“Justin? What are you going to do?”
He flipped open his cell and searched for Robin’s name. “I’m going to make some phone calls.” He glanced over his shoulder and winked. “Why don’t you go back by the fire and keep warm? I’d hate for you to catch a cold.”
“Is your phone getting service now?”
He glanced at his cell. “Yes. Now that the storm has passed, I think we can both get service.”
Her head bobbed with a nod before she walked back into the front room.
* * * *
BROOKE DIDN’T KNOWwhat to believe anymore. Obviously, she couldn’t trust her own heart. Justin had made her trust him. He’d made her fall in love with him, too. True, he didn’t force her, but because of his actions and words, how could she not have become transfixed by his charm? How could she have gone unaffected?
Now she didn’t know whether to trust him or not. If she were a man, she wouldn’t marry Robin, so hearing Justin say that, she wanted to believe him. He might have apologized to her, but it was difficult to know what to believe anymore.
Sitting by the fire didn’t accomplish anything, especially when she could hear him on the phone. Quietly, she snuck back down the hall and stopped in front of the bedroom door which was opened. She flattened herself against the wall, but unless Justin came out, he wouldn’t know she was here, anyway.
Immediately, she could tell by his tone of voice he was talking to Robin. However, it surprised Brooke to hear how curt he was with her cousin. Perhaps he had been telling Brooke the truth after all.
“Robin, we need to talk.”
There was silence for a second before Justin said, “No, I don’t want to talk to you in person. Just over the phone.”
Brooke heard him grumble before she heard Robin’s voice. He must have put the phone on speaker.
A small sob came from Robin. “Daddy was right. You have cold feet.”
“No, in order to have cold feet I would have to want to marry you.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” The pathetic whine left Robin’s voice and was replaced with anger.
“Robin, we didn’t even go out that much. We don’t really know each other. My mother threw us together before we had a chance to know if marriage was right.”
“Of course, it’s right. With the money from your father’s company—”
“Exactly! It all comes down to money. Robin, you’re not marrying me, just my money.”
“So? What’s wrong with that, Justin? It’s done in most wealthy families.”
“Oh, really?” His voice grew irate. “I thought that was only done in the eighteenth century.”
Robin huffed. “I’m serious, Justin.”
“And so am I.” He didn’t say anything for a couple of seconds. “Robin, I don’t want to marry you. I’m wealthy enough without your father’s riches – just as you are without mine.”
“Father won’t be very pleased with this.”
“Let’s not worry about his feelings right now. How do you feel?”
Brooke didn’t hear anything for a few moments and she wanted so badly to peek around the corner and look into the room, but she was afraid he’d see her. Finally, a heavy sigh came from Robin.
“I guess if you don’t love and want to marry me, I can find someone who will.”
“I’m glad you think that way Robin, because I don’t love you the way a man should love a woman he’s going to marry.”
“Have you talked to Daddy yet?”
“No. You’re the first person I called. I thought I’d talk to my mother before speaking to your father.”
