Okay, maybe kidnapping Carter was a bit extreme. But as his friend, coworker and ex, Nikki had an obligation to stop him from making the second-biggest mistake of his life. The biggest, of course, was letting her go.
Besides, what was she supposed to do? Let him commit bigamy?
Okay, maybe kidnapping Carter was a bit extreme. But as his friend, coworker and ex, Nikki had an obligation to stop him from making the second-biggest mistake of his life. The biggest, of course, was letting her go.
Besides, what was she supposed to do? Let him commit bigamy?
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Overview
Okay, maybe kidnapping Carter was a bit extreme. But as his friend, coworker and ex, Nikki had an obligation to stop him from making the second-biggest mistake of his life. The biggest, of course, was letting her go.
Besides, what was she supposed to do? Let him commit bigamy?
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781426801624 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Harlequin |
| Publication date: | 05/01/2007 |
| Series: | Harlequin Special Releases Series |
| Sold by: | HARLEQUIN |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 224 |
| File size: | 162 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
The organed played softly. Gardenias scented the air. The sunlight of a warm Galveston June day filtered through the stained-glass windows. Bridesmaids gath- ered in the vestibule of the church. Guests murmured in anticipation.
And the groom's pager beeped. Again.
"Damn!" Carter Belden slapped the button in annoy- ance, then remembered the somber presence of the Reverend Royer waiting to lead him toward the altar. "I beg your pardon ."
Reverend Royer's eyebrows knit together. "Perhaps you could, er, turn off the sound for the duration of the ceremony?"
"Of course," Carter murmured. Glancing at the num- ber on the pager's display, he exhaled. "It's my office. I'll have to call in ."
"Mr. Belden!"
"My best man isn't here yet," he reminded the open- mouthed minister. "This could be from him ."
Reverend Royer shook back the sleeve of his robe and checked his watch. "he'd better hurry or he'll miss the ceremony!"
"We've got a few more minutes, don't we?"
"Y-yes, but—"
"Stall, if you have to." Carter was already striding through the groom's anteroom toward the church's ad- ministration area.
Robe flapping, Reverend Royer hurried after him. "But what shall I tell the bride?"
His hand on the doorknob, Carter paused. "Tell Dee Ann it's business. She'll understand ."
DeeAnn might understand, but Carter didn't. he'd al- ways known he had a loyal and dedicated staff of fellow workaholics, but did they really expect him to conduct business moments before he took his place at the altar?
This had to be an emergency, but that's what he'd thought the four other times they'd paged him this morning. He knew they weren't thrilled about his mar- riage to the daughter of a business competitor, but they should come to the wedding anyway, damn it.
Saunders, at least, should be here. He was Carter's lawyer, good friend and supposedly the best man.
Where was he?
Probably trying to persuade Nikki Morrison to come. Slowing his pace, Carter visualized his petite dy- namo of a comptroller, with her green eyes and the freckles that showed no matter how she tried to cover them up.
Ah, Nikki—Carter smiled. Well, maybe he could understand if Nikki didn't want to come, though she'd seemed to accept his approaching nuptials with her usual calm professionalism.
Closing the glass door to the church reception area, Carter reached for the phone on the desk and quickly punched out the number. Through the intercom sys- tem, he could hear the organ music. It didn't sound like the bridal march yet.
"Carter?"
It was Nikki's voice, tense and breathless.
His collar suddenly felt tight. "What's going on, Nikki? Where's Saunders?"
"Are we too late?"
Carter exhaled through his teeth. "In three minutes, I'm supposed to be standing at the altar with Saunders. Where in the hell is he?" He winced and looked around to see if anyone had overheard.Apainting of an unknown saint stared at him reprovingly. Carter turned his back.
"Carter?" A different voice.
"Saunders? Where in the—world are you?"
"We're in the car." The lawyer sounded weary.
"Don't start without us." His chuckle fell flat.
At least Saunders hadn't been in an accident. Yet. "It would serve you right if you did miss my wedding ."
"No!"
The chorus of no's startled him. "Are Julian and Bob in the car with you?"
"Yes." Nikki's voice came through the wires again.
"But I saw Bob's wife and kids here ." What was going on?
"Carter, wait for us. You've got to listen to what we've found ."
"This isn't about your takeover—"
"Shh! We're on the cellular ."
Carter clamped together his lips in frustration. Cel- lular phone conversations could be overheard by any- one with a radio and they all knew not to discuss business on one. It wasn't like him to forget.
"Just wait until we get there," Nikki pleaded. "I've got to talk with you before you marry Dee Ann ."
"She's right," Saunders broke in. "Don't do anything before hearing us out ."
"This is unbelievable ."
Behind him, he heard a tapping sound on the glass windows. Turning, Carter saw Reverend Royer and Miss Hicks, the wedding coordinator. Both wore iden- tical expressions of alarmed urgency.
Carter shrugged and pointed to the telephone. Miss Hicks opened the door. "Mr. Belden, we're behind schedule ."
"Just a moment," he murmured into the receiver. Mustering a soothing smile, Carter said to the coordi- nator, "Tell everyone I'll pay for overtime ."
"Money isn't the point, Mr. Belden. Time is ."
The corners of Carter's smile drooped cynically. In his experience, money was usually the point. "Have the photographer take some more pictures of the blushing bride." Dee Ann liked being photographed.
"He's videotaping in the balcony ."
"He can't be taping much without me, can he?" Miss Hicks pursed her lips. Carter tried another smile. "My best man is run- ning late ."
