Forever Dreams (Montana Brides) Read online

  “You won’t get the dozen kids you’ve planned.” She frowned at the gleam in his eyes. “You won’t even get one because I won’t be having sex with you again.”

  Heads turned in her direction. Gracie sank even lower in her seat, scowling at Trent’s laughing face.

  He leaned toward her. “I’d settle for mom not trying to marry me off to every single woman in Montana for a few months.”

  His breath tickled the side of Gracie’s face and she could have sworn his lips brushed her hair. She ignored the shiver running down her spine and the tingling going on in other parts of her body. They were chemical reactions to forced proximity, that’s all. Just like yesterday. Gigantic, raw chemical reactions that had blown her socks off and left her panting for more.

  “What about your mom and Jordan?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If we carry on with our bogus marriage…and get that hopeful look off your face, Trent McKenzie, I only said if. If we stay married for the next few months they’re going to think it’s for real.”

  “I hope so. Otherwise it kind of defeats the whole purpose of getting married.”

  “But it will only be until I find my father.”

  Trent sat back in his seat. “If that’s what you want.”

  “Of course it’s what I want,” Gracie hissed. “I planned on spending eight weeks in Montana, not my whole life. As soon as we get back to the ranch you have to get the paperwork sorted for our divorce.”

  “You don’t believe in mucking around, do you?”

  “I’m not the only one,” she growled. “And if we do stay married there are going to be some ground rules.”

  Trent frowned. “When isn’t there?”

  She decided to ignore his rude comment. “There’ll be no more touchy feely business. I’ll hold your hand in public and look like an adoring wife, but it stops at the bedroom door.”

  “Fine,” he said. “Next rule.”

  Gracie glared at him. “Are you laughing at me by any chance?”

  “Not at the moment.”

  God help her. Even under extreme pressure the man was hopeless. “Okay, rule two. If either of us forgets rule one, then the other person has to back off real fast.”

  Trent stared at her. “What if we both forget rule one at the same time?”

  She stared at him. Heat shot through her body sending a tidal wave of color from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. “It’s not going to happen.” Heaven help both of them if it did. “One of us has to back away or the deals off.”

  “Should we toss a coin at the time, or do paper-scissors-rock?” A grin replaced his worried frown.

  “This is a serious discussion. Not some frivolous chit-chat about the latest stock yields. This is my life we’re talking about.”

  Trent held her hand in his. All the humor disappeared out of his face, replaced by something so deep and tender that Gracie had to look away. “I take your life very seriously. And I understand how important it is for you to find your father.” He pushed a stray lock of hair over her ear. “If you’ll have me, Gracie McKenzie, you’ve got yourself a deal..”

  Trent lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her fingers. Prickles of heat traveled up her arm and straight into her heart. She should have felt happy that she could stay in Montana for as long as it took to find her father. That she had time to search the whole of America for him. That Trent had only married her to give him some breathing space from his mom. But disappointment filled her heart. “There’s a third rule, Trent,” she said softly.

  “There is?”

  Gracie nodded. “Either one of us can pull out of this marriage at any time. I need to be back in New Zealand in four weeks for my friend’s wedding. Before I go home I want to have our divorce papers signed, just in case I decide not to come back.”

  His face turned grey. “You’d leave without telling me you weren’t coming back?”

  “Considering you married me when I was drunk, I’d say that would just about make us even.”

  “I didn’t ask. You told everyone we were getting married.”

  “Do you want to stay married to me or not?” Gracie snapped. A dozen heads turned in their direction. She felt like they’d become onboard entertainment for the economy class.

  Trent glared at her. “Yes, I want to stay married to you. But your walkout clause works both ways.”

  Gracie sucked in a deep breath. She felt like swatting him over the head with her magazine. “Fine. Welcome to your new life.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  They arrived home to the smell of beef casserole simmering in the slow cooker and a note from Adele hoping they’d had a good time. Gracie snorted. Getting married probably ranked as a good time in someone’s life, but not hers.

