Wealthy CEO saves Iowa farm girl from a life of poverty by marrying her.
It would then be a short step to Blake Ford weds son’s surrogate.
Hopefully by then they would become old news and the press wouldn’t dig any deeper. Fertility clinics were supposed to be private, but there was no telling what an individual employee might be paid to reveal. Drew’s true parentage might come to light.
Suddenly overwhelmed by the afternoon heat, Bella headed into the closest shop in search of some cooler air. Ironically, it was the boutique where Jeanne had seen the dress she thought would suit Bella.
The bell tinkled above the door, announcing Bella’s entrance to the shop clerks. They gave her a once-over, but didn’t approach. Her shorts and top weren’t expensive enough to signal she was a serious shopper. Bella recognized the signs from when Deidre dragged her into the stores in Manhattan.
The air conditioning felt good against her overheated skin. She decided to take a closer look at the merchandise, specifically the dress displayed in the front window. Her target was on a rack near the front. Bella surreptitiously checked the price and sucked in a short, sharp breath. Four hundred dollars was a lot to spend. She stared at the garment and realized that soon she would be able to buy it without a second thought. Once she married Blake, there would no longer be a need to zealously guard every penny. The thought gave her pause.
The diamond on her finger felt heavier than ever. She glanced down at the sparkling token of Blake’s promise and reminded herself she was marrying him in spite of his vast wealth. If it all vanished tomorrow she’d still want to be his wife. But that was unlikely to happen and questions crowded her. She didn’t want to believe her motives were mercenary. She loved Blake. But money, or the lack of it, had been a burden for so long, she couldn’t deny a small part of her wanted to buy things without checking a price tag or giving a single thought to where the money was going to come from.
In the end she left the store without making a purchase and returned to her car. Jeanne’s words had bitten deeper than Bella had realized. She started the engine and headed back to the beach house.
Wasn’t it enough for her to know she loved Blake and not his money? Did she really need the world to accept that as truth?
*
Blake was enjoying a vodka and tonic on the deck when he heard the front door close. He probably should have popped the cork on a bottle of champagne, such was the successful day he’d had, but that could wait until Drew was in bed. Then he and Bella could celebrate properly.
Listening to the brisk click of heels crossing the wood floor, he swung his feet off the lounge chair and stood. The woman passing through the living room was not the one he expected.
“Blake, where are you?”
He pushed open the sliding glass door and called to his stepsister. “Hello, Jeanne, what brings you here this afternoon?”
His stepsister whirled at the sound of his voice and stormed toward him, outrage swirling around her like a cape. “You asked that girl to marry you?”
Her accusation made him realize he’d delayed too long informing her of his engagement. “If by that girl you mean Bella, then yes.”
“You don’t even know her.” Instead of stopping when she reached where he stood, Jeanne began to pace along the windows.
“I’ve known her for almost two years. She is kind, nurturing and beautiful. Most importantly, she loves Drew.”
“Don’t you think you’re moving way too fast?”
“When have you known me to do anything without thinking it through first?”
Jeanne’s eyes flashed. “When you divorced Victoria.”
“That decision was not made lightly.” Blake kept his voice even as annoyance flared. “She gave me no choice.”
“Why, because she didn’t want to be a full-time mother?”
“There’s more to it than that.”
“What does that mean?”
Victoria might have felt okay about involving Jeanne in her campaign to reconcile and then pitting his sister against him when her plan failed, but Blake was not about to cause friction between the best friends by telling Jeanne all the reasons why their marriage had fallen apart.
“That means that Victoria hasn’t told you the full story.”
Uncertainty dampened Jeanne’s irritation. “What is the full story?”
“She’s your friend. Ask her.”
“You’re my brother. I’m asking you.”
Blake crossed his arms and regarded his stepsister in determined silence until she growled his name. “I’m not going to involve you in a battle of he said, she said. Ask Victoria. If she chooses to tell you then you and I can discuss it further.”