The Professional Bride: Billionaire Marriage Brokers Book Three (13 page)

Chapter 18

Amber struggled to get her feet out of the rental boots. The stupid things were so tight she couldn’t feel her pinky toe. She’d have to ask for a bigger size next time she came in. If there ever was a next time.

Grunting, she finally pulled her foot loose. She flopped onto the bench and put her head in her hands.

“Well, looks like I’ve found a snow bunny.”

Amber looked up to see Trish, wearing her fur coat, standing over her. Squealing, Amber jumped up and threw her arms around her friend. “What are you doing here?”

“Surprise inspection.” Trish laughed. “You haven’t called Pamela and she sent me to check up on things. Plus, I had a feeling you needed me.” She picked up a stringy strand of Amber’s hair. “By the looks of things, you need a salon appointment and some retail therapy.”

Amber hugged Trish again. “I wish. Presidents’ Day is Monday and we’re booked solid for the next ten days. Besides, this is ski hair, it’s the latest rage.”

“I can see that.” Trish followed a group of women as they tromped in to return their rentals. Her face brightened. “Did you like it?”

“Skiing?” Amber’s thoughts went back to those precious few minutes after Rym had pushed her in the snow and she’d let go of her fears to play. She’d enjoyed it then. When she wasn’t thinking so hard about being scared, it was easier to turn. Maybe she could get the hang of skiing. “Yes, I enjoyed skiing.”

Trish regarded Amber for a moment. “Perhaps you’ve been enjoying other perks as well?”

Amber shook her head. “You know I don’t mix things like that.”

“Why not? You’re married. You might as well get a little joy out of it. Honestly, you’re all work, work, work, all the time. When does Amber get to have some happiness?”

“I don’t need a man to be happy.” Amber slid her feet into her regular boots enjoying the ability to wiggle her toes. “Geez, Trish, you’re lucky my mother wasn’t here to hear that comment. You’d have a night of lectures ahead of you. She practices them, constantly, just in case I forget that I’m complete and wonderful all on my own.”

Trish wrapped her arm around Amber’s shoulder. “Darling,” she said in her best Pamela impression. “You’ve been programmed into not
needing
a man so well, that you didn’t stop to consider that you might
want
one.”

The concept was so new, Amber blurted, “Is that allowed?”

Trish kept up her Pamela voice. “Allowed and encouraged.”

Amber swallowed, her throat dry and her hands moist. “And what would one do if they did want a man?”

“A man, or a certain man?” asked Trish, all joking set aside as her eyes widened in understanding.

“I’m not saying I do.” Amber shifted her weight. “But if I did, would it ruin my career?”

Trish folded her arms. “It would make it awfully hard to marry someone else.”

Amber nodded. “You’re right. Love’s not an option in this line of work.”

“Love? Who said anything about love?”

“You did!” Amber insisted.

Trish grinned. “I don’t think I ever said the word
love
, I believe I said
happiness
. You’re the one who said ...” She leaned closer and cupped her hand around her mouth as she whispered, “Love.”

“Let’s forget either of us said anything and go to dinner.”

Trish paused just long enough to let Amber know she was allowing the change of topic but was not going to forget it.

Amber was fine with that. She needed some time to think through this afternoon on her own. To remember what it felt like to have Rym kiss her, be it ever so quickly, and hold her close. She’d been held by other men before, but never had her being yearned to be near a man as it did for Rym. What would it be like to be truly and deeply kissed by him? The thought made her tingle all over.

She sent him a text telling him Trish was in town and they would be going to dinner. His reply was short, and Amber was reminded that even though they’d awakened something between them that couldn’t be ignored forever, they’d also argued over firing Robyn. It seemed like for every step forward, they took two back. If this kept up, they’d eventually be on opposite sides of the mountain.

She and Trish headed toward the parking lot. The locker room door flew open and Amber scooted out of the way just in time.

“I’m so sorry,” said Robyn. “It just flies open like that.”

