Ever After (40 page)

“I think it looks good on you. I didn't, by chance, ask you to marry me, did I?”

Hallie smiled as she cracked eggs into a bowl. “'Fraid you did, but I won't hold you to it.”

He didn't say anything until Hallie handed him a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon and sat down across from him with a cup of coffee.

“I took the slow ferry to the island, the one that brings cars over,” Braden said. “I wanted time to do some thinking.”

“Did you?” She sipped her coffee. “About you and Zara? Or your job?” She wasn't going to remind him that he'd told her last night what the partner at his law firm had said about getting a wife and kids.

“Neither. I was thinking about that old adage of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. That's what I do. I fall for these knockout, gorgeous women who care only about my future prospects. Not about me but about what they can get from me. The minute they find someone who seems to be moving up the ladder faster, they leave me behind like a snake shedding its skin.”

“That's some comparison.”

“Am I shocking you? I guess since I've always seen you as a
little girl, I used to dull down my conversation. But you don't look like that now. You are one hot babe.”

Hallie laughed. “Thanks.”

“Anyway, all the way over on the ferry I was thinking about you and me. I'd like for us to get to know each other better—but in a different way. Do you think that's possible?”

What he was saying was wonderful, a dream come true. But at the same time, something about it bothered her, though she couldn't put her finger on what, exactly. Maybe it was the word “gorgeous.” He said he usually liked “knockout” women, but now he wanted to go another route—and that seemed to mean Hallie. It looked like she was a woman he was
sure
wouldn't dump him.

“Did you know I took those papers out of the trunk of your car?” he asked.

Hallie was so deep in her thoughts that at first she didn't know what he meant. But then her eyes widened. If the papers she was to deliver to her boss had been in the trunk where she'd put them, she wouldn't have gone back to the house to get them. If she hadn't returned, she wouldn't have found out that Shelly was trying to steal a house that had been willed to Hallie.

“I knew Shelly was up to something,” Braden said. “She borrowed a fancy tea set from Mom. I couldn't imagine any of Shelly's boyfriends drinking tea out of a porcelain cup. I thought you should look into what was going on, so I ran across the street and took what looked to be an important package out of your car and put it inside the front door. I watched and saw Shelly pick it up.”

“Why didn't you just tell me what you suspected?”

Braden shook his head. “Hallie, dear, if I'd told you Shelly was up to something, you would have stayed away until midnight. Both you and your dad always ran away from Shelly. You still do.”

That was news to Hallie. “Do I? I always thought I stood up to her.”

“Sometimes, I guess.” He didn't meet her eyes. “Now that I've been on the receiving end of her selfish little tricks, I better understand what you endured.” Braden reached across the table and took Hallie's hand in his. “I wish I'd helped more when you were a kid.”

“You couldn't have done anything, and you helped me a lot.” She smiled. “Don't forget that if it weren't for you I wouldn't have gone to college. And now I owe you for all this.” She gestured toward the house. And I wouldn't have met Jamie, she thought but didn't say.

She pulled her hand from Braden's. “I'm going to a wedding that starts in about an hour and a half. You can stay here or come along. Did you bring any nice clothes?”

“I'm a lawyer, so of course I brought suits. I just have no idea where they are.”

“I'll go look,” she said, but Braden caught her arm.

“Hallie, I'm making a mess of what I'm trying to say, but I want you to think about you and me. We could have a good life together. I've thought about nothing else for the last few days and I think it could work. You're already part of my family.”

“Braden, this is all so sudden and unexpected. I don't know what to say.”

“I know, and that's my fault. I should have had sense enough to see what was right in front of me. But I didn't. Will you promise to think about this? And later we can talk. I won't leave until we do.”

“All right,” she said. “I promise. But I have to get ready now.”

“Sure. I look forward to spending time with the new you. I think we could work something out.”

He sounded like he was negotiating a contract. She gave him a bit of a smile, then hurried from the room. Right now she
couldn't think about what Braden was saying. All she could think about was seeing Jamie. Their fight had upset her. How was
he
feeling?

She went up the stairs, but Jamie wasn't there. The bed had been made and a big leather hanging bag was spread out on it. She knew without asking that it was Braden's. She could almost hear him saying that the expensive piece of luggage looked like something a lawyer on his way up would carry. Braden had always valued image.

Jamie wasn't anywhere upstairs. It looked as though he'd gone to the wedding without her. Ahead of her, she corrected herself. She couldn't blame him for wanting to be with his family.

It was only when she went back to her bedroom and opened her closet door that she saw the dress. No, actually it was The Dress. She'd only seen garments like it on movie stars. It was short, with a scoop neck, sleeveless, simple really. But it was far from simple. It was made of an unusual pale pink lace, kind of crocheted, kind of embroidered, all under a very fine net.

Hallie'd said she didn't want to wear anything from Jamie's family, but that was before she saw
this
dress. She knew without trying it on that it would fit. It wouldn't have before she came to Nantucket—too many late night doughnuts and not enough exercise—but now it would.

