The Twenty-Four-Hour Bride Read online

  He never had the opportunity to respond—assuming he’d intended to. Just then Dani’s parents descended on them, along with a multitude of brothers, sisters, offspring and various in-laws. As usual they were all laughing and talking at once.

  “Congratulations!” Dani’s mother, Ruth, exclaimed as she approached. “Now don’t you worry about a thing, either of you, we have everything under control. And for heaven’s sake, don’t get up, Danielle! Nick, you make sure she sits right there until it’s time for the ceremony.” She gave her daughter a quick peck on the cheek before enfolding Nick in an exuberant hug.

  Nick’s bewilderment was a delight for Dani to see. It would appear he could stand a little more practice hiding his emotions. “What have you done, Mom?” she demanded, knowing her mother all too well. “What do you have under control?”

  “Why, the wedding, of course.” Ruth clapped her hands. “Come on, girls. Let’s get this marriage off to a good start.”

  Dani’s sisters crowded around the bench, each bearing a gift. Unexpected tears filled her eyes, a mixture of embarrassment and joy—embarrassment for allowing them to believe her marriage would be more that it was and joy because they cared and never hesitated to show it. “What is all this?”

  “First is something old.” Ruth grinned as a small package was offered. She dropped onto the bench beside her daughter. “Go on. Open it.”

  Dani ripped into the tiny gift box, tossing Nick a quick smile as he calmly collected the scraps of wrapping paper. Her breath escaped in a quick rush when she peeked inside. “Grandmother’s locket. Oh, Mom. How can you bear to part with it?” Gently she released the catch and opened the scalloped fan folds. Inside was a photo of her and one of Nick.

  He peered over her shoulder and lifted an eyebrow. “Where did you get that? Oh, of course. It’s from the Christmas party two years ago. Clever.”

  “It took a bit of work, but we’re a determined bunch.” Ruth patted Dani’s stomach. “Now, as soon as this little one makes an appearance you can add the baby’s picture. Which leaves room for one more.” She winked slyly. “Knowing how much Danielle loves children, I’m sure you’ll have that locket filled in no time. After that, you’re on your own.”

  A blush stained Dani’s cheeks, but before she could comment another package was handed to her. “Something new?” she guessed, tugging at the pretty pink ribbon. She pulled off the lid of the box and froze. Inside she found a monogrammed ivory pillowcase, an elaborate silk N entwined around the D.

  “We weren’t sure what size sheets would be suitable,” Ruth explained. “So we’ll order the rest of the set as soon as you let us know. Do you like it?”

  Dani drew a deep, steadying breath. Why hadn’t she thought of this? Once she married Nick, her parents would expect them to live together like a real husband and wife, to share a house and a bed. She fought to keep her hand steady as she ran a finger over the delicate embroidery. “It’s...it’s beautiful. Thank you.”

  “As to the size,” Nick added, much to her chagrin, “the bed’s a California king.”

  Ruth chuckled. “I’ll place the order the minute I get home.”

  “Now for something borrowed.” Dani’s oldest sister, Jamie, stepped forward. “I wore this at my wedding, if you’ll remember.” She handed over a large square box. “You admired it so much, I thought you’d like to wear it.”

  Dani removed layers of tissue from around the wide-brimmed hat her sister had worn in place of a veil. It was a dainty, feminine confection accented with lace and a huge satin bow and had set off her sister’s dusky curls to perfection. No doubt it would do the same for her own. It was also the exact shade of the ivory gown she’d chosen to wear for the ceremony, and to everyone’s delight, the lace on the hat closely matched the trim on her scalloped bodice.

  “Thank you, Jamie.” She fought to hang onto her smile, overwhelmed by her family’s thoughtfulness. She hadn’t expected it, and she should have. “What a wonderful gift.”

  Nick gently lifted the hat from the box and set it on her head. He tilted it slightly, so the wide brim dipped delicately over one eye. “You look beautiful,” he informed her with a sincerity she couldn’t mistake. “Perfect, in fact.”

