A Bad Boy is Good to Find - By Jennifer Lewis Page 0,90
go through with the wedding?”
“It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that maybe…the timing isn’t right.”
“I can see your point.” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Your life is about to change very dramatically, so maybe now is not the time to make any permanent commitments.”
Maisie’s ill-concealed glee at his request deepened the unease in his gut.
“I’ll have to have another chat with Don. We did line up a lot of donations for the wedding, people who are expecting sponsor credit and that kind of thing, but he loves this new long-lost heir/missing brother story. Perhaps we can use the wedding stuff for a follow-up series? A takeoff of The Bachelor, where beautiful young women compete for your—”
“Oh no, no that’s not…Um, no. I was just hoping that Lizzie could still get her money if we didn’t do the wedding.”
“I’ll talk to Don. Obviously, the series will need a climax, but since we’ve got two options—you inheriting this place and you finding your brother, I don’t think it’ll be too much of a problem.” She leaned into him, conspiratorial. “Thanks for coming to me, Conroy. I appreciate your trust. I won’t breathe a word to Lizzie.” With a look of compassion, she capped her pen and walked off to talk to one of the news crews.
Con sagged with relief. He hated himself for letting it all come this far. Lizzie didn’t deserve to have her wedding—a once-in-a-lifetime event that should be a person’s most cherished memory—be a cheap fraud for cold cash. He cared for her far too much to marry her under false pretenses. He’d brought her to this low point, and he’d get her out of it without her throwing away her dignity and integrity. If he was going to marry her it would be the real deal, from the heart, and for ever.
“Did Michiko manage to alter the dress yet?” Lizzie couldn’t understand why everyone seemed to have forgotten the reason they were all here.
“Um, I’m not sure.” Maisie seemed preoccupied, scratching something off her clipboard.
“What?” Yes, the power was still off, but surely even if the wedding didn’t take place tomorrow as planned, it would be the following day or the day after that.
“This story about Con’s family is taking up everyone’s time for now. I just got the go-ahead to visit the storage facility where part of Con’s inheritance is being held. We’re heading out there right now.”
“Oh, I guess I’ll get changed.” Lizzie smoothed the front of her wrinkled shirt. She’d spent most of the morning lying on the bed reading a paperback.
“There’s no need. You can stay right here if you want. I’m sure it won’t be all that interesting. Probably just a dusty box of stock certificates or something.” Maisie scratched away at her clipboard.
“I’ll get dressed.” Alarm sizzled along her nerves as Maisie scurried off outside. Suddenly, she’d become totally irrelevant. No one had mentioned a single word about the ceremony. The arbor hadn’t been decorated as planned; there had been no discussion of the intimate wedding banquet happening after the ceremony. It was all Con this, Con that, Con’s brother, Con’s legacy. What about her? She was going to be Con’s wife for crying out loud!
Well, not really. Her breathing quickened. As far as Con knew, they were still getting a divorce right after the wedding as she’d decreed when she came up with this crazy idea.
She hadn’t breathed a word about her fresh hopes that maybe they could forget about the divorce and…
Live happily ever after?
The house phone rang.
Where the heck was everyone? Probably outside doing more interviews. It certainly was peaceful inside with no power until the phone started ringing. The polished black antique had a painfully loud bell-driven ring. Was no one going to answer it? Her nerves were fraying.