Can't Buy Me Love (8 page)

Paige practically ran to the kitchen and started pulling vegetables out of the freezer and preheating the oven.
She wouldn’t have time for anything elaborate, just a simple casserole. It was tasty, but best of all it was quick and easy.

****

Blake eyed the pile of yellowish, greenish, creamy-looking goo that Dancy had served him. Once again he was thankful that the tiny maid had seated his wife at the opposite end of the large dining room table. His dinner looked like it could play the starring role in the next alien flick. He wasn’t really supposed to
eat
this, was he? He looked to Devin and knew their expressions were mirror-images. He needed to say something to Paige about these dinners. Soon.

“
Just what do you call this, Paige?” Devin asked his gaze glued to his plate as if any minute he expected his dinner to do something rash.

Paige looked up from her own meal, which she was consuming like there was no tomorrow.
“It’s spinach, yellow squash, and mushroom casserole.”

For once she wasn
’t watching Blake’s every move, making sure he ate his dinner and drank the vile liquid she called tea. And for once she didn’t ask if he liked the meal.

What
a relief
. There was no way he could come up with a creative, yet diplomatic response to this dish.

Before Blake and Devin had even taken their first bite of the concoction, Paige scraped her plate clean.
“If you’ll excuse me, I have some things I need to do.”

Both men nodded in agreement as she pushed her chair back and left the dining room.
It took some effort but Blake managed to drag his gaze from the sway of her hips and the soft curve of her derriere and back to his dinner. What was wrong with him tonight?

He mentally shook himself, then placed his plate on the floor.
Bruno, who loved anything humans ate, trotted over, but turned up his little black nose and walked away.
Poor Paige, even the dog wouldn’t eat her cooking
.

“
I don’t know about you,” Devin started. “But I think a trip to Ruth’s Chris is in order.”

“
For once, brother, we’re in agreement.”

****

“Oh, Paige, it’s beautiful.” Maddie held up the creation of green silk strewn with varying sea-colored sequins. They stood in the parlor after their weekly lunch. “And she just called you right out of the blue and asked you for a dress?”

“
Well, no. She called and wanted to know where I got the dress I wore to the opera fund raiser. I almost told her that I made it, but I recovered in time and told her instead that a friend designed it.”

“
What are you going to tell her when you show her the finished product without a single fitting?”

“
I’ll tell her that I told my friend about her, and she already had a dress that would be perfect for her. Then I’ll ask her if she’d like to see it.”

“
I’ve got to hand it to you, Paige. You’re a brilliant liar.”

“
I’m not a liar; it’s creative conversation.” Paige took the dress from Maddie and held it up in front of her so she could admire it even more.

“
Creative twisting-the-facts-to-suit-your-purpose is more like it.”

“
I was bored.”

Maddie nodded at the dress.
“People eat when they’re bored, they don’t design dresses. You missed your calling.”

“
It is lovely, isn’t it?” Paige’s voice held a happy note of pride. The form-hugging design and artfully sewn sequins were a masterpiece in their own right. The color would complement Cherry Holiday’s golden blonde hair and pale jade eyes. Paige just hoped Cherry liked green.

“
I apologize, dropping by unannounced like this. The maid let me in. Anyway, I wondered if perhaps you had talked to your designer fri—Oh, my! What a beautiful dress.”

Paige and Maddie both whirled around
guiltily.

“
May I see it?” Cherry held her hand out for the garment.

Paige handed it to her.

“Oh, it’s lovely.” The sincerity of Cherry’s tone brought a deeper flush of pride to Paige’s cheeks. “I knew you were having lunch with your friend today, but I had no idea it was a trunk sale.” She turned and extended her hand to Maddie. “I’m Cherry Holiday. You must be Paige’s designer friend. It’s so nice to meet you.”

Maddie shook her head and opened her mouth as if to deny Cherry
’s assumption, but Paige kicked her.

“
Ow,” Maddie said instead. “Why’d you—”

“
Yes, Cherry, this is Madeline Sim...Simone.” As she spoke, Paige smiled firmly and pushed the words through her teeth as she glared pointedly at her friend.

“
Oh, yes.” Maddie nodded, finally catching on to Paige’s not-so-subtle hints.

“
We just had lunch together,” Paige interjected before Maddie could expose them both. “Luckily, Madeline had a design already in mind for you.”

“
Really?”

And luckily for Paige, Cherry wasn
’t paying much attention to the play that was occurring between her and Maddie, instead she was concentrating on the intricate stitching of the dress. “Not
this
dress?” She looked at Maddie, delight creeping into her tone.

Paige nodded and elbowed Maddie in the ribs.
Maddie nodded on cue.

“
It’s so beautiful.” Cherry clutched the dress to her as if one of them might change their mind and take it from her. “May I try it on?”

“
By all means. I’ll...er, I mean Madeline, will need to check the hem.”

Gleeful lights filled Cherry
’s green eyes. “Wonderful.”

Paige took Maddie by the arm and hustled her toward the door.
“Go ahead and slip into the dress. We’ll just be right out here until you’re ready.”

“
This is so much fun.” Cherry reached for the zipper of her skirt.

“
So much fun,” Maddie echoed as the door to the parlor closed and stopped her words from traveling back to Cherry. “I don’t know anything about hems.”

“
Leave everything to me. But remember, you’re supposed to be reclusive. Tone it down and play along.”

