Cal caught her, his arms going around her and steadying her. He braced his hip against the wall to keep them both from tumbling down the steps. Off balance, she clung to his shoulders, intensely aware of his strength and his arms around her.
As he gained his balance, she was conscious of being pressed against him, her hands clinging to strong shoul- ders.
“Sorry.”
“Are you all right?” His face was only inches from hers and his voice had lowered a notch.
“Yes. The wood gave way.” Aware of his hands sliding to her waist to steady her, she shifted away from him. He re- leased her, yet she was aware he still watched her. Flus- tered, she chided herself for being ridiculous. She looked at the rotten wood that was splintered.
“I’ll get a carpenter out here and have it fixed,” he said.
More aware of him than ever, she stepped over the splin- tered wood and watched where she walked. She climbed to the third floor, where they entered a large room. The win- dows were wide and uncovered, sunlight streaming across the dusty floor that held boxes and trunks and two old bi- cycles.
“Chris would love it up here,” she said. “If Josh and Quin don’t want to stay here, they don’t have to. This is perfect for Chris.” She moved toward a window. “You can see downtown Colby,” she exclaimed.
Thinking about how he’d caught her, his hands on her slender waist, the feel of her softness, Cal barely heard what she said. As Juliana explored the room, he watched the pull of the short red skirt against her hips.
“Ready?” she asked, her eyebrows arching when she glanced at him.
“For what?” he rejoined softly, wondering what it was about her that brought out a basic male response from him.
“To go downstairs,” she answered coolly, yet her cheeks became pink as she turned away. He caught up with her and paused at the head of the stairs. “Go on down. I’ll turn out the light after you’re downstairs.”
“I can see as well as you can,” she replied, so he hit the switch and followed her down, both of them stepping over the rotten wood. He had to jam his hand into his pocket to resist the temptation to reach out and help her.
“I want to move a few things here and I need to get the wedding planned,” she said. “I’ll go over plans with Gladys and Stoddard.” When they stepped onto the front porch, she turned to him. “It’s not too late to back out.”
“We’re doing exactly what I want, and I hope what you want, too.”
“We’ll be married two weeks from today,” she said, looking at the dazzling ring on her finger. “I hope the in- heritance is worth the upheaval in our lives.”
“It will be,” he said with a quiet conviction that was an unsettling reminder of how important the money was to him.
Five
“You look beautiful,” Juliana’s best friend, Meg Parks, said. “Just try to smile. You’re inheriting a fortune and marrying Mr. Wonderful—”
“You don’t know that,” Juliana mumbled, feeling as if a snowstorm had enveloped her. Her fingers were icy, and she felt stiff while she hurried through the hall to the small chapel. The long white taffeta rustled with each step and she clutched a bouquet of calla lilies.
“He’s definitely Mr. Gorgeous Hunk!” Meg said.
Juliana glanced at her tall, black-haired friend and bit her lip. “Meg, it’s all I can do to keep from turning around and running out the back door.”
“No, you don’t.” They paused in the narthex and Meg’s husband, Brison, stepped forward.
“I’m the lucky guy who gets to give the bride away. It’ll be good practice for Shauna’s wedding.”
“She’s two,” Juliana said, smiling at him, momentarily feeling her tension ease. “You’ll forget everything you’ve learned by then.”
Notes from the piano reached her, and Meg went down the aisle. Juliana watched her friend, who was wearing a pale blue linen dress. Juliana had intended to wear a simple short dress, but at the last moment had succumbed to buy- ing the long white dress, suspecting that with three boys, this would be the only wedding in her life. Now she wished she had gone with her first inclination and bought something simple because this marriage was a sham. This wasn’t the wedding she wanted or had dreamed about. Her gaze slid from Meg’s long black hair to Cal, and Juliana’s heart thudded.
Dressed in a black tux, he looked incredibly handsome. His dark gaze met hers as he stared at her solemnly. If only—She stopped her wishful thoughts. He was a con- firmed bachelor, going into this marriage of convenience for the money. Think about the boys, she told herself. Think what she can do for them. This marriage was for them. Just remember, the only thing Cal Duncan wants is the money.
“Ready?” Brison said, taking her arm. His hand brushed hers, and he glanced down at her. “You’re ice.”
“I’m all right.” She looked up into concerned blue eyes.
“I know why you’re doing this,” he said, “and I’d do the same thing if I had a chance at an inheritance like that. He seems like an okay guy, but if you ever have trouble, just call.”
“Thanks, Brison,” she said, giving his arm a pat and feeling the solid muscle.
With a deep breath, she started down the aisle. She glanced at the boys who sat with a grinning Mimi, her mother, Franci, and her stepfather, Jerry Moreno. She winked at Chris who grinned and gave her a thumbs-up sign that made her smile. Quin looked solemn, his mouth turned down slightly and she felt a ripple of worry. While Quin hadn’t said anything, it was clear he was unhappy about her marriage.
Her concern vanished when she looked at Josh who waved at her. She winked at him and then shifted her atten- tion to Cal. His steady gaze was on her, and
