Ready for Marriage

  “I doubt that.”

  “I think it was very sweet, but I can’t allow you to do it.”

  “Mary Jo—”

  “I believe my suggestion will suit us both nicely. Mrs. Sterling would love having the summers free to travel. If I remember correctly, her husband recently retired, and unless she has the freedom to do as she’d like now and then, you’re going to lose her.”

  Evan said nothing, so she went on, “I worked out all right while I was here, didn’t I? Well, other than losing that one file, and that wasn’t my fault. Naturally, I hope you won’t continue trying to make me jealous. It almost worked, you know.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, Evan,” she said with an exaggerated sigh.

  “You must think I’m a complete fool.”

  He arched his thick brows. “As it happens, I do.”

  She ignored that. “Do you honestly believe you could convince me you’re attracted to…to Miss August. I know you better than you think, Evan Dryden.”

  His lips quivered slightly with the beginning of a smile, but he managed to squelch it almost immediately.

  “Are you agreeable to my solution?” she asked hopefully.

  “No,” he said.

  The bluntness of his reply took her by surprise and her head snapped back. “No?”

  “You don’t owe me a penny.”

  At least he wasn’t trying to get her to believe the money came from Adison Investments.

  “But I can’t let you do this.”

  “Why not?” He gave the appearance of growing bored. Slumped in his chair, he held the pen at each end and twirled it between his thumb and index finger.

  “It isn’t right. You don’t owe them anything, and if they knew, they’d return it instantly.”

  “You won’t tell them.” Although he didn’t raise his voice, the tone was determined.

  “No, I won’t,” she admitted, knowing it would devastate her parents, “but only if you allow me to reimburse you myself.”

  He shook his head. “No deal.”

  Mary Jo knew he could be stubborn, but this was ridiculous. “Evan, please, I want to do it.”

  “The money was a gift from me to them, sent anonymously with no strings attached. And your plan to substitute for Mrs. Sterling—it didn’t work out this summer. What makes you think it will in the future? As far as I’m concerned, this issue about the money is pure silliness. I suggest we drop it entirely.” He set the pen down on his desk, as if signaling the end of the conversation.

  Silliness. Mary Jo stiffened and reached for her purse. “Apparently we don’t have anything more to say to each other.”

  “Apparently not,” he agreed without emotion.

  Mary Jo stood and, with her head high, walked out of the office. It wasn’t until she got to the elevator that the trembling started.

  “ARE YOU GOING to tell me what’s troubling you?” Marianna asked Mary Jo. They were sitting at the small kitchen table shelling fresh peas Marianna had purchased from the local farmer’s market. Both women quickly and methodically removed the ripe peas from their pods and tossed them into a blue ceramic bowl.

  “I’m fine,” Mary Jo returned, even though she knew it was next to impossible to fool her mother. After years of raising children and then dealing with grandchildren, Marianna Summerhill had an uncanny knack of knowing when something was right or wrong with any of her family.

  “Physically, yes,” her mother agreed. “But you’re troubled. I can see it in your eyes.”

  Mary Jo shrugged.

  “If I was guessing, I’d say it had something to do with Evan. You haven’t seen hide nor hair of him in two weeks.”

  Evan. The name alone was enough to evoke a flood of unhappiness. “I just don’t understand it!” Mary Jo cried. “To hear his mother talk, you’d think he was fading away for want of me.”

  “He isn’t?”

  “Hardly. He’s dated a different woman every night this week.”

  “He was mentioned in some gossip column in the paper this morning. Do you know anything about a Barbara Jackson?”

  “Yes.” Mary Jo clamped her lips together and stewed. If he was flaunting his romantic escapades in an effort to make her jealous, he’d succeeded.

  “I imagine you’re annoyed.”

  “‘Annoyed’ isn’t it.” She snapped a pea pod so hard, the peas scattered across the tabletop like marbles shooting over a polished hardwood floor. Her mother’s smile did nothing to soothe her wounded pride. “What I don’t understand,” she muttered, “is why he’s doing this.”