Maddie did more than play along.
When the pair re-entered the parlor, Maddie pulled off the role of Temperamental Designer with more aplomb than most actresses achieve in a lifetime.

“
How much?” Cherry turned her ecstatic gaze to Maddie.

Maddie tossed her mane of brilliant red hair over one shoulder, then placed her hand on her chin very thoughtfully.
“Weeellll...” She deliberately elongated the word. “Such a dress is not easy to come by and, weeellll...Since you are a friend of my dear Paige...For you, three thousand.”

“
Three thousand?” Both Paige and Cherry spoke at the same time, but their tones were anything but identical. Paige was stunned. Three thousand dollars for one dress? Who did Maddie think she was pretending to be, Diane von Furstenberg?

Cherry was in her own state of denial.
“I can’t pay you three thousand dollars for this dress.”

“
You’re right, of course.” Paige stepped in front of Maddie who stood arms akimbo like a modern day queen before her lessers. “It’s worth three—”

“
You’re right,” Cherry interrupted before Paige could finish and out right tell them that the dress was only worth about three hundred dollars. “It’s worth three times that.”

“
I agree.” Maddie nodded her head regally, then shot Paige a look that clearly said,
Shut up and let me handle this
. “But I will not hear of taking a penny more for it. Three thousand is my last offer.”

Cherry had already reached for her check book.
“It’s a steal, of course. I’d be a fool not to accept it. Thank you so much, Madeline.”

Paige watched in utter disbelief as Cherry wrote out the check and handed it to Maddie.
She even smiled and kissed the air next to each of their cheeks before she bundled up her new purchase and left.

She looked dumfounded as Maddie handed her the check for inspection.
What was she going to tell Blake?

“
Not bad for an afternoon’s work.”

“
Do you really think so, Maddie?” Paige chewed on her bottom lip.

“
I know so.”

“
I still can’t believe you got her to pay three thousand dollars for that dress.”

“
That’s at least what she would have spent on a designer dress at where-ever-it-is the other half shops.”

“
Yes,” Paige agreed. “But that’s not the point. It was
my
dress.”

“
And it was one of a kind.”

Paige pulled her friend close to her side.
“And so are you.”

****

“Where are you going? Dinner’s almost ready.”

Blake wanted to laugh at the stiffening of his brother
’s shoulders, as he tried to escape yet another one of Paige’s bizarre entrees.

Devin turned around just inches from the front door and gave Paige his best apologetic look.
“I’m sorry. I have a date tonight.”

“
Oh. Well, have fun.”

Devin looked to Blake, a conspirator
’s glance that invited him along, though warned him not to blow his cover.

Blake could only shake his head.
As much as he would rather dine out with Devin, the need to protect Paige’s feelings was even stronger. Even if the actual meal itself was not fully appreciated, Paige took time out of her day to prepare him something to eat. He liked that. In spite of himself, he liked it. No woman—other than those hired to—had ever cooked for him.

He watched with a mixture of envy and pity as Devin opened the front door.
Blake supposed no woman had ever cooked for his brother either.

And there was another reason to stay home with Paige. He still hadn’t found the opportunity to ask her about the dress she had wo
rn to the opera benefit. She’d confessed that she had made the dress. But surely she didn’t mean that she had
made
it. But he had enough to contend with these days. There was a rumor going around that Caldwell had a talented new designer on board. A rumor he would have gladly started for himself if it had been true.

“
Oh, excuse me.” A short man with thick, tinted glasses and a dark blue courier’s uniform stood just on the other side of the threshold. His hand was raised and ready to knock. He squinted at Devin. “Mr. Caldwell? Mr. Blake Caldwell?”

Devin pointed to Blake.
“There’s your man.” Then with a small salute, he dashed to his waiting car.

Blake took a step forward so the deliverer wouldn
’t have so far to squint.

“
Mr. Caldwell? Sign here, please.” He held out his electronic clip board and waited for Blake to sign on the tiny screen. He squinted at the signature, then relinquished the flat cardboard envelope. 

“
Were you expecting something?” Blake shut the door, then looked from the packing slip to his wife. “It’s addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Blake Caldwell. I wonder what it could be.”

“
Well, open it.”

Blake pulled the tab across the top of the package as Paige drew closer to him.
Close enough that he inhaled her special scent. Close enough that he could feel the satin of her skin without even touching her. Close enough that she could look on as he withdrew the letter from the envelope and opened it with his suddenly unsteady hands.

Blake,

I must say that I am very proud of the decision you have made. I knew you were up to the challenge. And that’s what marriage is: a challenge. Your mother and father were both fools who considered it a duty rather than a privilege to have a mate. I hope the next year will at least wipe away some of your bitter memories and show you that life and matrimony have good to offer. It’s not going to be easy, but I hope that’s something I’ve taught you. The things worth having in life don’t come free and are never easy.

As to your wife; my only regret is that I could never meet you.
I know I would have liked you; for you, my dear, are a brave girl. And bravery is not without its rewards.

I have come to the decision that in the event of accident or death during this marriage, all assets, including the
family home and Caldwell Clothing Company, will, according to the inheritance laws, become the property of the surviving spouse. In the event of irreconcilable differences that result in a divorce before the established year has passed, the assets will be split between the spouses in accordance to community property laws. I have discussed this decision with my attorney and the provision of this codicil overrides any terms of the prenuptial agreement I assume you have made.