"There are two weddings scheduled this afternoon after yours," Reverend Royer informed him. "It is June, you know ."
"If you run late, they'll run late," Miss Hicks added. Carter would have offered to pay for their overtime, as well, but he knew it wouldn't matter. "Do you hear this, Nikki?" he asked into the phone.
"Tell them to start without you ."
"Very funny ."
"you're doing a great job of stalling," she said. "We're just a few blocks away ."
"I'm hanging up the telephone now, Nikki. I'm turn- ing off my pager. You've got ten minutes. No more." He hung up the telephone.
"Ten minutes?" He smiled at the minister and the wedding consultant, who both looked at their watches, then at each other. They were starting to get on his nerves. It was his wedding, too. What were they going to do, hold the ceremony without him?
"I'll inform the organist and Miss Karrenbrock." Miss Hicks hurried into the bowels of the church.
Carter turned off his pager. Instantly, it beeped.
As he stared at it, Reverend Royer reached beneath his robe and smiled apologetically. "Mine this time, I'm afraid. As long as we're waiting—?" He gestured to- ward the telephone and Carter stepped out of the way.
Shoving his hands into the pockets of his gray morn- ing suit, Carter strolled back to the groom's anteroom.
Dee Ann would be furious, though she'd never show it. A cool blond Texas belle, Dee Ann understood per- fectly the relationship between men, business and the money to pay for designer clothes and personal trainers. It had been bred into her. The epitome of a corporate wife, she would never interfere in his business affairs.
But that didn't mean she wouldn't expect compen- sation for her tolerance.
Carter didn't mind. It amused him to watch her try to manipulate him and to allow her small victories now and then.
He could afford them.
Marrying Dee Ann was the best idea he'd had in a long time. She would make a fabulous wife and that's what he wanted: an old-fashioned arrangement where she managed home and hearth, and he concentrated on making the money to pay for it. Although he enthusias- tically supported women's rights, he also recognized that he couldn't be the type of husband a career woman needed.
he'd tried it once already with disastrous results. With both partners concentrating on their careers, no- body concentrated on the marriage.
Carter wasn't going to make that mistake again.
It wasn't fair to ask a woman to give up her career, but Dee Ann made no secret that she considered mar- riage and community service a career. Carter admired her for her honesty. He also knew that they wouldn't need a second income like many families. Dee Ann would find fulfillment in her work on the boards of various charities, and he was willing to support her en- deavors. It was the perfect blending of needs and wants.
Yes, they'd have a good life together.
That is, if Saunders and the others ever got here. Carter paced in front of the window of the small anteroom and forced himself not to look at his watch. He wanted to sit down, but that would wrinkle his suit. Instead, he checked his appearance in the wall mirror.
His boutonniere was wilting. He had no idea how the rest of him appeared. Of course, if his best man were here, he could tell him how he looked, straighten his cra- vat, make certain his pants cuffs weren't turned up, that sort of thing.
Carter nodded. Anything. "Let's get this ceremony
"Use the podium," Saunders suggested, dragging one away from the wall.
"Julian—" Nikki nodded to him as she opened fold- ers "—stand by the door ."
"Gotcha." Julian opened it, and checked both direc- tions before closing the door and leaning against it.
"What's going on?" Carter demanded. They were starting to alarm him.
"Stock transactions," Nikki told him.
"Not that again." Carter felt his anger rise. All morn- ing, they'd pestered him with their takeover theories.
"Look." Bob, his chief accountant, adjusted his glasses and pointed to several columns of figures. "This is Belden Industries' stock activity over the past two months compared with this same period last year ."
Carter glanced at the figures. "So? That doesn't prove anything." Carter looked at their unsmiling faces. Ob- viously, he'd have to study those figures at greater length. "Well, there's certainly nothing there so star- tling that I'd have to postpone my wedding ."
"These are the buyers and sellers," Bob continued as if Carter had said nothing.
"Your future father-in-law has bought a sizable chunk." Nikki pointed to the entries under Karrenbrock Ventures.
Carter looked hard at her. "Again, so? I consider that a vote of confidence ."
Nikki exchanged a glance with Saunders. "According to the prenuptial agreement, you promise to transfer ten percent of your holdings in Bel- den Industries to Dee Ann on condition of your mar- riage," Saunders said.
He remembered that Saunders and Nikki had howled over that one. "You knew that long ago," Carter said.
Nikki pointed to Bob's figures. "Added to the Kar- renbrock holdings, that ten percent would entitle them to a seat on the board of directors ."
Carter smiled. "I'm putting the stock in Dee Ann's name. It'll still be in the family ."
Nikki's eyes widened and Carter felt a pang of guilt. Stressing Dee Ann's new status was too harsh, he sup- posed, but they were interrupting his wedding, damn it.
Saunders cleared his throat. "It would be considered Dee Ann's separate property—hers to do with as she pleases ."
"And there's nothing to stop her from selling her share to her father," Julian said from his post at the door. "Should he choose to exercise his rights, Karrenbrock would be in a position to seriously weaken Belden Industries ."
"That's not going to happen," Carter insisted.
"Or," Nikki said, "her father could give her his holdings ."
Carter hadn't considered that. "And I bet that's ex- actly what he's going to do!" he said. "A wedding gift. I've been trying to buy back some Belden stock ."
They looked unconvinced.
Carter spread his hands. "Look." He forced a light laugh. His friends' grim faces were more appropriate for a funeral than a wedding. "Dee Ann has no interest in business." He directed his next remarks to Nikki. "She's not like you ."
Nikki tilted her chin up. "So I've been told ."