The Reluctant Beauty (7 page)

Silence blanketed and then chaos reigned. Her parents, brother, and his wife all spoke at once.

“You’ll end up alone—”

“For all that is sacred and pure, Peg—” Her mother jumped up and rushed around the table, grabbing her daughter’s hands in hers.

“Why wouldn’t you want a baby?” her sister-in-law cried, rubbing her extended belly and unborn child.

“How could you do that to Mom and Dad?”

***

Peg cringed. The questions and accusations pelted her. The grip her mother had on her hands surprised her. She tried to pull away. He mother refused to let go.

“Now, you listen, Peg.” Her mother’s voice yanked her away from all the others speaking at one time. She gazed down as her mother craned her head to look up at her. The hurt in her mother’s blue eyes made her gulp. “Your eggs are getting old. Shriveled up. No time to wait. First the husband, then the baby. That’s the order of things. That’s how the Newburys do things. You included.”

“But, Mama—” she used her childhood name for her mother.

A shrill whistle interrupted the chatter. Peg jerked her head around to see Austin standing, ready to sound off again. “Now that I’ve got your attention,” he said with a scowl between his brows. “Let me get a word in.”

His stare captured hers. Her knees got that wobbly feeling again.

Her mother let go of her hands. Her father came to his wife’s side, putting an arm around her shoulders.

“Peg.” His smooth voice did strange things to her.

“Austin,” she said, half gulping, half groaning.

“We can’t keep it from them any longer, can we?” As he talked, he walked to her.

Mesmerized, she followed his every move. No wonder he had girls of all ages drooling over him. Now, she was one of them.

Shaking her head, she asked, “Keep what from them?”

That little smile he gave spent shivers down her spine. Holy hotness was at it again.

He stopped in front of her and cupped her face in his hands. His eyes held her stare. She gulped again. Criminy, he was gorg, as Rico would say.

She waited. He leaned in, covering her lips with his. Peg gasped at the warm, firm pressure yet at the soft touch. She did what any smart girl would do in the same situation. She kissed him back.

A tremble shot through him; she felt it when she clutched his sides. Had she ever done that to anyone else before? 
No way, Jose. .

When the breathtaking kiss ended, she stood dumbfounded. He looked as shocked as she felt, searching her gaze.

“Holy macaroni, hotness,” she said in a husky voice.

He couldn’t speak. He just stared.

“You’re engaged, that must be it!” her mother said.

That pulled them both out of their stupor to look at her parents.

“You’ve got it all wrong.” Austin could have dumped a cold bucket of water over her head.

The four of them cheered and hugged, talking about planning Peg’s wedding.

Peg smacked him on the arm. “Now, look what you’ve gone and done.”

“Me? I was just trying to help you.”

“Hey, next time you try to help, remind me, so I can knock some sense into you first. “ Her family looked so happy, too. “Geez ’em Christmas. How am I gonna get out of this mess?”

***

Of all places, Peg found refuge in the new window display. The big, red sofa facing the window looked comfy and cozy. The cute little living setup made her laugh. Charlie had come up with great idea. Again.

It was as if the husband and wife mannequins sitting on the sofa were actually looking at their TV instead of out the glass to the crowds on the street. The curtains were pulled shut for the night.

With barely any light to guide her, Peg hefted the boy mannequin over her shoulder.

“Hey, buddy, watch the hands, will ya?” she said when his plastic mitt dropped to her butt. “You’re married, if you didn’t remember. Geez!”

Moving the smaller female version to the nearby chair didn’t take as much muscle. “There, Mrs.,” she muttered, brushing back the flyaway strands of the wig she wore.

“Criminy, where did you get that shade of brown? Maybe I should have Rico try that one on me?”

Finally, she hunkered down in the tiny area, snuggled on the sofa, with a new hot pink comforter. But, her ears still rang with her family’s cries of joy.

“Not good. Not good at all,” she muttered under her breath and yanked the bedding over her head. “Snap, pop, presto, just let me disappear.”

Engaged? A wedding? Austin Rhoades had given her a measly kiss in front of her family and, bang, they already had them hitched.
Well, it wasn’t so measly
, she admitted.

She groaned.

“Peg?”