  “You haven’t figured that out yet?” Marianna asked, her raised voice indicating her surprise. The peas slid effortlessly from the pod to the bowl.

  “No, I haven’t got a clue. Have you figured it out?”

  “Ages ago,” the older woman said casually.

  Mary Jo jerked her head toward her mother. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re a bright girl, Mary Jo, but when it comes to Evan, I have to wonder.”

  The words shook her. “What do you mean? I love Evan!”

  “Not so I can tell.” This, too, was said casually.

  Mary Jo pushed her mound of pea pods aside and stared at her mother. “Mom, how can you say that?”

  “Easy. Evan isn’t sure you love him. Why should he be? He—”

  Mary Jo was outraged. “Not sure I love him? I can’t believe I’m hearing this from my own mother!”

  “It’s true,” Marianna continued, her fingers working rhythmically and without pause. “Looking at it from Evan’s point of view, I can’t say I blame him.”

  As the youngest in a big family, Mary Jo had had some shocking things said to her over the years, but never by her own mother. And never this calmly—as if they were merely discussing the price of fresh fruit.

  Her first reaction had been defensive, but she was beginning to realize that maybe Marianna knew something she didn’t. “I don’t understand how Evan could possibly believe I don’t love him.”

  “It’s not so hard to understand,” Marianna answered smoothly. “Twice you’ve claimed to love him enough to want to marry him, and both times you’ve changed your mind.”

  “But—”

  “You’ve turned your back on him when you were confronted with any resistance from his family. You’ve never given him the opportunity to answer your doubts. My feeling is, Evan would have stood by you come hell or high water, but I wonder if the reverse is true.”

  “You make it sound so…so simple, but our situation is a lot more difficult than you know or understand.”

  “Possibly.”

  “His family is formidable.”

  “I don’t doubt that for an instant,” came Marianna’s sincere reply. “Let me ask you one thing, though, and I want you to think before you answer. Do you love Evan enough to stand up to opposition, no matter what form it takes?”

  “Yes,” Mary Jo answered heatedly.

  Marianna’s eyes brightened with her wide smile.

  “Then what are you going to do about it?”

  “Do?” Mary Jo had tried twice and been thwarted by his pride with each attempt. One thing was certain—Evan had no intention of making this easy for her.

  “It seems to me that if you love this man, you’re not going to take no for an answer. Unless, of course…” Her mother hesitated.

  “Unless what?”

  “Unless Evan isn’t as important to you as you claim.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  MARY JO PUSHED UP the sleeves of her light sweater and paced the floor of her living room. Her mother’s comments about the way she’d treated Evan still grated. But what bothered her most was that her mother was right!

  No wonder Evan had all but ignored her. He couldn’t trust her not to turn her back and run at the first sign of trouble. After all her talk of being older, wiser, and more mature, Mary Jo was forced to admit she was as sadly lacking i
n those qualities as she’d been three years before. And she was furious.

  With herself.

  What she needed now was a way to prove her love to Evan so he’d never have cause to doubt her again. One problem was that she had no idea how long it would take for that opportunity to present itself. It might be months—maybe even another three long years. Mary Jo was unwilling to wait. Evan would just have to take her at her word.

  But why should he, in light of their past? If he refused, Mary Jo couldn’t very well blame him. She sighed, wondering distractedly what to do next.

  She could call Jessica, who’d been more than generous with advice. But Mary Jo realized that all Jessica could tell her was what she already knew. Mary Jo needed to talk to Evan herself, face-to-face, no holds barred.

  Deciding there was no reason to postpone what had to be done, she carefully chose her outfit—a peach-colored pantsuit with gold buttons, along with a soft turquoise scarf and dangly gold earrings.

  When she arrived at his office, Mary Jo was pleasantly surprised to find Mrs. Sterling.

