Million Dollar Christmas Bride - Holly Rayner Page 0,28
little, at the beginning.” She thought of the energy she’d felt buzzing between her and Jackson during the dinner cruise. “But then things got off track. He asked me to pretend to be his fiancée. He’s got this idea in his head that his mother will only approve of him if he’s married. He wants me to help him with that.”
“I don’t like the sound of this,” Helen said warily.
“Neither did I, at first,” Bianca admitted. “But he says that if I continue to play the part, he’ll give me a million dollars.” She sighed and watched her mom’s expression for a reaction as she repeated the amount. “A million, Mom. That could change everything for us.”
Helen’s face gave barely a clue to her inner response. She reached for her cup and brought the straw to her lips. Before sipping, she murmured, “I don’t know.” Then she took in a long pull of ice water.
Bianca could tell how much the dollar amount had affected her mother by the way Helen’s chest rose and fell rapidly. “That is quite a lot,” she said, once she’d set the cup down.
Bianca leaned forward slightly, “I know,” she said. “Think about it… We could get a little place for you to live, so that you wouldn’t be stuck in here all the time. We could hire great help for you around the clock, but you’d still be in a house, with your own bedroom, living room, kitchen. Maybe even a garden… You could get some of your independence back.”
“A garden…” Helen repeated dreamily. One of the biggest heartbreaks she’d suffered when giving up her home had been the loss of her treasured rose bushes. “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
Bianca nodded. “And I could pay off what I owe on my house. My mortgage wouldn’t hang like a noose around my neck anymore. I could finally breathe easier… you know, take a vacation for once.”
“Oh, honey. You do deserve that,” Helen said. She frowned. “But what does the arrangement entail?”
“I’d have to pretend to be his wife for a while, and we’d put on a fake wedding ceremony at the end of December. Christmas Day.” Bianca felt sick to her stomach at the thought of using such a special holiday for Jackson’s scheme. She looked down at her hands as she waited for her mom to respond.
“Bianca, honey,” Helen said gently. “This isn’t you. You’ve always been so honest.”
“I know, Mom. But I’m between a rock and a hard place right now, and the cash would make all the difference.”
“I know that feeling,” Helen admitted. She was silent for a moment, and then she said, “I’ve always dreamed of your wedding day, you know. I wanted it to be such a special occasion—one filled with love and hope for your future. Not a sham with some stranger. The ceremony you’re talking about will feel so empty. So devoid of love.”
“It will only be one day,” Bianca countered. “Once his mother is satisfied, we’ll probably keep up the charade with some sort of schedule—you know, meet with his mother now and then. But besides that, I’ll be free to do what I want.”
“But I don’t want to see you get married like this,” Helen insisted. “Marriage is about true, lasting love between two people, Bianca.”
“I know that,” Bianca said. She emitted a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through her hair. As she knew would be the case, her mom was making valid points.
“Mom, I do want to marry for love one day. It will happen… down the road. It’s not like this thing with Jackson will go on forever. He said that once his mother…” She lowered her tone to a whisper, “passes on… then we’ll file for divorce.” It always felt wrong to discuss death in a nursing home. She hoped that the topic didn’t offend her mother.
Helen didn’t flinch. “That sounds like a very uncertain timeline to me,” she said. “What if that takes years? It may be that you’re not free from this manipulative man’s grasp until you’re nearing forty. Then what? It might be too late to have children.”
“He’s not manipulative,” Bianca said. She found that she felt defensive of Jackson, though she barely knew him. “He’s actually really sweet. He hasn’t pressured me into any of this. I’ve said yes of my own volition.”
“Then you could say no at any time, too,” Helen said. “Is that right? He hasn’t paid you yet, has he?”
“No, not yet,” Bianca admitted. “I’m