Everybody was looking at him, and it was clear he was extremely uncomfortable. Danielle wasn’t entirely sure he was making the point he hoped to make, but he did make a pretty amusing picture. “I also would have chosen somebody closer to my age. But the great thing about Danielle is that she is so mature. I think it’s because she’s a mother. And yes, it happened for her in non-ideal circumstances, but her ability to rise above her situation and solve her problems—namely by responding to the ad—is one of the many things I find attractive about her.”
She wanted to kick him in the shin. He was being an asshole, and he was making her sound like a total flake... But that was the whole idea. And, honestly, given the information Joshua had about her life...he undoubtedly thought she was a flake. It was stupid, and it wasn’t fair. One of the many things she had learned about people since becoming the sole caregiver for Riley was that even though everyone had sex, a woman was an immediate pariah the minute she bore the evidence of that sex.
All that mattered to the hypocrites was that Danielle appeared to be a scarlet woman, therefore she was one.
Never mind that in reality she was a virgin.
Which was not a word she needed to be thinking while sitting in the Grayson family living room.
Her cheeks felt hot, like they were being stung by bees.
“Fate is a funny thing,” Danielle said, edging closer to Joshua. She took Riley out of his arms, and from the way Joshua surrendered the baby, she could tell he was more than ready to hand him over.
The rest of the evening passed in a blur of awkward moments and stilted conversation. It was clear to her that his family was wonderful and warm, but that they were also seriously questioning Joshua’s decision making. Todd Grayson looked as if he was going to be physically assaulted by his wife.
Basically, everything was going according to Joshua’s plan.
But Danielle couldn’t feel happy about it. She couldn’t feel triumphant. It just felt awful.
Finally, it was time to go, and Danielle was ready to scurry out the door and keep on scurrying away from the entire Grayson family—Joshua included.
She was gathering her things, and Joshua was talking to one of his brothers, when Faith approached.
“We haven’t gotten a chance to talk yet,” she said.
“I guess not,” Danielle said, feeling instantly wary. She had a feeling that being approached by Joshua’s younger sister like this wouldn’t end well.
“I’m sure he’s told you all about me,” Faith said, and Danielle had a feeling that statement was a test.
“Of course he has.” She sounded defensive, even though there was no reason for her to feel defensive, except that she kind of did anyway.
“Great. So here’s the thing. I don’t know exactly what’s going on here, but my brother is not a ‘marriage and babies’ kind of guy. My brother dates a seemingly endless stream of models, all of whom are about half a foot taller than you without their ridiculous high heels on. Also, he likes blondes.”
Danielle felt her face heating again as the other woman appraised her and found her lacking. “Right. Well. Maybe I’m a really great conversationalist. Although, it could be the fact that I don’t have a gag reflex.”
She watched the other woman’s cheeks turn bright pink and felt somewhat satisfied. Unsophisticated, virginal Danielle had made the clearly much more sophisticated Faith Grayson blush.
“Right. Well, if you’re leading him around by his...you know...so you can get into his wallet, I’m not going to allow that. There’s a reason he’s avoided commitment all this time. And I’m not going to let you hurt him. He’s been hurt enough,” she said.
Danielle could only wonder what that meant, because Joshua seemed bulletproof.
“I’m not going to break up with him,” Danielle said. “Why would I do that? I’d rather stay in his house than in a homeless shelter.”
She wanted to punch her own face. And she was warring with the fact that Faith had rightly guessed that she was using Joshua for his money—though not in the way his sister assumed. And Danielle needed Faith to think the worst. But it also hurt to have her assume something so negative based on Danielle’s circumstances. Based on her appearance.
People had been looking at Danielle and judging her as low-class white trash for so long—not exactly incorrectly—that it was a sore spot.
“We’re a close family,” Faith said. “And we look out for each other. Just remember that.”
“Well, your brother loves me.”
“If that’s true,” Faith said, “then I hope you’re very happy together. I actually do hope it’s true. But the problem is, I’m not sure I believe it.”
“Why?” Danielle was bristling, and there was no reason on earth why she should be. She shouldn’t be upset about this. She shouldn’t be taking it personally. But she was.
Faith Grayson had taken one look at Danielle and judged her. Pegged her for exactly the kind of person she was, really—a low-class nobody who needed the kind of money and security a man like Joshua could provide. Danielle had burned her pride to the ground to take part in this charade. Poking at the embers of that pride was stupid. But she felt compelled to do it anyway.
“Is it because I’m some kind of skank he would never normally sully himself with?”
“Mostly, it’s because I know my brother. And I know he never intended to be in any kind of serious relationship again.”
Again.
That word rattled around inside of Danielle. It implied he had been in a serious relationship before. He hadn’t mentioned that. He’d just said he didn’t want