“I know,” Amber smiled reassuringly. “Hey, you’re the instructor I saw on the hill today. How’s the little girl?”

Robyn pulled at her purse strap. “She seemed okay. The parents weren’t happy when I told them.”

“I wouldn’t suppose so.”

They all walked toward the exit, Amber’s stomach twisting. They’d just finished the lawsuit with the lady with the broken wrist. They’d settled out of court for a small sum, but the work involved was nuts.

“Can I ask you two how you got your jobs?” asked Robyn.

Amber tripped over the threshold. She threw a look at Trish that said, “She wouldn’t believe me if I told her.”

“Why do you ask?” asked Trish. She and Amber stopped to wait for the shuttle with Robyn to be polite.

“I love teaching, but this is only temporary. I’d like to move up in the company, but I don’t have a degree.”

“What about night school?” offered Amber.

“It’s too expensive. I have two kids and we’re struggling as it is.”

“What kind of work would you like to do?” asked Amber.

“This is going to sound so lame, but I’ve always wanted to be a paralegal. I even started into it after high school, but I quit when I had Spencer.”

Iron Mountain could use a paralegal to do all the stuff Amber had done for Mr. McGraw during the lawsuit. An idea began to form. “Robyn, could you go to school if you had a scholarship?”

“I think we could make it work. I mean, it would be easier in the spring and summer.”

“Right, in the off season. And isn’t summer semester usually shorter?”

“I think so.” Robyn leaned away, weary. The shuttle climbed the hill and came to a lumbering stop. Robyn moved to get on. “Thanks for everything. You and your husband saved my bacon today.” Robyn waved as the shuttle pulled away.

Amber whipped out her phone and scrolled through her contacts list.

“Whatcha doing?” asked Trish.

“I need to talk to Harrison.” Just then, Tina answered at BMB headquarters. “Hi, Tina, it’s Amber.”

“Amber! How are you?”

“I’m doing well. Thanks for asking. Is Harrison in?”

“Sure, I’ll put you through.”

After a small beep and a questioning look from Trish, Harrison was on the line. “What can I do for you, Amber?”

“I need information on setting up a scholarship fund for employees. Since you’re the master at digging through piles of regulations, I thought I’d see what you knew or if you could send me in the right direction.”

“Is this a BMB project?”

Amber bit her nail. “Sort of.”

Harrison didn’t miss a beat. “Can you give me a couple of days?”

“Sure.”

“And Amber, I’ll be calling for more details.”

Amber yanked her hand down. “Of course. Trish is here with me. I’ll fill her in over dinner tonight and you can call anytime.”

“Sounds good.”

Amber knew Harrison wasn’t one to bend the rules. In fact, his basic job was to make sure brides and grooms followed the code of conduct. So he was all about the rules. She hoped mentioning Trish had given her odd request the right amount of credence, and it had. Now she just needed to explain to Trish that Robyn was most likely going to be fired and see if she’d be willing to help the woman become a paralegal.

Chapter 19

To Rym’s disappointment, Amber buried herself in some BMB project with Trish and he wasn’t able to get her alone. She was constantly on the phone with Harrison, and Trish was at every meal.

The second day of Trish’s visit, the three of them were in Rym’s kitchen going over a new household budget while Amber chopped veggies and cooked rice. Rym had already set out his can of soup. It was a routine they’d gotten used to over the last month and a half. She’d cook her food, he’d cook his soup or warm up a frozen burrito, and they’d sit down to eat together.

Except for the last couple of nights, they hadn’t really talked like they used to. Part of it was that Trish was playing a wonderful third wheel. Rym really liked her—she threw some zingers out there that had him laughing hard and she said it like it was—but he wanted alone time with Amber. They had so much to talk about. He desperately wanted to apologize for taking his frustrations over the firing policy out on her. She wasn’t the one who made up the rules. Even though she’d defended them, he should have been kinder.

