Will said. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Let’s just lay it all out on the table. I’m all for honesty.”
“For some reason, you suddenly feel the need to marry me. Maybe you’re in the midst of some early midlife crisis. Or maybe you’ve run through all the single women in the Chicago metro area. Or maybe all your buddies have settled down and you don’t have anyone to party with. But rather than dating a woman and going the traditional route, you dug up this contract and wrote me a letter. I suppose you thought I’d jump at the offer. After all, a girl like me would be a fool to turn down an offer of marriage from a guy like you.”
He opened his mouth to speak, a frown of confusion furrowing his brow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“It means I’m not going to marry you! We don’t even know each other.” She paused. “Anymore. And I don’t remember signing this contract.” She crumpled it up and shoved it at his chest.
It was a lie. She remembered every moment of that night. She’d been the one to insist they have a witness sign, as well, she’d been the one who’d actually wanted the document to be legal, dreamed that someday he might come back and try to enforce it.
Will drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You’ve changed, Janie. You used to be so…”
“Weak, pathetic, spineless? I’m not that same silly girl who used to hang on your every word, who used to bake you cookies and mend your shirts.”
“That’s not what I was going to say.” He reached out and hesitantly touched her cheek, drawing his thumb over her lower lip. “You’re not a girl at all, Janie. You’re a woman. A very beautiful, passionate, stubborn woman.”
Jane closed her eyes, losing herself for a moment in the warmth of his hand. Oh, God. This was it. This was the start to one of her top five fantasies! In a few moments, he’d sweep her into his arms and kiss her, ravaging her mouth with his lips. And if by some bizarre shift in the cosmos, her fantasy became reality, then she might as well start shopping for a white dress and a bridal bouquet and those little candy-coated almonds tied up in tulle that always sat on the dinner tables at weddings.
There was no way she was going to avoid falling in love with Will McCaffrey all over again…and right now, with her heart slamming in her chest and her pulse racing, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever fallen out of love with him in the first place.
She swallowed hard. “What do you want from me?” she asked, her voice wavering.
“I just want you to forget the past. I want you to go out to dinner with me tonight. I want to share a bottle of champagne and get to know you all over again.”
Jane ground her teeth. Why was he so determined to pull her in again? Couldn’t he sense what this would cost her? She shook her head. “No. I’m not going to date you and I’m not going to marry you!”
“Why not?” he demanded, frustration coloring his tone. “What’s wrong with me? I’m a decent guy. The way you’re acting you’d think I was some psychotic ax murderer with a hump on his back and halitosis.”
“There’s nothing wrong with you. We’re just not…suited.”
Will chuckled softly, shaking his head. “How can you possibly know that?”
“I just do,” Jane replied.
Will shrugged and stepped away from her, the warmth of his touch suddenly going cold. “Then I guess I’ll see you in court.”
Jane closed her eyes and tried to school her temper. “We have to be able to reach some sort of compromise. If you hadn’t run into me on the street the other day, you never would have remembered the contract. And we both would have gone on with our lives.”
“Maybe so,” he said. “But we did meet again and whether that was destiny or providence, I don’t care. It made me realize how much I missed you. And how much I want you in my life again.”
Jane forced herself not to dwell on his words. They were all part of his plan to charm her, to suck all the common sense out of her brain so he could have his way with her. “And marriage is the answer? What if I agree to a date? Doesn’t that seem a more logical first step?”
“I asked and you said no. Besides, now that I think about it, I’m sick and tired of dating. I’m ready to move on with my life,” Will said. He sat down at his desk and leaned back in his chair, linking his fingers behind his head and watching her with a bland smile.
If he wanted a fight, then she was fully prepared to give him one! Jane braced her hands on his desk and leaned over it, meeting his gaze with a glare of her own. “I’m not going to marry you. I’m not going to date you. In fact, I never want to see you again. If you think you can enforce your silly contract, then try it. I dare you.”
Her heart pounding, Jane strode to the door and yanked it open. She briefly considered turning around and throwing a few more threats his way, but in the end, she made a quick escape. One more look at Will McCaffrey might be just what it took to push her over the edge, into a strange fantasy world where she really could marry him and live happily-ever-after.
When she reached the elevator, she leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. Images of Will swam in her head and Jane groaned softly. Fighting him seemed to be the only option. Or was it?
“I just need time,” she murmured, her desperation thick in her voice. Time to sort out her financial problems without the threat of an expensive court case hanging over her head. Time to come to grips with her attraction to a man she couldn’t possibly love. And time to convince herself that Will McCaffrey wasn’t the man of her dreams.
Yet, in a secret corner of her heart, she wondered what might happen if she agreed to marry him. Would he get scared and back down, deftly avoiding commitment as he had in the past? Or would he actually fulfill the terms of their contract and walk down the aisle with her?
Jane groaned softly, her mind spinning with the possibilities. What if she never found out for sure and lived to regret it? The choices she made today might seem like her only option. But how would they look in ten or fifteen years?
2
A CHILLY WIND BLEW OFF the lake, sending dried leaves swirling into the air. The dismal gray sky obscured the November sun and a cold drizzle shone on the sidewalks. Somewhere nearby, a siren wailed. Will drew his overcoat more tightly around him and jogged across the street against the light.
After what had happened at his office two days ago, Will hadn’t expected to hear from Jane again. He’d handled their meeting badly, but he’d been thrown off track by the notion that she actually believed he was going to force her to marry him! The contract had only been a means to get her to agree to dinner, but since she’d adamantly refused his invitations, he felt backed into a corner. Will cursed beneath his breath. He’d never had to force a woman to date him before. Why was he so determined to have Jane?
Maybe seeing her again would clarify things in his mind. Yes, she was incredibly attractive, and yes, they had shared a past that included a friendship he’d treasured. But they were different people living different lives now. Did that mean they couldn’t begin again? He strolled into the small park across from the Newberry Library and walked along the path, scanning the pedestrians in search of Jane.
She’d
