Married in Seattle (9 page)

“Thanks.” So much for wine and roses and sweet noth
ings whispered in her ear. But then again, she’d had those things and they hadn’t brought her happiness.

“Like I said—and I hate to admit it—our getting married makes sense. We seem to like each other well enough, and there’s a certain…attraction.” Zach was frowning a little as he spoke. “It would be a smart move for both of us from a financial viewpoint, as well.” He took her by the shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “The question is, Janine, can I make you happy?”

Her heart melted at the way he said it, at the simplicity and sincerity of his words. “What about you?” she asked. “Will you be content being married to me?”

The apprehension in his face eased. “I think so. We’ll be good for each other. This isn’t any grand passion. But I’m fond of you and you’re fond of me.”

“Fond?” Janine repeated, breaking away.

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I hate that word,” Janine said through gritted teeth. “
Fond
sounds so…watered down. So weak. I’m not looking for a grand passion, as you put it, but I want a whole lot more than
fond
.” She gestured dramatically with her hands. “A man is fond of his dog or a favorite place to eat, not his wife.” She spoke so vehemently that she was starting to attract attention from other walkers. “Would it be too much for you to come up with another word?”

“Stop looking at me as if it were a matter of life and death,” he said.

“It’s important,” she insisted.

Zach looked distinctly uncomfortable. “I run a business.
There are more than three hundred outlets in fifty states. I know the office-supply business inside out, but I’m not good with words. If you don’t like the word
fond,
you choose another one.”

“All right,” she said thoughtfully, biting the corner of one lip. Her eyes brightened. “How about
cherish?
”

“Cherish.” Zach repeated it as if he’d never heard the word before. “Okay, it’s a deal. I’ll cherish you.”

“And I’ll cherish you,” she said emphatically, nodding with satisfaction.

They walked along the pier until they came to a seafood stand, where Zach bought them each a cup of steaming clam chowder. They found an unoccupied picnic table and sat down, side by side.

Occasionally they stopped eating to smile at each other. An oddly exciting sensation attacked Janine’s stomach whenever that happened. Finally, finishing her soup, she licked the back of her white plastic spoon. She kept her eyes carefully lowered as she said, “I want to make sure I understand. Did we or did we not just agree to get married?”

Zach hesitated, his spoon halfway between his cup and his mouth as an odd look crossed his face. He swallowed once. “We decided to go through with it, both accepting that this isn’t the traditional love match, but one based on practical and financial advantages.”

Janine dropped her spoon in the plastic cup. “If that’s the case, the wedding is off.”

Zach threw back his head and stared into the sky. “
Now
what did I say that was so terrible?”

“Financial and practical advantages! You make it sound about as appealing as a dentist appointment. There’s got to be more of a reason than that for us to get married.”

Shrugging, Zach gestured helplessly with his hands. “I already told you I wasn’t any good at this. Perhaps we’d do better if you explained why you’re willing to marry me.”

Before she could prevent it, a smile tugged at her mouth. “You won’t like my reason any better than I like yours.” She looked around to ensure that no one could overhear, then leaned toward him. “When we kissed a few minutes ago, the earth moved. I know it’s a dreadful cliché—the worst—but that’s exactly what I felt.”

“The earth moved,” Zach repeated deadpan. “Well, we are in an earthquake zone.”

Janine rolled her eyes. “It happened when we were in Scotland, too. I don’t know what’s going on between us or even if we’re doing the right thing, but there’s definitely…something. Something special.”

She wasn’t surprised when Zach scowled. “You mean to say you’re willing to marry me because I’m good at kissing?”

“It makes more sense to me than that stuff about financial advantages.”

“You were absolutely correct,” he said evenly. “I don’t like your reason. Is there anything else that makes the prospect appealing?”

Janine giggled. “You know,” she reflected, “Gramps was right. We’re going to be good for each other.”

A flash of light warmed his eyes and his hand reached for hers. He entwined their fingers as their eyes met. “Yes, we are.”

The wedding was arranged so fast that Janine barely had time to reconsider their decision. They applied for a license that same afternoon. When they returned to the house, Gramps shouted for joy, slapped Zach on the back and repeatedly hugged Janine, whispering that she’d made an old man very happy.

Janine was so busy, the days and nights soon blended together and she lost all track of time. There were so many things to do—fittings and organizing caterers and inviting guests—that for the next five days she didn’t talk to Zach even once.

