Fortune's Twins Read online

  Gwen wasn’t quite ready to return to the boardinghouse, so she ambled toward Jester Community Park across the street from her home. She’d always loved the park. It was huge, with a baseball diamond, a small pond, playground equipment and several shade trees. The grass was still green from summer. She headed for the swing set and claimed a swing.

  He sat in the swing next to hers. “What happened there?” he asked, pointing to a huge bare spot on the lawn, where a foundation was still visible.

  “That used to be our pavilion. It was so nice—wonderful in the summer for band concerts. It collapsed last March during our Founder’s Day celebration.”

  “You have a festival in March? In Montana?”

  “We are a hardy lot, us Montanans. We bundle up every March and brave the snow. In fact, we thought it was just too much snow on the roof that made the pavilion collapse. But Luke McNeil, our sheriff, investigated. He got Sam Cade to help. Sam was in the military and Luke thought Sam could use his covert operative skills to discover something.

  “Luke suspected the pavilion was sabotaged, and then someone tried to burn it to destroy the evidence. A structural engineer confirmed Luke’s suspicions.”

  “Do they know who did it?”

  Gwen shook her head. “The investigation is ongoing, and everybody has theories, but no hard evidence.” No one would dare voice their suspicions aloud, but a couple of obvious suspects came to mind—like Bobby Larson. One reason the town council had balked over building a hotel in the park was a reluctance to tear down the historic pavilion, which had been built in the 19th century.

  Personally, Gwen had another suspect in mind. Wyla Thorne was just mean enough—and bitter enough about losing out on the big jackpot—that she might do something like destroy a beloved landmark—just to spite the whole town.

  “Whoever did it,” Gwen said, “I don’t think they meant for anyone to be injured. It was just bad luck Melinda Hartman was standing there when the pavilion fell. She wasn’t hurt badly,” Gwen hastened to add when she saw the look of concern on Eli’s face.

  Gwen scuffed her tennis shoe in the dirt, swaying her swing to and fro.

  “Want me to push you?” Eli asked.

  She hoped he was kidding. “You’d probably throw your back out.”

  He sat in the swing beside hers. “Don’t do that. Don’t denigrate yourself. I happen to think your current condition makes you beautiful.”

  “You’re just saying that to butter me up.”

  “No, I’m not. I find you attractive. After all, you’re carrying my daughters.”

  “Do you mind that they’re both girls?”

  “I’m thrilled they’re girls. I plan to spoil them rotten.”

  Damn. He knew all the right things to say. “You’re wearing me down, you know.”

  “I was hoping so. What’s holding you back?”

  She sighed again. “I think marriages should be based on love.”

  “And I think love is overrated. I’m not sure I believe in it.”

  “Oh, it’s real, all right. Just talk to Shelly and Connor. Or…or Jack and Melinda or Dev and Amanda or Jennifer and—”

  “Cupid’s been busy in Jester.”

  “Yeah. I guess he ran out of steam when it came to you and me.”

  “Maybe it’s not too late for us. Lots of couples fall in love after they’re married.”

  “But you don’t believe in love.”

  “If anyone could change my mind, it’s you.”

  Well, that was something, at least. Gwen basked in the small spotlight of hope he’d given her. That hope gave her the courage to forge ahead with the unpleasant matter she’d been avoiding. “There is something else. Before I say yes—there’s the matter of a prenuptial agreement.”

  Eli laughed nervously. “I’m glad you brought it up instead of me.”

  “Then you’re willing to talk about it?”

  “Of course. My attorney is a real control freak. I don’t really care, but he insists I protect my interests.”

  Her heart sank. This was the reason she’d put off this confrontation for so long. “I see.”

  “My lawyer drew up some preliminary terms. I have them in my room. I’ll show them to you, if you like.”

  “You were pretty sure I’d cave in eventually, weren’t you?”

  “I was hoping. You’ll probably want your own attorney to weigh in on the terms. I’m pretty open, just so my business is protected.”

