Read Online Right by Her Side by Christie Ridgway - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Christie Ridgway
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that began to sound like bedtime stories.
The deep fatigue that had been hovering now settled over her like a warm blanket. She drifted off to the sound of his voice and the fairy tales he was whispering in her ear.
Later, she stirred, and discovered she was in her bedroom, fully dressed beneath the afghan her mother had made. When she reached to pull it higher, her hand encountered a piece of paper. A note. The fact that she could read it made her suddenly aware that it was morning.
And she was suddenly aware that Trent had steamrollered her, after all.
The note was a list of items sheâd apparently agreed to after all.
Wedding date: Thursday, 3:00 p.m., County Courthouse
Blood test: Monday morning
Lawyerâs office: Thursday, 2:00 p.m. to sign prenup agreement.
She remembered insisting on that.
It went on from there.
Well, she wasnât going to follow instructions. Of course she wasnât! She remembered his voice rumbling in the darkness the night before, remembered him tucking her into bed. She didnât believe it was a reasonable solution to marry Trent Crosby, even if he was as disillusioned about love as she.
The whole idea was ridiculous and she wasnât even theslightest bit tempted, no matter how good-looking, how persuasive, how skilled he was at the kind of foot massages that a nurse would love to grow accustomed to.
To emphasize that fact, she tossed the note aside. Another little piece of paper fluttered into the air like a feather. Rebecca caught it. Stared at it.
The fortune. And the truth shall set you free.
Okay, the truth: She was a little bit tempted.
Fine. More than a little bit.
Was she free now?
The phone beside her bed rang. She picked it up.
âHello, fiancée,â Trent said in her ear.
Good Lord, she thought, as his voice sent a warm tickle down her malleable spine. Not free. Not free at all.
Five
âA dmit it. You know we made a mistake. You know you made a mistake.â
Trent looked into Rebeccaâs anxious face as the elevator descended another floor. âYouâre kidding, right? Weâve been married less than ten minutes. We havenât even made it out of the courthouse yet. How could this be a mistake already?â
âIâm dressed in my nurseâs uniform. What bride starts a marriage dressed in hospital scrubs?â
âA bride who was called in for an extra shift and who couldnât find it in herself to say no, it was her wedding day, thatâs who. And for the record, thatâs your mistake, not mine.â
âBut this was all your idea, andââ She cut off therest of her remark as the elevator doors swished open and a trio of people stepped inside.
And Iâll be damned if I say it was a mistake, Trent thought. It was the best solution to their problem for all the reasons heâd already given her. Plus, it didnât feel like a mistake. The knowledge that he was married to Rebecca gave him all the pleasures of a bulging bank account and a successful business negotiation rolled into one. There was that distinct sense of security, as well as the edgy thrill of a chase brought to a satisfying conclusion. And then, just below the surface was that intriguing simmer of possibility. It was just as heâd planned, Trent thought as they exited the elevator and walked toward their parked cars.
He slanted another look at Rebecca and put every ounce of determination and certainty into his voice. âBelieve me, Rebecca, this is not a mistake.â
âIâm not convinced youâre the type of man who would ever admit to one,â she grumbled.
Well, that was true. And he was also the type of man, who, when he decided he wanted something, got it by going after it in a systematic, methodical fashion. Paying attention to the details was the secret to his success and the source of his confidence. If he personally made sure that all the t âs were crossed and the i âs dotted, then
The deep fatigue that had been hovering now settled over her like a warm blanket. She drifted off to the sound of his voice and the fairy tales he was whispering in her ear.
Later, she stirred, and discovered she was in her bedroom, fully dressed beneath the afghan her mother had made. When she reached to pull it higher, her hand encountered a piece of paper. A note. The fact that she could read it made her suddenly aware that it was morning.
And she was suddenly aware that Trent had steamrollered her, after all.
The note was a list of items sheâd apparently agreed to after all.
Wedding date: Thursday, 3:00 p.m., County Courthouse
Blood test: Monday morning
Lawyerâs office: Thursday, 2:00 p.m. to sign prenup agreement.
She remembered insisting on that.
It went on from there.
Well, she wasnât going to follow instructions. Of course she wasnât! She remembered his voice rumbling in the darkness the night before, remembered him tucking her into bed. She didnât believe it was a reasonable solution to marry Trent Crosby, even if he was as disillusioned about love as she.
The whole idea was ridiculous and she wasnât even theslightest bit tempted, no matter how good-looking, how persuasive, how skilled he was at the kind of foot massages that a nurse would love to grow accustomed to.
To emphasize that fact, she tossed the note aside. Another little piece of paper fluttered into the air like a feather. Rebecca caught it. Stared at it.
The fortune. And the truth shall set you free.
Okay, the truth: She was a little bit tempted.
Fine. More than a little bit.
Was she free now?
The phone beside her bed rang. She picked it up.
âHello, fiancée,â Trent said in her ear.
Good Lord, she thought, as his voice sent a warm tickle down her malleable spine. Not free. Not free at all.
Five
âA dmit it. You know we made a mistake. You know you made a mistake.â
Trent looked into Rebeccaâs anxious face as the elevator descended another floor. âYouâre kidding, right? Weâve been married less than ten minutes. We havenât even made it out of the courthouse yet. How could this be a mistake already?â
âIâm dressed in my nurseâs uniform. What bride starts a marriage dressed in hospital scrubs?â
âA bride who was called in for an extra shift and who couldnât find it in herself to say no, it was her wedding day, thatâs who. And for the record, thatâs your mistake, not mine.â
âBut this was all your idea, andââ She cut off therest of her remark as the elevator doors swished open and a trio of people stepped inside.
And Iâll be damned if I say it was a mistake, Trent thought. It was the best solution to their problem for all the reasons heâd already given her. Plus, it didnât feel like a mistake. The knowledge that he was married to Rebecca gave him all the pleasures of a bulging bank account and a successful business negotiation rolled into one. There was that distinct sense of security, as well as the edgy thrill of a chase brought to a satisfying conclusion. And then, just below the surface was that intriguing simmer of possibility. It was just as heâd planned, Trent thought as they exited the elevator and walked toward their parked cars.
He slanted another look at Rebecca and put every ounce of determination and certainty into his voice. âBelieve me, Rebecca, this is not a mistake.â
âIâm not convinced youâre the type of man who would ever admit to one,â she grumbled.
Well, that was true. And he was also the type of man, who, when he decided he wanted something, got it by going after it in a systematic, methodical fashion. Paying attention to the details was the secret to his success and the source of his confidence. If he personally made sure that all the t âs were crossed and the i âs dotted, then
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