Simply Irresistible (Crescent Cove Book 2) Page 14

  I parked and rushed into her office, where Larson directed me to her door. A sharp knock, before I stepped inside, where she waved for me to take the seat across from her.

  As I perched on the hardwood chair, her solemn face sent fear lashing through me. Unwilling tears sprung up in my eyes. Please, let this be something simple, not bad news about the case.

  “Thank you for coming so quickly,” she said, staring down at the papers strewn across her blotter.

  Tension made my fingers spasm on the chair’s armrests. “Is there a problem?” Had my in-laws found a way to take Arie from me? Camila had said my case was good, but maybe she’d just been trying to reassure me. I’d been a wreck that day, and I might’ve misheard her.

  Face neutral, she opened a manila envelope and handed me the contents. “These were delivered this morning, from your in-laws’ lawyers. They had you followed.”

  “What?” My breath caught in my chest as I sorted through the grainy pictures. “These look like they were taken through a window.” I glanced up at Camila, who studied my face with her lips in a tight, flat line.

  Sweat broke out of my forehead, and I looked back down at the pictures. While they weren’t the quality you’d post on Facebook or share on Instagram, it was easy enough to make out the important details. Me and Roan. Lying together in a heart-shaped bed. Kissing. Or, me kissing someone. It was clear this was a man, and the situation looked highly intimate. Even when I squinted, I could only make out the side of Roan’s head, because mine mostly obscured his. Crappy pictures, but decent enough if you were looking for evidence of someone doing something wrong. Evidence like this could make the difference in a tight court case.

  My belly spasmed, and for a moment, I thought I’d throw up.

  “They hired a private investigator to follow me?” I gulped, horror deadening my limbs. I wanted to shred the pictures. No, burn them. Make this nightmare go away.

  “It’s a complete violation of your privacy, of course, and I’ll be lodging a complaint right away.”

  Like a complaint would do any good, now?

  “Privacy never meant a thing to Bethany.” Sadly enough. Her own interests always came first. Mine came second. Or third. Or a number even lower than that. Had she ever cared for me or only extended limited affection my way, because I was married to her precious son?

  “This is the move of a desperate woman,” Camila said. She huffed out her disgust. “Frankly, it’s like something from a slimy TV reality show.” Her dark brown eyes met mine. “But, as a counter-move, it’s highly effective.”

  Had someone been standing outside our cabin, peering at us through the window? I’d heard noises outside that morning, but assumed they were the pig when Dorothy yelled for Sweetpea to return to the house. Maybe Sweetpea had seen someone near our cabin and, curious, investigated.

  Though I was overheated with rage and despair, goosebumps rose on my skin.

  How could Bethany and John do something like this?

  Bethany. That witch. If she stood in front of me this moment, I’d throttle her. Scream at her, letting loose the fury I’d kept trapped inside me every time she picked on my choice of clothing, how I wore my hair, and even my decisions about Arie.

  “Cara?” Camila asked, but I held up my hand before she said anything further.

  My stomach rolled again, and I feared I should rush to the bathroom before I exploded. My hands shook so badly, I could barely maintain a hold on the pictures. Through watery eyes, I stared down at them. The bed, the kiss, me with a man…the scene looked incriminating. Sordid.

  What did this mean? I gaped up at Camila, unsure what to say.

  “This is bad,” she said.

  “No. Please,” I whispered. I’d do anything to keep my daughter.

  Her frustration evident on her face, as well as in her tone, she sighed. “I just don’t get it, Cara. I made it clear that you should avoid scandal.”

  “I did.” My words burst from my parched throat. It was so tight, I could barely get the words out.

  Eyebrows high, she frowned as she leaned across the desk and took the pictures from my limp hands. She spread them out on the blotter, a line of guilt-ridden evidence. “These suggest otherwise.”

  “It was nothing. Just a kiss.”

  “You’re in bed. With a man who is not your husband.” Camila’s eyes held a world of sympathy. No judgment, thankfully. “Sure, your husband has been gone for months. You’re single. You can sleep with whomever you please. But to win this case, you need to present a spotless image. And doing something like this implies irresponsibility.”

