The Bride's Choice. Sara Orwig
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month now, she was sliding a little more deeply into debt with all the expense of raising the boys.
“In name only,” she repeated softly and looked at him. “You’ve thought this over.”
He nodded solemnly. “We would get Green Oaks and could move there.”
“And in a year, we divorce and split the money?”
“Yes, if it’s necessary to divorce. Perhaps we can have the marriage dissolved because it was never consummated.”
She studied him, wondering what such an arrangement would be like. His whole aim in life must be to acquire money. He was accustomed to living alone and doing as he pleased, to working for himself. He seemed strong-willed, stubborn, determined. Would he make a shambles of their lives if she agreed to his proposal? “I still don’t think—”
“Don’t reject the idea too swiftly. Think what that money can do for your boys,” he repeated.
She did, swiftly and with a sinking feeling, because Cal Duncan was right. She would have her preschool funded; she could write the books she’d been planning about her methods for teaching small children to read; she could help Mimi and her mother, both of whom needed help. And the boys—the possibilities for them were endless. Clothes, camp…She was still struggling to make the payments for Chris’s braces. Quin’s counseling was incredibly expensive, too. And, best of all, the boys would have a father.
Juliana looked up at him with wide eyes, and Cal felt his stomach clench. “What?” he asked.
“You’d be like a father to them,” she answered with a note of amazement.
He shook his head. “Now, I don’t know anything about being a father—”
“You did fine with Chris earlier this evening. You’d be a role model for them.” She stopped and bit her lip. “You know me—and now I know why you’ve checked into my life so thoroughly—but I don’t know you. Do you have a terri- ble temper?”
“Terrible is relative,” he answered cautiously.
“That sounds like your legal mind trying to hedge. Would I have to fear your hitting the boys or striking me?”
Amusement flared in his eyes, and he shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t ever strike you.” He wondered if he should amend that with the truth that there might come a time when she would receive a playful swat on her cute butt, but he decided now was not the time to mention the possibility. That wasn’t what she was asking about anyway. “As for your boys, no, I wouldn’t hit them, either. I’m even- tempered enough that we can all get along.” His dark eyes narrowed. “But I do like my peace and quiet.”
“Well, then, Counselor, you better settle for the life you have and forget marriage. There is no way you can have three boys under the same roof and have peace and quiet.”
Cal clamped his lips closed, knowing she was telling him what he already knew and didn’t care to think about. “It’s only one year.”
“It’s ridiculous,” she said suddenly, knowing the plan would never work. “We would be in your way and you’d boss us around.” She stood. “I should go home.”
“Sit back down,” he said. His voice was quiet, yet she did as he wanted, perching on the edge of the chair.
“See what I mean about bossing us around,” she stated darkly, wondering how he could be so quietly compelling.
“It’s for your own good,” he rejoined in an offhand manner.
She stared into dark brown eyes that seemed to envelop her and stop her thought processes, mesmerizing her. “What about your lady friend?”
“Leah?” he asked and Juliana was startled, the spell broken.
“Who’s Leah?”
“You just asked me about her.”
“I just guessed there might be someone even though you said earlier that there wasn’t.”
“There’s no one I’m serious about. Leah Caldwell and I date occasionally, but there are no ties. I’d give up other women while we’re married.”
Juliana tilted her head and studied him. “Why do I find that difficult to believe?”
“I will not cause embarrassment to you or your neph- ews. I can keep my word about other women.”
“Your body might not agree.”
“I’ll worry about my body,” he drawled quietly, the words playing over her and making her skin tingle as much as if his fingers had trailed over her. Suddenly, she was once again too conscious of him, undercurrents of awareness tugging at her senses.
They stared at each other while she mulled over what he suggested. He was a forceful, crusty, determined man. And sexy. If she accepted his proposal, would she be getting into something that she would regret? Yet, only one year in a marriage in name only—how difficult could that be? Dark brown eyes stared back at her, and she felt out of her depth.
“I don’t really know much about men.”
“You don’t need to know much about them to agree to this. You know how large Green Oaks is—we would hardly see each other.”
“With my nephews around, I can promise you we’ll see each other.” She chewed her lip. He might be a good influ- ence for the boys. Lord knows, the man could be com- manding.
Cal waited quietly, again studying the tiny freckles on the tip of her nose. Her gaze swung around to meet his and the worried look vanished from her features. She smoothed her skirt and stood. “I’ll give your proposal thought. We have six months—”
“No, we don’t,” he said, coming to his feet, his casual movement placing him too close to her. She had to tilt her head to look up into his eyes and she was five feet eight inches tall. He had to be over six feet tall. She started to take a step back and then felt annoyed with herself. Let him be the one to back off.
“I remember the will saying we were to marry within—”
“Juliana,” he said in that voice that stopped her words instantly. “I need the money right away.”
Cal’s gaze shifted to a point beyond her. Guilt plagued him, but there was no way he was going to tell her the truth. He had learned long ago the terrible consequences of re- vealing everything about himself. “I’ve been considering expanding my law firm. I want to make commitments right away. I can’t wait six months.” He looked down into her wide blue eyes and saw the rising anger.
“How soon do you have to know?”
“I don’t see any reason to wait. If you give this some thought tonight, I think you can reach the same decision I have.”
“Mr. Duncan—”
“Call me Cal,” he ordered, his voice compelling and husky.
“Cal,” she said, meaning to snap it out because she was angry, yet a prickle ran across her nape and she had a sense of becoming more intimately involved with him just from that simple form of addressing him. And nothing in her tone sounded angry or forceful. He waited, his gaze intent on her. “I have to give this some thought because so many people are involved.”
“That’s exactly why it shouldn’t take you any time to consider my proposal. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. What could you possibly lose?”
The words hung in the air between them, invisible, yet so tangible to her as she looked into his eyes. She wanted to say she was too aware of him as an appealing male, too vulner- able because she had been deceived by Barry. She would have her heart at risk. How easily she could imagine falling in love with Caleb Duncan. There was only one certainty in this—she did not think he ran any chance of falling in love or losing his heart. His love was money.
“You make it