  “Well, not quite perfect,” her youngest sister chimed in. “She doesn’t have my present yet.”

  Even Nick laughed at that.

  “Let’s see.” Dani peeked out from under the hat. “We have something old and something new. And something borrowed. That leaves you with—”

  “Something blue. You got it,” Kendell said, holding out a narrow box.

  “I’m almost afraid to open this one,” Dani muttered, well aware of her sister’s penchant for practical jokes. Sure enough, inside was a saucy black garter trimmed with a blue satin ribbon the exact shade of Nick’s eyes.

  “Let’s see how it fits.” With a teasing laugh, Kendell plucked the garter from the box and dropped to her knees in front of Dani.

  “My job, I think,” Nick claimed smoothly, easing Kendell to one side and taking her place.

  Not giving Dani time to protest, he captured her ankle and removed her shoe. And then he looked at her with those incredible blue eyes, a hot challenge blazing from the bottomless depths. Carefully he tucked her foot into the crook of his thigh, daring her to so much as twitch. She drew a quick, nervous breath as ever so gently he slipped the garter over her instep and eased it upward.

  At first his hands smoothed the narrow bones of her ankles. But then his fingers played along the sensitive skin, tapping out a primitive rhythm that fired her blood and filled her with sharp, sweet need. Part of her wanted to yank free of his hold, while another, more willful part wanted to slide into his embrace and relearn the steps to this particular dance. But with her entire family looking on, she knew she couldn’t do either. So she sat in agony as, inch by torturous inch, he slid the garter along her stocking-clad leg. He continued past her calf to her knee, hesitating at the edge of her dress.

  “That’s good enough,” she whispered urgently.

  “Not even close,” came his instant response.

  Her family was no help whatsoever. Instead of taking her side, they egged him on, encouraging him to do his worst. A tiny smile tilted his mouth as he fixed her with a mocking look. Then his hands disappeared under the hem of her skirt as he tugged the garter ever upward. Finally he reached the border of her stockings. He mustn’t have encountered this particular style before, because he took a moment to run the tip of his finger around the tight elastic edge. Searching for a nonexistent garter, she realized, fighting to contain a panic-induced laugh. He must not realize that garters and pregnancy didn’t make for a successful match.

  “What have we here?” he murmured.

  Dani could see her sisters covering their mouths to hide their amusement. “I’m wearing thigh-highs,” she whispered awkwardly. “They’re trimmed with elastic so I don’t need a garter. They’re like knee-highs only... only higher.”

  “Very interesting. You’ll have to show me.”

  “Not a chance!”

  “But, sweetheart, I’ve never seen this type of stocking before.” A wicked glitter ignited his gaze. “You, our baby and these stockings. Now there’s something I’d give a fortune to see.”

  Oddly shaken, she protested, “Trust me, in this case ignorance truly is bliss. Besides, I’m in no condition to give you a peep show.”

  The humor faded from his eyes, and for an instant she could have sworn she saw a flicker of longing. “Your pregnancy makes you more beautiful than you can possibly imagine.” He spoke with quiet conviction. “At least it does to me. And right now I can’t think of anything I’d rather see than you in those stockings with our baby harbored safe within you. Well...nothing, except for my ring on your finger.”

  “Oh, Nick.” His words totally overwhelmed her, and she could only stare at him, shaken by how swiftly he’d taken her from laughter to tears.

  “Sorry to break up your little
party, but they’re ready for us,” Kendell interrupted regretfully.

  Nick released a gusty sigh. “I guess we’ll have to save this for another day,” he murmured.

  With all too apparent reluctance, he slid his hands along a return path from thigh to knee to ankle before replacing her shoe and standing. He reached down, helping her gently from the bench, continuing to support her weight until he’d made certain her legs were steady. A good thing, too, considering how shaken she was from his foray beneath her skirt—and how cramped her muscles had become from sitting on the hard wooden bench for so long.

  He stood to one side while her family trooped into the judge’s chambers. At the doorway he hesitated, glancing up and down the hallway. She watched him curiously. “Nick?”

  “I’m coming.”

