Gracie threw the magazine down in disgust. Reading about the latest celebrity marriage to hit the skids was so unfair. She'd give anything for her marriage to be null and void.
"At least let me tell you how it happened." Trent touched the top of her shoulder.
She pulled her arm away. "I'm not discussing anything with you. And I know how it happened. The lady in the Chapel showed me the recording." And that had just about left her in tears. She'd looked so happy, grinning like a fool as Elvis serenaded the newly married couple.
"Please. Just listen to me."
Clamping her lips tight, Gracie refused to even look at him. She thought about sticking her hands in her ears. It seemed a bit childish, but marrying someone when they were as drunk as a skunk didn't exactly reek of mature behavior either.
"You told Marianne you were going to marry me when we were outside the Bellagio. I tried to tell her and Ted we weren't getting married."
She sent him an evil glare.
"Okay?I didn't try too hard," he admitted. "But you were talking about wedding dresses and flowers and things, so I thought, why not? Why not marry Gracie? So I did. I mean, we did. Get married, that is. With Elvis. At the drive-through."
She kept quiet. She remembered Elvis, she remembered signing her marriage license, and she remembered feeling like the luckiest woman alive. Damn.
"I like you a lot. There's no one else I'd sooner marry."
Gracie balled her hands into tight fists. 'Like' didn't even come close to how a man was supposed to feel about his wife. 'Like' wasn't how she wanted her husband to feel about her. "You had four choices and I wasn't one of them."
"I didn't want any of them."
"I'm not staying married to you."
Trent sat back and closed his eyes. "Fine," he sighed. "I'll file for a divorce when we get home and you'll never hear from me again."
Folding her arms across her chest, Gracie glared at her soon to be ex-husband. "We wouldn't be in this mess if you weren't so pig-headed about having children. Why would you throw your life away with a woman you didn't love?"
"Why did you start searching for your father?"
"That's got nothing to do with getting married," she huffed. "And anyway, you know why."
"Spell it out again. If I'm the simpleton you think I am, I should have forgotten what you told me."
Gracie speared him with a look sharp enough to slice him in two. "I want to know who my father is, where I belong."
Trent frowned at her. "That's the easy answer. Why keep looking for a father that might want nothing to do with you?"
"You can be a real bastard sometimes," Gracie growled.
"Not in this lifetime. My parents were married when they had me."
Gracie froze.
Trent's gaze shot to her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it came out."
She looked out the window, closing her eyes against the bright glare of the sky. She wanted to disappear, pretend that the last couple of days hadn't happened. Pretend that she'd never started searching for someone that didn't want to be found.
Trent's hand brushed her arm. "Gracie?"
She opened her eyes and focused on the seat in front of her. A heavy sadness settled inside her body. "You're surrounded by family who loves you. Three generations of McKenzies have put down roots so deep that a tornado couldn't loosen their grip on your land."
Gracie glanced up and frowned at the shuttered look on Trent's face. "I've got a hole in my heart that I can't fill. Sometimes I get a pain in my chest, and it hurts so bad that I can't imagine a time when it's ever going to go away." She closed her eyes, trapping her grief behind her lids. "I need to know who my father is, why he never contacted me. I've traveled halfway around the world to fill that hole with something that might take the ache away."
"I guess we're not so very different after all."
Gracie looked up. "If we're both looking for the same thing, then why are we making such a mess of our lives?"
"Maybe we're trying too hard," he sighed.
Gracie's gaze dropped to his mouth. The same mouth that had set her blood on fire, coaxing her body into a tight bundle of need. She didn't want to remember the tender way he'd held her or the possessive way his eyes had roamed over her body. She didn't want to remember feeling as though he was the most amazing man she'd ever met. Or that she was loved.
But she did remember. Trent's jaw clenched tight, flexing under the strain of emotions every bit as complicated as hers.
