Page 19 of Married to Murder
Dad snorted. “You’ll outlive us all, Mother.”
Seth said, “I actually just had my hair cut.”
Mom laughed nervously. “I’m afraid Abigail thinks anyone who doesn’t have a shaved head has long hair.”
“True enough.” I nodded. “She’s always after me to get my hair chopped off.”
“All I know is men didn’t used to have hair as long as women in my day.” She sniffed, but her gaze never left Seth. “So Tanner tells me you’re a business owner?”
Seth shifted uneasily. “Yes… I do own a business. Not as successful as Trenton’s Treats, I’m afraid.”
“Well, you won’t have to worry about that now you’ve landed a rich husband.” Dad’s voice was gruff as he sat down again.
“Douglas, don’t be a boor.” Mom rolled her eyes. “Take a seat, you two. Relax.” As she spoke she settled beside my dad.
I moved to the love seat so Seth and I could sit together and still be able to talk to everybody easily. Seth took the spot next to me, sitting as if he had a rod up his spine. I really wanted him to relax a little. I knew my family would respond better to him if they could see the serene and warm version of him I was so familiar with. Of course, my dad probably wouldn’t like any guy I brought home since he still had trouble accepting I was gay. But my mom and grandma would give Seth a chance if he’d just be himself.
“Marrying a man you hardly know can’t be easy.” Mom smiled encouragingly at Seth. “What was it about Tanner that made you go for this unorthodox arrangement?”
“Other than his bank account?” Dad muttered under his breath.
Seth clenched his jaw and gave me an apprehensive look.
“Would you rather I just let my inheritance go to the… cats, Dad?” I snapped.
Dad avoided my gaze. “I didn’t say that.”
“Please try to be pleasant, dear.” My mother ran a hand over her ash-blonde hair. “Seth is our future son-in-law.”
Exhaling impatiently, my grandmother said, “Yes, Douglas. Behave.” She addressed Seth again. “I assume it’s not just the money. Surely there’s an attraction?” Her beady eyes were pinned on poor Seth.
Seth’s face was pink. “Yes. There’s… attraction.”
I liked hearing him say that because I sure as hell was very drawn to him still. I knew the only reason he’d agreed to this was the money, but I did enjoy the fact that we had sizzling chemistry too. If I had to have a fake husband, Seth was the most tempting choice I could imagine.
“We hit it off the minute we met,” I said. I wasn’t lying. I did feel Seth and I shared a strong connection already. Who knew where it could go?
Seth didn’t speak, but he nodded.
“Do you have any plans for the money you’ll get?” Dad asked Seth.
“Not really,” Seth said quietly. “I hope to maybe put some into my… er… business.” It was obvious he was in no hurry to tell them exactly what his business was. I couldn’t blame him, not with my dad sizing him up as if he were here to steal our wallets. But my grandmother had no say inwhoI married. So long as I was wed by the deadline, I got my money.
“Yes. You could do great things with that much cash.” My dad rubbed his chin with a faraway look in his eyes.
I was becoming a little annoyed that my dad couldn’t seem to think about anything but the money aspect. I wasn’t sure why he seemed so unwelcoming to Seth either. He’d been nagging me to get married and save my inheritance the last year and a half.
“Goodness, Douglas. We all know a lot of money is at stake. We’re trying to get to know Seth as a person.” My grandma scowled. “The money was just incentive to help Tanner see the benefits of settling down.”
My mother sat up straighter and clasped her hands in her lap. “What about your family, Seth? Do they have any concerns about the marriage, since you two haven’t know each other very long?”
Pulling his light brows together, he said, “I don’t have any family.”
“No family?” My grandmother looked shocked. “How is that possible?”
Seth lifted his chin. “They died when I was a child.”
I didn’t know Seth very well, but I had a very strong feeling he was lying. I couldn’t exactly put my finger on why that was, but I would have sworn he wasn’t telling the truth. I had to wonder why he didn’t want us to know anything about his family.
