couldn’t run out on her again. She’d said she would try. She was serious.

“Deal.”

Well, this was awkward. Should he stick his hand out so they could shake on it? But Jorie was so close to him. He thought he’d said goodbye to her for good a few hours ago and now she was right in front of him, wearing a shirt that was really turning him on. If he stepped just half a foot nearer, like that…he’d feel her against him. Her body warm and soft where it touched his. This day had sucked, but now that he was touching Jorie again, the bad part retreated. He put his arms around her and bent his head to her lips. He didn’t know what to expect, what she would want; he wasn’t even sure exactly what he’d agreed to. He started to kiss her gently, prepared to duck out as soon as they’d sealed their agreement if that was what she wanted, but she edged closer to him and kissed him harder.

“Is this your way of saying you want to go all the way back to our first date?” he murmured. Her breasts were pressed to his chest and a rush of heat made him shift his hands to her hips where he could feel the flare of her backside. He found the hole in the thigh of her sweats with his finger and touched her soft skin. “Because I have exceptionally vivid memories of our first date.”

“That was an anomaly.” Her breath on his ear
made him shiver. “I don’t sleep with people on the first date.”

“I don’t either. And yet, there we were, on our first date, incontrovertibly doing what neither one of us ever does.”

“All those museum displays about the Antietam cavalry charges had me in the mood.”

Her lips parted and her tongue met his eagerly, and the instant she rubbed her hips on his erection, he couldn’t stop himself from pulling her tight against him, slipping his thumbs inside the waistband of her sweats. He bit her bottom lip and then bent to kiss her neck, behind her ear and down toward her collarbone. Her hands came up and he felt them hook in the back of his belt in a possessive way that was all Jorie. He wasn’t sure she realized she did it, but it made him feel that she was claiming him.

“I like first dates,” she whispered. “Anything is possible.”

“Anything?”

She answered him with a kiss.

He nudged her legs apart and slid his knee between them to press against her. She responded and he pulled her closer, wanting to feel her, hot and eager under his hands. If he could get her over to the couch, he’d shove all of those fussy throw pil
lows onto the floor and take his time, giving Jorie a night to remember.

Except he didn’t have a night to give her. Not this night, anyway. He lifted his head and then, after one final stroke down her bottom, he stepped away.

“I would love to finish this,” he said. Her lips were damp, and when she licked them, he shifted uncomfortably and kissed her again. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but my dad is waiting. I have to meet him.”

“Is this what it’s going to be like, Cooper? We’re going to see each other even less than usual?”

She was quick to question his motives. Trust wasn’t one of her strong suits.

“I don’t think there’s much chance of that. You’re part of the Murphy family election machine now. My dad wants to see you tomorrow.”

“For what?”

“Some might call it indoctrination. I think he’d say a briefing.”

“I feel like I’m interviewing for a job.”

This was hard for her. She looked nervous. She was giving a gift to his family, his brother. She had a big heart, even if it was hard for her to show it.

“You’re going to be fine. I’ll be there. If he kills anyone, it will be Bailey. You and I are probably safe.”

“I’m not afraid of your dad, Cooper.”

“Of course not.”

“It feels odd, that’s all. A meeting about politics seems so artificial. Before all this, I was just going to be his daughter-in-law.”

“He appreciates what you’re doing. I do, too.” He kissed her on the cheek and then, because the subtle scent of her shampoo got him bothered again, he kissed her on the other cheek, and then because he loved the way she tasted, he moved to her mouth. She tightened her grip and the two of them sealed their deal a second time. It was a very satisfactory way to make an agreement, Cooper thought.

A few minutes later, when he was finally on his way out, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d left something undone. He stopped in the doorway to the living room when he realized what it was.

“Do you still have your ring?”

She blushed. “Yes.” She glanced away and he followed her gaze. The contents of the basket on the coffee table registered for the first time. Their wedding binder was on top, but he saw his Georgetown T-shirt underneath and the cover of the book he’d given her last week.

“That’s all my stuff?”

“We broke up.”

“Were you going to deliver that to me or throw it out?”

“Cooper. I was upset.”

“Sorry.”

He didn’t want to be mad or doubt her, not when they’d just put the fragile pieces of their relationship back together, but how could she have divested herself of his things that quickly? He’d been through breakups before and he always thought there was a bit of spite involved in packing up each “memory” and returning it. He didn’t want to think Jorie had done that with their relationship this soon.

It had taken less than one evening to pack him up and cut him out of her life. Cooper felt a distance slam back between them. He had to meet with his dad, but he couldn’t leave her here like this.

He walked over to the basket. The ring was there, just under the binder. Jorie came up next to him, and when he held the ring up, she offered her hand. He cupped her wrist and slid the diamond over her finger.

“Okay?” he asked.

“Of course.”

It wasn’t much of a proposal. Nothing like his first one, that was for sure. But he felt better knowing the ring was back in place.

W
HEN
C
OOPER GOT OUTSIDE,
his brother was there. He glanced up at Jorie’s door but she’d already turned the lights off in the foyer. He’d hate for her to see Bailey, because she’d probably interpret his
presence as more evidence that Cooper was only getting back together for his family. He walked quickly down the block, Bailey pacing him.

“What are you doing here?” Cooper asked.