"My land's the single most important thing to me. I've given everything I have to make the Triple L somewhere that future generations will be proud to call home. It's in my blood." He gazed over the heads of the people sitting in front of him. "I need a family to pass the ranch on to. I want my children to love the land as much as I do."
"Life doesn't come with guarantees. Even if you do find someone to marry?" Trent raised his eyebrows. Gracie poked her nose in the air. "?that isn't me?your children might not want to spend their lives on the ranch."
"I'd better aim for a dozen children then, hadn't I?"
The grin on his face nearly undid what was left of her anger. Not that there was much left anyway. She needed time to think, and having his body pressed close against hers in the tight confines of an airplane wasn't helping one bit.
Trent stared at her hands, clenched tightly in her lap. "You haven't managed to find your father yet. If you stay married to me, you can live in Montana for as long as it takes to track him down. You can be my wife in name only. No one needs to know our marriage isn't for real."
Chewing her bottom lip, Gracie squinted at the man beside her. "That's a low down devious way to get me to stay married to you."
Trent wiped his hands along his jeans. "It's not devious. I'm desperate."
"You won't get the dozen children you've planned." She frowned at the gleam in his eyes. "You won't even get one because I won't be having sex with you again."
Heads turned in her direction. Gracie sank even lower in her seat, scowling at Trent's laughing face.
He leaned toward her. "I'd settle for mom not trying to marry me off to every single woman in Montana for a few months."
His breath tickled the side of Gracie's face and she could have sworn his lips brushed her hair. She ignored the shiver running down her spine and the tingling going on in other parts of her body. They were chemical reactions to forced proximity, that's all. Just like yesterday. Gigantic, raw chemical reactions that had blown her socks off and left her panting for more.
"What about your mom and Jordan?"
"What do you mean?"
"If we carry on with our bogus marriage?and get that hopeful look off your face, Trent McKenzie. I only said if. If we stay married for the next few months, they're going to think it's for real."
"I hope so. Otherwise it kind of defeats the whole purpose of getting married."
"But it will only be until I find my father."
Trent sat back in his seat. "If that's what you want."
"Of course it's what I want," Gracie hissed. "I planned on spending eight weeks in Montana, not my whole life. As soon as we get back to the ranch you have to get the paperwork sorted for our divorce."
"You don't believe in mucking around, do you?"
"I'm not the only one," she growled. "And if we do stay married there are going to be some ground rules."
Trent frowned. "When isn't there?"
She decided to ignore his rude comment. "There'll be no more touchy-feely business. I'll hold your hand in public and look like an adoring wife, but it stops at the bedroom door."
"Fine," he said. "Next rule."
Gracie glared at him. "Are you laughing at me by any chance?"
"Not at the moment."
Heaven help her. Even under extreme pressure the man was hopeless. "Okay, rule two. If either of us forgets rule one, then the other person has to back off real fast."
Trent stared at her. "What if we both fo
rget rule one at the same time?"
She stared at him. Heat shot through her body sending a tidal wave of color from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. "It's not going to happen." Heaven help both of them if it did. "One of us has to back away or the deals off."
"Should we toss a coin at the time, or do paper-scissors-rock?" A grin replaced his worried frown.
"This is a serious discussion. Not some frivolous chit-chat about the latest stock yields. This is my life we're talking about."
Trent held her hand in his. All the humor disappeared out of his face, replaced by something so deep and tender that Gracie had to look away. "I take your life very seriously. And I understand how important it is for you to find your father." He pushed a stray lock of hair over her ear. "If you'll have me, Gracie McKenzie, you've got yourself a deal."
Trent lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of her fingers. Prickles of heat traveled up her arm and straight into her heart. She should have felt happy that she could stay in Montana for as long as it took to find her father. That she had time to search the whole of America for him. That Trent had only married her to give him some breathing space from his mom. But disappointment filled her heart. "There's a third rule, Trent," she said softly.
"There is?"
