The Texan's Engagement Agreement

Chapter Four

Chris narrowed his eyes and turned to stare at Adelaide in disbelief. Her beautiful green eyes glistened with unshed tears. A cool wind tugged at her copper curls and teased the lace swags of her skirt. She was vulnerability mixed with defiance. It was a downright distracting sight to behold. However, the hint of a smile on her rosy lips told Chris his ears hadn’t deceived him. He knew exactly what she was doing, and he’d have no part in it. “Adelaide—”

She turned and cut off his warning with one of her own. “Hush, darling. It’s all right. I’m sure Bertrand will keep our secret, especially once he knows there’s no way my mother will ever approve of a courtship between you and me.”

Catching her elbow, Chris tugged her closer to level her with his gaze. He lowered his voice so that she had to listen to him closely. “Listen here—”

“You will return the favor I paid you by playing along,” she whispered before sending a pointed gaze down to his lips. “Don’t make me kiss you, because I am not afraid to do it if you mess this up for me.”

He tamped down the laughter rising within him, knowing she wouldn’t appreciate it. “You are horrible at making threats. I hope you realize that. Besides, there’s no need to waste your kisses on me. Your friend is gone.”

“What?” She whirled away from him to stare at the empty spot where Bertrand had been. “We can’t stay here.”

“Of course we can’t. My pa is waiting at the front door.”

“No. What I meant is that Bertrand is probably on his way to tell my mother. If she finds us here... Well, let’s just say it’s better if she catches up to us in a more public place. There’ll be less of a scene.”

Chris shook his head in confusion, but let her grab his arm and lead him forward. “I thought you said Bertrand wouldn’t say anything to her.”

“I only said that because I knew he would.”

“So you’re trying to fool your mother. Why?”

“I’ll explain in a minute.” She slid her hand into the crook of his arm as they stepped from the shadows of the greenhouse into the party. “Oh, good. People are dancing now. I’ll ask the band to play a slow waltz. That way we’ll have plenty of time to talk on the dance floor.”

Chris straightened the collar of his traveling suit. He’d dressed nicely in preparation for seeing Adelaide and her family again, but he still felt out of place among what seemed to be Houston’s high society. The curious stares he garnered for having Adelaide on his arm didn’t help. “Adelaide, my father is waiting. Why don’t we find him? He’ll apologize. Then he and I will leave before your mother finds us.”

“Coward.” She caught the attention of one of the servers, then instructed the man to find Olan and bring him to Everett.

“I’m not afraid of your mother,” he said, but she ignored him and left his side to speak with the band. When she returned, he took her hand and tried to guide her toward the house, saying, “I just think my idea would be a more peaceful solution all around.”

She tugged her hand free, escaping to the large wooden platform of a dance floor where she waited with her arms in a closed hold with the air. Chris couldn’t let her stand there looking that ridiculous—even if she deserved it for attempting to manipulate him. He slid into position and pressed his hand against the back of her waist to ease her closer as they waltzed. “I thought you were trying not to cause a scene.”

“No, I was trying to keep my mother from causing a scene.” Her gaze scanned the garden. “I see her, and she looks purely ticked. She’s spotted us.”

He felt his shoulders tense and willed himself to relax. He truly wasn’t afraid of her mother, but this whole situation was making him jumpy. “Where is she?”

“Near the house. No, don’t look. We have to pretend we don’t see her. That way she won’t be able to motion us over to talk to us. She’s approaching the dance floor with Bertrand. She’s stopping.” Adelaide’s met his gaze and smiled. “I told you this would work. We’re safe for now.”

“Speak for yourself. I might as well be dancing with dynamite.”

She laughed. “Why, thank you.”

He shook his head. “How about you tell me why you think all of this is necessary.”

“It’s quite simple, really. I’m tired of fending off my mother’s matchmaking attempts. I’m ready to focus on my work.”

“Your work?”

“Yes. You see—” Her voice faded to a whisper as a blush swept across her cheeks. “I’m a writer. I’ve had several books published.”

He squeezed her hand. “Adelaide, that’s amazing. Congratulations! I’m actually not that surprised. You were always the best writer in our class at school.”

She ducked her head. “Thank you, Chris.”

“What kind of books do you write?”

She shrugged. “They’re just dime novels.”

