Ready for Marriage

  READY FOR MARRIAGE

  Debbie Macomber

  TORONTO • NEW YORK • LONDON

  AMSTERDAM • PARIS • SYDNEY • HAMBURG

  STOCKHOLM • ATHENS • TOKYO • MILAN • MADRID

  PRAGUE • WARSAW • BUDAPEST • AUCKLAND

  Dedicated to

  Carole Grande and her family

  for their loving support

  through the years

  CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  EPILOGUE

  COMING NEXT MONTH

  CHAPTER ONE

  SHE COULD ALWAYS GROVEL at Evan’s feet. Knowing him as well as she did, Mary Jo Summer hill figured he’d probably like that. The very fact that she’d made this appointment—and then had the courage to show up—proved how desperate she was. But she’d had no choice; her parents’ future rested in her hands and she knew of no better attorney to help with this mess than Evan Dryden.

  If he’d only agree to help her…

  Generally, getting in touch with an old boyfriend wouldn’t raise such anxiety, but Evan was more than just someone she’d dated a few times.

  They’d been in love, deeply in love, and had planned to marry. In ways she had yet to fully appreciate, Mary Jo still loved him. Terminating their relationship had nearly devastated her.

  And him.

  Mary Jo wasn’t proud of the way she’d ended it. Mailing him back the beautiful pearl engagement ring had been cowardly, but she’d known she couldn’t tell him face-to-face. She should have realized Evan would never leave it at that. She’d been a fool to believe he’d take back the ring without confronting her.

  He’d come to her angry and hurt, demanding an explanation. It quickly became apparent that he wouldn’t accept the truth, and given no option, Mary Jo concocted a wild story about meeting another teacher and falling in love with him.

  Telling such a bold-faced lie had magnified her guilt a hundredfold. But it was the only way she could make Evan believe her. The only way she could extricate herself from his life.

  Her lie had worked beautifully, she noted with a twinge of pain. He’d recovered—just the way his mother had said he would. He hadn’t wasted any time getting on with his life, either.

  Within a matter of months he was dating again. Pictures of Evan, with Jessica Kellerman at his side, had appeared regularly in the newspaper society pages. Unable to resist knowing more, Mary Jo had researched the Kellerman family. Her investigation had told her everything she needed to know. Jessica would make the perfect Dryden wife. The Kellermans were wealthy and established, unlike the Summer-hills, who didn’t rate so much as a mention in Boston’s social register.

  Later the same year, Mary Jo had heard rumors of the extravagant Dryden family wedding. She been out of town that week at a teaching seminar, so she’d missed the newspaper coverage, but talk of the wedding and huge reception that followed had lingered for months. It was called the social event of the year.

  That was nearly three years ago. Evan and Jessica were an old married couple by now. For all she knew, they might have already started a family. The twinge of regret became a knot in her stomach. Evan would make a wonderful father. They’d talked of a family, and she remembered how eager he was for children.

  This wasn’t exactly the best time for her to reenter his life, but she had no alternative. Her parents’ future depended on Evan.

  “Mr. Dryden will see you now,” the receptionist said, breaking into Mary Jo’s thoughts.

  Her head shot up and she nearly lost her nerve right then and there. Her heart pounded furiously. In a dead panic she tightened her hold on her purse strap, fighting the urge to dash straight out of her chair and out of the office.

  “If you’ll come this way.”

  “Of course,” Mary Jo managed, although the words came out in gurglelike sounds, as if she were submerged in ten feet of water.

  She followed the receptionist down a wide, plush-carpeted hallway to Evan’s office. His name was on the door, engraved on a gold plate. The receptionist ushered her in, and left.

  Mary Jo recognized Evan’s secretary immediately, although they’d never met. Mrs. Sterling was exactly the way he’d described her. Late middle-age. Short and slim, with the energy of a Tasmanian devil. Formidably efficient. He’d claimed that the woman could easily reorganize the world if she had to, and that she’d willingly take on any project he asked of her. She was loyal to a fault.

  “Evan asked me to send you right in,” Mrs. Sterling said, leading the way to the closed inner door. She opened it, then asked, “Can I get you a cup of coffee?” Her tone was friendly but unmistakably curious.

  “No, thank you.” Mary Jo stepped over the threshold, her heart in her throat. She wondered how she’d feel seeing Evan again after all this time. She’d already decided that a facade was necessary. She planned to approach him as if they were long-lost friends. Casual friends. With a smile, she’d shake his hand, inquire about Jessica and catch up on events in his life.

  Now that only a few feet stood between her and the man she loved, Mary Jo found she couldn’t move, barely even breathe.

  Nothing, she realized, could have prepared her for the force of these emotions. Within seconds she was drowning in feelings she didn’t know how to handle. She felt swamped and panicky, as if she were going down for the third time.

  She conjured up Gary’s face, the man she’d dated off and on for the past few months, but that didn’t help. Next she struggled to come up with some clever comment, some joke, anything. Instead, all she could remember was that the man she’d loved three years ago, loved now, was married to someone else.