Gracie nodded. "Either one of us can pull out of this marriage at any time. I need to be back in New Zealand in four weeks for my friend's wedding. Before I go home, I want to have our divorce papers signed, just in case I decide not to come back."
His face turned gray. "You'd leave without telling me you weren't coming back?"
"Considering you married me when I was drunk, I'd say that would just about make us even."
"I didn't ask. You told everyone we were getting married."
"Do you want to stay married to me or not?" Gracie snapped. A dozen heads turned in their direction. She felt like they'd become onboard entertainment for the economy class.
Trent glared at her. "Yes, I want to stay married to you. But your walkout clause works both ways."
Gracie sucked in a deep breath. She felt like swatting him over the head with her magazine. "Fine. Welcome to your new life."
CHAPTER NINE
They arrived home to the smell of beef casserole simmering in the slow cooker and a note from Adele hoping they'd had a good time. Gracie snorted. Getting married probably ranked as a good time in someone's life, but not hers.
Trent carried her bags up the stairs, hesitating at the door to her bedroom. "Where do you want to sleep?"
The blood drained from Gracie's face. She hadn't thought about their sleeping arrangements. Adele would know something fishy was up if they came back from Las Vegas as husband and wife, but kept sleeping in separate rooms. The no touching rule looked shaky already.
"How big a bed do you have?"
A smile caught the edge of Trent's mouth. "How big do you need?"
She sat down on the top stair as a wave of heat rushed through her body.
Trent put her bags on the floor and sat down beside her. "Have I ever told you how much I enjoy having you around?"
"Don't speak too soon. I'm here for a few more weeks yet."
He leaned sideways and kissed her cheek. "My bed is huge, but if you want to sleep in your room, that's okay."
"I'd forgotten about Adele. If everyone in Montana has to believe this marriage is for real, then I guess I'd better bunk in with you. But don't get any ideas about a repeat performance of Las Vegas because it isn't going to happen."
"Yes, ma'am." He grinned as he moved down the hall with her bags.
Gracie watched his back disappear into their room. All she had to do was remember that they were in this marriage for reasons that had nothing to do with love and commitment. The sooner she found her father, the sooner they could get unmarried and live happily-ever-after.
***
"How was Vegas?" Jordan sniffed the air appreciatively as he swaggered into the kitchen.
Gracie's fork dropped against the side of her plate.
Trent reached for a glass of water. He cleared his throat, looking across at his brother. He didn't have any idea how Jordan would take the news of their wedding. And he hadn't thought about how he'd tell his mom. If he was totally honest with himself, there hadn't been much thinking going on at all in his pea-sized brain.
Jordan filled a plate with mashed potatoes and beef casserole. "Come on, Trent. It was a simple question. Did you see any of the shows?" Jordan sat at the table, reaching for the salad.
"We saw the Cirque du Soleil on Saturday night." About an hour and a half before he'd married his wife. Trent rubbed his hand along his jaw and braced himself for his brother's reaction to their news. "Gracie and I got married in Vegas."
Jordan dropped the salad servers. He looked at Gracie and frowned. "Where's your ring?"
Trent looked down at her left hand. Damn. Gracie gripped her knife and fork as if she was getting ready to use them as weapons. She stared at him with what most people would call a loving expression on her face. He wasn't fooled.
"Trent's taking me shopping tomorrow, aren't you darling? I couldn't find anything I liked in Las Vegas."
The twinkle in her eye made his credit card to sink deeper into his wallet. He had a feeling the ring wasn't going to come cheap.
Jordan's gaze bounced between Gracie and Trent. "You mean it's for real? You're not joking?"
Trent looked at his little brother. He didn't seem upset, just confused. "No joke. This is for real."
"Have you told mom?"
"Not yet." Trent picked up his fork and tried to eat some casserole. It stuck in his throat.
Jordan pulled out his cell phone, hitting speed dial.
"What are you doing?" Trent grabbed for the phone, knowing exactly what his brother was doing. He wasn't ready to talk with his mom just yet and from the way Gracie was staring at the two of them, she wasn't either.