“I came to check on you. How’s Jorie?”

“Fine.” He ducked into the grocery store on the corner. The cooler full of beer beckoned him, but he picked up a cold Coke and a bag of chips. Bailey added beef jerky and the clerk rang them up.

“So. How’s the engagement treating you?” Bailey asked when they were back on the street.

“Never better,” he said.

“You’re a bad liar.” Bailey swung around and faced him, making him stop walking. “Dad said you broke up with her this afternoon. What were you doing in there tonight?”

“Breaking up was a mistake. I got cold feet while I was writing the vows, but it’s fine now.”

Bailey shook his head. “Uh-uh, little brother. I know when you’re lying to me. What really happened?”

“She didn’t want to call it off. It was all me. After I talked to Dad, I told her I wanted to get back together. She’s fine with it.”

“Fine with it?” Bailey was practically shouting. He put his hand on Cooper’s chest. “You’re going to marry her? Didn’t you listen to a single thing I told you this afternoon? It’s bad enough if you want to
let Dad use you to elect Theo, but you can’t possibly get married for him!”

Cooper carefully stepped backward so that Bailey’s hand fell away. He didn’t like physical confrontations and his brother was upset. He started walking again. “I’m doing what I have to do,” he said. “And Jorie knows exactly what’s going on. She’s fine with it. You don’t need to worry.” He and Jorie were stuck cleaning up Bailey’s mess. His brother shouldn’t be making judgments about how he did that.

Bailey wasn’t following him. “Tell him no, Coop. Marry Jorie if you want to and go off and write speeches for someone you respect and don’t look back. Mom and Dad can get along without the seat.”

Maybe, Cooper thought. But Bailey couldn’t get along without them. “We’re fine, Bay,” he said. “I’m going back to their house. You coming?”

There was no answer and he finally stopped and turned around. Bailey’s eyes were shining in the light from the streetlamp. “I can’t be with them now. Jill changed the locks at our place, but I have a key to yours. I’ll let myself in if you don’t mind having a houseguest for a while. I promised Dad I won’t get a place with Deb until after you get the appointment.”

“You know you’re welcome. Take the guest room.”

Bailey took a step toward him. “Don’t let Dad push you around, Coop. It’s not worth it.”

Cooper nodded. His brother had no idea why he was doing this, but it was probably better if he could blame it on their dad instead of feeling responsible. “Don’t worry. Jorie and I worked everything out. We’re cool.”

If by “cool” he meant completely at sea and possibly making the same mistake they’d made six months before. But this time it was because his family asked, not hers.

J
ORIE WASHED AND DRIED
the dishes and threw away the rest of the snacks. The leftover cake fit nicely into a glass storage dish with an airtight lid. She ran a soapy cloth over the cake stand, rinsed it and then dried it. She needed a stool to put the cake stand away, then used the dish towel to dust the silver pitcher and glass vase stored on the same shelf.

Her mom had taught her to buy the best quality pieces she could afford, and if she couldn’t afford quality to skip the purchase altogether. She’d also taught Jorie to care for her things because there was never a guarantee that they could be replaced. Despite the fact that she’d been making a better than decent living from her business, Jorie had held on to those old habits. She enjoyed the feeling that she had
created a comfortable home for herself, and taking care of the things she’d collected was soothing.

When she finished in the kitchen, she took the basket from the table in the living room and turned off the lights before going into her bedroom. She unpacked the basket, putting each of Cooper’s things away. She laid the picture frame, the spy novel, and the ring on her nightstand and then straightened up her room. The dress might have been salvageable, but she couldn’t bear to wear it again so she put it in a small plastic bag and tied the top, then carried it to the trash can outside.

Her house was tidy again and locked up for the night. She was finished being depressed, which was a relief because she really wasn’t cut out for the couch potato lifestyle. She got ready for bed then snuggled beneath the feather duvet, fluffing the pillows and propping them just right behind her back.

She held her hand out. There was a faint red line that showed on her finger. How long would it have taken for the line to fade, she wondered. It wasn’t a question she’d be answering just yet.

Or ever, if she had anything to do with it. She’d agreed to pretend to still be engaged to Cooper. But that would end in January at the latest, after Theo was sworn in. She had the length of the campaign to be with Cooper, to get to really know him and
allow him get to know her, so that in the end they wouldn’t want to let each other go. Once they’d discharged their obligation to his family and they were free to separate, she hoped he’d be ready to say yes for real.

She slid her ring back on. Cooper had given it to her a few days after they got engaged. It was a Civil War–era antique, a pretty gold band engraved with roses and set with a round diamond. Even her mom had approved of it. The inscription inside the band read simply “Dearest” with the year 1863. She stood the picture of her and her mom and Cooper on the night table and opened the book on her lap.

Before she started reading, she closed her eyes. She missed her mom. When Chelsea had first called to tell her about the delightful woman she’d met at the spa and the delightful woman’s eligible son who would be calling Jorie for a date, Jorie had felt impatient. Her mom had been diligently sending men her way and just as diligently ignoring her daughter’s repeated requests to stop. When her first date with Cooper went so well, she’d called her mom to thank her. Chelsea had been appalled that she’d sent Jorie a Civil War history buff. Her exact words were, “His mother said he was in politics. She didn’t say he was a nerd.”