Rent-A-Bride (6 page)

“Much better.” He pushed away from the wall and walked toward her. “Just remember you’re a nurse and you like sports.” He stared at her raggedy suitcase for several long moments and Amelia wondered if he were remembering what fell out of it at the airport.

“What?’ She finally asked clutching her suitcase close and feeling more than a little self conscious.

He shook his head as if waking from a trance. “Nothing.”

Taking the suitcase from her he opened a nearby door which turned out to be a storage room. “We’ll just leave this in here for now.”

“What’s my character’s name?”

Ed frowned. “Hmm, now that I think about it he never asked. I guess we’ll just go with your real name. His name is Stanley. “ He gestured toward the hall and they walked together side by side. “Look, I know we got off to a bad start back at the airport. I still don’t know what that was about but as far as I’m concerned…it’s over.”

She nodded in agreement. As they walked down the hall together she wanted to ask the question she’d been wanting to ask since finally accepting that this might actually be a real job. But she was afraid of coming off as exactly what she was. Desperate.

Now that she had agreed to do this the last thing she wanted was to make the man think he’d gotten into business with some fly by night organization. Which of course he had. But he didn’t need to know that.

Still there was no way to ask but to simply ask. “Um … about the money.”

“Not to worry. I wired it to your agent already.”

She stopped walking. “You wired it to Terry? When?”

He stopped. “Yesterday. Why?”

Amelia wanted to scream in frustration. That meant Terry already had her share of the money
yesterday
when he put her on the plane with just twenty dollars for cab fare. Which knowing Terry meant he had no intention of sharing this little windfall with her. With Terry getting paid was always a crapshoot. She’d learned that lesson early in their relationship and yet …here she was still needing to be re-taught the same ole’ lessons.

She forced a smile. “Just curious.” She coughed and cleared her throat. “Did you wire the whole ten thousand?”

“What’s going on here, Amelia?”

Well, Mister-Wealthy-Doctor guy, we’ve both just been played by a Hollywood Huckster the likes of which you’ve probably never met and I should’ve known better than to trust.

Instead of saying what she was thinking she pasted on a smile. “Nothing. It’s just everything happened so fast we didn’t really have any time to discuss it. I’ll just talk to Terry later.”

He frowned. “Do I need to talk to Terry?”

“No. Not at all.” She shook her head emphatically. Suddenly seeing this whole deal slipping away. One way or another she would get her money out of Terry but if this man got a whiff of something shaky there might not be any money to get.

He stared at her for several seconds more. “Look, if there is some problem with the money we can deal with that later. Right now I just need to concentrate on my grandfather.”

“Absolutely.” She could only hope her pasted on smile passed for carefree even though that was the farthest thing from what she was feeling.

He started down the hall again and Amelia took a couple of skip steps to catch up with his long legged strides. “Just to be on the safe side.” He continued to talk. “If he ask you a question you’re unsure of let me answer.”

Her forced smile felt frozen on her face. “You’re the boss.”

As they entered the room an older man was sitting up in the bed. One look into eyes so similar to the man standing next to her and Amelia knew this was going to be the role of a lifetime for two reasons.

The first was that Stanley Bouchard wasn’t long for this world and that knowledge was the source of pain she saw in Ed’s eyes when they first met. In that moment Amelia decided that she was going to do whatever was in her power to make sure he left this earth at peace with whatever he believed her to be. And the second was that dying or not this man was nobody’s fool.

Amanda’s mind scrambled frantically as she tried to recall everything Terry had told her. When he’d picked her up and drove her to the airport late last night he’d given her all the information regarding what her role would entail. Unfortunately she’d paid very little attention to anything he’d said since she’d never expected to actually go through with it.

“Lord, have mercy.” Stanley’s smile turned to a grin. “I know you said she was a beauty, son, but…. My, my, my.”

“Now it all makes sense.” Amelia returned his smile. “I’ve been wondering why Ed kept me away so long. Now I understand.” She smiled at Ed. “He was afraid that one look at you and he’d be a single man again.”

Stanley threw back his head and let out the first real laugh Ed had heard in weeks. His rheumy eyes roamed over Amelia’s face as if trying to memorize every detail. “What’s your name, Sugar?”

