She dropped the staredown and did her best to look humbled and sad at the same time. “I appreciate you setting that up for him.”
Raquel’s posture softened. She gave Kenzi a sympathetic smile—the kind shared between siblings when caring for a dying parent. The look was there, and then it was gone. Raquel flipped her attention to Everett. “We’ll need last quarter’s profit reports as well.” She continued to hand out assignments for documentation that would make selling the company as easy as making Blueberry Pie Ice Cream.
Kenzi wasn’t the only one who noticed. Tiny beads of sweat stood out on Everett’s bald head, and Hugh tugged on his tie like the small slip of fabric was responsible for removing the oxygen from the room. No doubt they were each pondering what would happen to them if Hazel’s Dairy Delights was parceled off. Kenzi couldn’t let that happen.
She retrieved her phone from her purse, the meeting continuing around her.
I’m in.She sent the text to Harrison and swallowed the lump of fear that lodged in her throat.
Harrison responded quickly.I’ll set everything up. Come in tonight to sign marriage license.
Kenzi shook her head at the absurdity of what she was about to do. A marriage would surely show how desperate she was, and she didn’t like laying those cards on the table for everyone to see. But shewasdesperate. All signs pointed to Raquel selling the company, even if she didn’t say as much. No one bothered to ask her out right why she was putting them through the motions. Thank goodness they didn’t have stockholders to answer to; they’d storm the mansion for answers.
On top of her worry for the company, she added her worry about being a bride. Her heart couldn’t handle rough use. It was as tight and tender as a sore muscle. Some would say to knead the pain away, but that wasn’t how a heart worked. You couldn’t apply pressure and have it release all the acid inside. At least she’d know this guy was only after her for her money. That was a reassuring thought.
Until she had a ring on her finger, Kenzi’s best play was to keep her head down and cover her assets.
* * *
Later that evening, after most of the office emptied out, Kenzi rushed into downtown to sign a marriage license and talk to Aunt Pamela. Pamela welcomed her with open arms and a bemused expression. Harrison explained the situation and then left the two of them alone to hash out the details.
However, the meeting wasn’t progressing as smoothly as Harrison had made it sound. Kenzi crossed her legs and eyed her mysterious Aunt Pamela, with her perfect skin and blonde hair that looked like she’d styled it two minutes ago instead of spending the day working.
Pamela was in the process of letting her down gently. “Kensington, dear, I can’t possibly help you. Inserting myself and my business between you and your sisters would be a conflict of interest. Not to mention, I don’t think my ailing brother would approve.”
“No one would be surprised if you took my side, Auntie; we all know I’m your favorite niece.” Kenzi was fairly confident in that assumption, considering the number of care packages Pamela sent to her while she attended university and the monthly phone calls and weekly emails they continued to share.
Aunt Pamela may not have approved of her engagement to Lord I’m-too-good for-you, but she’d never saidI told you so. Which was huge for Kenzi, considering the things her sistershadsaid to her in the wake of her crumpled engagement.
Pamela lifted her eyebrows, amused if not slightly entertained by Kenzi’s cockiness.
Kenzi pressed her advantage. “Besides, it’s not about the three of us—it’s about Grandpa’s company. The girls will parcel it off faster than you can say ‘fudge ripple and peanut butter swirl.’ Grandpa and Dad have worked too hard for me to let that happen.”
“And you’re willing to marry a stranger to save Hazel’s Dairy Delights?”
Her question gave Kenzi pause. Marriage wasn’t something to take lightly. Her dad was twelve years older than her mother and they’d had a sweet marriage—the kind that Kenzi had planned on having. She’d grown up watching Dad open doors, bring Mom the Sunday paper in bed with a side of over easy eggs, and kiss her palm as if she were royalty. That’s what Kenzi yearned for in the deepest parts of her heart.
However, she was beginning to wonder if gentlemen like her father existed in the world. If she couldn’t have a noble husband, then she might as well have control of the company she’d loved her whole life. “I am.”
“Well.” Pamela steepled her fingers in a pose of deliberation. “This is an interesting twist indeed. Are your sisters willing to take equally drastic measures to get what they want?”
“They’ll lie, cheat, and gossip, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“And you don’t consider an arranged marriage while your father is on his deathbed as underhanded as their dealings?”
Kenzi dug her nails into her palms. “Dad wrote the will; I’m simply playing by his rules. There isn’t a stipulation that I have to know the man for a certain amount of time—I don’t even need to like him.”
She drew in a breath, warming to the argument. “And my marriage won’t hurt a soul. I’ll neither have to disparage my sisters nor break company bylaws to become CEO.” Her words were certain and clear, yet her thoughts were as chunky as their number two best-selling flavor: Pecans Aplenty. If she could pull this off—and that was a bigif—there would still be consequences.
Pamela tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. “My dear, it’s not your sisters I worry about—it is you. Marriage involves the heart and the soul; even temporary nuptials come with some emotional collateral. At the very least, the couples I match become good friends.
“I don’t believe you are the type of person who can enter into a professional union and come out unscathed. If I did, I would have hired you as a bride years ago.”
Something sparkled in Kenzi’s periphery vision. She turned quickly but didn’t see any reason for the change in lighting. Strange. Turning back to her aunt, she smoothed over her anxieties before replying, “I’m tougher than I look.”
“You get that from me.” Pamela winked.
Kenzi did her best amused-if-not-entertained impression of her aunt. “Besides, you can’t afford my bridal fees.”