  He waited another minute, checking the corridor a final time, and she frowned. What could he be looking for? Or rather, who? From something Peter had once said, she assumed Nick’s parents were deceased. She also knew he’d been an only child, so it couldn’t be family. Did he have other relatives, family he’d invited to their wedding and hoped would appear at the last minute?

  “Who are you—” she began as he turned to join her.

  One glimpse of his frozen expression killed the question. Winter had scoured all life from his face, and with the relentlessness of an arctic-driven nor’easter, it had swept straight to his soul. Dear heaven, what had caused such a reaction? she wondered helplessly. Only moments before he’d been filled with laughter and tender warmth, teasing her as easily as he had seduced her.

  But in one brief instant, something had happened to this man, something that had stolen the emotions from his life and forced him inward. Something to do with what should have been in the hallway—and wasn’t.

  “Are you ready?” he asked.

  His words might have been formed from bits of shattered ice, they sounded so brittle and sharp, filled with a terrible coldness.

  “I’m ready,” she whispered apprehensively. “But are you?”

  He glanced at her, and it was all she could do to choke back a gasp. Dear heaven, his eyes were empty. So horribly empty. The blue irises had grown flat and steely, like a flame robbed of heat and light.

  “There’s no point in waiting. Is there?” And with that he slipped his hand beneath her elbow. “Let’s go. We have a wedding to attend.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  JUDGE LARSON proved to be an austere, keen-eyed man. He waited until everyone had filed into his spacious chambers before fixing Nick and Dani with a stern look. “Setting right a wrong, Nick?” he asked dryly.

  Dani glanced uneasily at her future husband, wondering how he’d take the comment—especially considering his current mood. To her relief, he didn’t appear offended. Instead he shrugged, saying, “I’m trying.”

  “And just in time, it would appear.”

  Dani winced, unwilling to allow Nick to take the blame for something she’d done—or rather, neglected to do. “The delay was my fault,” she explained.

  The judge inclined his head. “In that case, I’m relieved to see he finally convinced you to marry him. He’s a fine man.”

  Her response didn’t take a moment’s consideration. “Yes, he is,” she agreed.

  Nick slipped an arm around her waist. “Henry, would you mind if Dani uses your chair during the ceremony? I don’t think she should be on her feet any longer than necessary.”

  Only then did she realize that she’d been restlessly shifting her weight from one leg to the other in a futile effort to relieve the cramp centered in the small of her back. She gave Nick a smile of gratitude, fascinated when he returned it. Just that tiny twist of his lips altered his entire expression, easing the austere lines bracketing his mouth and thawing the iciness she’d considered part and parcel of his nature.

  To her surprise, he dropped a possessive hand on her stomach. “I know I’ve pushed you into marriage,” he said in an undertone. “But...are you sure this is what you want? There’s still time to change your mind.”

  She shivered in response to the familiar words. They were identical to those he’d used before they’d made love, nine long months ago. She flashed on that particular night, the night that had. created the baby pressed so tightly against his palm. He’d smiled then, too, with the same raw passion deepening his eyes to indigo. And her helpless response had been to tumble headlong into his arms and then into his bed.

  “You sure pick your times,” he informed her roughly. “You can’t get that night out of your mind, either. Can you?”

  He knew! Dammit, how could he? Was she that easy to read?

  He’d kept his voice low, his words a mere rasp. But they abraded her emotions, leaving her feeling vuirtera-ble and exposed. “If you don’t want me to think about it, then don’t smile like that! The only other time you did was—”

  “Last New Year’s Eve?” Another smile slashed across his mouth. But this one was harder, a fierce tilt to lips she’d once explored with wanton thoroughness. “Hell, sweetheart. Is that all it took? A smile? You should have told me years ago.”

  Her relatives’ conversations ebbed and flowed around them, breaking in periodic waves of noisy chatter. Not that she had a clue what anyone said. Instead, her gaze fastened on Nick and she found herself cast into perilous blue waters with no option but to learn to swim or drown. In that moment, drowning seemed the safest option. She fought for air, bewildered to discover that something as simple as breathing had become impossible. “Nick, I don’t think I can go through with this.”