No, it couldn’t be him. “Go away.”

Rustling noises came from a few feet away. “They won’t leave me alone,” he said. “You’ve got to save me.”

“You deserve everything you get, buster,” she grumbled. A tug on her covers had her sitting up. “What are you doing?” Her forehead knocked against his. “Oh, holy night,” she cursed.

He grunted and rubbed his head. “I swear I’m going to have a goose egg tomorrow morning.”

“Shoo! Go, be gone!” She shoved at his hard, bare chest. Heat burned her palms. He grabbed her wrists and held her hands to his wildly beating heart.

“Of all the women in the world, it had to be you,” he muttered.

Jerking away from him, she twisted and turned her back on him. “Some prize, huh?” His words stung. That was a first. She’d never let a guy’s comments wound her before.

“Bad timing,” he said.

Peg snorted.

The sofa dipped when he joined her. A cool breeze rushed over her when he lifted the comforter to cover both of them. He cuddled close, pressed against the length of her. There was no mistaking how turned on he was. Peg gulped hard.

“Relax. I’m dog tired, your family’s scattered around the store in various departments trying to fall asleep, Bruno’s just a call away, and, I’m not about to make it with you in a window display.”

“Fat chance.”

His chuckle tickled her ear. A sweep of heat rushed through her.

“Why?”

Austin sighed. Another whisper of warmth curled in her center. “Thought it would fix things. Never imagined it would make it worse.”

With his hand settled on her hip, he must have drifted off. But Peg couldn’t sleep. Being so close to him kept her nerves jumping. And her mind sorted the messy aftermath of his steamy kiss.

Her family had them practically married already. They’d mapped out the next two years of her life. She could work while they planned the wedding. And, of course, King’s Department Store, would be the one and only store they would consider for the arrangements. Once hitched, Peg would quit and the couple would move close to them. While trying for a baby, Peg could fix up the house they’d selected for her.

The babies-slash-cousins-would grow up together. The grandparents would babysit often. Oh, and more babies to come, exactly two years apart from each other.

It wasn’t half bad for someone who liked that sort of thing. But, not for Peg. And surely not for Austin Rhoades.

Her mind buzzed with ways to stop the madness, once and for all.

Plan A: He’d have to break up with her, quick and to the point. Better still, in front of her family, too. Now, all she had to do was convince him it was for the best. He needed to get out of her life, sooner rather than later.

That shouldn’t be so hard to do, right?

Austin slept with dreams dancing through his mind. The visions and impressions played all night long. They felt so real, like kissing Peg again. Her soft, luscious lips came back to haunt him. He shivered. He wanted more.

Then there were voices, a low murmur at first, and then rising. Could that be Rico talking?

And what was that brilliant light? Was he on stage again?

“Succotash and sassafras,” Peg cried out, yanking him fully awake.

Sitting up, he blinked the sleep out of his eyes and looked out the window.

A couple dozen people stared back. Some were in fatigues, holding kids, some women were peering closely and pointing; others held cameras and started clicking.

Austin whipped around to see Rico coming into the display. With his hands pressed against his chest, he said, “O-M-G! Peg, hottie, I didn’t know you two were here. I pulled the cord to open the curtain just like Griff asked me to do.”

Peg bolted to her knees, lost her balance, and landed on his bare chest. They both grunted. Pushing away from him, she kicked aside the covers and half rolled, half fell to the floor. She hit with a dull thud. Her rabbit feet pajamas caused the onlookers to laugh and point. “The Wounded Warrior families,” Peg whispered, scrambling to stand up. “I’m dead meat now.”

“Rico, close the curtain,” Austin said.

“No can do. Griff’s on his way.”

Slowly standing, Austin heard and saw the many clicks of the cameras. He was shirtless and shoeless. Exposed and vulnerable.

He bent to pick up his shirt when the first scream sliced the air.

“That’s him! I’d know him anywhere!”

Another shriek sounded, and then one right after the other followed.

“Now you’ve gone and done it,” Peg said, inching backwards.

The chant from some of the onlookers began. “Austin! Austin! Austin!”

The hairs on the back of his head stood on end. No one was supposed to know his physical location.

Austin was in the spotlight. Again.