Amber got another phone call from headquarters, as Rym liked to call the BMB office, and excused herself to step out.

Trish pointed to Rym’s belly and said, “Your shirts are shrinking.”

Rym dropped his arms. “I’m pretty sure the new maid has no idea how to run the washer.” He pulled at the hem of the orange sweater he’d worn the day he married Amber, trying to stretch it out again.

Trish made a disbelieving noise. “You really don’t see it?”

“See what?”

“You’ve broadened in the chest and shoulders. You need bigger clothes.”

Rym’s face flushed, and he was grateful Amber had excused herself to answer a call from headquarters. “It can’t be that. I stopped growing my junior year of high school.”

Trish twisted her rings so they set properly. “Have you gotten on a scale?”

“No. Everything still fits around the waist.”

“Of course it does. You’re in shape.” Her face lit up. “Let’s go shopping. Amber said you knew a great place for winter clothing. I’d love to make a dent in their stockroom.”

Rym groaned. “Why don’t you go—take Amber. I’ll wear whatever you buy as long as it fits.” He could sense a difference in his coats, too. They were tight when he moved his hands forward. He hadn’t paid much attention to it. He supposed it was because of all the dinners he and Amber had eaten at the lodge the last couple of weeks. When he thought of all the wonderful steaks and turkey dishes he’d consumed, his can of soup didn’t sound appetizing. 

Trish clapped her hands.

“Uh-oh,” said Amber as she walked back in. “I’ve seen that look before—who agreed to a makeover?”

“No one,” Rym said forcefully. “I just told Trish to go shopping for me.”

Amber threw her hands in the air. “You have no idea what you’ve just done.”

Trish rushed over to Amber. “Are you coming?”

“Sorry. I’ve got too much to do here.” She waved her phone.

Rym caught her eye, and she gave him her polite smile. He silently cursed. There had to be a way to apologize without making a fool of himself in front of Trish.

“I’ll go right after dinner. When do we eat?”

Amber hustled behind the counter and took the rice off the burner. “Now.”

Rym popped out of his seat. “I’ll get the plates.”

“Thanks.”

Amber was busy transferring the chicken and stir-fry veggies to a serving dish. Rym set three plates on the table and went back for flatware. When Amber set the food on the table, she caught sight of the plate in front of Rym.

“It smells delicious,” he said. “I can’t wait to try it.”

Amber stared as he loaded his plate. They said a quick prayer over the food and Rym took a huge bite. “It’s really good. You should taste it,” he told Amber, because she continued to stare at him.

Blinking into a smile, Amber’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. “I’m glad you like it.”

Rym returned her smile. Reaching under the table, he gave her knee a squeeze. Their gaze held, and Rym was transported back to the moment when he brushed his thumb across her lip. The same desire to kiss her filled his every cell. Her lips parted slightly and Rym fought to keep his eyes open, fought the desire building inside.

Trish cleared her throat and dropped her fork loudly on the table, reminding Rym they had company.

Slowly he released Amber’s knee, using his finger to trace a small circle before withdrawing entirely. Amber shivered.

Trish stood. “Well, I think I’ll be off. I have shopping to do.”

Amber bolted to her feet as well. “I’ve got a document coming through my email. I should be checking it.”

Both women hurried out, and Rym was left with a plate of warm food and no desire to eat. He didn’t dare toss it. Nope. If eating her food would get him that kind of reaction from Amber, he’d eat burnt toast as long as she was the one who made it.

***

The next morning, Rym found a note on the counter that said Amber had left early for a ski lesson. He’d wanted to take her up again, but it was too difficult to get them both time off, so he’d set her up with a private lesson with one of his buddies. He hoped she had a good lesson and would gain confidence.

With a quick bowl of cereal and a prayer, Rym was out the door. The irony of wanting to try Amber’s blueberry pancakes and not having her in the house to cook them wasn’t lost on him. He tossed his keys up and snatched them from the air. He still had time with Amber and he intended to make the most of it.