Nine Months Part 2

He had screwed up his precisely made plans for the future, but he was adapting quickly, altering his plans to include a wife and child, neither of whom he loved or wanted. He was so determined to have his own way that he didn’t care what she wanted. And he was in the den with her father and brother right now, cleaning up the mess he’d created four months ago.

Paige hung her bag on the pine coat tree, then removed her jacket and hung it over her purse. “He’s not going to get away with this,” she murmured.

“What did you say?” her mother asked.

“Nothing, Mama. Just muttering to myself.” Paige wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulders. “How long has Jared been here?”

“About an hour, dear. A taxi brought him. And Mr. Montgomery…I mean Jared…he told us to call him Jared. Well, anyway, he brought flowers and wine and told us who he was and that you had invited him to join us for dinner.” Dora slipped her arm around Paige’s waist. “Why on earth didn’t you tell us about Jared, that the two of you were planning to get married?”

“Because I haven’t agreed to marry him.”

“Why on earth not?”

“Because he doesn’t love me, Mama. He just wants to marry me because of the baby.”

“Well, in my day, that was a darn good reason.”

Paige had never heard her sweet, gentle mother say a curse word, no matter how angry or upset she became. Dora Elkins Summers was a sparkling ember from the dying fire of Southern gentility.

“Mama, please. I’m going to need you to be on my side.” Paige grasped her mother’s hands. “I know Daddy will want me to marry Jared, no matter what. But I can’t.”

“Don’t you love him, Paige?”

She looked into her mother’s dear, worried face and accepted defeat. Temporary defeat. After this little family dinner party ended, she was going to get Mr. Wonderful Future Son-in-law alone and give him a piece of her mind. When she got through with him, he would be sorry he’d ever tried to get the best of her.

“Jared Montgomery wouldn’t be an easy man to love. You can’t imagine how infuriating he can be. Half the time he acts like an infuriating jerk.”

“Oh, sweetie, he’s a man. Most of them are like that. Being infuriating is a male trait.” Clasping Paige’s hand, Dora tugged gently, urging her daughter to follow her. “Let’s go on in. We all heard your car drive up, but I told them I needed a few minutes alone with you for mother-daughter time.”

“Thanks, Mama.” Paige plastered a phony smile on her face, tilted her chin high, squeezed her mother’s hand, and together they paraded into the den.

“There you are, sweetheart.” Walt Summers held his arms open.

Paige caught a glimpse of Jared standing near the rock fireplace beside Austen, but she didn’t glance his way. Instead she rushed into her father’s arms.

“We’ve been getting to know your Jared.” Walt gave Paige a bear hug, then released her.

“So Mama told me,” she said.

Paige’s heart sank when she saw her father’s broad smile. Dammit! He liked Jared. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Jared wasn’t supposed to be here.

Without any warning, Jared slid his arm around Paige’s waist and drew her to his side. He nuzzled her ear. She shivered. “Honey, I hope you aren’t upset with me for showing your folks your engagement ring and springing our good news on them before you got home.”

Smiling politely, her jaws aching from the effort, she patted Jared’s cheek, barely refraining herself from slapping him. “Why, no, darling, how could I ever be upset with you when your every thought is of what’s best for me.”

“I knew you’d understand why I decided that I should be the one to introduce myself and assure your parents that I’m going to take very good care of their little girl.”

“Isn’t this just too wonderful for words?” Dora wiped the tears from her eyes with the edge of her gingham apron. “And to think how worried we’ve all been.”

“Now, now, all’s well that ends well.” Walt cleared his throat. “Mama, why don’t you and Austen and I go on out in the kitchen and leave these two lovebirds alone? I’m sure Paige is dying to get a look at that ring.”

“No!” Paige cried out. “Don’t go.” When everyone stared at her, their eyes questioning her plea, she took a deep breath. “I mean, why don’t we go ahead and have dinner. Jared and I plan to go back to my apartment later and discuss our future.”

Short, stocky, seventeen-year-old Austen slapped Jared on the back. “Hey, man, if she had any idea of the size of that rock, she’d want it on her finger right this minute. Why don’t you show it to her?”

“Good idea.” Jared pulled a velvet box out of his coat pocket, flipped open the lid and held it up in front of Paige. “The moment I saw it, I knew it was meant for my future wife.”

Paige gasped. Oh, my God! He had to be kidding? The emerald-cut diamond sparkled like a star. A large star. Maybe this ring was meant for his future wife, but not for her. He hadn’t been thinking of her when he’d chosen the diamond; he’d been thinking of what was suitable for L. J. Montgomery’s fiancée.

“She’s speechless,” Austen said. “See, what’d I tell you? Hey, sis, I bet you never thought you’d ever be wearing a perfect six-carat diamond, did you?”

Paige swallowed. “No. Not ever.” If Jared’s intention had been to dazzle her, he had succeeded. Indeed, he seemed to have dazzled her whole family. But if his intention had been to please her, he had failed miserably.

While she stared at the diamond, totally mesmerized, Jared removed it from its velvet bed. “Let’s make it official, honey.” He lifted her hand, slipped the ring on the third finger of her left hand and brought her hand to his lips.

Paige tugged on her hand, trying to remove it from his grasp. He tightened his hold, then kissed the knuckle on her ring finger. She bit down on her bottom lip, whether in an effort not to cry or not to spit in his eye, she wasn’t sure.

“Let’s open that bottle of wine Jared brought and make a toast to the happy couple,” Walt said.

* * *

Three-and-a-half hours later, Paige unlocked her apartment, opened the door and flipped on the light switch. She wasn’t sure how she had managed to spend the entire evening at her parents’ home and endure the drive back into town alone with Jared, without strangling the man. She had counted to ten a least a dozen times.

God, he was such a manipulator. She could hear him now.

“Austen, whenever you or Bryant want to take a few friends to Aspen, you’re welcome to use my condo.”

“Wow, man, thanks!” Austen had been duly impressed.

“And, Walt, I’d really appreciate your including me in your plans the next time you and your boys go hunting,” Jared had said.

After dinner he’d raved to her mother. “Mrs. Summers, that was the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. And the peach cobbler was delicious.”

The minute they’d gotten into her car, she’d warned him not to say one word to her. “I can’t drive and chew your ass out at the same time.”

“Tsk-tsk, honey,” he’d said. “Your mother wouldn’t approve of your being mean to me, would she?”

Paige had given him an evil glare. He’d grinned, but he had shut up and remained silent all the way into Grand Springs.

Jared walked into Paige’s apartment behind her, closed the door and casually crossed his arms over his chest. “I like your family,” he said. “They’re good people.”

“Yes, you’re right, they are good people. And I don’t appreciate the way you manipulated them tonight.”

“And just exactly how did I manipulate them?”

“You know damn well how.” Paige laid her shoulder bag on the coffee table. “You invited yourself to dinner when you knew I didn’t want you there. You told my parents that you’re the father of my child and that we’re going to get married.”

“I am the father of your child. And sooner or later, you are going to marry me.”