Кристина Холлис – His Chosen Wife: Antonides' Forbidden Wife / The Ruthless Italian's Inexperienced Wife / The Millionaire's Chosen Bride (страница 14)
She was being a realist in choosing to marry Jon, who wanted the same things she did, who felt about her the way she felt about him. She was, she realized, the daughter her father had wanted her to be, after all.
“I’m not a romantic, either,” she told Cristina.
But PJ’s sister disagreed. Her eyes widened. Her hands fluttered. “Just turning up on his doorstep isn’t romantic?” She laughed and shook her head. “It’s the most romantic thing I can imagine.”
“I didn’t mean—”
But Cristina leaned toward Ally across the table and lowered her voice, as if the men outside might be able to overhear. “I know. You don’t want to scare him to death. Men can be panicky that way. But, honestly, you picked the perfect time. No matter what he thinks. PJ is ready to be married now. He’s settled. Centered. And he dotes on the kids. You should see him with the nephews.”
In fact Ally could see PJ with Alex right now.
Other than when he’d tossed a ball or a Frisbee to a kid on the beach, it was the first time she’d seen him interacting with a child. She’d imagined he might be awkward. Lots of men were.
For that matter, she was. She’d simply had no experience with them. But PJ had apparently had plenty. Or dealing with them came naturally to him.
Ally had expected to see Alex cling to his father and duck his head when PJ talked to him, just as the little boy had with her. But the minute they’d gone outside, Alex had flung himself into his uncle’s arms. And PJ had accepted him willingly, flipping him up and over his shoulders, then whipping him around his side and tossing the boy into the air.
Ally had watched in almost horrified amazement. But PJ seemed perfectly comfortable, and Alex, shrieking with laughter, clearly loved it.
After that PJ had hung Alex upside down, let the boy climb his legs like a logger going up a ponderosa pine, then somersault to the ground. He was like a human climbing frame and Alex was having the time of his life. Even when they stopped, Alex remained sitting on his shoulders while PJ stood there, listening to Mark.
“PJ will be a great dad.” Cristina stated the obvious. “Are you going to have kids soon?”
Ally colored fiercely. “No! I mean—we’re not …!”
“Sorry,” Cristina said quickly. “That really is none of my business. It’s enough that you’re back. Whatever happens, happens, right?”
“Y-yes,” Ally managed. She needed to say it—to tell this woman why she’d really come. But somehow the words wouldn’t form. Because they shouldn’t come from her, Ally told herself. They should come from PJ. He was the one who had told his sister he was married. He needed to be the one to tell her they were getting a divorce.
And when he had kids someday—when he was some child’s wonderful father—that child would not be hers. And if the thought caused pain, Ally didn’t let herself think about it.
“Mom and Dad will be so pleased,” Cristina went on. “Mom can hardly wait to meet you.”
Cristina made a face. “You aren’t going to be able to keep her away. She was so excited to hear you’d finally turned up. She said she’d always believed PJ—about being married. Dad thought he was stonewalling. Dad thought he might have even faked the marriage certificate. But Ma said no. So did
He’d told them all? He actually showed them their marriage certificate? Ally’s brain spun.
Cristina didn’t notice. She shook her head. “She was right. Mother’s intuition, you think? Before I had Alex, I’d have laughed at that. Now sometimes I think I know what he’ll do before he does it. So she may be right.”
“No, she’s not right!”
At Ally’s outburst, Cristina’s eyes fastened on her. “What do you mean? You said you were married.”
“We are.” She chewed on her lip briefly, torn. What could she say? Talk about opening a can of worms. “For the moment,” she said at last.
Cristina’s gaze snapped up and she frowned. Then her expression lightened. “Oh, are you worried that you might not suit now, after all this time? Don’t be. You’re soul mates, it will work out.”
Ally opened her mouth to deny it, but again the words wouldn’t come out. And she couldn’t tell Cristina about coming here to get him to sign divorce papers. If he’d kept their marriage a secret, it wouldn’t really have mattered. Everyone would know he didn’t care. But he’d told them he was married to her.
Word of the divorce would have to be his to tell.
Cristina patted her hand. “Don’t worry. It will be fine. The only one who’s going to be upset is Dad.”
“What does your father have to do with it?” Just what she needed. One more person’s opinion to matter.
“Oh, he’s a ‘never say die’ sort. He’s still trying to hook PJ up with Connie Cristopolous. Her whole family is coming from Greece this weekend. It’s a huge affair. Sort of a family reunion for us, too. Complete with fatted calf or, in this case, sacrificial lamb. At least, it was. That was going to be PJ.” Cristina laughed. “But not now, obviously. With a wife in tow, he won’t have to worry.”
“But I’m not—”
“Poor Dad,” Cristina said with relish. “Well, it serves him right. He should have believed.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. It might be a little awkward at first, but he’ll be thrilled to have a son married off and no wedding to have to go to. Dad much prefers sailing and golf.”
Before Ally could even begin to think of how to respond to that, Mark opened the sliding door.
“Someone needs to go home to bed,” he said. Alex was back in his arms, head against his father’s shoulder, looking weepy and out of sorts.
“Yes. And we should let these two enjoy each other’s company.” Cristina smiled warmly at Ally and then at PJ who, seeing the smile, raised his brows quizzically.
Cristina stood up and went over to him, going up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “I like your wife,” she said. “A lot.”
The vehemence of her declaration seemed to surprise him. But then he just looked bemused. “She checks out okay, then?”
Cristina swatted his arm. “You knew she would. You married her. You are such a dark horse.”
“Me?”
“Such a romantic. Riding in to save her like a knight on a charger.”
PJ reddened. “I never—”
“A knight? PJ?” Mark’s brows rose. He regarded his brother-in-law with wonder.
“A knight,” Cristina said firmly. “Who’d a thunk it? Come on. Let’s go home.” She linked her arm in Mark’s. “And I’ll tell you all about it.”
At the door, she turned back and looked at Ally. “I want to hear more about your art. And the clothes. They sound fantastic. We didn’t even get into that,” she said to her brother. “But we will. There’s plenty of time now.” She went out, then turned to back Ally. “You can fill me in on the weekend.”
“The weekend?” Ally stared.
“Oh, I know everyone else will want a piece of you, too. But we’re going to talk.”
“I’m not—”
“Are you going up Friday?” Cristina asked her brother.
“Yes.”
“No!” Ally blurted.
“We’re still discussing it,” PJ said smoothly.
Cristina laughed and patted his cheek. “Enjoy the discussion. And the making up after.” She winked. “We’ll be there Saturday. See you then.”
“Yes,” PJ said.
“No!” Ally said.
“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Cristina said happily. Then as PJ began to close the door, impulsively his sister darted back in to plant a quick kiss on Ally’s cheek.
Her eyes were shining and she squeezed Ally’s hand as she said, “I just want to say how happy I am for both of you. And … welcome to the family.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“NO!” THE door had barely shut behind Cristina and Mark before Ally had the word out of her mouth. “I am
“Al—”
“No!” She whirled away from where she’d been standing beside him near the door, stalking across the room, needing to put as much space between them as possible.
Only when she was as far as she could get did she turn and glare at him. “You did this on purpose!”
“Did what?” How could he look so innocent? So completely guileless.
“You set me up! You invited your sister here so she would jump to all the wrong conclusions and then back me into a corner where you think I’ll be forced to go to your parents’ house with you! Well, I won’t!”
“I didn’t invite my sister here.”
Ally snorted. “Then how did she know to come? She knew I was here.”