Married By Mistake

Ironic that if their marriage had been real, it would have solved both their problems....
    The idea burst into blazing, clamoring life.
    “You’re right,” he said. “We should stay married.”
    “What?” She slipped off the windowsill, grabbing for the curtain tieback to steady herself. “I’m sure you’re very nice—” she didn’t sound at all sure, he noticed “—but I’m not desperate enough to stay married to a stranger.”
    His eyes narrowed. “You were desperate enough to lie to your fiancé and marry him on a reality-TV show.”
    “I was bringing the wedding forward, ” she said. “We were engaged. ”
    “And we—” with a wave of his hand he indicated the two of them “—are married.” He paced between the window and the couch as he thought about how they could make this work. “I don’t mean we’d be married for real. We’d just stay together until the annulment comes through. For a month, we pretend we’re truly husband and wife. In public,” he added hastily.
    “I can see that might help me,” she admitted. “But how does it help you?”
    Adam figured he’d have to tell her enough to convince her. “When my father died, he left me his majority share of Carmichael Broadcasting. His will stipulated that if I’m not married—or as he put it, in a marriage of a lasting and committed nature—when I’m thirty, my share passes to my cousin Henry.”
    “Is that legal, demanding that someone be married in order to inherit?”
    Adam shrugged as he leaned against the back of the couch. “No. At least Sam says it’s not. But the will stands until we make a case in court to prove it’s invalid. Sam and I are working on that now. But Henry and his mother, my aunt Anna May, have their lawyers working to prove the will is legal. They’re hoping Henry will inherit. They know I’d never get married just to please my father.”
    “Sounds like your dad was a real romantic,” Casey said. She caught a glint of irritation in Adam’s eyes.
    “Dad had reason to believe I was anti-marriage. I admit that when he died, getting married was the last thing on my mind. But I assumed I’d find someone suitable over the next few years.”
    Someone suitable? Did he mean someone he loved? “But you didn’t,” she guessed.
    “I was wrong.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I turn thirty next month. If the will’s ruled legal, I’ll have until I turn thirty-one to find a wife. My stepmother’s not so confident we can have it overturned. She’d like me to get married, so that I win either way. She’s spent the past few months arranging accidental introductions to the daughters of her friends. She’s organizing a party for my birthday, and I know she’s planning on inviting practically every woman in Memphis. I don’t have time for this crap—I have a business to run and a lawsuit to fight. But with Eloise, my life is turning into one long bridefest. ” He poured loathing into the word.
    “Hey,” Casey protested. “This sounds just like my family. If you don’t do anything you don’t want to, how come you don’t just tell Eloise to take a hike?”
    “I wish I could,” Adam said with feeling. “Before Dad died, he asked me to take care of her. I want to honor his memory, to keep my promise. But she makes it damn hard.”
    “Were she and your father close?”
    Anger flickered in his eyes, then vanished. “You could say my father died for her.” The look he gave Casey said, Don’t ask.
    Briefly, she considered asking anyway. But that might be pushing her luck—and she still didn’t understand why Adam wanted to pretend their marriage was genuine. She abandoned her position at the window to return to the couch. “So you want to beat your aunt’s lawsuit and you want to escape Eloise’s bridefest.” She spoke the word with relish, and he glared.
    “If I’m married, she’ll have to back off. No more introductions, no birthday party. Anna May and Henry will think they’ve lost the battle because I’ve already met the will’s conditions. By the time the annulment comes through and they realize they were wrong, Sam and I will have built a compelling case against the will.”
    Adam spread his hands, palms up, as if to say this was unarguable logic. “So what say we buy ourselves some time? A month is long enough for me to deter Eloise and get my legal battle under control. Is it enough for your sister and your father to sort out their problems? You can use