Married By Mistake

take root. So what if he and Casey were dating? He’d dated dozens of women without ever wanting to marry them. He and Casey were poles apart on the things that mattered, with the exception of their mutual exasperation with demanding families. Even if he was interested in making this marriage real—which he wasn’t—there was one major obstacle. Casey wanted a man who adored her.
    He realized Sam was still talking. “Sorry, what was that?”
    “I asked how Eloise is after that fiasco at the Peabody on Sunday. She seemed jumpy this morning.”
    “I think she’s forgiven me,” Adam said. He’d phoned his stepmother that night, as Casey suggested. Eloise had still sounded hurt, but also grateful for Adam’s call. By the time he hung up, she’d managed a couple of attempts at the lighthearted interference that usually bugged him. This time, he was surprised how relieved he was to know she’d forgiven his indiscretion.
    “She’s a fine woman.” It was a variation on a theme Sam played often.
    Adam made a noncommittal sound and added, “She’s very loyal to my father’s memory.”
    He didn’t intend to warn Sam off. But the attorney had to stop pining for Eloise. He was getting nowhere.
    Sam was either in too deep to get the message, or he ignored it. “Time I got going.” He stood. “Think about what I said, Adam. Think about how you might convince Casey to stick around.”
    * * *
    T HE PHONE RANG at eleven o’clock, interrupting Casey just as she neared the end of a chapter.
    “Come and join me for lunch.” There was no question as to whether she had the time or the inclination. Just a command, delivered in Adam’s deep, sexy voice.
    “Today?”
    “We’re dating,” he reminded her. “This is what people who date do.”
    It wasn’t something she’d ever done with Joe. Spontaneous lunch dates had never featured in their relationship.
    “Be here at twelve.”
    “Did I ever tell you I prefer new-age guys?” she said. “The kind of guys who ask a woman what she’d like to do?”
    “You might suggest something I don’t want to do, and then I’d have to refuse,” he said. “Just be here at twelve.”
    Adam hung up before she could argue. If she said too much more, he’d have second thoughts himself. When he’d suggested last night that they date, he’d planned to take her out for dinner Saturday. The housekeeper had the day off, and they had to eat. He’d had no plans of lunching with Casey until Sam had said his piece about keeping this marriage going. Then a crazy impulse had made him pick up the phone.
    Doesn’t matter, he told himself. Whether he was just dating her for fun or they were going to make this marriage real, it made sense to start right away.
    * * *
    T HEY SAT CLOSE to the riverbank in a secluded area of Ashburn Coppack Park that afforded a spectacular view of the downtown skyline.
    “I can’t believe you thought of this,” Casey said. She grinned, then noticed his hesitation before he smiled back.
    “I may be practical, but I’m not totally lacking imagination,” he said.
    She crossed one leg over the other. The movement drew Adam’s gaze, as she knew it would, to the shortness of the light green linen skirt she’d chosen for just that reason, and which she’d teamed with an off-the-shoulder white cotton top. She’d spent half an hour trying on and discarding different outfits, and wanted to be sure he appreciated her final choice. “This is the perfect place for a picnic.”
    “Perfect,” he agreed, his gaze still on her legs.
    Casey couldn’t quite believe how wholeheartedly Adam had thrown himself into this dating thing. Barely twelve hours after she’d consented to the idea, he’d conjured up a picnic—at least, his secretary had—and driven them to the park, insisting Casey should leave her car at his office.
    Adam threw a piece of bread to a passing duck, then helped himself to more potato salad out of one of the deli containers. He could get used to this.
    The food was delicious, the chilled bottle of white wine relaxing, and as for the company...
    If there was one thing he would take from this month with Casey, Adam reflected, it was renewed pleasure in the simple things in life. Like picnics, sunsets and conversation. Over lunch, he and Casey had talked about everything and nothing, from the new family drama series about to debut on Channel Eight, to a plotting problem she was having in her book. They’d even digressed to a game that