Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

“I know you left a smart, beautiful, kind woman at the alter because you’re too much of a fucking coward to call off the wedding beforehand. I know you ruined the most important project that would have helped all children in Salvation. What am I missing?” I stepped closer. “What fucked up other ways are you cooking up in your peon brain to hurt her next, huh?”

He stepped back. “Look, I’m not interested in Holly. You can have her.”

What the hell? “Just like that? An amazing woman like that and you just walk away?”

“I only came back because Stark paid me a shitload to win her back. I needed the money.”

I gaped. “You came back and told her you loved her and wanted her back because Stark paid you?” Jesus.

He swallowed and nodded. “I wasn’t able to find work in Omaha—”

“I don’t care if you were living under a bridge and had nothing to eat, you don’t fuck with people’s emotions. Seriously, what did she ever see in you?” My need to hit him dissipated because he wasn’t worth the effort. He was lower than pond scum as far as I was concerned.

“Like I said, I don’t want trouble.”

“Then you need to take your blood money and get the fuck out of town. If I see you again, especially around Holly, I will kick your ass.”

Rick scurried off like the rat he was. I stood there pissed off at him, and at the same time wondering why I gave a shit. I mean, yeah, I felt bad for Holly, and yet, if things were reversed, would she feel bad for me? She didn’t seem to care much when I was fucking her and helping her with her plan. Now, she’d avoided me at school, which wasn’t hard for her to do, because I avoided her too.

Still, what was Stark’s interest in messing with Holly? Why would he pay that weasel money to ruin her? Or was it me he was after? Was this done to get back at me for calling him out at the PTA meeting?

I stood in the parking lot for a moment, trying to decide if I needed to let Holly know any of this. Then I decided, she didn’t need to know about Rick’s deal with Stark. I was angry and hurt, but I wasn’t going to hurt her back. Whatever Stark was after, he got it the night of Meredith’s party. I started for the store, but stopped again as I wondered if the library was what Stark was after. If so, that was fucked up because the real injured party were the children of Salvation. Unless Stark had an idea for the library that his candidate would support. Had he ruined Holly’s efforts simply to gain a political edge for his candidate?

I bought a water and then headed to my car and drove out to Meredith Reynolds home. It didn’t sit right that she’d be a pawn in this too. I owed it to the kids to at least talk with her and tell her what really happened and urge her to support the library for the kids.

The maid let me in and told me to wait in the parlor. I rolled my shoulders and reviewed the main points I wanted to make.

“You have some nerve, Tucker,” Meredith said as she entered the room. She didn’t seem angry as much as she appeared intrigued at my visit.

“Yes, ma’am. I know, but I needed to talk to you.”

She nodded to the sofa so I sat. “If you’re here to ask for money—”

“I’m here to ask you if you’re going to let the children suffer because of Holly and my stupid ploy.”

Her brow arched. “You really do have some nerve.”

I shrugged. “The thing is, the marriage idea was mine. Holly really wants this library for the kids. She needed your support.”

Meredith sat in a chair. “I’m not sure how a pretend marriage fits in all that.”

“She said that you erroneously believed she was married—”

“Her engagement announcement was in the paper.”

“Yes, well, she got the impression that you’d think less of her if she wasn’t married and so I offered to help with that.”

“This isn’t my fault.”

“No. I’m not blaming you. We were wrong. I’m just trying to explain why it happened. It was my idea and she didn’t want to do it. It was wrong to lie to you, but her heart was in the right place. She did it for the kids.”

“How noble,” she quipped. “It proves that I’m right though. Marriage offers stability and morality, which you two are clearly lacking.”

“That’s harsh, even from you,” I said.

She looked at me in shock and then laughed. “Not many people would talk to me like that.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not from here and at this point, I have nothing to lose.” Then realizing my goal was to get her support for the library, I said, “Holly’s ex left her, which was a pretty lousy thing to do. She’s a wonderful woman who’s given a great deal to Salvation. And, no disrespect, but she doesn’t do it by writing a check. She gives her time and all her effort. She’s married to this town and the children here are her kids. All I’m asking is that you reconsider donating to the library project.”