  I tightened my hands on my lap. “It doesn’t. It was nothing.” Our kiss meant everything, but that’s all we’d shared. “I know this looks bad, but nothing happened.”

  “The pictures imply you did everything,” Camila said. “This means—”

  Behind me, the door swung open.

  “Hey, Mom.” Sam, Roan’s older sister, strode inside the room. “Larson wasn’t at his desk, so Roan and I decided…” Her gaze fell on me. “Cara?”

  I stood as Roan joined her on the plush carpet.

  Sam hurried over and gave me a big hug.

  Shell-shocked from Camila’s revelation, I barely felt her touch. I couldn’t stop shivering.

  “I’m so psyched to see you,” Sam gushed as she stepped backward. “You’re just what this town—” her smiling gaze darted to Roan. “—needs.”

  Roan glanced back and forth between Camila and me, and his brow narrowed. “Are you…I’m sorry. Should we step outside until you’re finished?”

  Camila sighed and started to gather up the photos.

  “What’s this?” Sam snatched one up and studied it.

  “Excuse me?” Camila made a grab for it, but Sam backed out of her reach. “That’s confidential.”

  Sam blinked at the picture—the most incriminating one, naturally. She brought it closer to her face and squinted, before her gaze lifted to mine. “Not the best pic in the world, but clear enough. This is you. In a bed. Kissing…someone.” Another glance at Roan.

  “Sam,” Camila said. “Please.” And to me, “I’m truly sorry.”

  I shrugged. “It’s okay.” The damage had been done already. Who cared if Roan knew we’d left evidence behind? It wasn’t like the kiss mattered to him. He hadn’t even called me this week, let alone stopped by to visit.

  Which shouldn’t make my belly cramp tighter. I did not want Roan. No, I couldn’t have Roan, even if he wanted to be had.

  Roan took the picture from Sam and stared down at it, his jaw cementing. Shock grew on his face; which Camila couldn’t miss.

  “Well, isn’t this fantastic.” Her rising voice suggested anything but. “Roan.” Said like a mom at the end of her wits with an unruly child.

  “What?” He splayed his hands wide, but his wince was telling. If Camila was anything like me with Arie, she could read every flick of his eyes and twitch on his face.

  “I told her in your presence,” Camila nearly shouted. “No scandal.”

  He blinked at the photo. “It was just a kiss.”

  Sam snatched it from his hand. “Let me see that again. Oh.” Her grin grew. “A red bed? Cute. And, it’s heart-shaped. How romantic.”

  It had been, as well as fantastic. But that was the least of my concerns right now.

  Camila looked to me and tipped her head in inquiry.

  I nodded, giving my approval for her to discuss this openly. At this point, my life was crashing around me. Who cared if Roan and Sam knew the gory details?

  “This changes things considerably,” Camila said.

  My heartbeat slowed to nothing. “It really was just a kiss.” My defense sounded weak. Like my knees, which were turning to mush. I sunk back onto my chair before they gave out. Cupping my face with my hands, I tried not to sob. “I should’ve done what they wanted. If I’d moved home when Bethany told me to, I wouldn’t be facing this now.” I stared at Camila as all hope fle
d. “Why did I think I stood a chance against her?”

  “Wait a minute,” Roan said gruffly. He knelt beside me and took my hand but directed his comment to his mother. “Please explain how this impacts Cara’s case.”

  Camila flicked one of the pictures with her nail. “Cara’s in bed with someone she’s not married to. This makes her look like she flits around, sleeping with whoever she pleases.”

  “She said it was just a kiss,” Sam said from just behind me. She nudged Roan’s shoulder. “Losing speed in your old age, aren’t you, little brother?”

  “Sam,” Camila said, her tone worthy of a school teacher. She waved her hand. “Have a seat.” Once Sam had settled, Camila turned to me. “Your in-laws will use this against you, and it will make a huge difference in the case.”

  “But people sleep together all the time, even on first dates. How could a picture of me, kissing a man in a bed, be seen any different?”