“Really? That’s pretty much how I learned English after coming to America.”

“I know. You told me dime novels were exciting enough to keep your attention and made you want to learn how to read a new language.”

“Exactly. I always have a stack of them on my nightstand. I even brought one or two along in my suitcase. Hey, I’m in charge of ordering the books for the store. I’d be happy to stock some of yours. Do you write under your real name?”

She gave a short laugh. “Absolutely not. My mother would never have put up with that. Actually, Ellie said Johansen’s already stocks my books. I write under the pseudonym Joe Flanders.”

Chris missed a step, causing Adelaide to stumble into him. “You’re Joe Flanders?”

“Yes.” She tilted her head. “Are you familiar with my books? I mean, have you read any of them?”

Every single one of them. What’s more, his copies were dog-eared and worn out. Joe Flanders was one of his favorite authors. Those Wild West stories were filled with outlaws, gunfights, stampedes and stagecoach robberies. In essence, everything Chris had been disappointed not to experience when he’d moved to Texas from Norway as a child.

And there was one other part of Joe Flanders’s fictionalized worlds that Chris had yet to experience. The hero always got the girl. That had always been Chris’s favorite aspect of the books, even if it was completely unrealistic. He ought to know. He’d been rejected by three women within the last six months. Maybe the fault lay with him. After all, he was no hero. Especially not to “Joe Flanders” if her rejection four years ago was any indication. But she sure seemed to need him now. Perhaps he could be a hero yet, though he knew better than to think he could get—or rather, keep—this girl.

He shot a covert glance toward her mother. How much trouble could it be to pretend to be Adelaide’s beau until he went back to Peppin? Judging by the past few days, a whole lot. Nevertheless, she’d done the same for him once, and he’d used her as an excuse for years, so surely he owed her something in return. He’d actually be doing himself a favor, as well. Olan was expecting Chris to spend time with Adelaide—enough to either get over her or decide to fight for her. If Chris went along with her scheme, it would appear that Chris was doing exactly that. Of course, deceiving his father had gotten him into this mess in the first place. Yet, as far as Chris could see, it was the only way to give Olan what he wanted. It was also the best way to keep a sensible perspective on the situation.

A tap on his shoulder jolted him from his thoughts. He released Adelaide and turned in time to see Everett offer them a tight smile.

“Family meeting in the library. Now.” The man turned on his heel, offered his wife his arm and ushered her into the house.

Chris glanced down at Adelaide. “Um, am I family?”

“Apparently. We’d better follow them.” She bit her lip. “Will you...?”

“Play along?” He’d already made his decision, so he nodded. “Absolutely.”

* * *

Adelaide found Chris’s sudden enthusiasm for her idea surprising and extremely suspicious. However, there wasn’t any time to question it.

She wound her way through the curious guests with Chris on her heels and found Olan waiting outside the door of Everett’s library. Olan glanced inside the room where presumably her parents were waiting before he met her gaze with concern. “I’m not entirely sure what’s going on here. Before we find out, I’d like to apologize to you. I think I may have said something that hurt your feelings while you were in Peppin.”

“I appreciate the apology, Mr. Johansen. Nevertheless...” She lifted one shoulder in a helpless shrug. “You didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

“Perhaps, but—”

She placed a hand on his arm to still his words and smiled. “Truly, it’s all right. We should go inside.”

Chris’s supportive hand on her back gave her the courage she needed to step through the library door. She lifted her chin, prepared for a battle. Everett and Rose stood in front of his large walnut desk, speaking in low tones. Rose caught sight of them first. Adelaide blinked as her mother smiled warmly.

“Well, this is quite a surprise. Olan, it’s so nice to see you again.” She offered her hand to Olan, then nodded to Chris. “And Chris...you’ve certainly grown up, haven’t you? Won’t y’all sit down? I’m afraid we won’t be able to speak for long with so many guests here, but Everett says you will be here for several days. Is that right?”

That was news to Adelaide. She glanced at Chris for confirmation of that while they settled side by side on the library’s settee. He was too busy watching her mother with a mixture of curiosity and confusion to notice. Adelaide couldn’t blame him. Her mother’s warm greeting to the Johansens had taken Adelaide off guard a bit, too.

