ONE
And just like that– in a matter of seconds, no less – Rayne Kennedy’s life was ruined.
“The binding contract states,” Mr. Parry, the family’s attorney who had been reading her father’s will, glanced up at Rayne from across his large cedar desk, scrutinizing her with his beady brown eyes, “that in order to keep the family’s money with the right connections, you must marry Calvin Gates. The marriage must last for one full year and it needs to be consummated, this includes the contracted parties,” Mr. Parry glanced up from the document, “you and Mr. Gates.”
“I know,” Rayne snapped as anger shot inside of her like a rocket, immediately starting a tension headache.
The lawyer looked back at the parchment. “If the contracted parties get an annulment or divorce before the year is up, neither will receive an inheritance.”
“And—” Rayne’s voice cracked, so she cleared her throat, “when exactly did my father write this in his will?”
The middle-aged lawyer glanced over his paperwork in silence, rubbing his clean-shaven jaw. Rayne’s hands were fisted so tightly in her lap they turned white. She was sure her face was the same color. She wouldn’t be surprised if her eyes were red, as well. How could her father do this to her? There’d been many stipulations he’d given her while growing up, but this took the prize for being the most ridiculous.
“Ah, there it is.” Mr. Parry grinned. “This contract was signed by both your father and Calvin Gates’ father twenty years ago in March.”
“I was only four years old?” Rayne jumped to her feet. The rockets inside her head were going off like the Fourth of July – and not in a good way. “All this time I’ve been promised to Calvin Gates, and my father justforgotto tell me?”
Mr. Parry held up his hands in surrender as his smile disappeared. “Please, Miss Kennedy. I can see why you’re upset, but I’m just doing my job.” He motioned to the chair. “Will you let me finish now?”
Rayne tried to breathe slower as she lowered herself back down on the chair. As Mr. Parry continued to read her father’s will, she boiled inside while tears stung her eyes. For years she’d known that her father wasn’t the most practical person in the world, but why had he donethis? He had always told her,“What I do, I do for a reason.”Most of the time, she’d figured out his reasoning, but a handful of times, he made no sense at all.
Take this particular situation, for instance. For as long as she could recall, her family and the Gates family had been at war. Well, maybewarwasn’t the correct term to use, but they’d definitely not gotten along. The Gates family had power, wealth, and prestige, just like the Kennedy family, but it seemed that all her father and Calvin’s father could do was compete against each other. She’d never heard her father say a civil word to Mr. Gates. So why would her father and Calvin’s father sign a marriage agreement between the two families?
She rubbed her pounding forehead. The timing of this disaster was all wrong. The man she loved and had been dating for six months had finally popped the question the day before her father died. And now she couldn’t marry him for at least another year?
This was just... insane! She couldn’t wait that long to be Mrs. Edward Carlson – to have his children and grow old with him. She just wouldn’t follow through with this clause in her father’s will.
So what if she gave up her inheritance? Eddie hated his job, and once he finished trade school, he would have a degree in engineering. Most companies would be desperate to hire him. So until then, they needed her inheritance.
She scowled. Her father hadn’t given her much of a choice, had he? In order to get the money, she would have to follow his twisted sense of humor and marry Calvin Gates. Unless...
What if she could convince Calvin to break the contract? From what she’d heard, he was making pretty good money on his own as a lawyer. Maybe he wouldn’t need to rely on his family’s inheritance.
“Now, Miss Kennedy, if you’ll sign right here...”
Grumbling she snatched the pen away from Mr. Parry and scribbled her name across the paper that stated that she had read and understood. Although she really didn’t understand, she’d sign the blasted thing and get out of here. The next step in her strategy was to convince Calvin to break the contract.
Once she had signed her name in the designated spots, she threw the pen on the table and stood. Grumbling something to Mr. Parry, she hurried out of his office. She flexed her hands as she marched down the steps of the office building. If mother was alive, she’d be rolling in her grave right now. Unless she knew about the clause... No. Mother wouldn’t have agreed to something that binding, and idiotic, and... controlling.
She wanted to run and get all of her frustrations out. And she wanted to punch something. Her next stop would have to be the gym before she hurt anyone.
“Hey, babe. Why are you ignoring me?”
Eddie’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she stopped. Eddie, the man she loved and wanted to marry, pulled away from the brick wall he’d been leaning against. Lines creased his forehead and around his big, brown eyes. Her heart dropped. She’d been so focused on the clause and her inheritance that she’d forgotten that Eddie was waiting in the car for her.
Inwardly, she groaned. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. His palms moved slowly over her back, gradually relaxing her.
“What’s wrong, Pookey-bear?” He kissed the top of her head. “You looked like you were ready to tear someone’s head off.”
She nodded. “I’d received some awful news, and I can’t think straight right now.”
His body stiffened. “The lawyer told you some bad news? What is it? Are you still getting an inheritance?”
She tilted back her head and looked at him. His face appeared thinner for some reason. Perhaps it was because of his tight lips. A light breeze blew a lock of his scraggly red hair in his eyes. Sighing, she pushed back the hair on his head.
“It’s complicated, but don’t worry. I’m a Kennedy. I’ll work it out.” She gave him a sharp nod. If her father had taught her anything in life, it was that Kennedys used their brains to figure out life’s messes. Well, she was determined to repair the damage her father had done to her life one way or another.
* * * *