  Trent carried her bags up the stairs, hesitating at the door to her bedroom. “Where do you want to sleep?”

  The blood drained from Gracie’s face. She hadn’t thought about their sleeping arrangements. Adele would know something fishy was up if they came back from Las Vegas as husband and wife, but kept sleeping in separate rooms. The no touching rule looked shaky already.

  “How big a bed do you have?”

  A smile caught the edge of Trent’s mouth. “How big do you need?”

  She sat down on the top stair as a wave of heat rushed through her body.

  Trent put her bags on the floor and sat down beside her. “Have I ever told you how much I enjoy having you around?”

  “Don’t speak too soon. I’m here for a few more weeks yet.”

  He leaned sideways and kissed her cheek. “My bed is huge, but if you want to sleep in your room, that’s okay.”

  “I’d forgotten about Adele. If everyone in Montana has to believe this marriage is for real, then I guess I’d better bunk in with you. But don’t get any ideas about a repeat performance of Las Vegas because it isn’t going to happen.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He grinned as he moved down the hall with her bags.

  Gracie watched his back disappear into their room. All she had to do was remember that they were in this marriage for reasons that had nothing to do with love and commitment. The sooner she found her father the sooner they could get unmarried and live happily-ever-after.

  “How was Vegas?” Jordan sniffed the air appreciatively as he swaggered into the kitchen.

  Gracie’s fork dropped against the side of her plate.

  Trent reached for a glass of water. He cleared his throat, looking across at his brother. He didn’t have any idea how Jordan would take the news of their wedding. And he hadn’t thought about how he’d tell his mom. If he was totally honest with himself, there hadn’t been much thinking going on at all in his pea-sized brain.

  Jordan filled a plate with mashed potatoes and beef casserole. “Come on, Trent. It was a simple question. Did you see any of the shows?” Jordan sat at the table, reaching for the salad.

  “We saw the Cirque du Soleil on Saturday night.” About an hour and a half before he’d married his wife. Trent rubbed his hand along his jaw and braced himself for his brother’s reaction to their news. “Gracie and I got married in Vegas.”

  Jordan dropped the salad servers. He looked at Gracie and frowned. “Where’s your ring?”

  Trent looked down at her left hand. Damn. Gracie gripped her knife and fork as if she was getting ready to use them as weapons. She stared at him with what most people would call a loving expression on her face. He wasn’t fooled.

  “Trent’s taking me shopping tomorrow, aren’t you darling? I couldn’t find anything I liked in Las Vegas.”

  The twinkle in her eye made his credit card to sink deeper into his wallet. He had a feeling the ring wasn’t going to come cheap.

  Jordan’s gaze bounced between Gracie and Trent. “You mean it’s for real? You’re not joking?”

  Trent looked at his little brother. He didn’t seem upset, just confused. “No joke. This is for real.”

  “Have you told
mom?”

  “Not yet.” Trent picked up his fork and tried to eat some casserole. It stuck in his throat.

  Jordan pulled out his cell phone, hitting speed dial.

  “What are you doing?” Trent grabbed for the phone, knowing exactly what his brother was doing. He wasn’t ready to talk with his mom just yet and from the way Gracie was staring at the two of them, she wasn’t either.

  Jordan leapt away from the table, diving out of reach. “Hi, mom. Guess what? Trent and Gracie got married in Vegas.” He pulled the phone away from his ear and laughed. “What did you say, mom? Okay, I’ll tell them.”

  “She’s on her way over. Man, you two have some serious explaining to do. Goodness, me. Look at the time. I hate to be a party-pooper, but I have to leave.” Jordan picked up his uneaten plate of food and headed toward the door. “See you in the morning folks.” He gave Gracie a wink and hot-footed it out of the room.

  Gracie pushed the food around her plate. “Two down, one to go,” she muttered.

  “Two?”

  “Yep. Mrs. Davies knows.”

  Trent’s chair nearly fell backward. “She was here?”