Olan nodded, claiming a seat in one of the leather chairs Rose had indicated. “I’ll only be here a couple of days. After that, I’ve got to get back to my store. Chris is going to stay for a while longer.”

“I hope you get to see some of Houston before you leave, Olan. It truly is a lovely city.” Rose clasped her hands in front of her and turned Adelaide. “Now, Adelaide, my dear, Bertrand Milney told me the strangest thing a few minutes ago. He said that he caught you having a liaison with a man fitting Chris’s description, a man you claimed as your beau. Of course, I told him that he must be mistaken. Please, tell me that he is.”

Adelaide stared into Rose’s piercing gray eyes and felt her resolve begin to waver. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to antagonize her mother. Yet why should choosing her own beau be upsetting to Rose? True, her mother had never trusted Chris—for good reason it turned out. Yet, wasn’t that the point? Adelaide had to do something drastic if she wanted any chance at gaining her mother’s approval of her writing. That was all that mattered, wasn’t it?

Chris’s hand covered hers, steadying her topsy-turvy thoughts. She met his gaze. He gave her a supportive nod. Her mouth opened, but the words she wanted to say wouldn’t come. He transferred her hand to his other and put his free arm along the back of the settee. “Adelaide and I reconnected when she visited Peppin.”

That much was true, so Adelaide nodded. “Yes, we did.”

“When my father decided to visit Houston, I knew I had to see her again, so here I am.” Chris had already informed her he was here to do his father’s bidding by arranging the opportunity for Olan to apologize. However, his tone was so earnest that even she almost believed he had romantic feelings for her. It was a bit unnerving to know he was so good at affecting emotions he didn’t feel. How many times had her birth father done that very thing? Usually, it involved Hiram pretending to be sorry for something, only to go out and do that exact same thing again.

Adelaide pulled her hand from Chris’s and placed it in her lap. “If that’s all, Mother, we really should get back to the party.”

Olan leaned forward. “Actually, I have a question. It’s been bothering me for years. Rose, what have you got against my son? Why don’t you approve of him? He’s a good man, responsible, kind. He makes an honest living. What more could you want for your daughter?”

“Pa,” Chris chided, tensing beside her.

Olan frowned. “What? You’ve got a right to know.”

Rose had never liked Chris because his charm and good looks reminded her of Hiram. The news of Chris’s infidelity had confirmed Rose’s suspicions and clinched that dislike. Adelaide knew her mother would never speak of Hiram to visitors. The less personal explanation for Rose was Chris’s dealings with Amy. Rose had wanted Adelaide to confront Chris about his infidelity since they’d first heard of it. Not to give Chris a chance to defend himself, but so that he would know that he’d been caught. Rose had also wanted Adelaide to put Amy on her guard. Adelaide had been too upset and embarrassed by the whole thing to say a word. Plus, she couldn’t have borne hearing Chris’s attempts to justify or excuse himself the way Hiram always had.

Rose took in Adelaide’s pleading look at a glance, then turned back to Olan. “I simply don’t think they’re well suited as a couple.”

Olan nodded. “Well, on that, we can agree.”

Adelaide’s eyebrows lifted. She found herself scooting closer to Chris with her chin lifted in a mix of defiance and defensiveness. “Oh? And, how can y’all be so absolutely certain of that? Perhaps we would have made a perfect couple if anyone had ever given us a chance at it.”

Olan gave her a skeptical look. “The two of you have had five years’ worth of chances to figure this out.”

“Five years when we lived over a hundred miles apart,” Chris countered. “Besides, Pa, I thought you said I should fight for her.”

“He did?” Adelaide pressed a hand to her heart. “Mr. Johansen, that is the sweetest thing, but why?”

Olan didn’t bother to explain. Instead, his mouth set in a line that looked downright ornery and he glanced away as if the ceiling was the most interesting thing he’d ever seen. Adelaide didn’t have time to do more than tilt her head in confusion before her mother’s amused voice distracted her. “Adelaide, dear, you do realize that it was probably in your best interest not to have spent more time as a couple. Don’t you?”

Stymied, Adelaide’s lashes fluttered at the memory of why she’d broken off her engagement in the first place. Her mother was right. Chris was everything she hadn’t wanted in a husband—untrustworthy, unfaithful and too handsome for his own good. Her voice came out rather subdued. “I suppose.”