  Camila frowned. “It implies you left your child to fend for herself and took off with a man for an extended period of time. While it could be someone you’ve known for a while who traveled here to see you, you’ve only been in Maine a few weeks. Bethany and John have shark lawyers. They’re known to win difficult cases. They’ll imply you just met this man.”

  Dismay prickling my skin, I slumped in my chair. “We only went sledding. We were snowed in.” Panic made my skin flash cold again. This couldn’t be happening. “They can’t take Arie from me because of something like this. It’s innocent.”

  “Completely.” Roan squeezed my hand. “We’ll fight them. Together.”

  Sam’s eyebrows lifted as she studied our clasped hands. She blinked slowly before her eyes widened. “Hey. This won’t matter if they’re a couple, would it, Mom?”

  Camila glanced from me to Roan. “You’re not, are you? Although, the kiss—”

  “No,” I said weakly.

  “Just friends,” Roan added at the same time.

  That solidified things. It shouldn’t upset me that we were nothing more than friends. Why did it?

  “Well, Roan and Cara are actually engaged,” Sam announced as if Roan had just slipped the ring onto my finger.

  Camila shouted, “What?”

  While Roan and I stared at each other blankly. “We are?”

  This would be comical if it wasn’t so terrifying.

  “They are now.” Sam turned to her mother. “Does them being engaged help the case?”

  From her voice, I could tell Sam was concerned. But, from the twinkle in her eyes, I could also tell she was enjoying this too much. What was she planning? Like Roan, she’d always been sneaky.

  “It might.” Camila tapped her pen on her chin, watching us during a long silence.

  This could work, though. My heart jumped on the idea, picturing us seeing each other further, maybe—

  “And it might not.” Camila tossed her pen onto the pictures. “I really don’t know if it would make much of a difference.”

  “Why not?” I couldn’t believe I’d jumped on this idea so quickly. Roan and me pretending to be engaged? I must be delusional. Stress could do that to a person.

  Sam sat forward, hands tight on her armrests. “She’s allowed to kiss her fiancé, isn’t she?”

  “The court would suggest the engagement was contrived,” Camila said.

  Which it would be.

  “What if we’re married?” Roan asked, everything grave in his voice.

  What was he saying? He and I…? Gulping, I reeled away from him.

  Sam jumped up and lifted both arms overhead, making her ponytail flop back and forth. “Yay! Yay!” She rushed around behind Roan to my other side. “I always thought you’d make a great sister-in-law. Unlike that witch he married.” She ground her teeth. “Thief.”

  “Would it make a difference?” Roan asked his mother again.

  Hold on. He was serious. Me, marry Roan? I couldn’t, even if this was a true offer. I should pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Actually, not dreaming. It would be a nightmare, right? What about my vow? My newly discovered freedom?

  The fact that he could break my heart?

  Roan stared forward, his jaw clenched. “Mom?”

  “Maybe,” she said. “It’s rare for a court to remove a child from a stable family. And if you were kissing your fiancée in bed, well, that’s natural. While an engagement might feel contrived, a marriage implies permanence. But I just don’t know if it’s enough to make the difference.”

  “Could you two give us some privacy?” Roan asked them.

  “Of course.” Camila stared at Roan a moment before standing. She came around her desk, snatching up Sam’s arm on her way to the door. The wooden structure thumped closed behind them.

  Roan stood and pulled me up out of my chair to face him. “I know what you’re thinking.”

  Good, he should tell me, because my thoughts were completely scattered.

  With a tick at his temple, he glanced at the pictures still lying on his mother’s desk. “I want, no, I need to make things up to you for what’s happened.”

  “But marriage, Roan?” Even though it was forbidden, my mind skipped down a path toward me and Roan together. A happily ever after looming ahead of us.

  I shouldn’t want this. Not one tiny bit. Instead, I should be focused solely on winning my case against my in-laws. Because marriage to Roan went totally against the rules I’d set for myself after Jason died.

  But a tiny part of me burst into bloom at the thought.

  Was it wrong to feel a spark of happiness when everything in my life was falling apart?

  “I meant a marriage of convenience,” Roan said.