The day before the ceremony, the garden was bustling with activity. Mrs. McCormick was supervising the men who were assembling the wedding canopy and setting up tables and chairs.

Exhausted, Janine wandered outside and glanced up at the bold blue sky, praying the sunshine would hold for at least another day. The lawn was lush and green, and freshly mowed. The roses were in bloom, perfuming the air with their rich fragrance.

“Janine.”

She recognized his voice immediately. She turned to discover Zach striding purposefullly toward her, and her heart reacted of its own accord. Janine felt as though they’d been apart for a year instead of just a few days. She wore
jeans and an old university sweatshirt and wished she’d chosen something less casual. In contrast, Zach was strikingly formal, dressed in a handsome pin-striped suit and dark tie. She was willing to admit she didn’t know him as well as she should—as well as a woman who was about to become his wife. His habits, his likes and dislikes, were a mystery to her, yet those details seemed minor. It was the inner Zach she was coming to understand. Everything she’d learned assured her she’d made the right decision.

“Hello,” she called, walking toward him. She saw that he looked as tired as she felt. Obviously he’d been busy, too, although the wedding preparations had been left to her.

They met halfway and stopped abruptly, gazing at each other. Zach didn’t hug her or make any effort to touch her.

“How are you holding up?” he asked.

“Fine,” she answered. “How about you?”

“I’ll live.” He glanced over at the activity near the rose garden and sighed. “Is there someplace we can talk privately?”

“Sure.” Janine’s heart leapt to her throat at his sober tone. “Is everything all right?”

He reassured her with a quick nod. “Of course.”

“I don’t think anyone’s in the kitchen.”

“Good.” Hand at her elbow, he guided her toward the house. She pulled out a chair with trembling fingers and sat down at the oak table. As he lowered himself into a chair opposite her, she gripped the edge of the table. His eyes had never seemed darker. “Tomorrow’s the day.”

He said this as if he expected it to come as a shock to her. It didn’t—but she understood what he was saying. Time was closing in on them, and if they wanted to back out, it would have to be now.

“Believe me, I know,” she said, and her fingers tightened on the table. “Have you had a change of heart?”

“Have you?”

“No, but then again, I haven’t had much time to think.”

“I’ve done nothing
but
think about this wedding,” Zach said, raking his hands through his hair.

“And?”

He shrugged. “We may both have been fools to agree to this.”

“It all happened so fast,” Janine said in a weak voice. “One minute we agreed on the word
cherish,
and the next thing I remember, we were deciding we’d be good for each other.”

“Don’t forget the kissing part,” he added. “As I recall, that had quite a bit to do with this decision.”

“If you’re having second thoughts, I’d rather you said so now than after the ceremony.”

His eyes narrowed fleetingly before he shook his head. “No.”

“You’re sure?”

He answered her by leaning forward, slipping his hand behind her neck and kissing her soundly. Tenderly. When they broke apart, they were silent. Not talking, not wanting to.

Janine stared into his dark warm eyes and suddenly she could hardly breathe.

“This is going to be a real marriage,” he said forcefully.

She nodded. “I certainly hope so, Mr. Thomas.” And her voice was strong and clear.

Less than twenty-four hours later, Janine stood at Zach’s side, prepared to pledge her life to his. She’d never felt more uncertain—or, at the same time, more confident—of anything she’d ever done.

Zach seemed to grasp what she was feeling. His eyes held hers as she repeated the words that would bind them.

When she’d finished, Zach slid his arm around her waist and drew her close. The pastor smiled down on them, then looked to the fifty or so family friends who’d gathered on Anton’s lawn and said, “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Thomas.”

A burst of applause followed his words.

Before Janine fully realized what was happening, they were mingling with their guests. One minute she was standing in front of the pastor, trembling but unafraid, and the next she was a wife.

“Janine, Janine!” Pam rushed to her side before anyone else could. “You look so gorgeous,” she said softly, and bright tears shone in her eyes.

Janine hugged her young friend. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

Pam gazed up at Zach and shook her head. “He sure is handsome.”

“I think so, too.”

Zach arched his brows, cocked his head toward her and murmured, “You never told me that.”

“There’s no need for you to be so smug.”

“My children,” Gramps said, rejoining them. He hugged Janine, and she saw that his eyes were as bright as Pam’s. “You’ve never been more beautiful. I swear you look more like my Anna every year.”