He cursed.

Griffin came into the display with a woman close behind. “What’s—” He stopped short. “Peg?”

“Oh, honey, come with me. I’ll get you outta here. Rico, you, too,” the lady with the strawberry blonde hair said, quickly guiding them out of the area.

“Prissy, I swear, I didn’t—" Peg’s voice faded away.

Between gritted teeth, Griff said, “Wave at your fans, grab your shirt, and then you’re coming with me. Understood?”

“What’s not to get?” Austin muttered.

He backed up, nodded, waved once, and then leaned down to snare his shirt and socks and boots. More shrieks sounded. Warmth stole over his cheeks. He always hated it when strangers made a big deal out of him, mostly because of how he looked and what he did.

It had nothing to do with him as a person.

Finally, he rushed down the stairs and back into the store only to face a line of gawking employees. They blinked a few times and tried to pin on smiles.

“
Peg
and him?” The whispered question cut through the awkward silence.

Griff held up his hand. “There’s no show here, folks. Let’s just get ready for the soldiers and their families. Doors open in ten.”

His stern look must have spoken volumes; they scurried away and murmured, “Yes, Griff. We’ll be ready.”

Austin tugged on his shirt.

“You hurt Peg and you have me to answer to.”

“You didn’t waste any time, did you?” He was happy someone Peg knew wanted to make sure she didn’t get hurt.

“Nope. Ex-military. Peg’s family. Need any more explanation?”

“I’m good,” Austin said with a smile in his voice.

“You’ve got two choices. Peg’s in the executive offices with my wife, Priscilla. Rico’s pulling something for Peg to wear. You can either go see her now and get it over with or you can face your admirers on the way out the door.”

Standing straight, Austin looked at this guy. Steely gray eyes stared back at him, hard and unyielding. “Thanks for taking care of Peg.”

“So you’re leaving.”

“No way. I’m going to see her. Just point the way.”

This Griff guy smiled. Well, it was for a second maybe, but it was a smile. “Okay, Rhoades. I’ll have someone show you the way. But, if you stay, you pitch in. Maybe sing a song or two. For the warriors. Tonight at the private ball.”

“You know me?”

“Rico, Peg’s family, Bruno, my in-laws, and a few others have been talking.” He shrugged. “I’m more of a classic rock fan myself.”

He laughed. At least this guy wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything. Austin stuck out his hand. Griff clasped it in a firm handshake. “I’m in. You wouldn’t happen to have a guitar in the store, would you?”

Griff rubbed his chin. “Kid’s Department. Toys. Hope that will do for now.”

Austin scratched his head. “Well, that’s better than nothing.”

A few minutes later, he was whisked up in the muted gold elevator to the fifth floor. He’d managed to pull on his socks and boots before the door dinged open.

Looking up, Rico waited for him. He had his arms crossed over his chest and was tapping his foot. “It’s about time you got here. Should I call you Rock Star?”

“Come on, don’t give me that.”

“A little surly today, aren’t we? Didn’t get any last night?”

“Rico.” His voice filled with warning.

He reached over and smacked him on the upper arm. “J-O-K-E! Come on, hottie. I grabbed some duds for you, too.”

“What kind of duds?” The hackles on the back of his neck stood up.

“Never mind. I got it all sorted out.” He nudged Austin into the executives’ office and down the hall. “Boys over here.” He flicked a hand behind him. “Girls over there.”

He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Peg’s that way?”

“Yes and deedee.”

“Then I should be going that way.”

“All in good time, hottie. Listen to brother Rico. Her mom and sis-in-law are in there with her, besides Priscilla.” He shook his head. “You don’t want to be there, trust me.”

He put two and two together. “So her father and brother are this way.”

“Oh, you are a smart one.”

Halting, he asked, “And you think they’d be any better?”

Rico nudged him again to get him moving. “But you have me, so that makes all the difference.”

Somehow he wasn’t convinced.

Austin stopped in his tracks, pivoted, and marched the other way. “I’m going to see Peg first.”

***

“Torture, I tell you, pure torture,” Peg whispered under her breath to Priscilla.

“They love you,” her friend pointed out. “But their taste in clothes is…how can I say this?”