  Evan sat at his desk, writing; only now did he look up. Their eyes met and for the briefest moment, he seemed to experience the same sense of loss and regret she was feeling. He blinked and the emotion disappeared, wiped out with a mere movement of his eyes.

  “Hello, Evan,” she said, amazed at how casual she sounded. “I imagine it’s a surprise to see me after all this time.”

  He stood and extended his hand for a perfunctory shake, and when he spoke his voice was crisp and professional. “Mary Jo. It’s good to see you.”

  Mary Jo nearly laughed out loud. Evan never did know how to tell a good lie. He was anything but pleased to see her again.

  He motioned toward the chair on the other side of his desk. “Sit down.”

  She did, gratefully, uncertain how much longer her knees would support her. She set her purse on the carpet and waited for her heart rate to return to normal before she told him the purpose of her visit.

  “Did Mary offer you a cup of coffee?”

  “Yes. I’m fine, thank you,” she said hurriedly. Her hands were trembling.

  Evan sat down again and waited.

  “I—guess you’re wondering why I’m here….”

  He leaned back in his chair, looking cool and composed. It’d been three long years since she’d last seen him. He hadn’t changed, at least not outwardly. He remained one of the handsomest men she’d ever seen. His hair was as dark as his eyes, the color of rich Swiss chocolate. His features were well defined, almost chiseled, but that was too harsh a word for the finely cut, yet pronounced lines of his face. Walter Dryden, Evan’s father, was a Massachusetts senator, and it was commonly accepted that Evan would one day enter politics himself. He certainly had the smooth, clean-cut good looks for such a calling.

  What had made him fall in love with Mary Jo? S
he’d always wondered, always been fascinated by that question. She suspected it had something to do with being different from the other women he’d dated. She’d amused him, hadn’t taken him too seriously, made him laugh.

  “You have something you wanted to discuss with me?” he prompted, his tone revealing the slightest hint of irritation.

  “Yes…sorry,” she said, quickly returning her attention to the matter at hand. “My parents…actually, my father…he retired not long ago,” she said, rushing the words together, “and he invested his savings with a financial company, Adison Investments. Have you ever heard of the firm?”

  “No, I can’t say that I have.”

  This didn’t surprise Mary Jo. Wealthy men like Evan had huge financial portfolios with varied and multiple investments. Her father had taken his life’s savings and entrusted it to a man he’d met and trusted completely.

  “Dad invested everything he had with the company,” she continued. “According to the terms of the agreement, he was to receive monthly interest checks. He hasn’t. At first there were a number of plausible excuses, which Dad readily accepted. He wanted to believe this Bill Adison so much that it was easier to accept the excuses than face the truth.”

  “Which is?” Evan asked.

  “I…I don’t know. That’s why I’m here. My father’s worked thirty-five years as a construction electrician. He’s raised six children, scrimped and saved all that time to put something extra away for his retirement. He wanted to be able to travel with Mom. They’ve dreamed of touring the South Pacific, and now I’m afraid they’re going to be cheated out of everything.”

  Evan scribbled down a few notes.

  “I’m coming to you because I’m afraid my brothers are about to take things into their own hands. Jack and Rich went to Adison’s office last week and made such a fuss they were almost arrested. It’d destroy my parents if my brothers ended up in jail over this. As far as I can see, the only way to handle it is through an attorney.”

  Evan made another note. “Did you bring the papers your father signed?”

  “No. I didn’t tell anyone I was coming to see you. I thought if I could convince you to accept this case for my family, I’d bring my parents in and you could discuss the details with them. You need to understand that it’s more than the money. My dad’s embarrassed that he could have trusted such a man. He feels like an old fool.” Her father had become very depressed. Adison Investments had robbed him of far more than his retirement savings. They’d taken his self-confidence and left him feeling vulnerable and inept.

  “There are strict laws governing investments in this state.”

  Anxious to hear what he had to say, Mary Jo leaned forward in her chair. This was the very reason she’d swallowed her pride and come to Evan. He had the knowledge and political clout to be effective in ways her family never could.

  “Then you can help us?” she asked eagerly. Evan’s hesitation sent her heart plummeting. “I’ll be happy to pay you whatever your fee is,” she added, as if that was his sole concern. “I wouldn’t expect you to charge less than you’d receive from anyone else.”

  Evan stood and walked over to the window, his back to her. “Our firm specializes in corporate law.”

  “That doesn’t mean you can’t take this case, does it?”

  Evan clenched his hands at his sides, then flexed his fingers. “No, but these sorts of cases have a tendency to become involved. You may end up having to sue.”

  “My family is willing to do whatever to takes to settle this matter,” she said with a stubborn tilt to her jaw.

  “Lawsuits don’t come cheap,” he warned, turning around to face her.

  “I don’t care and neither do my brothers. True, they don’t know I made an appointment to see you, but once I tell them, I’m sure they’ll be willing to chip in whatever they can to cover your fee.” They wouldn’t be able to afford much. Mary Jo was the youngest of six and the only girl. Her brothers were all married and raising young families. There never seemed to be enough money to go around. The burden of the expense would fall on her shoulders, but Mary Jo readily accepted that.