“Amelia.” Ed answered placing his arm around her waist. “Amelia Young, meet my grandfather Stanley Bouchard.”

She extended her hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Stanley.”

Slowly Stanley closed both his hands around hers bringing it to his lips and placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. “Not nearly as nice as it is to
finally
meet you.”

• • •

He looked better than he had in weeks Ed thought. After the past forty-eight hours Stanley’s healthy demeanor and smiling face was the last thing Ed expected when he stepped into the room. His heart swelled with guilt and misery knowing his final act of love was a lie but it was too late to turn back now.

“Well, pull up a chair and have a seat.” Stanley gestured to one of the guest chairs and Amelia obediently pulled one closer to the bed and sat down. “We’ve got to get to know each other in a hurry. Would you believe Teddy kept you a secret until yesterday?”

“Really?” She flashed a hundred watt grin at him. Her hazel eyes twinkling mischievously. “
Teddy
told me all about you.”

Ed’s eyes narrowed on her face. He was going to have to explain to her that Stanley was the only one allowed to call him Teddy.

Stanley chuckled. “He told you all about me and you still came to see me?”

“Of course!” She laughed. “As if I would pass up the chance to meet a legend.”

“Legend indeed.” Stanley shook his head in disbelief.

Ed glanced at Stanley and then looked again shocked to realize his grandfather was blushing like a teenage boy.

“So, you from around here?” Stanley asked Amelia.

Since they had not discussed her back story Ed opened his mouth to speak but before he could she had answered the question.

“Yes. I grew up over near Palmer Park.”

Ed moved to stand behind her chair frowning down at her. Was she really from Palmer Park or was that just something she picked up for this act?

“One of my old fishing buddies, Fred, lived over by Palmer Park.” He shifted his body to see Ed. “You remember Fred don’t you, Teddy?”

“Is that the one that was always pretending to find change in my ears?” Ed pulled up a chair and sat down beside Amelia.

“No, that was Pat—and Pat was a woman by the way.”

Ed coughed into his hand to hide a laugh. “Sorry.”

Stanley shrugged. “Pat will never be the prettiest girl at the dance but she has a good heart.” He turned his grin on Amelia again. “Now this one here…you probably had your pick of any dance partner.”

Amelia smiled as she reached over and took Ed’s hand in hers. “I’ve found the only dance partner I’ll ever want.”

Damn she’s good
. Ed thought looking first at their clasped hands then into her eyes. If he didn’t know she was acting he could easily fall into those eyes and never come up.

“I’ve only known Pat twenty years or so but me and Fred go all the way back to Denby.”

“Denby high school? I went to Denby!”

“Well now.” Stanley grinned. “Isn’t that a coincidence? Although back when Fred and I graduated you weren’t even a twinkle in your Daddy’s eyes.”

Amelia laughed. “It couldn’t have been that long ago. You can’t possibly be a day over sixty.”

“Oh, Sugar.” Stanley chuckled. “You do an old man’s heart good. And I’m glad to know I’m leaving my boy in good hands.” He frowned thoughtfully. “He and I, well…we’re all we’ve got. I just didn’t want him to be alone.”

Ed glanced at his grandfather and saw the truth of those words written on his face. He knew then that this was where Stanley was finding the amazing strength to carry on this long in the love he felt for him.

“He won’t be” Amelia answered softly and Ed felt her gently squeeze his hand. His eyes shot up to hers and for an instance he was certain he saw genuine sympathy there. Then she blinked and her actress mask was firmly back in place as she returned her attention to Stanley.

But Ed could not take his eyes off of her. Even though he knew she was playing a role something hungry inside him wanted to believe she was real. He understood that Stanley needed to believe he was being left in the caring arms of a woman who loved him. But could there be a part of himself that needed to believe it as well?

Studying her perfect profile, Ed was left wondering why this beautiful face wasn’t plastered over a thousand billboard and magazine covers. When he decided to hire an actress he knew she would be attractive. There weren’t a whole lot of ugly women in Hollywood. But there was something there that was more than just the typical superficial type of pretty…something else.