  Gracie shook her head. “While you were having a shower she phoned to see if I enjoyed Las Vegas. I told her we got married. It was probably better than her starting work in the morning and seeing me make a mad dash out of your room for some clothes.”

  He stared at Gracie, not quite trusting the grin on her face. What had he gotten himself into?

  “Cheer up, Trent. It could be worse. You might have married Jo-Jo. Then where would you be?”

  “Not sitting here waiting for my mother to ask me why she wasn’t invited to the wedding,” he grumbled.

  Karen made a record dash over to the Triple L. Trent just had time to put the dishwasher on before his mom came bursting through the back door. Gracie had her feet up on the couch, reading a book in the living room.

  “Trent McKenzie. Did Jordan tell me the truth? Are you and Gracie married?”

  “Yes, mom. We got married last night.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you planned on getting married in Las Vegas? I would have organized a little welcome home celebration.”

  As if he really needed a houseful of wedding guests to make his life complete. “It came out of the blue.” Preceded by the best sex of his life and four frozen raspberry margaritas, but his mom didn’t need to know about that.

  “Where’s Gracie?” she asked.

  “Here I am.”

  Karen gave her a big hug. “Welcome to the family. I knew Trent had fallen for you. Every time I looked across at him at the barn dance he had a love-struck expression on his face. Just like his daddy used to look at me.”

  Trent sincerely doubted his dad had ever looked at his mom’s dress riding higher and higher on her hips. Or watched her dance with so many partners that he’d gone dizzy trying to keep up with who she was with.

  Gracie walked toward the kitchen. “Adele left some cake for us, Karen. Would you like a piece?”

  “That would be lovely.”

  While Gracie made hot drinks and organized the cake, Trent shooed his mom into the living room and found himself on the receiving end of one of her no-nonsense stares.

  In a low voice, she whispered, “I hope, Trent McKenzie, you have honorable intentions and haven’t married Gracie for the wrong reasons.”

  He took a deep breath, crossing his fingers in his pocket. “Of course not.”

  His mom gave him a suspicious stare.

  “Coffee’s ready.” Gracie walked in with three steaming mugs and a huge plate of cake balanced on a tray.

  Trent sank into one of the big armchairs. It would take more than a slice of cake to make him feel comfortable stretching the truth tonight. He just hoped his mom didn’t intend staying too long. And heaven help them all if she wanted to see some photos of the wedding.

  Gracie seemed to be taking their fake marriage in her stride. She positively glowed as she told his mom about their trip to Vegas and the drive-through Elvis that officiated at their wedding. If he hadn’t been present when she’d called him all the low-life names she could dredge up he would have been fooled by her tales. You’d think she’d spent a romantic weekend away exploring the delights of her new husband by the smile on her face. But he knew better.

  Gracie McKenzie was up to no good, and whatever devious plan she was hatching was bound to be bad for his health.

  “That went well, Trent.”

  “You think?”

  “Of course, I do. Your mom seems happy with the half-truths we spouted. It’s a wonder your nose hasn’t started growing with the amount of fibs pouring forth.”

  “I didn’t see you running away when I put my arm around you.”

  Gracie glared at his back as he took their empty cups out to the kitchen. “I’m only here for another four weeks, then I get a reprieve from staring at your handsome face every day.”

  He glanced over his shoulder. “It’s just as well I knew you were smiling when you said that, honey. Does this mean we’re not shopping for a wedding ring tomorrow?”

  “Wishful thinking. If we’re going to do this properly then a ring is essential. Don’t worry, I don’t have expensive taste.”

  “There’s no such thing as a woman with cheap taste,” Trent scoffed.

  He disappeared into the kitchen and Gracie sighed. It hadn’t felt the least bit satisfying lying to Karen, let alone lying to herself. Pretending Trent was the sun, moon and stars all wrapped up in one amazing package hadn’t been hard. Because if she was really honest with herself, he was amazing. Totally drop-dead-in-your-face amazing. And so not the person she needed in her life.

  “I bought something for you in Las Vegas.”

