face.
He motioned down the hall with his chin. “Mark was watching us.”
“I see.” She glanced behind her, to the empty hall.
“He’s gone now.”
“Yeah. I got that.”
Jared realized he was still holding her close. Then he realized he didn’t mind it so much. “About the plan…”
She smirked. “I thought you didn’t like me.”
“That came out wrong.”
“How can, ‘I don’t even like you,’ come out wrong?” She wriggled free from his grasp, which left his arms feeling empty. Weird. Being this close to her was playing with his mind.
He sighed. “Just tell me.”
She brushed a strand of silky blonde hair from her face. “Okay. I know this guy who’s always looking for acting gigs. Why don’t we hire him to play our minister? He can ‘marry’ us,” she used air quotes. “Then we can tell your family later it didn’t work out.” She grinned, like she’d invented Jell-o.
Jared thought about it. It actually wasn’t a bad plan. “That might work.”
She crossed her arms in triumph. “Thought so.”
“Patricia will wonder why I’m not using Pastor Ryan.”
She tapped her chin in thought. “Tell her you have your own church in Crimson Ridge. Do you go to church?”
Church. That was a subject for another day. “Not really.”
“Then say I have a good friend who is a minister. I have my heart set on using him.”
“Using who?” Patricia’s voice cut in.
They both jumped and turned. Jared scowled to cover up any hint of guilt.
“Oh. My friend who is a minister.” Madison fiddled with her clutch purse. “I was hoping we could use him to marry us.”
“Sure.” Patricia smiled. “Zachary and I would be fine with using your friend.”
“Um…I…uh…” His tongue felt like sandpaper. “I thought you’d like to use Pastor Ryan.”
She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “Well, he has been a close family friend.”
Jared clasped his hands. “It’s settled then. We’ll have two ministers there. Pastor Ryan, and Madison’s good friend…”
“Jimmy. I mean, Pastor James.” Madison put on a watery smile.
“Two ministers will be great.” Patricia beamed and pulled Madison close. “This will be such a special occasion.”
“That’s one word for it,” Jared muttered, relieved they’d gotten themselves out of that mess.
Madison pulled back from Patricia’s embrace, guilt tugging at her. She shoved the feeling away. This was no time for that. Guilt wouldn’t help her now. She had to muster through this.
Two nurses in blue scrubs rushed past them. A man with an IV drip shuffled his way down the hallway. Irene turned the corner and spotted them. She rushed over. “Here you are. I’ve been looking for you. We have so much shopping and planning to do. Can you stay in town for a few days?” She glanced between Madison and Jared.
“I don’t have to get back. No job.” Madison tossed a pointed look at Jared.
The scowl on his face deepened. “I have to get back to the company.”
Oh, no. He wasn’t going to ditch her and leave her to deal with this by herself. She put her arms around him and snuggled close. Man, he had nice abs. Rock hard. Like his chest. And he smelled good. A light musky cologne, mixed with his laundry detergent. She peered up at him with her best puppy dog face. “Awe, sweetie, can’t you take some time off? You work so hard. And it’s Saturday.”
He put his arms around her, but shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t. I usually work weekends.”
That didn’t work. Jared probably wanted to help plan this wedding about as much as he wanted to shop for tampons. This would take a little more persuasion. She blinked fake tears from her eyes. “But, it’s the only wedding we’ll ever have.”
Patricia joined in. “This is the most important day of your life, Jared.” She stood with her hands on her hips.
“We have no clothes here.”
Irene put her hand on his arm. “There’s a box of your old clothes in the attic.
He motioned down the hall with his chin. “Mark was watching us.”
“I see.” She glanced behind her, to the empty hall.
“He’s gone now.”
“Yeah. I got that.”
Jared realized he was still holding her close. Then he realized he didn’t mind it so much. “About the plan…”
She smirked. “I thought you didn’t like me.”
“That came out wrong.”
“How can, ‘I don’t even like you,’ come out wrong?” She wriggled free from his grasp, which left his arms feeling empty. Weird. Being this close to her was playing with his mind.
He sighed. “Just tell me.”
She brushed a strand of silky blonde hair from her face. “Okay. I know this guy who’s always looking for acting gigs. Why don’t we hire him to play our minister? He can ‘marry’ us,” she used air quotes. “Then we can tell your family later it didn’t work out.” She grinned, like she’d invented Jell-o.
Jared thought about it. It actually wasn’t a bad plan. “That might work.”
She crossed her arms in triumph. “Thought so.”
“Patricia will wonder why I’m not using Pastor Ryan.”
She tapped her chin in thought. “Tell her you have your own church in Crimson Ridge. Do you go to church?”
Church. That was a subject for another day. “Not really.”
“Then say I have a good friend who is a minister. I have my heart set on using him.”
“Using who?” Patricia’s voice cut in.
They both jumped and turned. Jared scowled to cover up any hint of guilt.
“Oh. My friend who is a minister.” Madison fiddled with her clutch purse. “I was hoping we could use him to marry us.”
“Sure.” Patricia smiled. “Zachary and I would be fine with using your friend.”
“Um…I…uh…” His tongue felt like sandpaper. “I thought you’d like to use Pastor Ryan.”
She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “Well, he has been a close family friend.”
Jared clasped his hands. “It’s settled then. We’ll have two ministers there. Pastor Ryan, and Madison’s good friend…”
“Jimmy. I mean, Pastor James.” Madison put on a watery smile.
“Two ministers will be great.” Patricia beamed and pulled Madison close. “This will be such a special occasion.”
“That’s one word for it,” Jared muttered, relieved they’d gotten themselves out of that mess.
Madison pulled back from Patricia’s embrace, guilt tugging at her. She shoved the feeling away. This was no time for that. Guilt wouldn’t help her now. She had to muster through this.
Two nurses in blue scrubs rushed past them. A man with an IV drip shuffled his way down the hallway. Irene turned the corner and spotted them. She rushed over. “Here you are. I’ve been looking for you. We have so much shopping and planning to do. Can you stay in town for a few days?” She glanced between Madison and Jared.
“I don’t have to get back. No job.” Madison tossed a pointed look at Jared.
The scowl on his face deepened. “I have to get back to the company.”
Oh, no. He wasn’t going to ditch her and leave her to deal with this by herself. She put her arms around him and snuggled close. Man, he had nice abs. Rock hard. Like his chest. And he smelled good. A light musky cologne, mixed with his laundry detergent. She peered up at him with her best puppy dog face. “Awe, sweetie, can’t you take some time off? You work so hard. And it’s Saturday.”
He put his arms around her, but shook his head. “Sorry, I can’t. I usually work weekends.”
That didn’t work. Jared probably wanted to help plan this wedding about as much as he wanted to shop for tampons. This would take a little more persuasion. She blinked fake tears from her eyes. “But, it’s the only wedding we’ll ever have.”
Patricia joined in. “This is the most important day of your life, Jared.” She stood with her hands on her hips.
“We have no clothes here.”
Irene put her hand on his arm. “There’s a box of your old clothes in the attic.
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