Page 33 of Craig

"And you might be right. It has to look real."

"Of course I'm right," Kelly retorted, waving a dismissive hand.

"And I'm buying the dress. My treat."

"Kelly-"

"I won't hear another word of objection. I will act as your attendant. With me there in that role, the grandfather will not suspect anything amiss."

She smiled widely. "I'm looking forward to it."

*****

The longer the idea marinated, the more it took hold, until he could think of nothing else. That's why he was here every day for the past week, working.

The plans were underway, and things were moving along nicely. He had given her a ring, an exquisite square-cut diamond.

If it had been the real deal, if they had been getting married for real, he would have given her his mother's engagement ring. The exquisite sapphire-and-pearl set was in a vault along with other things set aside for the next Muldoon bride.

Regina had told him about Kelly's involvement, and he had been annoyed at first. But Regina had made a valid point.

With Kelly there and possibly Kane, it would all look real. And he wanted that much because the old man was asking questions.

And so was the lawyer. He didn't want to leave anything to chance.

This was much too important. They had to pull it off.

It was that, among other things, that had made up his mind for him, and why he was here every day, working tirelessly to set the cabin to rights. It didn't need much work, and he loved working with his hands.

The sagging porch had been replaced, the fireplace cleaned out (Christ, that had taken a lot out of him). He had replaced the old-fashioned range that had been there forever, and he made sure the refrigerator was in good working order.

He had hired a cleaning crew to do the heavy dusting and scrubbing, and they would be arriving in a day or two. The old man had brought up the subject of their honeymoon, and that had given him the idea.

He could suggest Europe or even somewhere in the Caribbean, but both he and Regina had done their fair share of traveling. And he wanted to be alone with her.

He knew she was going to balk at the idea of going to the country, but he was pretty sure he could convince her that it was a clever idea. He would spring for two weeks, but if she protested, he would cut it down to one, hoping that seven days would be enough.

Sitting back on his haunches, he tugged the bandana out of the pocket of his worn jeans and wiped the sweat running down his face. The sun was still high in the sky, a golden orb in the pale blue.

The scent of honeysuckle and peonies lent a kind of magic to the air. He wanted her to experience the beauty with him and was praying that it would reach somewhere deep inside her.

Picking up the bottle of water, he glugged it down and went back to work.

Chapter 6

It would have been perfect if it had been a real wedding. The idea filtered into her mind as soon as she rose from bed and wandered to the window.

It was her last few hours at the apartment. She had said her goodbyes and gifted a few of her neighbors with items she would not be taking with her.

Several personal possessions had been moved to the manor when Craig sent a moving truck. The rest would go into storage.

Wrapping the silk robe around her, she gazed at the yellow and black butterfly flitting from petal to petal and just hovering, wings flapping wildly. Opening her window, she leaned out to embrace the clean air.

Last night her brother had dropped by to give her moral support. Not that she needed it.

She and Craig had come to a mutual understanding. They had gone out a couple of times to give the impression of two engaged couples going out on dates, but he had not touched her like that anymore, other than a casual hand wrapped around her elbow as he escorted her inside the restaurant.

She told herself very firmly that it was not regret she was feeling, but relief. She did not need the complication.