It was the highest compliment Gramps could have paid her. From the pictures Gramps kept of his wife, Janine knew her grandmother had been exceptionally beautiful.

“Thank you,” she said, kissing his cheek.

“I have something for you.” Pam thrust a neatly wrapped box into Janine’s hands. “I made them myself,” she announced proudly. “I think Zach will like them, too.”

“Oh, Pam, you shouldn’t have,” Janine murmured. Sitting on a cushioned folding chair, she peeled away the paper and lifted the lid. The moment she did, her breath jammed in her throat. Inside were the sheerest white baby-doll pajamas Janine had ever seen. Her smile faltered as she glanced up to see half a dozen people staring at her.

Zach’s hand, resting at the nape of Janine’s neck, tightened as he spoke, though his voice was warm and amused. “You’re right, Pam. I like them very much.”

J
anine sat next to Zach in the front seat of his car. Dressed in a pink suit and matching broad-brimmed hat, she clutched her small floral bouquet. Although the wedding had been arranged in seven short days, it had been a lovely affair.

Zach had taken care of planning the short honeymoon. All he could spare was three days, so instead of scheduling anything elaborate, he’d suggested they go to his summer place in Ocean Shores, a coastal town two and a half hours from Seattle by car. Janine had happily agreed.

“So you think I’m handsome?” Zach asked, keeping his eyes on the road. Neither of them had said much since they’d set off.

“I knew if I told you, it’d go straight to your head, and obviously I was right,” she answered. Then, unable to hold back a wide yawn, she pressed one hand to her mouth.

“You’re exhausted.”

“Are you always this astute?”

“Testy, too.”

“I don’t mean to be,” she apologized. She’d been up since before five that morning and in fact, hadn’t slept well all week. This wasn’t exactly the ideal way to start a marriage. There was an added stress, too, that had to do with the honeymoon. Zach had made it understood that he intended their marriage to be real, but surely he didn’t expect them to share a bed so soon. Or did he?

Every now and then as they drove, she glanced in his direction, wondering what, if anything, she should say. Even if she did decide to broach this delicate subject, she wasn’t sure how.

“Go ahead and rest,” Zach suggested. “I’ll wake you when we arrive.”

“It should be soon, shouldn’t it?”

“Another fifteen minutes or so.”

“Then I’ll stay awake.” Nervously, she twisted the small floral bouquet. Unwrapping Pam’s gift had made her all the more apprehensive, but delaying the subject any longer was impossible.

“Zach…are we going to…you know…” she stammered, feeling like a naive schoolgirl.

“If you’re referring to what I think you’re referring to, the answer is no. So relax.”

“No?” He didn’t need to sound so casual about it, as if it hardly mattered one way or the other.

“Why do you ask, Janine? Are you having second thoughts about…that?”

“No. Just some reservations.”

“Don’t worry. When it happens, it happens. The last thing we need is that kind of pressure.”

“You’re right,” she answered, relieved.

“We need some time to feel comfortable. There’s no reason to rush into the physical aspect of our marriage, is there?”

“None whatsoever,” she agreed quickly, perhaps too quickly, because when she looked at him again, Zach was frowning. Yet he seemed so willing to wait, as though their lovemaking was of minor importance. But as he’d said, this marriage wasn’t one of grand passion. Well,
that
was certainly true.

Before another five minutes had passed, Zach left the highway and drove into the resort town of Ocean Shores. He didn’t stop in the business district, but headed down a side street toward the beach. The sun was setting as he pulled into a driveway and turned off the engine.

Janine was too enthralled with the house to say a word.

The wind whipped at them ferociously when they climbed out of the car. Janine held on to her hair with one hand, still clutching the flowers, and to Zach with the other. The sun cast a pink and gold reflection over the rolling hills of sand.

“Home, sweet home,” Zach said, nudging her toward the house.

The front door opened before they reached it and a trim middle-aged man stepped onto the porch to greet them. He was grinning broadly. “Hello, Zach. I trust you had a safe trip.”

“We did.”

“Everything’s ready. The cupboards are stocked. The firewood’s stacked by the side of the house, and dinner’s prepared.”

“Wonderful, Harry, thanks.” Zach placed his hand on Janine’s shoulder. “This is my wife, Janine,” he said. “We were married this afternoon.”

“Your wife?” Harry repeated, looking more than a little surprised. “Why, that’s fantastic. Congratulations to you both.”

“Thank you,” Janine said politely.

