“Then do what I tell you, no questions asked.”
“But—”
He kissed her again. “I take care of my own family, understand? You’re not a Montgomery anymore, you’re a Templeton.”
Carrie smiled. “I like that better than Greene. Carrie Templeton.” As she looked up at Josh, she knew it wasn’t going to be easy to prevent herself from going to ’Ring. All her life she’d gone to her brothers or father when she needed anything. “All right,” she said at last, kissing him again. “I’ll do what you say.”
Chapter Seventeen
Carrie knew that the most difficult thing she’d ever done in her life was to lie to her brother. ’Ring had arranged for the wedding to take place at five o’clock that day, and when ’Ring made plans, he expected them to take place. Only his wife was able to laugh at his schedules and get away with it. As for Carrie, if ’Ring told her there was to be a meeting at six in the morning, she would be at that meeting and on time.
Now she had to lie to him. She had to tell him that she couldn’t be remarried until the next morning at ten. The worst part of lying was that she didn’t know what was going to happen between today and tomorrow. She didn’t know what Josh had in mind to do about Nora and the unsigned paper. Carrie had visions of Josh wrestling with Nora to get the paper, and above all, she was sure that ’Ring would find out about Josh being married to another woman. Would he do something primitive like draw a gun on Josh? Her brothers had often hit men who had been too forward with their precious little sister, so what would ’Ring do if he found out a man had impregnated his sister while not being married to her? Oh, how she wished her perfect older brother had experienced problems and obstacles in his own marriage.
She was shaking when she went outside to tell ’Ring that the wedding would have to be postponed.
To her utter bewilderment, ’Ring smiled at her, then offered to ride back into town with Nora and Eric. He was disgustingly pleased with Nora and asked her if she’d perform a few scenes from Romeo and Juliet for him during the short journey.
Nora preened and, to Carrie’s way of t
hinking, made a fool of herself in front of the three men. Carrie knew it might be her imagination, but it seemed to her that all of them were looking at Nora with big eyes. Carrie kicked Josh’s shin, then smiled at him when he yelped in pain.
When the carriage was out of sight, with ’Ring riding beside it on his horse, Josh turned to Carrie. “Could you rustle us up some food? The kids and I have some work to do.”
“Rustle—?” Carrie began. “Food? I am being sent to the kitchen? What are you three going to do? I want to participate.”
Josh kissed her cheek in an absentminded way. “What I have planned is for actors—professional liars, as it were. You, my dear, couldn’t lie well enough to convince a chicken.”
“I just lied to my brother!” She was insulted by what he was saying.
“Yes, you did, and he didn’t believe a word you said.”
“Of course he did. If he hadn’t believed me, he wouldn’t have gone away. He would—”
“I think you underestimate your brother. I don’t think he’s the stern moralist you think he is. In fact, I think he’s enjoying everything, and it’s my guess that tonight he’ll flatter Nora enough that he gets most of the story from her. Nora is very susceptible to flattery.”
“You should talk,” Carrie said under her breath.
Josh pretended he hadn’t heard her. There were disadvantages to living with someone who knew so much about you, about the real you, not the person you wanted the world to think you were. “Now, make us something to eat while I talk to the kids.”
“Is Carrie going to cook eggs?” Dallas asked, sounding as though she might cry.
Josh ushered his children outside.
“Just follow my lead and say nothing, you understand?” Josh said to Carrie. Carrie, Josh, and the children were standing outside Nora’s room in the hotel, and it was about six o’clock, an hour after she and Josh were to have been married.
“D’uh,” Carrie said, mocking an idiot. “I think I can do that.” She was still smarting over the fact that Josh had felt it safe to tell two children what he was planning, but he had left her out.
Winking at her, he knocked on the door.
Nora, wearing a red silk gown that was—how could this be possible?—lower than the one she’d worn during the day, opened the door.
Carrie was still gaping at Nora’s dress as Josh pulled her into the room, the children close behind them, and shut the door.
“You win, Nora,” he said.
She smiled. “So, you have the fifty thousand?”
“No, I don’t have it, at least I don’t have that much money to give to you. I plan to keep every penny for myself.”