  “Oh, my, don’t you look lovely this afternoon,” the older woman said with a delighted smile. She seemed relaxed and happy; the trip had obviously done her good.

  “So do you, Mrs. Sterling. When did you get back?”

  “Just this week. I heard about your accident. I’m so pleased everything turned out all right.”

  “So am I. Is Evan in?”

  “I’m sorry, no, but I expect him any time. Why don’t you make yourself at home there in his office? I’ll bring you some coffee. I don’t think he’ll be more than a few minutes.”

  “Thanks, I will.” Mary Jo walked into the office and sank onto the sofa. In her determination to see this matter through, she naively hadn’t considered the possibility of Evan’s being out of the office. And she feared the longer the wait, the more her courage would falter.

  She was sipping the coffee Mrs. Sterling had brought her and lecturing herself, trying to bolster her courage, when she heard Evan arrive. Her hands trembled as she set the cup aside.

  By the time Evan strolled into the room, still rattling off a list of instructions for Mrs. Sterling, Mary Jo’s shoulders were tensed, as if she was bracing herself for an assault.

  His secretary finished making her notes. “You have a visitor,” she announced, smiling approvingly in Mary Jo’s direction.

  Evan sent a look over his shoulder, but revealed no emotion when he saw who it was. “Hello, Mary Jo.”

  “Evan.” She pressed her palms over her knees, certain she must resemble a schoolgirl confronting the principal after some misdemeanor. “I’d like to talk to you, if I may.”

  He frowned and glanced at his watch.

  “Your schedule is free,” Mrs. Sterling said emphatically, and when she walked away, she closed the door.

  “Well, it seems I can spare a few minutes,” Evan said without enthusiasm as he walked behind his desk and sat down.

  Mary Jo stood and took the chair across from him. “First I’d like to apologize.”

  “No,” he said roughly. “There’s nothing to apologize for.”

  “But there is,” she returned. “Oh, Evan, I’ve nearly ruined everything.”

  His eyebrows rose, and his expression was skeptical. “Come now, Mary Jo.”

  She slid forward in her seat. “It all started that summer we met when—”

  “That was years ago, and if you don’t mind, I’d prefer to leave it there.” He reached for his gold pen, as if he needed to hold on to something. “Rehashing it all isn’t going to do either of us any good.”

  “I disagree.” Mary Jo refused to be so easily discouraged this time. “We need to clear up the past. Otherwise once we’re married—”

  “It seems to me you’re taking a lot for granted,” he said sharply.

  “Perhaps, but I doubt it.”

  “Mary Jo, I can’t see that this will get us anywhere.”

  “I do,” she said hurriedly. “Please listen to what I have to say, and if you still feel the same afterward, then…well, then I’ll just say it another way until you’re willing to accept that I love you.”

  His eyebrows rose again. “I have a date this evening.”

  “Then I’ll talk fast, but I think you should know that you aren’t fooling me.”

  “Do you think I’m lying?”

  “Of course not. You may very well have arranged an evening with some woman, but it’s me you love.”

  His handsome features darkened in a frown, but she took heart from the fact that he didn’t contradict her.

  Mary Jo studied her own watch. “How much time do I have before you need to leave?”

  Evan shrugged. “Enough.”

  He wasn’t doing anything to encourage her, but that was fine; she knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t going to let a little thing like a bad attitude stand in her way.

  It took her a few moments to arrange her thoughts and remember what she’d so carefully planned to say. Perhaps that was for the best. She didn’t want to sound as if she’d practiced in front of a mirror, although she’d done exactly that.

  “You were saying?” Evan pressed.

  She nibbled her lower lip. “Yes. I wanted to talk to you about the house.”

  “What house?” he asked impatiently.

  “The one with the seven bedrooms. The one we’ve discussed in such detail that I can see it clear as anything. The house I want to live in with you and our children.”

  She noticed that his eyes drifted away from hers.