“Harry Gleason looks after the place for me when I’m not around.”

“Pleased to meet you, Harry.”

“So Zach got himself a wife,” Harry said, rubbing his jaw in apparent disbelief. “I couldn’t be more—”

“Delighted,” a frowning Zach supplied for him, ushering Janine toward the front door.

“Right,” Harry said. “I couldn’t be more delighted.”

Janine tilted back her head to survey the sprawling single-story house.

“Go on inside,” Zach said. “I’ll get the luggage.”

Janine started to protest, suddenly wanting him to follow the traditional wedding custom of carrying her over the threshold. She paused, and Zach gave her a puzzled look. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” She had no real grounds for complaint. She wasn’t even sure why it mattered. Swallowing her disappointment, she made her way into the house. She stopped just inside the front door and gazed with wide-eyed wonder
at the immense living room with its three long sofas and several upholstered chairs. A brick fireplace took up an entire wall; another was dominated by a floor-to-ceiling window that looked over the ocean. Drawn to it, Janine watched powerful waves crash against the shore.

Zach followed her inside, carrying their luggage, barely taking time to appreciate the scene before him. “Harry’s putting the car away,” he said.

“This place is incredible,” Janine breathed, gesturing around her. She placed the flowers on the coffee table, then trailed after Zach into a hallway, off which were four bedrooms and an equal number of baths. At the back of the house, she found an exercise room, an office and an ultramodern kitchen where a pot of coq au vin was simmering.

In the formal dining room, the polished mahogany table was set for two. On the deck, designed to take advantage of the ocean view, she discovered a steaming hot tub, along with a bottle of French champagne on ice.

Zach returned as she wandered back into the kitchen and a strained silence fell between them. He was the first to speak. “I put your suitcases in the master bedroom,” he said brusquely. “I’m in the one across the hall.”

She nodded, not taking time to question her growing sense of disappointment. They’d agreed to delay their wedding night, hadn’t they?

“Are you hungry?” he asked, walking to the stove and lifting the pot’s lid, as she’d done earlier.

“Only a little. I was thinking about slipping into the hot tub, unless you want to eat first.”

“Sure. The hot tub’s fine. Whatever you want.”

Janine unpacked and located her swimsuit, then changed into it quickly. The warm water sounded appealing. And maybe it would help her relax. Draping a beach towel over her arm, she hurried into the kitchen, but Zach was nowhere to be seen. Not waiting for him, she walked out to the deck and stepped gingerly into the hot tub. The water felt like a soothing liquid blanket and she slid down, letting it lap just under her breasts.

Zach sauntered onto the deck a minute later, still in his suit. He stopped short when he saw her. “I…didn’t realize you’d be out so soon,” he said, staring at her with undisguised appreciation. He inhaled sharply and occupied himself by uncorking the bottle of champagne, then pouring a liberal glass. When he’d gulped it down, he reached for a second one and filled it for Janine.

“You’re coming in, aren’t you?” she asked, when he handed her the crystal flute.

“No,” he said abruptly. “I won’t join you, after all. There were several things I wasn’t able to finish at the office this week, and I thought I’d look over some papers. You go ahead and enjoy yourself.”

He was going to
work
on their wedding night! But she didn’t feel she had any right to comment or complain. She was determined to conceal her bitter disappointment.

“The water’s wonderful,” she said, as cheerfully as she could manage, hoping her words would convince him to join her.

Zach nodded, but his eyes now avoided Janine. “It
looks…great.” He strode to the end of the deck, ran his fingers through his hair, then twisted around to face her. He seemed about to say something, but evidently changed his mind.

Baffled by his odd behavior, Janine set aside her glass of champagne and stood up so abruptly that water sloshed over the edge of the tub. “You don’t need to say it,” she muttered, climbing out and grabbing her towel.

“Say what?”

“You warned me before the wedding, so I walked into this with my eyes wide open. Well, you needn’t worry. I got the message the minute we arrived at the house.”

“What message is that?”

“Never mind.” Vigorously, she rubbed her arms with the towel.

“No,” he said. “I want you to tell me.”

Against her better judgment, she pointed a quaking finger at the front door. “You went out of your way to tell me how
fond
of me you were and how there wasn’t going to be any grand passion. Great. Perfect. I agreed to those terms. That’s all fine with me, but—”

“But what?”

Mutely, she shook her head.

