“Sure thing.” He took off as quick as he’d come.
“Dumb thing,” she mumbled as she tugged the tiny cord from its hidden spot behind her neck. “Listen, while I have you here…I wanted to fill you in on a small detail I overheard just now on the guys’ mics during break.”
The term all ears was meant for moments like these. Kat felt her heart slow as it too waited to hear what Marsha had heard. “What did they say?”
Marsha shrugged and shook her head, as if the detail might be insignificant, but something in Kat’s gut said otherwise.
“Duke basically confessed that when he filled out the questions, he did so knowing Zander’s answers—rather than his own—would be more likely to get picked.”
Kat’s mind was blown. “What are you saying? That he filled out the papers like he was Zander?”
Marsha fiddled with the mic box once more, eyes pasted on the small device. “That’s what it sounds like to me.”
“If that’s the case, then the show really did line me up with Zander. It was meant to be him all along.” Kat might not have even needed that tidbit to make the right decision, but boy, did it help raise her spirits. In fact, the knowledge was a massive bouquet of helium balloons, lifting her hopes sky high despite the roof above her.
“Hey, would you look at that,” Marsha mumbled. “Looks like it’s working after all.” She proceeded to clip the mic back into place.
Kat observed the action, realizing what Marsha had likely done. There hadn’t been a problem with her mic at all; the woman simply wanted to help Kat make the right choice. All of heaven and earth seemed to know which choice was right, and Kat was grateful that she finally did too.
“I’ve got the new mic,” the lanky kid said as he hurried into the room.
“Thanks, Jack,” Marsha said, “but we won’t be needing it after all.”
A sense of gratitude rushed in over what the woman had done—given Kat the extra assurance she needed. “Thank you,” she whispered.
“Mmm hmm.” Marsha fiddled with the earpiece once more and straightened back to a stand. Her green eyes locked on hers. “Let’s get you out there.”
Chapter 26
“Well, folks,” Lisa said as they came back from break. “This is what you get with live TV. We saved Ms. Kat for last, and—after some technical difficulties—we’re nearly out of time altogether.”
She shot a look Zander’s way. “Be ready to say what you will. You’ll have exactly three minutes to do so. And then,” the host continued, excitement flashing over her face, “we hear how Kat would like to spend the next few weeks of her life.”
A wave of nausea swelled in Zander’s gut. Who was to say if Kat would come out this time at all? Sure, Lisa was fed updates on her private earpiece, but a no-show would heighten the drama and get viewers talking.
“Please welcome, for real this time, the queen of Married at First Meet or, as Zander so cutely dubbed her, Princess of the Pillows.”
Zander’s pulse spiked as he watched the curtain in the corner once more. At last it moved, just a bit, then gave way altogether as Kat stepped out in a red dress that was made for her.
The audience cheered loudly as she strode across the stage in a pair of matching heels. Zander joined them in the applause as his heart pounded out approval of its own in thunderous claps.
Zander stood to his feet as she neared. Duke did too. Kat shook hands with his brother first.
“Nice to finally meet you,” Duke said, cupping her hand in his.
“Likewise,” she said with a laugh. She reached for Zander’s hand next, yet as Zander offered it in return, Kat surprised him by pulling him in for a half-hug. She brought her lips to his ear next. “Zander,” she said in a low, sultry tone.
His skin came alive with goosebumps. Hadn’t he just told her how much he loved hearing his name on her lips?
Zander took his seat, feeling more confident than he had just seconds ago. The partial hug, the whispered gift of his name, they had to mean something.
“As much as I’d like to see the awkward interactions between the real Duke and our lovely bride, I’m afraid we’ve got to cut right to the chase. Because what we’re here for today, is to give Zander a chance to set things right. So without further ado, Zander…” She waved a hand in his direction.
The moment Kat set her wide brown eyes on him, Zander felt hints of that peace he’d been longing for since she left. He wanted her closer more than anything.
“What I did—stepping in for Duke—I did for a whole lot of reasons. I hated the idea of a young bride being stranded on her wedding day, on live TV no less.” He motioned to the camera crew surrounding them and shrugged. “I was worried about the repercussions too. The stain it would leave on Duke and the rest of my family if he didn’t show.
“So I stepped into his place, waited for you to walk down the aisle, and nearly lost my breath the moment I saw you—the beautiful woman who’d shown up at my office just weeks prior. That’s when my motives started to change.