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately,” Mary Jo continued. “It all started when I was feeling sorry for myself, certain that I’d lost you. I…found the thought almost unbearable.”

  “You get accustomed to it after a while,” he muttered dryly.

  “I never will,” she said adamantly, “not ever again.”

  He leaned forward in his chair as if to see her better. “What brought about this sudden change of heart?”

  “It isn’t sudden. Well, maybe it is. You see, it’s my mother. She—”

  “Are you sure it wasn’t my mother? She seems to have her hand in just about everything that goes on between you and me.”

  “Not anymore.” This was something else Mary Jo wanted to correct. “According to Jessica, your mother’s been beside herself wondering what’s going on with us. We have to give her credit, Evan—she hasn’t called or pressured me once. You see, she promised she wouldn’t, and your mother’s a woman of her word.”

  “Exactly what did she promise?”

  “Not to meddle in our lives. She came to me when I was still in the hospital, and we had a wonderful talk. Some of the problems between us were of my own making. Your mother intimidated me, and I was afraid to go against her. But after our talk, I understand her a little better and she understands me.”

  She waited for him to make some comment, but was disappointed. From all outward appearances, Evan was merely enduring this discussion, waiting for her to finish so he could get on with his life.

  “I’m not Lois’s first choice for a daughter-in-law. There are any number of other women who’d be a far greater asset to you and your political future than I’ll ever be.”

  “I’m dating one now.”

  The information was like a slap in the face, but Mary Jo revealed none of her feelings.

  “Above and beyond anything else, your mother wants your happiness, and she believes, as I do, that our being together will provide that.”

  “Nice of her to confer with me. It seems the two of you—and let’s not forget dear Jessica—have joined forces. You’re all plotting against me.”

  “Absolutely not. I’ve talked to Jessica a number of times, but not recently. It was my mother who helped me understand what was wrong.”

  “And now she’s involved.” He rolled his eyes as if to say there were far too many mothers interfering in all this.

  “All my mother did was show me a few hom
e truths. If anything, we should thank her. She pointed out that you’ve got good reason to question the strength of my love for you. I was floored that my own mother could suggest something like that. Especially since she knew how unhappy and miserable I’ve been lately.”

  The hint of a smile lifted his mouth.

  “Mom said if I loved you as much as I claim to, I would have stood by your side despite any opposition. She…she said if our situations had been reversed, you would have stood by me. I didn’t, and, Evan, I can’t tell you how much I regret it.” She lowered her gaze to her hands. “If I could undo the past, step back three years—or even three weeks—I’d do anything to prove exactly how much I love you. I believe in you, Evan, and I believe in our love. Never again will I give you cause to doubt it. Furthermore—”

  “You mean there’s more?” He sounded bored, as if this was taking much longer than he’d anticipated.

  “Just a little,” she said, and her voice wavered with the strength of her conviction. “You’re going to make a wonderful member of the city council, and I’ll do whatever’s necessary to see that it happens. It won’t be easy for me to be the focus of public attention, but in time, I’ll learn not to be so nervous. Your mother’s already volunteered to help me. I can do this, Evan, I know I can. Another three or four years down the road, I’ll be a pro in front of the cameras. Just wait and see.”

  He didn’t speak, and Mary Jo could feel every beat of her heart in the silence that followed.

  “That’s all well and good,” Evan finally said, “but I don’t see how any of it changes things.”

  “You don’t?” She vaulted to her feet. “Do you or don’t you love me?” she demanded.

  He regarded her with a look of utter nonchalance. “Frankly, I don’t know what I feel for you anymore.”

  In slow motion, Mary Jo sank back into her seat. She’d lost him. She could see it in his eyes, in the way he looked at her as if she was nothing to him anymore. Someone he’d loved once, a long time ago, but that was all.

  “I see,” she mumbled.

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business I need to attend to.”

  “Ah…” The shock of his rejection had numbed her, and it took her a moment to get to her feet. She clutched her purse protectively to her stomach.