He could see it in the way she held her head while she listened to Stanley reminisce about the high school antics of him and Fred. It was slightly tilted to the side her facial expression alert and totally engaged as if hanging on Stanley’s every word.

Yes, there was definitely more to Amelia Young than meets the eye. After that little episode at the airport he hadn’t known what to think but now she was here and with little more than the brush of her hair behind her ear and that killer smile she was managing to do more in a few minutes than all of modern medicine had in weeks. Interesting…
Damn!

Feeling the first faint stirrings of trouble Ed shifted his position in his chair. This was not the time, place or the woman for that. Unfortunately nothing rung his dinner bell quite like an interesting conundrum. And by all first impressions, his new fake fiancée was definitely a conundrum.

Not paying much attention to the conversation Ed missed whatever she said that caused Stanley to laugh to the point of an uncontrollable cough. Ed jumped up and ran to the side of the bed to fill a cup of water. He handed it off to Amelia who was now standing by the head of the bed attempting to prop Stanley into a sitting position.

Ed hovered over her as she gently pressed the cup to Stanley’s lips and waited for him to sip. Once the hacking was under control again she replaced the cup on the night stand and they both took their seats while Stanley’s shallow breathing leveled out.

Stanley turned his head on his pillow and smiled at her. “Now I understand why you chose to become a nurse. You have such a wonderful bedside manner.”

Ed sat in tense silence hoping she remembered that she was supposed to be a nurse.

Amelia chuckled. “A patient like you, Stanley, makes it very easy to have a good bedside manner.”

Ed suddenly found Stanley’s razor sharp stare on his face. “Teddy, what’s the date?”

Ed frowned. “The18th. Why?”

Stanley’s expression soured in frustration. “Not today’s date, boy!
The
date.”

Ed’s frown deepened.

Amelia placed a hand on his arm. “I think he means our wedding date, darling.”

“Oh! Yes. Our wedding date—of course.”

The silence that settled in the next few seconds was so overwhelming Ed imagined the deepest depths of the oceans could not have been any quieter.

“Well?” Stanley’s frown matched his.

“We haven’t decided.” Amelia intervened. “With everything going on it just didn’t seem like the right time to worry about that.”

Stanley’s brown eyes swung back to Amelia’s face. “What’s a good time? After I’m dead?”

“Well no. I just meant. There’s no rush.” She squirmed on her seat and Ed knew it was wrong but a part of him was kinda enjoying not being the one taken to task by Stanley for once.

Stanley’s exasperation was written plainly on every part of him and Ed was fascinated as he watched Amelia’s transformation from super confident woman to the child knowing she was about to be scolded.

“No rush?” Stanley lifted his arms slightly and gestured to his hospital gown. “Sugar, I know you’re young and strong and have all the time in the world but my sand clock is emptying quickly and I’d like to see this wedding before I leave the world.”

She glanced at Ed pleadingly and he wanted to help her. Truly, he did. But this was his grandfather. The man who raised him and nurtured him and Ed found himself saying something that surprised both of them. “What do you say, sweetheart? You wanna tie the knot this weekend?”

“
What
?!” Her hazel green eyes widened and he watched the green drain away until they were the light golden color of good champagne. Her head swung back around to Stanley who seemed equally taken aback by her banshee like screech. “I mean,
Teddy Bear
, don’t you think we should talk about this—
in private
?”

There she goes again with that Teddy Bear crap.
Ed’s eyes narrowed on her face once again. Yep. They were definitely going to have to have a private talk.

“You do all the private talking you want as long as I get to see a wedding soon.” Stanley lay his head back against the pillow and his whole body seemed to sigh in relief. He was putting up a brave front but Ed knew he wasn’t doing nearly as good as he wanted them to believe.

“Good Morning, Stanley” A masculine voice came from the doorway as Steve entered the room. His attention was currently on the open folder in his hands so he didn’t notice Ed and Amelia until he almost tripped over them.

He lifted his head and stopped. His brown eyes searching first Ed’s face then Amelia’s. “Hello.”

The question was written right there in his eyes and Ed jumped to his feet before his friend could blurt out something that would undo everything.