  But she didn’t want his business! Her head was spinning. His mechanic shop wasn’t the issue. Her million-plus dollars was. “I’ll agree to protect your business,” she said slowly, “so long as you return the favor.”

  “Why would I want your boarding—oh, you mean the money.”

  “Yes.” Duh.

  He looked amused. “I believe the agreement simply sets up safeguards to keep our property and finances separate. It protects both of us.”

  This seemed a bit too easy. “All right,” she agreed hesitantly. “That sounds fine.”

  “So when’s the wedding?”

  “I’ll have to think about it.” This was the most emotionless marriage proposal she’d ever heard of. What if her children asked her someday about how their father had asked her to marry him? “This isn’t how it’s supposed to be!”

  “And getting you pregnant with twins wasn’t supposed to happen, either, but it did. There’s not exactly time for a courtship and flowers and romantic walks in the moonlight.”

  “But those things are important to me.”

  She could see the frustration building behind his eyes. He was trying to be patient with her, she could tell.

  “Oh, never mind,” she grumbled. “It’s my crazy hormones talking. You’re absolutely right. I’m being impractical. If we’re going to get married, we should get on with it.” So much for the big church wedding she’d fantasized about since she was a girl.

  “Is that a yes?”

  “Yes, Eli, I’ll marry you.”

  Had she just said yes? Was she engaged? Had she just changed the course of her entire life?

  Chapter Six

  Eli allowed himself a sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized how important Gwen’s answer was to him until she’d finally said yes.

  “Well, that was harder than it should have been.” He smiled, then took her into his arms and sealed the bargain with a kiss. The kiss was a bit more chaste than the one in the movie theater had been, but Eli didn’t figure Gwen would appreciate being fondled in a public park.

  He pulled back slightly and gazed into her eyes. “I have just one more question.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Do I have to wait ’til our wedding night before we sleep together?”

  “Oh, Eli, I already told you—”

  “I’m not talking about sex. I just want to hold you. Jeez, woman, I’ve missed you.”

  “How could you miss someone you only spent one night with?”

  He couldn’t explain it, but it was true. From the moment she’d walked out of that hotel room, he’d ached for her. He’d been devastated when he’d obliterated her phone number, and had thought of her a hundred times a day since then.

  “You’re not answering the question,” he said. “Again.”

  “I’m embarrassed. I don’t want you to see me…naked. Like this.”

  “I know you don’t believe me, but I think you’re more beautiful than ever. You’re a madonna, you’re every woman.”

  “Every fat woman.”

  “Gwen…”

  “Okay, okay. No, I don’t think we should start sleeping together until we’re married. Grandmother would roll over in her grave if I shacked up with you under her roof.”

  “Then can we hurry up and get married?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can I take you to a hotel before then? Surely your grandmother’s ghost doesn’t hang out at hotels, waiting for you to show up with a man you’re not yet married to.” All this talk of sleeping together
and hotels and getting Gwen naked was getting Eli hot and bothered again, so he was relieved by what she said next.

  “We can go into Pine Run tomorrow and get the license and the blood test and…and we’ll just do it. Before that wretched Harvey Brinkman gets wind of it. I do not want to see my picture in the paper as ‘Pregnant Millionaire Bride.’”

  “Amen to that.”

  Eli walked Gwen back to the boardinghouse with mixed feelings. He knew marrying Gwen was the right thing to do. His sense of honor wouldn’t allow him to settle for any other solution, and he looked forward to having a permanent home. But certainly his proposal hadn’t been met with the enthusiasm he’d hoped for. With all the discussion about a prenup, it had sounded more like a corporate acquisition than a romantic exploration of the future.

  Of course, he was the one who didn’t believe in love. Or so he’d said. Maybe it wasn’t so much that he didn’t believe in the emotion, as that he wasn’t sure it could lead to a happy future. Love was too wispy, too unpredictable. He figured he and Gwen had a better chance than some starry-eyed young couple all consumed with love, their reasoning blotted out by passion.

