Chapter 5 #2
The dinner table was cleared and dessert brought in.
Jordan, pushing back the chair, had everyone turning to look at him.
"I'm afraid we won't be able to stay for dessert.
Jules and I have some planning to do. The wedding is three weeks away.
" Taking her hand, he drew her up beside him.
Gazing around the room, he offered a crooked smile.
"Let me know if we should include you in the wedding invite.
" Tucking her hand through his arm, he led them out of the room.
Julesa waited until a maid handed them their coats and they were outside, before she drew a steady breath.
"Thanks," she told him with a breathless laugh as he opened the passenger door. "I don't think I could stand another minute in there with your parents giving me those killer looks."
He slid into the driver's seat and secured his seatbelt.
"You're completely welcome." He shot her a grin and started the engine.
She waited until he had made his way out of the circular driveway before continuing.
"Why did you tell them I'm pregnant?"
He glanced over at her briefly, enjoying her profile and the shape of her lips. "To discourage them from trying to stop the wedding. They might not like the idea of us getting hitched, but at the backs of their minds, the possibility of the next Wainwright will give them pause."
"They hate me." She folded her hands in her lap and stared out the window. She jolted slightly when his hand closed over hers and squeezed.
"Does it bother you?" His deep voice was quiet and had the power to steady her.
"No." Turning to look at him, she realized it was the truth. "Not really."
"Good." Giving her hand a squeeze, he reluctantly let go.
*****
"I am staying." The stubborn tilt to his determined chin almost had her smiling.
"I can handle this on my own." He had insisted on following her inside when she announced that she was going to call her brother and let him know the plan.
"I am staying." To prove it, he took a seat in a threadbare sofa next to the window and crossed his legs at the ankles.
"Jordan--"
"I don't want to hear it."
Cutting off a sigh, she sat across from him, an earnest expression on her face. "Are you afraid I'll renege on our arrangement?"
It made him uncomfortable when she termed it like that, and he was not prepared to examine why that was. He already knew why.
"The thought occurred to me."
"I am sticking. I want this as much as you do for obvious reasons." She took a careful breath. "I have to talk to Caleb alone and I promise that no matter what he says, I will not break my promise. I am asking you to trust me."
His amber eyes leveled on hers. He could not admit that all he wanted to do--all that was in his mind was protecting her. He had seen the way his parents looked at her and it pissed him off. He wanted to protect her from everyone and everything and it was frightening how much he wanted to.
"I want to be here for you." His quiet tone had her breath hitching. She was in it for revenge against his family and that was all, it could never be more than that.
"And I appreciate it, very much. But I have to do this alone. Please. I promise to call and let you know how it turns out."
He wasn't immune to the naked vulnerability on her exquisite face. He wanted to scoop her up and cradle her. He wanted it so much that he found himself shoving to his feet. He had to get out of here before he blows the deal right out of the water.
Something was happening to him, and he was losing grip on the control. Taking in a deep breath, he nodded curtly.
"If I don't hear back from you--"
"You will."
"If I don't hear from you by the end of the day, I will assume you have changed your mind." Before she could refute his statement, he strode from the room. She sat there even when she heard the front door slam shut.
It took her a few minutes to stir herself. Slipping off her shoes, she headed straight to the cooler to pluck out a bottle of wine. Grabbing a wineglass from the cupboard, she marched straight out to the porch and sat there, with her feet curled under her on the porch swing.
Her phone was on the table in front of her, but she did not reach for it.
It was a pretty night. There was a full moon with brilliant stars dotting the sky.
The sound and sight and smell of spring was in the air.
Her aunt's flowering rose bushes nestled on both sides of the porch steps gave off a heady perfume.
It was quiet, too quiet, she thought ruefully.
She had gotten used to the intrusive sounds of traffic whizzing by her apartment.
Taking a sip of the wine, she leaned back and closed her eyes wearily. She was scared. Caleb was her only family, and she loved him dearly. His opinion meant a lot to her. And she was prevaricating.
"All right girl," she muttered. Taking another long fortifying swallow of the wine, she reached for the phone and pressed his number.