  Gracie looked at the bag dangling from his fingers. He gave it a wiggle when she didn’t reach for it. Whatever was in there must be important. She’d never seen Trent so excited about a shopping bag. Especially a little blue one. With white handles and a logo she couldn’t quite make out stamped on the outside.

  “Take it. And before you ask – no, it’s not a t-shirt.”

  She lifted her hand, reaching for the bag before he dropped it in her lap. The words, ‘Tiffany & Co.’ blazed back at her. She stared at Trent.

  “Open it, woman.”

  Gracie looked inside the bag and pulled out a blue box tied with a white ribbon. She ran her fingers along the satin, not sure whether opening it would be a great idea.

  “Sometime in the next few minutes would be good.”

  “I don’t know, Trent. The box alone probably cost more than most of the jewelry in my room.”

  “I didn’t buy what’s in there to compete with your other things.” He sat down beside her. In a soft voice that melted her heart, he whispered, “Open it, Gracie.”

  She untied the bow and lifted the lid. The most spectacular opal pendant she’d ever seen glowed inside the box. Red, blue, and green swirls of color streaked across the surface of the gemstone, almost as if little pieces of the solar system had been gathered together and placed inside the pendent.

  Trent moved closer. “The colors remind me of the rainbow we saw over Union Falls in Yellowstone.”

  “It’s beautiful, but I can’t accept it. It’s too expensive.”

  “Nonsense. I went to the Bellagio during our lunch break on the first day of the conference. As soon as I saw it I knew it was meant for you.” He ran a fingertip along Gracie’s clenched jaw. “I can’t return it, so you might as well give in.”

  She gazed down at the pendant, then back at Trent. A line of fire ran along her skin where his finger had stroked her face. She didn’t want to feel the rush of warmth filling her heart to overflowing. Or the shiver of need that teased her body.

  Trent lifted the opal out of the box, locking the clasp into place at the back of her neck. “All done,” he said softly. “Now turn around so that I can see what it looks like.”

  Gracie swiveled in her seat, reaching up
to touch the gemstone sitting above her heart. Trent’s gaze dropped to the pendant. She swallowed when she saw the longing on his face. He was a good man. She didn’t want to hurt him, didn’t want to be the one to leave, but eventually she’d have to. She couldn’t stay with him and give him what he so desperately wanted. Not without love.

  “What are we going to do?” she sighed. “I have to teach in Bozeman in two weeks and then I’m going home for my friend’s wedding. What will we tell your family when I leave?”

  Trent didn’t say anything for a few minutes. He turned back to the table, staring at the half eaten plate of cake. “We’ll tell them you’re coming back to Montana after your friend’s wedding.” He looked up, staring into Gracie’s eyes. “Until then you can return your rental and use the Nissan to commute into Bozeman. If you decide not to come back from New Zealand, I’ll tell everyone that ranch life wasn’t for you. It won’t be the first time it’s happened.”

  She took a deep breath, thinking about how his family would take the news of her departure. Thinking about her husband’s. She felt miserable.

  Trent pushed himself off the sofa. “It’s been a long day and we’re both tired. Come to bed and we can work something out in the morning.”

  She looked at the hand reaching out to help her to her feet. Maybe a good nights’ sleep would help put everything into perspective. But the thought of going to bed with Trent didn’t exactly send her into a slumberous mode. “You sound like an old married man already. Just remember the rules. No touching.”

  A slow grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Yes, ma’am. I wouldn’t dream of breaking the rules.”

  Gracie didn’t like the look of that grin. Keeping to the rules didn’t seem to be one of Trent’s strong points. And if the gleam in his eyes was anything to go by, he didn’t really care.

  “What on earth are you wearing?”

  Gracie looked down at her pink pussycat pajamas. She thought she’d play it safe on their first night together, just to make sure both of them remembered the sleeping rules. Flannel pajamas buttoned to the neck, complete with thick, green socks seemed a sensible option for a girl whose hormones had a mind of their own. “Did you think I’d be wearing a sexy French negligee?”