  Not that he and Gwen didn’t have passion. But at least they were planning rationally for the future.

  GWEN WAS NERVOUS about her trip into Pine Run with Eli. She hadn’t told anyone of her impending marriage, not even Sylvia. She was determined to keep her wedding ceremony private. The last thing she needed was photographers showing up. She didn’t want any pictures to commemorate the event. Of course her daughters would know she’d been pregnant when she and Eli got married. That kind of gossip was hard to stifle. But she didn’t want them to endure the embarrassment of seeing images of their mother hugely pregnant at her wedding.

  Since she didn’t know who was leaking information to the press, she didn’t trust anyone with her secret. She would grab Sylvia at the last minute as her maid of honor, because Sylvia would never speak to her again if she didn’t, but that was all.

  Gwen dressed with care in her best maternity dress, a navy blue shirtwaist with tiny sprigs of ivy printed on the fabric. She pulled her long hair into a ponytail, rather than her customary bun, because she was tired of looking matronly and having people like Val Simms call her “Ms. Tanner.”

  Right after a breakfast of fruit and yogurt, Gwen met Eli in the small parking area beside her house. She’d intended to take her Mercedes to Pine Run, because she couldn’t face another spin in the car she’d privately dubbed the “Bucket-o’-Bolts.” But Eli was already there, warming up his classic Jaguar instead.

  She supposed that was all right. She remembered his car passing her on the highway the day he’d come to town. She’d had no idea it was him, but she’d coveted his car.

  “Ready?” Eli asked as he opened the passenger door for her.

  She sank into the luxurious leather seat. “Ready.” She clasped her hands in what was left of her lap to keep them from trembling.

  They went to her lawyer’s office first. He read Eli’s draft of the prenup, which was straightforward and reflected exactly the terms they’d talked about. Her lawyer could find nothing to object to and gave it his seal of approval, so they signed the darn thing. She was glad to put that behind her.

  The license came next, then the blood test. Gwen had insisted they not have blood drawn at the Jester Medical Center, or everybody would know what they were up to. Eli wasn’t quite sure why all the secrecy was necessary, but he went along with her wishes. They went to All Saints Hospital for the test.

  Finally, they sought out a justice of the peace to schedule the ceremony itself. They decided on the following Friday, less than a week away. Gwen figured the sooner the better, since Thing One and Thing Two, as Eli had christened them, had been kicking up a storm. She hoped she was wrong, but her newly discovered mother’s intuition told her she wasn’t going to make it to her due date in mid-October.

  It was almost noon by the time they were finished with the errands. Though Gwen was tired, she had to admit the morning hadn’t been the chore she’d anticipated. Eli had made each step of the process enjoyable. He’d even held her hand when the technician was drawing her blood, perhaps believing she might be squeamish. She didn’t bother telling him that since her pregnancy, she’d had so much blood drawn that needles didn’t bother her in the slightest.

  Instead of heading home right away, Eli insisted they visit a charming downtown café for lunch. Gwen longed for a couple of greasy pork chops, but she made herself order a chicken caesar salad. She’d discovered recently that greasy foods didn’t sit well with her. Besides, she didn’t want her daughters to be born with clogged arteries.

  Eli ordered a cheeseburger and fries, and made no apologies.

  She was about to reach for a french fry off his plate when one of the babies treated her to a particularly violent kick. Something must have shown on her face, because Eli stared at her, concern clouding his gorgeous blue eyes. “Gwen, what’s wrong?”

  She smiled. “Nothing. It’s just that one of your daughters is going to be the first female place kicker for the Seahawks.”

  “You mean the Broncos,” he corrected her. Then the true meaning of her words dawned on him. “They’re kicking?”

  “One of them is, anyway.”

  A look of delight descended over his face. “Can I feel?”

  “What? In here?”

  He scooted over to her side of the booth. “There’s nothing wrong with a man wanting to feel his babies kick. Anyway, the tablecloth hides you.” He placed his hand gingerly on her abdomen.