He sighed. “Oh, great, we’re fighting. I suppose you’re going to ask for a divorce and make this the shortest marriage in Washington state history.”

Janine paled. Divorce was such an ugly word, and it struck her as viciously as a slap. Despite her efforts, scalding tears spilled down her cheeks. With as much dignity as
she could muster, which admittedly wasn’t a lot, Janine went back inside the house, leaving a wet trail in her wake.

“Janine!” Zach shouted, following her into the kitchen. “Listen, Janine, I didn’t intend to argue with you.”

She turned abruptly. “This marriage doesn’t mean anything to you, does it? You won’t even interrupt your work long enough to…to act like a man who just got married.”

With her head held high, she stared past him to a painting of yellow flowers on the dining room wall. When her tears blurred the flowers beyond recognition, she defiantly rubbed her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, reaching for her as if he needed to hold her. But then his arms fell to his sides. “I should’ve realized wedding traditions would be important to you. Like that carrying-you-over-the-threshold business. I’m sorry,” he said again. “I completely forgot.”

“It’s not just that, it’s everything. How many men bring a briefcase with them on their honeymoon? I feel like…like excess baggage in your life—and we haven’t even been married for twenty-four hours.”

Zach looked perplexed. “What does catching up on my reading have to do with any of this?”

His question only irritated her more. “You don’t have the foggiest notion of how impossible you are, do you?”

He didn’t answer right away, but seemed to be studying her, weighing his answer before he spoke. “I just thought I might have a chance to read over some papers,” he said slowly. “Apparently that bothers you.”

Janine placed her hands on her hips. “Yes, it bothers me.”

Zach frowned. “Since we’ve agreed to delay the honeymoon part, what would you suggest we do for the next three days?”

“Couldn’t we spend the time having fun? Becoming better acquainted?”

“I guess I do seem like a stranger to you,” he said. “No wonder you’re so nervous.”

“I am
not
nervous. Just tired and trying hard not to say or do anything that’ll make you think of me as a…a nag.”

“A nag?” Zach repeated incredulously. “I don’t think of you as anything but lovely. The truth is, I’m having one heck of a time keeping my eyes off you.”

“You are?” The towel she was holding slipped unnoticed to the floor. “I thought you said you didn’t know how to say anything romantic.”

“That was romantic?”

“And very sweet. I was beginning to think you didn’t find me…attractive.”

Astonished, Zach stared at her. “You’ve got to be kidding!”

“I’m not.”

“I can see that the next few days are going to be difficult,” he said. “You’ll just need to be patient with me, all right?”

“All right.” She nodded, already feeling worlds better.

“How about if I dish up dinner while you’re changing?”

“Thanks,” she said, smiling.

By the time she got back to the kitchen, wearing gray slacks and a sweater that was the color of fresh cream, Zach had served their meal and poured the wine. He stood behind her chair, waiting politely.

“Before we sit down, there’s something I need to do.”

The last thing Janine expected was to be lifted in his strong arms. A gasp of surprise lodged in her throat as her startled gaze met his.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s tradition to carry the bride over the threshold, isn’t it?”

“Yes, but you’re doing it all wrong! You’re supposed to carry me from the outside in—not the other way around.”

Zach shrugged, unconcerned. “There’s nothing traditional about this marriage. Why start now?” He made a show of pretending his knees were buckling under her weight as he staggered through the living room.

“This is supposed to be serious,” she chastised him, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t keep the laughter out of her voice.

With a great deal of feigned effort, he managed to open the front door and then ceremoniously step onto the porch. Slowly he released her, letting her feet drop first, holding her upper body close against his chest for a long moment. The humor left his eyes. “There,” he said tenderly. “Am I forgetting anything?”

It wouldn’t hurt to kiss me,
Janine told him in her heart, but the words didn’t make it to her lips. When Zach kissed her again, she wanted it to be
his
idea.

“Janine?”

“Everything’s perfect. Thank you.”

“Not quite,” he muttered. He turned her to face him, then covered her mouth with his own. Janine trembled, slipping
her arms around his neck and giving herself completely to the kiss. She quivered at the heat that began to warm her from the inside out. This kiss was better than any they’d ever shared, something she hadn’t thought possible. And what that meant, she had no idea.

Zach pulled his mouth abruptly from hers, but his eyes remained closed. Almost visibly he composed himself, and when he broke away he seemed in control of his emotions once again. Janine sighed inwardly, unsure of what she’d expected.