Chris’s dark blue gaze shot back and forth between Adelaide and her mother. “Why is that?”

“Perhaps Adelaide will tell you some other time. Meanwhile, I must say the very idea of this courtship is perfectly ridiculous to me. However, if the two of you insist on it, I can’t stop you—or so Everett tells me.”

Adelaide opened her mouth to speak, but was saved from herself when Everett clapped his hands together. “All right! Now that everything is settled, let’s get back to the party.” He extended his arm to Rose. “Come along, my sweet. Olan, I’ll send your cab on its way. My carriage will take you and Chris back to your hotel later. First, you must have something to eat.”

Olan stood with a grin. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Rose took Everett’s arm as Olan walked with them toward the study door. As their parents’ voices faded into the hallway, Adelaide realized just how close she was sitting to Chris. She slid farther away. He followed her. She turned her questioning eyes on him. He lifted an eyebrow. “I repeat. Why is that?”

She fluttered her lashes innocently. “Why is what?”

“Why was it in your best interest that we had no time together as a couple?”

“Aren’t you hungry? I’m hungry. I think we should...” She tried to stand but he placed his hand on the arm of the settee to block her in. She poked him just below his right rib and had the pleasure of seeing him jump almost a foot. She had little time to smirk over the fact that he was still ticklish because he caught up with her as she attempted to break for the door. He lassoed her waist and drew her in until her back met his chest. Exasperation filled his voice. “How old are you?”

She had a smart answer prepared, but all that came out was an involuntary giggle as he tickled her elbow. She freed it from his grasp, then jabbed it into his stomach softly enough that it wouldn’t do any real damage. He didn’t even bother to wince. She turned so that she could glance up and properly aim her disdainful look. “The same age as you, apparently.”

A half smile tugged at his lips. He glanced down at hers. She held her breath. Finally, he shrugged. “Let’s call it even. Now, will you settle down so we can have an honest discussion for once?”

Her gaze lowered to the top button of his shirt. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“No, but I think it’s long overdue.”

She pulled in a deep breath, then eased from his hold to walk over to the window that looked out onto the back lawn. What did it matter if she told him? Everything had happened so long ago. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to be straightforward with him now. Also, there was no danger of her being persuaded by him to continue their long-dead relationship. Her heart was safe. She sought his gaze as he joined her by the window. “My mother was referring to your previous courtship of Amy Bradley.”

He frowned. “What does that have to do with this?”

She stared at him. “Then you don’t deny that you courted her?”

“Why would I? Everyone in Peppin knows about it, and how she threw me over for the fellow she eventually married. What does any of that have to do with us?”

“Everything!”

“Look, if you didn’t want me courting other girls, you should have married me.”

She gave an astonished laugh. “As if that would have stopped you.”

Confusion filled his eyes. “What?”

“Did you or did you not express an interest in Amy while you and I were still engaged?”

“Of course not.”

“Did you walk her home from school? Did you take her to the harvest dance? Did you tell her she was pretty?”

He froze. “Yes. Now that I think of it, I did all of those things. I had to pass Bradley’s Boardinghouse on the way home, so, since you weren’t there, she and I walked with each other. Neither of us had anyone to go to the dance with so I didn’t see the harm in us going together. I doubt I was a very good escort because I spent most of the night playing my fiddle with the band. As for me telling her she was pretty, any gentleman would say the same when a girl gets gussied up to go somewhere with him. I didn’t actually start courting her until after you broke off our engagement.”

She laughed. “Do you really expect me to believe that you didn’t have any romantic feelings for her while you were doing all of that?”

“Believe what you want. The truth won’t change. I only had friendly feelings for her until I needed...”

“Until you needed...?”

“To get over you,” he finally admitted lowly.

Drawn in by his appearance of sincerity, she caught herself swaying toward him. She swallowed and forced herself to take a step back. Oh, he is good.

“Wait a minute.” He searched her face. “Are you saying—is that why you broke our engagement? Because you thought something was going on between me and Amy?”

She clasped her hands behind her back, then lifted her chin. “Amy and I wrote to each other for a while after I moved to Houston. Like everyone else in Peppin, she didn’t know about our engagement. I suppose that was why she had no qualms about sending me a detailed account of every indication you gave her of your romantic feelings for her.”