  I tripped on my imaginary path and fell to my knees, skinning them on the stones. They bled like my heart.

  Roan continued, “I told you I’d never press you again. We can marry, make sure we do everything we can to win Arie, then quietly divorce when it’s over.”

  Barely able to speak, due to the crushing sensation in my throat, I mumbled, “You’re asking me for a divorce already?”

  “I messed this up for you, and I want to help.”

  “You didn’t mess it up.” I had. I’d been greedy, giving into my longing for something I could never have.

  “I kissed you,” he said.

  “And I kissed you.” He hadn’t pushed for anything further. He’d let me hold the lead. Where would I have taken us, if we hadn’t been interrupted?

  Well beyond my vow.

  “Cara,” Roan said with a soft smile. In his eyes, I saw the boy I’d been friends with, plus hints of the man I’d loved in one way or another since third grade. “Marry me?”

  Six years ago, I would’ve squealed for joy if he’d asked me this question. Now?

  I still would. No harm in admitting it, if only to myself. Even though I knew it was wrong, I hadn’t been able to suppress all my secret wishes. Tiny dreams still slipped through.

  “We can do this,” he said. “Make it work for as long as we need to. Until Arie’s securely yours.”

  Even though I knew agreeing would bring about my downfall, I said, “Okay.”

  Sometimes, you just had to jump off the edge, not worrying about what you’d find on the other side.

  Or catch a snowflake.

  His slight smile implied caution as he squeezed my hands. What was he thinking about all this? It wasn’t just about me or Arie. This would bring about changes in his life.

  “Thank you,” I said. “Losing my daughter would kill me.”

  He drew me into his arms and rested his chin on the top of my head. “I won’t let that happen. I promise.”

  Still shaky, because this case was nowhere near over, I leaned into his embrace. I needed this hug. Needed Roan.

  Someone knocked, and Sam peeked inside the room. “All set? Are nuptials in your future?”

  I pulled out of Roan’s arms and nodded while raking my teeth across my lower lip.

  Sam bounded across the room
and hugged me again, whispering, “Yay,” in my ear.

  Camila entered the room and came over, grinning at us both. “I know it’s sudden, but this needs to take place fast. Your in-laws’ lawyers will see the date when I send proof of the wedding to their lawyers, but by then, it’ll be too late for them to act.”

  “Saturday.” Sam pulled a notepad and pen from a drawer in her mother’s desk. She jotted something down.

  I gulped. “That’s three days from now. Won’t it look fake? Hasty?”

  “It will help solidify your case. No guarantees, but this gives me some hope about your chances.” Camila hugged me, enveloping me in her flowery perfume. “You’re very brave.”

  Brave? Or stupid?

  Sam grunted. “Saturday it is, then. At the church. Mid-morning will work well, I think, but I’ll check with them and let you know.”

  “What are you doing?” I gaped at her. When had a hesitant yes turned into a date for a wedding?

  She glanced up before returning to her scribbles. “I’m your wedding planner. I watch those bridal shows on TV all the time. All you need to do is show up in a dress. Leave everything else to me.”

  “I really should help.”

  “Tell you what. You tell me what you want, and I’ll arrange it, okay?”

  I nodded.

  She bounced on her toes. “Except the honeymoon. A surprise destination. It’s my gift. I insist.”

  Camila laid her hand on Sam’s arm. “I’ll help as well, throwing in money for part of the cost.”

  “Oh, you can’t do that,” I said.

  “Why not?” Camila’s eyebrows lifted.

  “Because we don’t need a honeymoon.”

  Sam’s scowl was negated by her sparkling eyes. “Please don’t tell me I can’t give you a wedding present,” she whined. “Anyway, it’ll look better if you go on a honeymoon. Right, Mom?”

  “It would look less hasty,” Camila said. “No need for anything fancy, but it’s important that this appears to the world like a real marriage.”

  “But I can’t leave Arie. I’ll miss her, and the court won’t like me leaving her, will they?”

  “It’ll only be for a few days,” Sam said. She turned to her mother. “How would the judge look at it?”