On the floor was a pair of cream-colored high heels with a rhinestone ornament across the toe. Manolo Blahnik was written inside them.

For a moment Hallie thought about ignoring the outfit. She'd bought a perfectly respectable navy-blue dress to wear to the wedding.

But then she saw the Dolce & Gabbana label inside the dress and that did it.

She made a quick trip downstairs to tell Braden his luggage was there and that she was going to get dressed. “Meet you in
an hour,” she called as she ran back upstairs. She went to the bathroom, wrestled with a curling iron, and managed to put her hair up on her head. Little tendrils fell down beside her face.

One thing she'd learned from being around Shelly was how to pile on the makeup. She had one of those little kits of eye-shadows and she used every one of the earth colors. Blush followed base, then she outlined her lipstick.

When her hair and face were done, she went to the bedroom and stripped down to her skin. She was glad she had pretty, white, matching underwear.

The dress felt as good on as it looked. It had been lined with some silky fabric that slid over her skin. And it fit perfectly—as did the shoes. There was a little white beaded clutch on a shelf and Hallie quickly put her keys, credit card, some cash, and a lipstick in it.

She was almost afraid to look in a mirror. When she did, she saw a different person than the one who usually stared back at her. Braden was right. Something had changed in her.

There was a soft knock on her bedroom door and she immediately thought, Jamie!

But she found Braden standing there wearing a dark suit. She had the great satisfaction of seeing him inhale sharply, and he seemed to be speechless.

Hallie turned full circle. “How do I look?”

“You…” Braden could do little more than stare. “Stunning,” he said at last. “Are you really the little girl with skinned knees who lived across the road from me?”

“One and the same.” Oh, but it felt good to have a man look at her as Braden was doing! It was a kind of power she'd never felt before. Men used to say, “Hallie, do you know if your dad has a hammer I can borrow?”

But right now Braden was looking at her the way men looked at Shelly. “Can I get you something?” they asked her. “Can I do something for you?”

“Shall we go?” Hallie asked, her voice as demure as she could make it.

“I would be proud to escort you,” Braden said and held out his arm to her.

The sidewalk in front of the church was full of people, all beautifully dressed.

Suddenly, Braden halted, holding her to him. “Hallie, that's Kane Taggert and next to him is his brother, Michael. And the man on the left is Adam Montgomery senior.”

“Really? I bet he's Adam's dad. I'll have to introduce myself.” She started forward, but Braden didn't move.

“Hallie, you don't seem to realize who these people are. They own things. Big things. We've been trying to get the Montgomery-Taggerts to our firm for years. To handle just one percent of their business would make us. If
I
brought them to the firm, I could write my own ticket.”

Hallie realized what he was saying. “I'd prefer that you didn't do any business today. They're nice people, not clients to be won.” When she looked at Braden, his eyes seemed to be glazed. “There's Uncle Kit. I have to talk to him. Why don't you…?” Kit was walking away. “I'll see you inside,” she said to Braden and left him as she hurried to the church.

“Hallie, my dear, you look quite lovely,” Kit said.

“Thank you. I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Anything.” They started up the church steps.

“Would you please find Raine and ask him to stay with Jamie today? Jamie's in a bad mood and I'm afraid the noise will cause him some problems.”

“And our strong young Raine can get Jamie out before he is embarrassed?”

“Yes,” Hallie said, grateful for his understanding.

“How very kind of you, especially since it's my guess that Jamie's agitation is caused by the rather remarkable ring you have on.”

Hallie held up her hand. “Awful, isn't it? It's not mine, but I can't get it off.”

“The question is how it got on your finger in the first place.”

“I accepted a marriage proposal, but it wasn't real.” She nodded toward Braden, who was earnestly talking to Jamie's father—who was scowling. “Oh, no. I have to rescue Braden before a Taggert steps on him.”

Kit laughed. “I am assuming that he's your fiancé. What I'd really like to know is why you don't tell Raine yourself. Has something happened between you two?”

Hallie's smile disappeared. “Let's just say that someone thinks I'm too friendly with Raine.”

“And of course that would be Todd. You are having some problems, aren't you?”

“Yes,” she said.

Kit tucked her arm into his. “Why don't you sit by me? I'll be sure young James is taken care of and I will do my best to see that no one grabs your fiancé by the collar and throws him out.”

“Thank you,” Hallie said, and truly meant it.

Once they were inside the beautiful old church, Kit stepped aside for a moment to talk to an older man Hallie'd never seen before. “It's all been taken care of,” Kit said when he returned. “And now we may enjoy Jilly's beautiful wedding.”

Kit led her to a third-row bench. He sat on the aisle, with Hallie beside him. The church was filled with roses of pale colors: cream, pink, yellow. There were tall vases of more roses in the front, all of them making the church smell divine.

Braden slipped into the pew beside her. “I met all three of them,” he said under his breath as he pretended to read the wedding program. “I don't think they're going to move their
business to my firm, at least not yet. But I've made a connection.” He turned to look at her. “Hallie, I had no idea you knew people like this.”