Jordan leaped away from the table, diving out of reach. "Hi, mom. Guess what? Trent and Gracie got married in Vegas." He pulled the phone away from his ear and laughed. "What did you say, mom? Okay, I'll tell them."
"She's on her way over. Man, you two have some serious explaining to do. Goodness, me. Look at the time. I hate to be a party-pooper, but I have to leave." Jordan picked up his uneaten plate of food and headed toward the door. "See you in the morning folks." He gave Gracie a wink and hot-footed it out of the room.
Gracie pushed the food around her plate. "Two down, one to go," she muttered.
"Two?"
"Yep. Mrs. Davies knows."
Trent's chair nearly fell backward. "She was here?"
Gracie shook her head. "While you were having a shower she called to see if I enjoyed Las Vegas. I told her we got married. It was probably better than her starting work in the morning and seeing me make a mad dash out of your room for some clothes."
He stared at Gracie, not quite trusting the grin on her face. What had he gotten himself into?
"Cheer up, Trent. It could be worse. You might have married Jo-Jo. Then where would you be?"
"Not sitting here waiting for my mother to ask me why she wasn't invited to the wedding," he grumbled.
***
Karen made a record dash over to the Triple L. Trent just had time to put the dishwasher on before his mom came bursting through the back door. Gracie had her feet up on the couch, reading a book in the living room.
"Trent McKenzie. Did Jordan tell me the truth? Are you and Gracie married?"
"Yes, mom. We got married last night."
"Why didn't you tell me you planned on getting married in Las Vegas? I would have organized a little welcome home celebration."
As if he really needed a houseful of wedding guests to make his life complete. "It came out of the blue." Preceded by the best sex of his life and four frozen raspberry margaritas, but his mom didn't need to know about that.
"Where's Gracie?" she asked.
"Here I am."
/> Karen gave her a big hug. "Welcome to the family. I knew Trent had fallen for you. Every time I looked across at him at the barn dance he had a love-struck expression on his face. Just like his daddy used to look at me."
Trent sincerely doubted his dad had ever looked at his mom's dress riding higher and higher on her hips. Or watched her dance with so many partners that he'd gone dizzy trying to keep up with who she was with.
Gracie walked toward the kitchen. "Adele left some cake for us, Karen. Would you like a piece?"
"That would be lovely."
While Gracie made hot drinks and organized the cake, Trent shooed his mom into the living room and found himself on the receiving end of one of her no-nonsense stares.
In a low voice, she whispered, "I hope, Trent McKenzie, you have honorable intentions and haven't married Gracie for the wrong reasons."
He took a deep breath, crossing his fingers in his pocket. "Of course not."
His mom gave him a suspicious stare.
"Coffee's ready." Gracie walked in with three steaming mugs and a huge plate of cake balanced on a tray.
Trent sank into one of the big armchairs. It would take more than a slice of cake to make him feel comfortable stretching the truth tonight. He just hoped his mom didn't intend staying too long. And heaven help them all if she wanted to see some photos of the wedding.
Gracie seemed to be taking their fake marriage in her stride. She positively glowed as she told his mom about their trip to Vegas and the drive-through Elvis that officiated at their wedding. If he hadn't been present when she'd called him all the low-life names she could dredge up, he would have been fooled by her tales. You'd think she'd spent a romantic weekend away exploring the delights of her new husband by the smile on her face. But he knew better.
Gracie McKenzie was up to no good, and whatever devious plan she was hatching was bound to be bad for his health.
***
"That went well, Trent."
"You think?"
"Of course, I do. Your mom seems happy with the half-truths we spouted. It's a wonder your nose hasn't started growing with the amount of fibs pouring forth."
"I didn't see you running away when I put my arm around you."
Gracie glared at his back as he took their empty cups out to the kitchen. "I'm only here for another four weeks, then I get a reprieve from staring at your handsome face every day."