  His smile turned tigerlike, the look he gave her filled with desperate hunger and savage need. “And I don’t think I can let you go.”

  Fortunately, Judge Larson offered her his chair just then, allowing her to break eye contact and collapse into the thick leather upholstery. “Are we ready?”

  Nick took a stance beside the chair. “Dani?”

  It was up to her. She could tell her family she’d changed her mind, and they’d support her decision, regardless of their concern—and disappointment. Or she could give her baby a father. She glanced at the judge, saw the patience and understanding in his wise gaze. Taking a quick, shallow breath, she said, “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

  Nick captured her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Go ahead, Henry.”

  And that’s when it happened.

  The nagging pain that had centered in her back throughout the day radiated outward in an intense, constricting band. The air whooshed from her lungs, and her hold on Nick became a death grip. Struggling to draw breath, she shot him a wide-eyed, panicked look.

  Nick’s comprehension was instantaneous.

  “Henry?” He didn’t raise his voice, but something in his tone succeeded in snagging the judge’s full attention.

  “You have something to say before we begin?”

  “Just a request.” He shot Henry a speaking look. “Dani and I have decided on the short version, if you don’t mind.”

  Again comprehension dawned, this time in the judge’s eyes.

  Nick silently willed him not to let on to the rest of the gathering. If they discovered Dani had gone into labor, all hell would break loose, and this marriage would never become fact. Fortunately, Henry was no fool. Years on the bench had undoubtedly taught him to make swift—and accurate—assessments of people. The judge’s gaze shifted from Ruth to the rest of Dani’s relatives, and he gave an imperceptible nod.

  “Actually, Nick, that was going to be my request,” he commented easily. “I’m afraid my schedule’s tight today, so if there aren’t any objections we’ll get the two of you married with the minimum of fuss.”

  “And not a minute too soon,” said the irrepressible Kendell.

  “It may not be a minute too soon, but it certainly is nine months too late,” Ruth retorted in her most parental tone.

  Dani’s hand clenched in his again, and he looked down. Damn. If this was another contraction, they didn’t have
much time.

  “Henry!” he barked.

  The judge didn’t require further prompting. “Dearly beloved,” he began.

  “Wait! The flowers. Who was supposed to bring the flowers?”

  Nick didn’t know which sister spoke, but he could have cheerfully strangled her. “I’ll buy Dani a truckload the minute we’re married. Keep going, Henry.”

  “We’re gathered here today—”

  “The child should have flowers.” Austin, the father of the bride, spoke for the first time.

  “Daddy, I don’t need flowers.” Dani caught her breath long enough to reply.

  “I think I saw a street vendor selling them just outside the courthouse. It won’t take long to run out there and buy a bunch.”

  “Fine.” Nick dug his wallet from his back pocket and yanked out a wad of bills. “Who wants to volunteer?”

  One of the nephews stepped forward, snatched the fistful of money and raced out the door. Judge Larson caught Nick’s eye. Apparently, whatever the judge read there was more than sufficient to convince him to continue with the ceremony. “We’re gathered here today to join this man and woman in matrimony.”

  “We’re not going to wait for Christopher?” another sister complained. “I’m sure we can delay the ceremony for five minutes.”

  “Christopher will have to miss a word or two,” Nick snapped. “His Honor has a tight schedule, don’t you, Henry?”

  Dani let out a soft gasp, and beads of sweat appeared on Judge Larson’s forehead. “Very tight. In fact, I think we’ll move straight to the really short version. Do you, Nicholas Colter, take Danielle Sheraton for your lawfully wedded wife?”

  “This is rather unusual,” Ruth murmured unhappily.

  “I do,” Nick snapped. “Keep going, Henry!”

  “And do you—”

  Dani groaned. “I do! I do!”

  “Don’t you even want to hear the words?” Austin demanded. “What sort of wedding is this, anyway?”

  “I heard them last time, Daddy! The only thing that’s changed since then is the man I’m saying them to.”