  Resigned to the fact he was going to do this, she slid his hand to the place where the tiny foot—or maybe it was an elbow—had been poking out moments before.

  “They’ve been kicking me since five months,” she said. “I used to think it was special, too.” Now, her usual reaction was to hope neither of them kicked her in the bladder.

  “It is special,” he said just as another kick came. He smiled like he’d found gold. “There it is. How often does it happen?”

  “Gosh, all the time, now.” But looking at the expression of awe on Eli’s face, she couldn’t help but reclaim some of the magic she’d discovered early in her pregnancy, before she’d gotten so tired and anxious. “Here, there’s another one on this side.” She moved his hand over. She’d be happy to let the babies kick all day if she could continue to watch Eli’s face. She was sure she’d never seen him so unguarded with such an uncomplicated emotion.

  A sense of rightness stole over her. Maybe she’d misjudged Eli. Maybe he was motivated by nothing more than a sincere desire to do the right thing, for her and the twins. And maybe, just maybe, they would fall in love. Sometimes she thought she might be halfway there, though she often reminded herself she didn’t know the man well enough to love him.

  They held hands as they walked down the sidewalk toward Eli’s car, which Gwen found sweetly endearing. But before they reached the car, Eli pulled her into a little shop. It took her a moment to realize they were in a jewelry shop.

  He grinned at her. “We have to have rings.”

  She hadn’t even thought of that. She wasn’t much of a jewelry person except for the gold locket that had belonged to her grandmother, which she wore on special occasions. “All right. We could buy some tasteful, matching gold bands.”

  “Not on your life. You’re going to get a boulder to wear on your hand.”

  “That’s not very practical,” she objected. “It’ll just get in the way.”

  “A wedding ring should not be practical,” he insisted as he inspected the contents of a glass case. Obviously seeing nothing he liked, he moved onto another case, then another.

  Finally, in a case of estate jewelry, something caught his eye. “May I see the one behind the pink tourmaline?” he asked the clerk. “Yes, that’s the one. And the canary diamond. And…the square-cut diamond with the baguettes.”

  It sounded to Gwen as if Eli knew his jewelry. Where had a m
echanic learned such things? It again occurred to her that she knew very little about her husband-to-be. Had he been married before and learned about rings when he was shopping for his first bride? His first three brides?

  Oh, stop it! She was becoming paranoid.

  “Gwen, come try these on,” Eli called to her.

  He didn’t have to ask twice. The rings he’d chosen were breathtaking. Of course, they looked even more sensational when showcased against her less-than-elegant hands, with their calluses and short, practical nails.

  She tried on all three, dutifully admiring each. She caught sight of the price tag on one ring. It was over four thousand dollars.

  “I’m not sure any of these suit me,” she said diplomatically. She couldn’t possibly condone spending that kind of money on a frivolous ring. Especially one she might not be able to wear in a few months, if they couldn’t get their marriage to work. She was just too practical, influenced by her Depression-raised grandmother.

  “Are there any in here you like?” he said.

  She looked around, finally spotting a thin gold band with a row of three diamond chips. It was on sale for seventy-nine dollars. “How about that one?”

  Eli frowned. “You’ll make me look like a piker.”

  “Oh, I see. We’re out to impress our friends.”

  “They’re your friends. And I need all the help I can get convincing them I’m doing right by you.”

  She sighed. Perhaps a compromise was in order. But she didn’t want to seem as if she were competing with Amanda’s ring. Dev Devlin had bought her a four-karat diamond. But then, Amanda could wear such a ring and pull it off. She had a style and flair Gwen felt she lacked.

  She hunted around in the cases some more. “That one?” She pointed to a half-karat solitaire.

  Eli shook his head.

  She found one a bit larger, with two small diamonds on either side. “That one?”

  “I’d like you to wear a ring people don’t need a magnifying glass to see. Something that will have a chance against your radiance.”

  “Oh, now you’re piling it on.” Radiance? Her?