Page 40 of An Unexpected Love

“Did she leave anything out?” Jill asked sarcastically.

He ignored her question. “In the end I phoned Mark and asked him about it. I don’t know Brady well, but I assumed he’d be able to explain the situation a little more rationally.”

“Shelly does tend to get a bit dramatic.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

“I just wish she hadn’t said anything to you.”

“I imagine you do,” he remarked dryly.

“What did Mark say?”

“We talked for several minutes. By this time Shellywas weeping and nearly hysterical, convinced she was saving us both from a fate worse than death. Mark was kind enough to inject a bit of sanity into the discussion. What it boiled down to is this.”

“What?” Jill wasn’t purposely being obtuse.

“Me confronting you. I’m here to ask you about Aunt Milly’s wedding dress.”

He could ask her whatever he wanted, but she didn’t have any answers.

“Jill?”

She heaved a sigh. “I returned the dress to Shelly.”

“She explained that, too. Said you’d brought it back the morning after my visit.”

“It wasn’t meant for me.”

“Not true, according to Shelly…and Mark.” He remained standing where he was, unwilling to divulge his own feelings. “So you’re going to go ahead and marry Roger.”

“Ralph.”

“Whoever,” Jordan snapped.

“No!” she shouted, furious with him, furious with Shelly and Mark, too.

A moment of shocked silence followed her announcement. Several feet separated Jill from Jordan, and although neither of them moved, they suddenly seemed much closer.

“I knew that,” he said.

“How could you possibly know?” Jill hadn’t told anyone yet. Not Shelly and certainly not Jordan.

“Because you’re marrying me.”

Eight

All of Jill’s defenses came tumbling down. She’d known they would from the moment she’d walked out of the lunchroom and confronted him. Known in the very depths of her soul that he’d eventually have his way. She didn’t have the strength to fight him anymore.

He must have sensed her acquiescence because he moved toward her, pausing just short of taking her in his arms. “You will marry me, won’t you?” The words were gentle yet insistent, brooking no argument.

Jill nodded. “I don’t want…don’twantto love you.”

“I know.” He reached for her then, drawing her into his embrace as though he were comforting a child.

It should have eased her mind that settling into his arms felt more natural than anything she’d done in the past week. A feeling of welcome. A feeling of rightness. And yet there was fear.

“You’re going to break my heart,” she whispered.

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