The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,122

this dress means to you. If you decide to go through with the wedding, you should feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, although it doesn’t matter to me what you wear—you are already the most beautiful woman in the world.

Josh

Libby picked up the small veil on top. “That is the most romantic thing ever.”

Megan grabbed the corners of the dress and lifted it out of the box. “I can’t believe he bought my dress.”

Blair grunted. “This still doesn’t mean he’s innocent.”

“Yeah,” Libby mumbled. “Because a guy who’s trying to scam her would obviously buy her a three-thousand-dollar wedding dress.”

Megan held it in front of her, studying her reflection. “I can’t believe he did this.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Libby asked, putting the veil back in the box. “Let’s get you dressed. There’s less than an hour until the wedding.”

Twenty minutes later, Libby and Blair were dressed in their pink puffed monstrosities, arranging Megan’s veil in her hair. They stepped back and studied her.

Tears filled Libby’s eyes. “I can’t believe you’re getting married.”

“I’m not really getting married,” Megan gushed out.

“It looks like you are from where I’m standing,” Blair said.

“It’s not real. It’s all for Knickers, and she’s not even here to enjoy it.”

Libby squeezed her arm. “She’ll be here, Megs. Wild horses couldn’t keep her away.”

There was a knock at the door, and Blair went to answer it, poking her head through the opening. She turned around with a scowl. “He wants to talk to you.” A tiny grin broke through her tough exterior. “And I suppose the fact you’re wearing the wedding dress means you want to talk to him, too.” Blair tugged on Libby’s pink organza. “By the way, it’s not fair that you got to dump the fairy princess dress and we’re still stuck with ours.” Her eyes lit up with a devilish gleam. “But I’m getting married soon, too, and paybacks are a bitch.”

They filed out of the room, leaving the door open to reveal Josh. He was gorgeous. He wore the black tux he’d tried on the day before, but today he looked different. Nervous, but there was something else she couldn’t put her finger on. He stood at the threshold, hesitating.

“Can I come in?” he asked in a hoarse rasp.

She nodded, not trusting her voice.

He entered the room and shut the door behind him. He openly stared at her, his eyes wide in awe. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered.

She smiled softly, feeling shy in the spotlight of his unabashed wonderment. “You saw me wearing this yesterday.”

He shook his head. “Not like this.” He moved closer, stopping several feet in front of her. “You didn’t tell me to go to hell. I’m going to take that as a good sign.”

“I have some questions.”

He pressed his lips together. “Okay. Anything. Total honesty.”

She took a deep breath. “Did you know I’d be on that plane?”

He shook his head, his eyes pleading. “No. I had no idea . . . I didn’t have much of a plan either; I just knew Bart Vandemeer’s daughter was getting married. But I freely admit that I boarded the plane with the intention of finding evidence that your father’s firm stole my design.”

“Your design?”

His gaze held hers. “I came up with it, and Noah and I were working on funding and paperwork for the patent. Noah had a spare set of plans with him at a convention, and he . . . lost them.”

“Lost them?”

He grimaced. “He slept with some woman, and when he woke up the next morning, the bag and the plans were gone.”

She couldn’t believe her father would involve himself in such a thing, but two hours ago, she would have sworn an oath that her father wasn’t capable of cheating on her mother. “How do you know this isn’t some big coincidence?”

“Because when Noah was at your father’s firm yesterday, he saw a photo of the woman.” He paused. “She’s Drew Peterman’s fiancé.”

“Miriam?” Megan gasped. “I knew Drew was underhanded, but to have his girlfriend sleep with your brother . . .”

“So you believe me?”

“Of course I believe you, but I still don’t understand how you ended up as my substitute fiancé.”

“Everything I told you is true. I carried you out of the plane, and your mother heard me telling people you were my fiancée. I did try to correct her, but then your father introduced himself, and . . . I figured I was being given the chance to help us both out. I