He answered immediately.
"Hey."
"Where are you?"
"At the precinct. Still trying to get an angle on this mess."
"How's it going so far?"
"We think we found a loose thread. Anyway, what's up?"
"I have something to tell you, and I want your promise to listen with an open mind." She picked up the wine again and took a gulp of it.
Leaning back in his creaky chair, Caleb abandoned the file he was perusing. "I don't like the sound of that."
"Caleb, please."
"I'm listening."
Taking a deep breath, she went right to the heart of it. "I'm getting married."
The silence that followed had her nerves fraying.
"Who's the lucky guy?" he finally responded.
"Jordan Wainwright."
This time the silence had her nerves screaming.
"I had no idea you were involved with him. You never said a word."
"I wasn't." She took a deep breath. "It's an arrangement. I want payback for what they did to mama, and he wants to get out from under their thumbs. We went to dinner tonight so that he could introduce me. The wedding is in May."
"Have you been drinking?" The icy tone of his voice had her shivering.
"Just a glass of wine." She tried for teasing, but it turned out flat. "I picked up a bottle of--"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" The ice had melted with the fury and had her pressing back against the seat.
"I found mama's diary and--" She told him what she had read.
"Oh, I suppose that makes it okay for you to jump into marriage with Wainwright. Have you gone mad?"
"I assure you, I'm quite sane," she told him stiffly. "I want to pay them back for all the things we went through."
"And you think that's the way to get it done."
"Yes."
"By hooking up with Wainwright."
"Yes. Look, I don't expect you to understand--"
"That's damn good because I don't."
"It's just something I have to do," she plunged on.
"I will be there on the first flight."
"There's no need--"
"There's every damn need. Please don't run off tonight with the intention of getting hitched."
Fear coated her heart. With him hundreds of miles away, she had the courage to carry it through. She was not certain she would be able to do so with him in the same house. Her brother had a way of taking charge.
"I am doing this."
"Not if I have my way and I intend to have my damn way. Was Wainwright pressuring you? Is that it?"
She stiffened. "I do have a mind of my own."
"That remains to be seen. I have to hang up now, I have a flight to book."
"Caleb--"
"You're not talking me out of this Jules, so forget it."
"What about your case?"
"It can wait. This is an emergency." He hung up before she could say anything else. Putting down the phone, she refilled the glass and had to wait until her hands were steady to pick up the glass.
What had she expected? She wondered bleakly. That she would announce her upcoming nuptials to a man she barely knew, and her brother would be okay with it? Was she okay with it? She was marrying a complete stranger. Not only that, but the son of her mortal enemies.
She had been reminded how bigoted the Wainwrights were tonight. She had seen the scarcely concealed looks of distaste on their faces, had felt the animosity filling the room and the way they looked at her.
She was black and it did not matter how successful she had become. To them she would always be the daughter of their maid. A woman who had cleaned up after them and nothing more.
She was tainting their clean-cut white family and to them, that was unforgivable.
Picking up the phone, she dialed Jordan's number. He answered immediately, making her realize that he had been waiting for her call.
"Well?" His voice was cool and casual as if waiting for her to tell him she was not going through with it.
"My brother is coming here tomorrow. He's flying out in the morning."
"Does he want me to pick him up from the airport?"
She had to laugh at his attempt at humor and felt the tension easing from around her heart.
"I think he would rather hoof it."
"I don't know, darling." His slow drawl had her smiling. "The man's going to be my brother-in-law--wait, is he going to be my brother-in-law?"
"Are you trying to find out if I changed my mind?"
"Have you?"
Taking a sip of the wine, she realized that the sound of his voice had managed to quiet the butterflies that had lodged themselves in her stomach.
"Not a chance."
He let out a quiet breath of relief and closed his eyes as the tension drained out of him. He had been waiting for her call and had not been able to relax.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow."
"Jordan, there's no need--"
"Oh, I wouldn't miss the confrontation for anything. Get some sleep."
As if she could, she thought wryly. But she had to admit that she felt much better.