The Boss's Marriage Plan (Proposals & Promises 2)

“Don’t push your luck.” Their mom looked at her sons with a roll of her eyes. “You see what I have to put up with? Tomorrow I’ll have to nag him onto the treadmill to make up for this meal and he’ll pout like a toddler. Mark my words.”

“She takes good care of me because she’s crazy about me,” their dad boasted, winking at his smiling bride. “I’m a lucky man.”

His sons heartily agreed.

* * *

Dressed for the party in a sport coat and slacks, Scott drove into Tess’s parking lot, eager to see her again. He frowned as he turned toward her unit and saw a dark compact parked in her slot. Frowning, he checked to make sure he hadn’t made a wrong turn, but the painted numbers assured him he was in the right place. Noting a rental car sticker on the back bumper of the compact, he parked beside it. Was Tess’s car in the shop?

She opened the door to him with a smile that showed no evidence of awkwardness. He kissed her in greeting.

“You look nice,” he said with a glance at the boxy black jacket she wore with a silver tank, subtly striped black and charcoal pants and chunky jewelry. Another outfit from her friend’s store? Wherever it had come from, it looked great on her. But then, everything did.

“Thanks. So do you,” she returned with a cheeky pat on his jaw.

He chuckled, then asked, “So what’s with the rental car downstairs? Where’s your car?”

She groaned and rolled her eyes as she collected her bag and coat. “I was in an accident this morning. My car had to be towed to a body shop. I’m waiting to hear about the damage.”

Scott froze, trying to process her words. “Wait. What? You were in a wreck?”

“Yes. Obviously I was unhurt, and so was the guy who ran a stop sign and hit me, but it was a nuisance to have to deal with it. I had groceries in the car that had to be salvaged and a few other things I had to take out before it was towed off. Now I’m sure I’ll have to fight the guy’s insurance company to get everything I should—you know how they try to pay as little as they can get away with. I hate that part.”

He was still trying to wrap his mind around this. “How did you get the rental? Was it delivered to you at the scene?”

“No, I called Stevie. She came to pick me up and drove me to the rental lot.”

His jaw going tight, Scott made a show of pulling his phone from his pocket and checking the log.

Tess raised her eyebrows. “What are you doing?”

“Just checking my missed calls. I thought maybe I hadn’t heard you trying to reach me.”

Something in his tone must have warned her he was annoyed. She eyed him guardedly when she said, “I didn’t try to call you.”

He stashed the phone again. “You had a car accident and you needed help. Why didn’t you let me know?”

“I guess I didn’t even think about it. I knew you had that meeting this morning and Stevie was—”

“You didn’t even think about it,” he cut in to repeat slowly.

“As I said, I knew Stevie was available and she wouldn’t mind helping me out. She was just the first one I thought of.”

He told himself he had no reason to be angry with her. No right, to be honest. But still it irked him that she’d turned to someone else for help. He drew a deep breath and touched her arm, searching her face. “You’re sure you’re okay? Any pain or discomfort?”

“I’m fine. Really, I wasn’t hurt at all, just shaken up.”

“So you still feel up to the party?”

“Of course.”

“If you get a headache or anything...”

“Scott.” She patted his hand on her arm. “I’m fine.”

He nodded, trying to lighten his expression, though he wasn’t sure he succeeded. “We should go, then.”

She moved toward the door and he followed, still trying to decide why it bothered him so much that she hadn’t even thought to call him after her accident.