You're Marrying Her?

Sam clenched her teeth until they ached. She couldn’t let Brad ruin his life. He was her friend. She had to do something to save him. He needed her.

She wasn’t going to let him down.

Chapter Four

The easiest course of action would be to have a talk with Brad and tell him what Heather had said to her, Sam decided. The blonde was unbelievably arrogant—did she really think that Brad would believe her over his old friend, Sam?

Therefore, when the meal was finished and Brad suggested dropping Heather off at her hotel before driving Sam home, she was delighted.

Heather’s eyes narrowed, but all she said was “Hurry back, Brad. I have a present for you—a surprise.”

The way the woman was licking her lips made Sam think that the “surprise” wouldn’t be a new one. Brad probably wouldn’t care about anything once the blonde got her hands on him.

The thought was an unpleasant one. Extremely unpleasant. It was still gnawing at Sam a few minutes later when she was in the car with Brad speeding down the freeway. She supposed it was foolish to be bothered by the thought of Brad and Heather having sex. They were two normal, healthy adults who planned to get married. Heather didn’t exactly look like Little Bo Peep, and she’d made it clear that she found Brad attractive. Incredibly attractive, she’d called him. How strange. Sam never thought of him that way.

“Isn’t Heather fantastic?” Brad’s voice broke the silence. “I still can’t believe she agreed to marry me.”

“I can.” Sam couldn’t prevent the slightly sarcastic note from creeping into her voice.

Brad gave her a quick sideways glance before returning his gaze to the lane of traffic before him. “What do you mean, Sammy? You said yourself she’s perfect.”

“No one is perfect. I think interesting might be a better word for Heather.”

“Interesting?” Brad’s eyebrows rose. “That sounds like someone describing a blind date. Come on, tell me what you really think.”

Watching his expression in the dim glare from the passing streetlights, Sam said carefully, “She seemed a little different when we were in the bathroom.”

“Different in what way?”

“Not quite as friendly.”

Brad exited the freeway and braked at a stoplight. He turned to face Sam. “There’s something you have to understand about Heather. She’s really gotten a raw deal from other women. Most of them dislike her because of her looks and try to undermine her. You wouldn’t believe some of the stories they’ve made up about her. One woman actually tried to make me believe that Heather was only interested in my money! I had considered the woman a friend, but after that, I broke off contact with her.”

Sam gaped at him.

“I can see you’re as shocked as I was,” Brad said. “And I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s no wonder Heather sometimes seems a little wary. I told her you weren’t like that, though. I told her you would never say bitchy, malicious things about her behind her back.”

“No. No, of course I wouldn’t,” Sam managed to say. She couldn’t believe it—Heather had made it virtually impossible for Sam to say anything bad about her! The blonde was extraordinarily devious.

The light changed and the car moved forward again. Sam gazed out the window at the passing cars, silently cursing Heather’s cleverness. She would have to proceed cautiously. “But have you ever wondered if some of the things those women said might be true?”

“Absolutely not. Oh, I realize she might seem a bit standoffish when you first meet her, but that’s because she’s actually very shy.”

Shy? Oh, please. Why were men such fools over a pretty face and a gorgeous body? “You’ve known her how long—four months?” In spite of her inner thoughts, Sam managed to keep her voice neutral.

“We’ve been dating almost two months.”

“Two months! That’s not very long at all!”

“It may not seem long, but I feel as though I’ve known her all my life.”

Sam stared at him. Lights speeding past the car backlit his strong profile, but she could not make out his expression. Could he really believe such baloney?

Heather really had her claws into him. Exactly how deeply was beginning to worry Sam more and more.

“I saw an article about you in the paper,” she said, deciding to try a more subtle approach.

He grimaced. “The one that made me sound like a cross between a lunatic and a saint? I simply decided sharing the profits was the right thing to do. Everyone has worked hard—they deserve part of the rewards.” He glanced at her sideways. “Do you think I’m a fool?”

“Not at all. I think it’s extremely generous of you.” She fiddled with her seat belt. “What does Heather think?”

“Heather is happy whatever I do. She only asked that I wait to give the money away until after we’re married so she can be part of it.”