An Act of Love. Marion Ekholm
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away, and she hadn’t seen or heard from him since his college graduation.
Marley drew her fingers through her hair, only to get the ring caught in the curls, something her hairdresser back in Phoenix had managed to control. Walking over to the mirror, she concentrated on freeing her finger, wanting with all her might to find out more about Richard.
A knock on the door startled her.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead. Lots to do before the big day,” a man shouted through the closed door.
Michelle bolted for Marley and hid her face in her aunt’s lap.
Marley stiffened, then turned to face the door, enclosing her niece in a tight hug. Was that their father’s voice? Why was he here?
“Yeah, Daddy. See you later,” Lindy called.
Slowly turning around, Marley stared openmouthed at Lindy.
“Don’t be mad. He’s giving me away.” Lindy knelt in the middle of her bed, clutching a large panda bear. She added in a whisper, “Please don’t make a scene, Marley.”
“He’s back?”
Lindy nodded. “He moved his things in with Poppy last night, and I really want him to give me away instead of Poppy.”
Michelle glanced up at her aunt. Had the little girl picked up on Marley’s tension? Her niece’s face began to twitch.
Marley picked her up and cradled her in her arms. “It’s okay, honey.” She brushed kisses along the girl’s forehead to calm her down. A few moments later, Marley placed her on the floor and said, “See if you can find the baby kangaroo for me.” Distracted, Michelle went searching through the menagerie.
“Is he just here for your wedding?” Marley kept her voice cool for Michelle’s benefit and hoped the disapproval boiling inside her wouldn’t erupt.
Lindy jumped off the bed and deposited her bear on the crowded dresser. “I hope not. He and Mom have been talking, and who knows? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if after all these years Mom and Dad discover they’re still in love?”
Marley swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Was that what Poppy had meant when he said her mother might beat her to the altar? Were her parents getting back together?
She’d seen her father only occasionally since her parents’ divorce. When he’d returned the first time, she’d been in college. To her relief, he had left without getting involved in her life. As the eldest, she’d witnessed all the torment during her parents’ breakup. And she couldn’t conceive how they could ever get back together.
Marley picked up Michelle and her suitcase and backed out of the room. “I’ve got to get this one off to Kennywood Park. I’ll talk to you later.”
How could Mom put up with the man? Marley thought as she headed toward the front staircase. The trauma from his return and departure a dozen years ago had left her mother inconsolable, yet she continued to love Red and want him back? Marley hadn’t been able to stay and watch back then any more than she wanted to be around now.
Upon graduation from PITT, she had moved to Phoenix and accepted a position teaching math in a high school, even though the same opportunities were available in Pennsylvania. And then she began building her fences.
She would never love a man to the extent her mother loved her father.
No man would ever be allowed to hurt her that way.
BRANT ARRIVED HOME after several days at the ranch visiting with his sisters and their families. His father, who had asked to speak with him, had taken off with Brant’s mother, so Brant never did have the opportunity. Now he was back in the Phoenix heat, dodging people who recognized him. Several actually asked for his autograph. He didn’t look forward to hiding in his condo until his gig in New York.
His answering machine had several messages, and, for a moment, Brant hoped one might be from Marley. Wishful thinking. She wouldn’t know his number. Plus their last meeting pretty much put the kibosh on anything neighborly between them. Tough, because she intrigued him, and he’d really like to know her better.
Three messages were from Gus, and he sounded stressed. Maybe he’d found another musical instrument Brant could add to his collection. Brant picked up his home phone and dialed Gus’s store.
“What is it, Gus? Another instrument? I liked that mandolin you showed me the last time, but I still feel it’s a little pricey.”
“No. This is something different. Could you come down to my shop?”
Brant checked his watch. It was nearly nine, and Gus rarely kept his store open this late. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”
“No. It’s important you see this tonight.”
“Okay. It’ll take me a few minutes.” Might as well see what he wants, Brant thought as he locked his door and headed for the elevator. In the few years he’d known Gus, the man had sold him several beautiful instruments, including a banjo and guitar. Gus opened the door when Brant arrived and led him to the back. A policeman stood at the counter where Marley had purchased her ring.
“There’s a problem,” Gus said, not making eye contact with Brant. “When your fiancée paid for that ring?”
Brant chuckled. “She’s not my real fiancée.”
“Let him finish,” the officer interjected.
Brant turned to him, aware that the usual relaxed atmosphere in the shop had disappeared. He looked back at Gus. “What about my fiancée’s ring?”
“She paid for this one.” Gus held out one that looked exactly like the ring Brant had pointed out to Marley. “It costs less than fifty dollars. She walked out with the one for five thousand.”
“How...?”
“I don’t know.” Gus held up a hand and glanced at the officer. “I’m not saying she stole it.” He swallowed. “But if you could pay for the ring, there won’t be any...problems.” He cleared his throat.
“And if I return it?”
“I’ll take it back. No questions asked.”
Brant stood there for several moments, his hands braced on the glass counter. Wow. Five thousand dollars. An okay price to pay for a real fiancée, but not for a possible thief. What did he know about Marley? For that matter, what did he know about Gus?
Swiftly coming to a decision, Brant pushed away from the counter, reached for his wallet and handed Gus his credit card. “Put it on this.” Gus had never cheated him in the past, and Marley owing Brant wouldn’t hurt one bit. She played a guitar better than most professional musicians he knew. If she wouldn’t return the ring, she could teach him a few things about playing the guitar—a good five thousand dollars’ worth of lessons.
But he had no intention of waiting until his “fiancée” returned to Phoenix to acquire that ring.
By the time he reached his condo, Brant had a plan. He’d follow Marley and trade the expensive ring for the one she actually bought. Besides, he wanted to get out of the city, and, as he’d told her, Pennsylvania was a lot closer to his New York gig. Well, it might be a plan if he knew where she had gone. Pennsylvania was a large state, and there had to be hundreds of people with the last name Roman. Still, there couldn’t be that many Romans marrying in Pennsylvania this coming weekend. He turned on his computer and began searching social media.
* * *
MICHELLE WAS NEARLY finished with her pancakes when her mother came into the local restaurant and gave her a quick kiss. “How was it?” Chloe joined them in the booth next to her daughter. Dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, she in no way looked pregnant. “You ready to have a dozen kids?”
“Only