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Considering the atmosphere was anything but happy, Samantha realized she’d found the answer to a lot of questions that had been bubbling away since Josh had come to pick her up this afternoon.
He’d told her to dress smartly for this, the breaking of their news to his parent, and the first step in their grand plan. In response to his request, she’d dug out the wardrobe full of clothes in the style Jamie had insisted she wore. But, though she was dressed more formally than usual, she’d kept it quite casual with a silky sweater and linen pants.
Yet, when he’d come to pick her up that afternoon, after she’d caught a glimpse of him, she’d found herself perplexed.
They were going to visit his mother, not heading for a meeting with an accountant. And his suit had seemed to indicate the latter rather than the former. His suit was a thousand times more formal than her simple outfit. Apparently, they had different opinions on what semi-formal meant.
The thrill of seeing him dressed like that, so smart, and she had to admit, so handsome, had been disconcerting. In all the time she’d known him, she’d recognized that he was an attractive man, but hadn’t been attracted to him because of the way he treated her, and, of course, Jamie.
Ever since she’d informed him of Jamie’s true nature, however, he’d done an about-face, and she was still reeling from the aftereffects of that.
But, though she’d been suspicious on the drive over to his mother’s apartment building, his suit made sense now. Having seen his relationship with his mother, she realized Josh would probably prefer to be having a consultation with his accountant.
For that matter, so would she.
Elizabeth cleared her throat, breaking into Samantha’s thoughts. “Well, I certainly hope you’ll be happy. No matter what you think, Josh, I do actually want what’s best for you.” For the third time, she sniffed. This time, it seemed to indicate she doubted Samantha was up to the job.
If she’d wanted the position, Samantha would have doubted it herself.
This was a false engagement, she reminded herself. That was all. Nothing more and certainly nothing less. There was no reason to read into anything, no need to worry if things were getting out of hand. This was simply about might.
Frank was rich. Josh was richer.
There was no getting around it. The bank balances told a tale of their own. But if there was one thing Jamie’s parents understood it was money and how to wield it. With Josh at her side, she knew she could make a powerful impression on her in-laws, one so unforgettable, they’d never question her right to have full custody over Erin.
She knew this solution wasn’t perfect. It brought with it its own perils, like the fact they were confirming the incorrect belief that she and Josh had been having an affair behind the scenes prior to Jamie’s death. But, in the face of it, if it got her in-laws to back off on the custody front, she could deal with the blow to her self-respect. She’d rupture it entirely if it meant keeping Erin safe.
The smile Elizabeth sent their way was most definitely false. As false as this engagement. Still, people didn’t have to like it for them to believe it. Frank and Janice included.
“I often wondered who would snare my boy,” Elizabeth said, her tone musing, but the gleam in her eyes said Samantha fell far short of her imaginings. “How did he propose?”
Samantha cleared her throat. The question was definitely for her, but it contradicted her wish to leave this conversation mostly in Josh’s hands. It was going to be quite obvious that he’d done most of the talking if she didn’t answer now, though. He squeezed her knee, and she was surprised by her own reaction to the comforting touch.
Or maybe she shouldn’t have been surprised.
After being married to Jamie for far too many years, a tender touch from the man in her life, even if he was only temporary, wasn’t something she was accustomed to.
At that moment, she realized she was like a sponge slurping up water after having been dehydrated. Her throat closed as the need to place her fingers on top of his filled her. She flushed, and wished away the strange need to connect with the man who had never liked her but was going to be her salvation.…
This was a charade, she reminded herself.
A lie.
“We were at dinner and he just dropped to his knee and asked me.” She kept it simple. There was no need to over embellish. The easier a lie was to remember, the fewer mistakes could be made. And she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. Not with her child’s happiness on the line.
Elizabeth clucked her tongue. “Joshua is a handsome brute but he certainly isn’t a romantic. Still one can’t have everything, I suppose.” Elizabeth shot her a tight smile. “Let me see the ring.”
Swallowing, Samantha curled up her fingers. “I don’t have one yet.”
Elizabeth peered at them both. Quirking a brow, she murmured, “An unusual choice—unlike you to wait for a woman’s approval in anything, dear.”
“Samantha’s an unusual lady,” Josh murmured smoothly. “Why shouldn’t she have a say in what she’ll wear for the rest of her life?”
“How very caveman of you,” Elizabeth retorted. “Not very fashionable, dear.”
Though she was uneasy about what a ring represented, and truly didn’t intend for him to go to any further expense on this charade, she found she had to defend his choice. “I think it’s a beautiful sentiment,” Samantha murmured softly, meaning it.
“Well, you’re the one who has to wear it, I suppose, so your input would be better,” Elizabeth murmured. She pursed her lips before taking a dainty sip of coffee. “It’s short notice for the club.”