  “You’re sure you want me to handle this?” Evan asked, frowning.

  “Positive. There isn’t anyone I trust more,” she said simply. Her eyes met his and she refused to look away.

  “I could recommend another attorney, someone far more qualified in the area of investment fraud—”

  “No,” she broke in. “I don’t trust anyone but you.” She hadn’t meant to tell him that and, embarrassed, quickly lowered her gaze.

  He didn’t say anything for what seemed like a very long time. Mary Jo held her breath, waiting. If he expected her to plead, she’d do it willingly. It was fair compensation for the appalling way she’d treated him. “Please,” she added, her voice low and trembling.

  Evan’s shoulders lifted with a drawn-out sigh. “Before I decide, fill me in on what you’ve been doing for the past three years.”

  Mary Jo hadn’t anticipated this, wasn’t prepared to detail her life. “I’m still teaching.”

  “Kindergarten?”

  “Yes,” she said enthusiastically. She loved her job. “Five-year-olds are still my favorites.”

  “I notice you’re not wearing a wedding band.”

  Her gaze automatically fell to her ring finger, and she pinched her lips tightly together.

  “So you didn’t marry lover boy, after all.”

  “No.”

  “What happened?” he asked. He seemed almost to enjoy questioning her. Mary Jo felt as though she were on the witness stand being cross-examined.

  She shrugged, not wanting to become trapped in a growing web of untruths. She’d regretted that stupid lie every day for the past three years.

  “It didn’t work out?” he suggested.

  This was agony for her. “You’re right. It didn’t work out.”

  He grinned then, for the first time, as if this information delighted him.

  “Are you seeing someone now?”

  “I don’t believe that information’s necessary to the case. You’re my attorney, not my confessor.”

  “I’m nothing to you,” he said and his words were sharp. “At least not yet.”

  “Will you take the case or won’t you?” she demanded.

  “I haven’t decided yet.”

  He did want her to grovel. And they said hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Apparently women didn’t hold the patent on that.

  “Gary Copeland,” she said stiffly, without emotion. “Gary and I’ve been seeing each other for several months.”

  “Another teacher?”

  “He’s a fireman.”

  Evan nodded thoughtfully.

  “Will you or won’t you help my parents?” she asked again, growing tired of this silly game.

  He was silent for a moment, then said abruptly, “All right. I’ll make some inquiries and learn what I can about Adison Investments.”

  Mary Jo was so relieved and grateful she sagged in her chair.

  “Make an appointment with Mrs. Sterling for next week, and bring your father in with you. Friday would be best. I’ll be in court most of the week.”

  “Thank you, Evan,” she whispered, blinking rapidly in an effort to fight back tears.

  She stood, eager now to escape. Resisting the urge to hug him, she hurried out of his office, past Mrs. Sterling and into the hallway. She was in such a blind rush she nearly collided with a woman holding a toddler in her arms.

  “Oh, I’m so sorry,” Mary Jo said, catching herself.

  “I’m afraid I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  “No problem,” the other woman said with a friendly smile. She held the child protectively against her hip. The little boy, dressed in a blue-and-white sailor suit, looked up at her with eyes that were dark and solemn. Dark as rich Swiss chocolate.

  Evan’s eyes.

  Mary Jo stared at the tall lovely woman. This was Jessica, Evan�
��s wife, and the baby in her arms was Evan’s son. The flash of pain nearly paralyzed her.

  “I shouldn’t have been standing so close to the door,” Jessica went on to say. “My husband insisted he was taking us to lunch, and asked me to meet him here.”

  “You must be Jessica Dryden,” Mary Jo said, finding the strength to offer her a genuine smile. She couldn’t take her eyes off Evan’s son. He now wore a cheerful grin and waved small chubby arms. If circumstances had been different, this child might have been her own. The void inside her widened; she’d never felt so bleak, so empty.

  “This is Andy.” Jessica did a small curtsy with her son in her arms.

  “Hello, Andy.” Mary Jo gave him her hand, and like a proper gentleman, he took it and promptly tried to place it in his mouth.

  Jessica laughed softly. “I’m afraid he’s teething. Everything goes to his mouth first.” She walked with Mary Jo toward the exit, bouncing the impatient toddler against her hip. “You look familiar,” she said casually. “ Do I know you?”

  “I don’t think so. My name’s Mary Jo Summerhill.”

  Jessica’s face went blank, then recognition swept into her eyes as her smile slowly evaporated. Any censure, however, was quickly disguised.

  “It was nice meeting you,” Mary Jo said quickly, speeding up as they neared the door.

  “Evan’s mentioned you,” Jessica said.

  Mary Jo stopped suddenly. “He has?” She couldn’t help it. Curiosity got the better of her.

  “Yes. He…thought very highly of you.”

  That Jessica used the past tense didn’t escape Mary Jo. “He’s a top-notch attorney.”

  “He’s wonderful,” Jessica agreed. “By the way, I understand we have a mutual friend. Earl Kress.”

  Earl had been a volunteer at Mary Jo’s school. He’d tutored slow readers, and she’d admired his patience and persistence, and especially his sense of humor. The children loved him.