“Really?” He glanced at her, but she seemed sincere. “You never said anything about wanting to be a designer. Is that part of your dream alongside wedding dresses?”
Her brow furrowed and she hesitated.
The sign for her hotel popped into his peripheral vision and he motioned to the driver to circle the block. There was no way they were cutting this conversation short, not when he’d just realized Meredith had a hidden layer he’d yet to discover. In all their many conversations, how had this never come up? The mystery fascinated him.
“Come on,” he prompted. “You know all about my stuff with my father and the split. And that was all pre-Vegas anyway, so you heard about it back then. Wedding dresses are new. Tell me what’s going to happen when you get back to Houston.”
They were married and he wanted to know his wife’s every last secret.
* * *
Meredith curled her hands into a tight knot high in her lap and thought seriously about blowing off Jason’s question with a flip comment. But she’d never talked to anyone about her plan except Cara, and her sister hadn’t asked any questions. She’d hugged her and murmured something about welcoming her with open arms.
It wasn’t exactly the same as a glowing endorsement of her skill set or as if she’d earned a spot because she’d busted her butt. She’d actually never even interviewed for a job in her life. How could anyone take her seriously?
Was it so wrong to want validation? To ask someone who got what she was trying to do to acknowledge her plan and say it didn’t suck?
She glanced at Jason sideways. This man she’d married had design and business expertise bred into his genes. He’d grown up immersed in the world of couture. And he’d seen her naked. Who better to bare her soul to? She’d done the same in Vegas and it had been a part of their connection.
“I’ll become a partner in a successful business,” she stated firmly. “Like a real grown-up.”
“What are you now?” Jason’s blue eyes glinted with amusement. “A fake one?”
Yeah, so that was why she should have kept her mouth shut. For a moment, she’d forgotten all the soul-baring in Vegas had centered on their mutual lack of direction. He’d found his and apparently thought it was funny that she hadn’t.
She glared at him. “I’m not anything right now. Former beauty queen. Allo’s lackey. Wife to Jason Lynhurst. Soon-to-be wedding-dress-business owner. That’s the extent of my identity.”
He sobered and took her hand to kiss the knuckles. “That’s a pretty good list of things to be proud of. How many other wives do I have? You’re one of a kind.”
She rolled her eyes. Men. Or maybe it was just Jason who was that full of himself. “So, I’m supposed to think it’s some honor that we’re still married? Marriage is one of the many weapons in your arsenal, right?”
“Yeah, and I don’t wield my rocket launcher indiscriminately,” he pointed out quietly. “If you weren’t valuable to me, I’d have signed the papers on day one and found another strategic marriage. Why do you think I’ve fought so hard to keep you?”
That set her back. How had he managed to make that sound so romantic? Her stomach fluttered and she rubbed the spot as she flailed for something to say.
“Because I rock your socks, obviously. That’s the only reason I can think of,” she mumbled.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Meredith.” He stroked her hand until she glanced at him. “You’d be an amazing asset to anyone. Your sister is lucky to have you as a partner, especially if you’re as good at designing wedding dresses as you are at understanding the business angles.”
“Now you’re just humoring me.” She smiled to dispel the contradiction. “And I’m probably equally good at both, which is not very. Honestly, I don’t know the first thing about designing wedding dresses. I can sew and cut patterns, which is why Cara keeps me around.”
The thought sent a frisson of fear up her spine. Actually, she hadn’t gotten as far in the plan as to what would happen once she returned to Houston and handed over money to her sister. She’d kind of thought that would be it and then she’d magically feel like an adult.
But what would happen the next day? Would Cara expect Meredith to start doing her job and design something? Was that part of the partnership deal?
Seemed like a phone call to her sister was in order, pronto. All this needed to be ironed out or she would fail.
“You can learn design if that’s your goal,” Jason said mildly. “Or you can work the business side. Make it what you want.”