Mail-Order Cinderella. Kathryn Jensen
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flew to Houston? Oh my, that must have cost a fortune.”
“Things were pretty busy at the job site. I didn’t want to—” He stopped himself before saying waste the time. “I didn’t want to be away too long.”
“I see.” She smiled up at him as if impressed by his strong work ethics. “I know how that is. I hate to leave a job half done.” Her eyes widened as a woman in a long black crepe gown slit up to her thigh passed them. She wore a diamond ankle bracelet. Glancing down self-consciously at her neat wool skirt and matching sweater set, Julie grimaced. “I think I may be a little underdressed for this place.”
Tyler shook his head. “Not at all. You look fine.”
She stared at him for a second, as though trying to determine whether he was being honest or just hoping to make her feel better. He kept his expression blank. Sighing, she changed the subject. “Your job in construction…what exactly do you do? Run heavy equipment? Hammer nails and such?”
He laughed. “Not ordinarily, although I can handle both.”
Jean Paul arrived at that moment, saving him from admitting more than he chose to just yet. Tyler had intentionally skirted a full explanation of his work, as well as specifics about himself and his family. Such as the fact that the Fortunes were the wealthiest and most influential residents of southern Arizona. He’d wanted to see Julie’s reaction to him as a person before he revealed that marrying him would make her a wealthy woman.
When they were seated, he ordered wine and suggested two specialties of the house. She eagerly agreed to the seafood. The sommelier presented the wine, a rare white merlot, opened the bottle, offered Tyler the cork then poured when he’d approved. At last, all the servers left them alone.
“Tell me about yourself,” he said.
Julie lifted the crystal stem to her lips and sipped cautiously. “There isn’t a lot to tell. Most everything was in the bio Soulmate gave you.” She sipped again, and grinned like a child secretly allowed a sweet between meals.
He thought the guilty twinkle in her eyes charming. It brought out a wicked side of him that whispered how much fun it might be to shock her and set those fascinating, multicolored eyes afire. He attempted to undress her mentally, but her conservative outfit didn’t give his imagination much to work with.
“Oh my, this is delicious. I sometimes treat myself to a glass of wine after work. But one bottle lasts me a month, and it never tastes this good.”
She lifted her glass and took another delicate mouthful. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she tilted her head back as she swallowed. Her elegant throat taunted him, and he suddenly ached to reach across the table and smooth his open palm down the flow of ivory flesh. “We can have a different wine with our meal if you like.”
Julie’s eyes flew wide with alarm. “Oh, no, we mustn’t. This meal is going to be expensive enough.” She leaned over the table and whispered conspiratorially to him. “One thing you should know right now, Mr. Fortune—”
“Tyler.”
“Tyler. One thing you should understand,” she said earnestly, “is that I can’t afford to marry a man who doesn’t know the value of a dollar. If I stay at home with my children…our children…we’ll have to live on your salary alone. A construction worker’s pay these days may be adequate for a comfortable life, but it won’t allow for many nights like this.”
“No, I’m sure it wouldn’t.” He hadn’t intended to lead her on. However, he still needed to know a little more about Julie before admitting how little he worried about the cost of lavish dinners for his dates.
She rested back in her chair and observed him solemnly. “I’m sorry if I’ve been too blunt. I believe in living within one’s means…that’s all.”
“Perfectly understandable,” he replied. “I want to know exactly what you expect of me. And I’ll be very frank about what I can and can’t do for you. But first I need you to tell me who Julie Parker really is. There’s a lot more that goes into a person than a job and a few hobbies.”
“It’s not a very interesting story,” she said apologetically.
“Let me be the judge.” He gave her an encouraging wink that seemed to put her more at ease.
“Well, I was born in Houston, never lived more than two miles from the neighborhood where I grew up and I’ve traveled only as far as New Mexico in one direction, Arkansas in the other. I graduated from the University of Houston, then took a job at the southwestern branch of the public library. I’ve always loved books; they’ve been my friends since childhood. It seemed natural to want to become a librarian.”
He nodded. “So you spend every day surrounded by tomes and silence?”
“I’m never bored, if that’s what you’re implying,” she said with unexpected energy. “But sometimes I do wish I could travel. After the bills are paid, there isn’t much left for zipping off to Europe.” She laughed to herself and shook her head wistfully, as if this was a fantasy normal people didn’t take seriously.
Tyler had been to England and the Continent fifteen times since he graduated from college. “I expect not,” he murmured diplomatically.
“Well,” she said on a long, deep sigh that suddenly made him aware of her breasts, “it’s a nice dream anyway. The important things, though, are spending time with one’s children, saving for their education, making sure they’re properly clothed and sheltered.” She looked at him. “Don’t you agree?”
He sensed she was testing him. “Of course, children should always come first.” Had he really said that? He’d never voiced that opinion before, but he felt he really meant it at that moment.
Tyler took a quick swallow of the chilled pink wine and studied her expression, focused so intently on his. He knew she was fighting her innate shyness to hold her gaze steady. Maybe she had more backbone than he’d at first realized.
Their meals arrived, breaking their eye lock. After they’d both refused an offer of freshly ground pepper, he cut a large bite from his thick prime rib and tried to clear his head as he chewed. If he was seriously considering marrying this woman, there must be other questions he should ask.
“Did you get your thrifty nature from your parents?” He watched with alarm as the glow drained from her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I hit a nerve?”
Julie pursed her lips and pushed her fork gently into a fat sea scallop. “I don’t remember my mother. She left my father and me before I was a year old. Dad didn’t have much of a head for budgets. He drove trucks all of his life, never made much money. As soon as I was old enough to shop for us, I made sure there was food to last through the end of every month.”
Tyler frowned. “I see.”
“It wasn’t a bad life, but I spent a lot of time alone. My father passed away four years ago. I’ve lived on my own since. My aunts, uncles and cousins all live on the East Coast. I rarely get to see them.”
Tyler imagined her as a child. A waif with stringy brown hair and no responsible adult to look after her. He could imagine her balled up in a chair in a corner of the children’s reading room, lost in a fairy tale. It suited her.
He felt a pang of guilt for all he’d had and taken for granted. Sure, Devlin had worked most of the time. Tyler had desperately yearned for his father’s attention, but never had it crossed his mind that his next meal might not appear when he was hungry.
He looked into Julie’s eyes and saw an eternity of loneliness. He didn’t need to ask why she wanted a family now. But there was one thing he didn’t understand. “Your profile said you are twenty-seven years old.”
“Yes.” She tipped her head to one side, waiting, her fork poised over her meal.
“If you’ve always wanted to start a family, why haven’t you married before now?”