Page 35 of Substitute Bride

He disconnected the call and set it on the counter with a groan, glaring at the phone as if the device was to blame.

“This is a damned mess,” he muttered.

Rose wrapped her arms around her stomach in an instinctive defensive posture. “I’m so sorry.”

His eyes shot up to her. “It’s not your fault. Why would you think it’s your fault?”

“I don’t think it’s my fault, but I’m involved. I’m just sorry it’s such a mess.”

He sighed. “Yeah. I’m sorry you’ve gotten wrapped up in it. I don’t know what to do about Marta and William. I’m sure it’s just their way of trying to hold on to their daughter—by getting me together with some sort of substitute that they’ve picked out—but there comes a point when I just have to shut them down.” He tugged on his hair. “Then I feel guilty for speaking to them that way.”

“There’s no reason to feel guilty. It has to be done eventually. You’ve been really good to them—as far as I’ve seen.” Feeling the need to comfort him, she stepped over and put a hand on his chest. “It sounded like you did fine. I guess… I guess Genevieve is telling the story that I’m some kind of gold-digging man stealer?”

“Yeah.” James’s expression changed, and he cupped her face briefly with his warm hand. “As if anyone could believe you’d do something like that.”

She melted at the almost tender look in his eyes. She knew he’d just been at his wits’ end in the conversation earlier, but she couldn’t help but hear again him saying that he would marry her if he wanted.

It would never really be what he wanted, but she couldn’t help but like the sound of it.

She wasn’t going to be silly though. Not again. Not like she’d been with Richard.

That was the low point of her life, and she was never going to go back.

“It’s probably really easy for people to believe it,” she said, trying to sound casual. “There are always stories about men hooking up with their nannies, and people always assume the worst about the nannies.”

James made a face. “Yeah. I guess so. But anyone who knows you would know it’s not true.”

She liked the fact that he seemed to believe it. “I hope so. But a lot of people don’t know me at all and will believe anything they hear about me. Neither one of us is going to come out looking good from the story Genevieve is telling.”

He sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry you had to be dragged into this whole thing. You probably hate me.”

“I don’t hate you.” She was feeling particularly close to him and was afraid it might have been evident in her expression.

His eyes softened. “You don’t?”

“No. I really don’t.” She might have gone on to say something really stupid had there not been a well-timed interruption.

“Rosie! Daddy!” Julie exclaimed, bursting into the kitchen. “The fort is ready! Where are our sandwiches?”

James and Rose jerked apart, and the moment between them was gone as if it had never existed.

A couple of hours later, supper was over and the girls were heading up to play with their dolls upstairs. Rose wanted to get back to her grandmother’s house so she could spend the evening with her family, and James walked her out to the driveway so his driver could take her over.

She’d come over this afternoon as a way of being nice to the girls, so it was only fair that his driver take her there and back.

James would have been happy to let his driver take her anywhere she wanted, but she had always been scrupulous about not taking advantage on her day off.

He felt at loose ends and out of sorts after a crazy week, and he just wished things would settle down again, all the various parts of his life return to their proper slots.

They didn’t seem likely to though. Not while Genevieve was causing trouble the way she was.

He must have been a fool for ever liking her, for ever thinking she’d be a good match for him.

He was actually embarrassed by how stupid he’d been, and he hated feeling stupid around Rose.

She’d been quiet that afternoon, except for the few minutes in the kitchen, and he wished he could know more about what she was thinking. He could tell she was awkward about the whole situation—who wouldn’t be?—but he couldn’t read her expression any deeper.

It worried him since he’d always been able to tell what she was feeling.