The Marriage Risk by Debbie MacOmber

Author:Debbie MacOmber [Macomber, Debbie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Brothers, Alaska, General, Romance, Large type books, Fiction, Love stories
ISBN: 9780263148862
Publisher: Thorndike Pr
Published: 1997-04-14T23:00:00+00:00

"Do we have to go anywhere?" she asked.

"I guess not." He was almost ashamed to hear the relief in his voice. But the idea of going where Sawyer had gone, terrified Charles. He wasn't ready for marriage. His feelings were too new. He needed time to adjust to the fact that he was in love before complicating his life with an irrevocable commitment. Because if he ever #did# get married, it had to be forever.

He pulled the swing toward him and gave her a loving kiss. "We should get back to the reception."

"I know." She didn't sound eager to return.

"My mother's dying to meet you."

"I want to meet her, too."

Hand in hand, they entered the gymnasium. Several couples were dancing, but because of the shortage of women, Ben Hamilton and John Henderson were waltzing around the room alone, without partners. Duke Porter eyed Lanni—and Charles—as if to gauge how likely she'd be to accept a dance with him. Every other unattached man seemed to be gazing at her just as avidly.

The last person Charles expected to have to give her up to, though, was his own younger brother.

"Hello, beautiful," Christian said, planting himself in front of Lanni.

"Hello, yourself," Charles answered.

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Hello," Lanni responded.

"Can I have this dance and the next one and the one after that?" Christian asked.

Uncertain, Lanni looked at Charles. "Perhaps later," she said kindly. "I promised Charles I'd meet his mother."

"Great," Christian announced. "I'll tag along, and if I'm lucky my big bad brother might find it in his heart to introduce you to me, as well."

Charles didn't know what kind of game Christian was playing. His brother knew darn well who Lanni was. Good grief, he'd hired her!

He decided to ignore Christian, but his irritating younger brother would have none of it. Like a playful puppy, he followed them across to the room to where Ellen sat.

"Mother," Charles said, placing his arm around Lanni's shoulders, "this is Lanni Caldwell. Lanni, my mother, Ellen Greenleaf."

"Hello, Lanni."

"Hello." The two exchanged brief handshakes.

"Please sit down," Ellen said, patting the empty chair next to her. "Charles has told me very little about you."

Christian made a show of clearing his throat. "I know I'm stiff competition, but I still deserve an introduction," he insisted for the second time.

Charles frowned. "Don't tell me you don't recognize Lanni."

"I don't," Christian said blankly.

"She's Sawyer's secretary. You hired her, remember?"

Christian's look revealed his confusion. "I've never seen this woman before in my life."

"I think I can explain all this," Lanni said, her voice trembling slightly.

"The woman I hired as a secretary is named Mariah Douglas," Christian continued. "She arrives next week. I finished making the arrangements myself a couple of days ago."

Charles's frown deepened. "Lanni?"

"He's right," she said. Charles watched as her whole body tensed. "I came to Hard Luck to clean out my grandmother's house. Sawyer called my mother and asked if Midnight Sons could rent it."

"Your grandmother's house," Charles repeated.

"Catherine Fletcher is my grandmother," she said.

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