Pamela Macaluso - Christmas Wedding

With her usual softhearted tendency to side with the underdog, Holly was immediately sympathetic to Jesse. She was willing to overlook the fact that the man was probably getting ready to sue her and that he was handsomer than any man had the right to be.

All she saw was his rich, powerful parents trying to control him and make him live their choices for his life and not his own.

“This is interesting,” Ellen said.

Holly looked at the newspaper Ellen was holding. It was an engagement announcement. Joanna Tyler and Douglas Wellington. The wedding was to be in December at the home of the bride’s parents in Lake Wyndham, Florida.

A smile tugged at the edges of her mouth. She didn’t like Jesse much, but although he’d missed the humor in Tiny’s tattoo, the guy did have a sense of humor about some things.

Ellen reached her arms above her head and stretched. “When did you say he wanted you to go with him?”

“The week before, through the day after this wedding.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I probably need my head examined, but I’m seriously thinking about going.”

Ellen held up a magazine with a picture of the three Yankee owners on the front. “There are worse guys to be stuck pretending to be in love with.”

They would be expected to act like they were in love. Holly hadn’t thought about that part of it. While she had considered there would be hand-holding, she hadn’t looked at the bigger picture.

Of course if she gazed into his gorgeous green eyes long enough, it would be easy to convince even herself that she was in love with him.

Ellen continued. “Is he as good-looking in person?”

“Better.”

“Impossible. Do you think you’ll get a chance to meet his partners?”

“He didn’t say. But you can stop drooling, the other two are already married.”

“So, are you going to do it?”

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

“I think you should. Besides getting paid, you’ll probably have fun. And maybe if you get on his good side, you can convince him not to file charges.”

She might also be able to get information on the rumored Yankee clothing line. If she were spending time with Jesse, maybe she could get the inside scoop and possibly a foot in the door for a job.

“Oh, I guess I’ll go.”

“You make it sound like a sacrifice. Most women would be willing to pay him for the chance you’re getting.”

Holly knew Ellen was right. Yet she couldn’t quite shake all her misgivings. She looked at one of the magazines on the table, opened to an article titled Billionaire’s Renegade Son Makes His First Million.

There was more to Jesse Tyler than met the eye, that was for sure. What would it be like to spend a week with him?

* * *

“Mr. Tyler, Mr. Dalton is on line one.”

“Thanks.” Jesse picked up the phone. “What can I do for you, Alex?”

They discussed Alex’s idea to offer public tours of the Daytona Beach facilities. The issue would be brought up at their next board meeting, but since Jesse was most familiar with the setup down there, Alex had called to verify some details.

“How’s Genie?” Jesse asked after the business was taken care of.

“Fine. We’ve got our first anniversary coming up in December.”

“That’s right. Congratulations.” Man, the last year had flown by. “Speaking of December, I’m planning to take a week off for my sister’s wedding.”

“You’re going to your sister’s wedding?” Both of his partners knew about his estrangement from his family.

“Joanna asked me to be in the wedding party.”

“Be sure to have a good time.”

“Hey, you know me. I always have a good time.”

Alex was quiet for a moment. “You used to always have a good time.”

“So, how’s Rorke doing?” Jesse changed the subject.

“Callie is due sometime in December. I was there last week, and Rorke already has a model train set up.”

It would be a while before Rorke and Callie’s son or daughter was ready for a model train, but there was something heartening about parents who were so excited about the arrival of their children that they went overboard—as opposed to parents who ignored their kids most of the time, then went overboard to ease their consciences.

But he didn’t want to think about his parents now. He would be seeing them soon. After finishing his conversation with Alex, he looked at the calendar, counting the days before he left for Lake Wyndham.

He hadn’t heard from Holly yet.

Jesse was surprised she hadn’t jumped at his offer. Surprised, but pleased. The way she wanted to consider her decision meant she was looking at it as a business deal and not as some women would—as a way to try to bring him to heel.

Of course, he hadn’t expected that from Holly. He’d felt a negative tension from her the times they’d been together. He assumed it was the possible lawsuit that kept her from liking him.

But whatever the reason, it was best that she didn’t. He needed a pretend fiancée for a week. He didn’t need another woman falling in love with him.

Holly stared at her phone. She’d decided to accept Jesse’s offer, but inexplicably hesitated over notifying him.

She snatched the receiver and pushed the buttons before she could chicken out. A secretary answered Jesse’s phone, but rather than having to leave a message, Holly was put right through.

“Ms. Bryant, what can I do for you?”

Over the phone his deep voice had an added warmth she hadn’t noticed in person. “If we’re going to be engaged, shouldn’t we be on a first-name basis?”

“Holly, then. You’re accepting the offer?” Jesse said. He sounded pleased.

“Yes.”

“Good. Are you free Saturday morning?”

Holly glanced at the calendar hanging next to the phone. “This Saturday?”

“Yes. We need to buy an engagement ring and go over the information engaged couples would know about each other. It should only take a few hours.”

A fiancée would most likely know what that heavenly body looked like without clothes and what kind of a lover Jesse was .

She cleared her throat before answering. “I have to be at work by one o’clock.”

“I’ll pick you up at nine-thirty. If you’ll give me your address and directions.”

“Why don’t I meet you at Dad’s shop? That way, if we run behind schedule, I won’t be late to work.”

“Whatever you prefer.”

“Nine-thirty at the shop, then.”

“See you there.”

* * *

Saturday morning Holly changed clothes three times before settling on a colorful tourist look. Jesse couldn’t complain that it was conservative. At the same time a salesclerk in the jewelry store was more likely to take her seriously than if she were in her biker clothes.

She couldn’t remember how old she’d been the first time she’d realized that much of the world looked at the way you were dressed and judged you from that. It didn’t seem fair, but rather than complain about something she couldn’t change, she simply used it to her advantage when she could, and played games and experimented with it the rest of the time.

When she arrived at the tattoo shop, Jesse was already there. He was also dressed somewhere between “decked out” and blue jeans. She could tell from the fit and the fabric that his clothes were top of the line.

They exchanged greetings, then set off.

“Would you like to start with a brief family history, or shall I go first?” Jesse asked.

“I don’t have much to tell. I was born and raised in Daytona Beach. You’ve met my dad. He and my mother were divorced when I was eight. She remarried and has a new family.”