Some Like It Charming - By Megan Bryce Page 0,14
chosen.
Mackenzie said, “Can’t anybody keep a leash on Ethan? He’s a menace.”
“He needs a wife to do that.” Ellen grinned at her.
Christine cleared her throat. “What were you saying about this being a pretend engagement?”
Mackenzie stalked to the window, staring out at the hazy yellow air.
She said, “Ethan has decided that the best way out of this tabloid hell he’s found himself in is to become engaged to the woman of his dreams. Unfortunately, he’s picked me to be that woman.”
His gentle mother said, “That does seem to be a stretch.”
Ellen came to stand next to her. “I think you’re perfect for him.”
Mackenzie and Christine both glared at her.
Mackenzie said, “He announced it at that stupid press conference before he even told me what he was going to do. Let me tell you, that’s not the way you want to find out you’re engaged to Mr. Charming.”
Ellen said, “He’s not nearly as smooth with you as he is with all those other bimbos he brings home. It’s good for him. And stop frowning, Christine. The wrinkle between your forehead hasn’t gone away since you met Mackenzie.”
Mackenzie nearly laughed at the speed his mother stopped frowning.
Mackenzie ran her hands through her hair, pulling at the roots. “I would have told you at the picnic that I wouldn’t really hurt your son, but he’s changed my mind since then.”
Christine’s frown came back.
Mackenzie said, “He won’t listen to a thing I say. Maybe you can talk some sense into him.”
Ellen shook her head. “That boy is notoriously hard-headed. I think you’re stuck with him.”
“Maybe you could have him committed. Just tell the press that he has obviously lost his mind.”
“I think he’s finally found it.”
Christine sighed. “You’re not helping, Ellen.”
“Someone’s got to be on his side. You two are going to be hatching all these plans against him. As his grandmother, I have a duty to protect his future and the future of the O’Connor name. This girl’s exactly right for him. We need new blood. And he needs someone he can’t schmooze all over.”
Mackenzie felt a little queasy thinking about future O’Connors. His mother didn’t look all that well herself.
Mackenzie sat down slowly on the couch, staring at Christine hopefully. “Maybe you could have both of them committed?”
Ellen sat next to her. “There are a lot of perks to being an O’Connor. I’m sure we could come to a mutually beneficial agreement in regards to grandbabies.”
Right about there, Mackenzie realized she wasn’t going to get anywhere with his mother. Maybe if Ellen had been against it, but between Ethan and his grandmother, her cause was lost. His grandmother had already told her she would bet for whatever she thought was best for Team O’Connor. Apparently she’d decided Mackenzie would make a great addition.
Mackenzie left as fast as she could and found herself at the batting cages. She changed into the sweats she kept in her car for just such emergencies and proceeded to knock the hell out of a ball that looked unsurprisingly like Ethan Howell O’Connor.
Ethan gave Mackenzie nearly an hour to calm down before he returned to try and sweet talk her again. He grinned to himself, thoroughly enjoying having to beg to get her to even pretend to marry him. After years of fending off women, he was enjoying the challenge. Although when he found her office empty, he started to enjoy it a little less. No one knew where she had gone, no one had her cell number, and she didn’t answer her home phone.
He frowned. He hadn’t expected her to run.
He ran through his voice messages, hoping she’d called, but even he realized how slim that chance was. His grandmother, though, had called to tell him that Mackenzie had arrived there very upset with him. His grandmother sounded pretty amused about it.
He called her back real quick.
“Is Mackenzie still there?”
“Nope. Came to see if we could get you to stop with this pretend engagement, then ran off in a huff after I started talking about babies and ways to keep the O’Connor men in line. She wants to have you and me committed.”
Ethan rubbed his forehead. “I should have told you it wasn’t real, but I wanted to talk Mother into it in person. Mackenzie is just doing me a favor.”
Ellen laughed outright at that. “She’s not doing you any favor if she can help it. But I’m hoping the engagement will stick. She’s the best one you’ve dated in years and I hope that brain of