the air.
“Evan! Oh, Evan, you’re here!”
Evan stiffened against Celia. He went positively rigid, and Celia could swear she heard him curse under his breath. Celia turned in the direction of the call and saw a regally dressed older woman hurrying across the lobby, her heels tapping delicately on the polished floor.
Behind her, a grim faced older gentleman flanked by a younger woman and a man who looked slightly younger than Evan, walked slower but with no less purpose in Evan’s direction.
To her surprise, Evan took her left hand in his and held it close to his side. He fumbled with her fingers even as he looked up with a welcoming smile. It looked completely forced to Celia, but the woman didn’t seem put off.
The woman threw her arms around Evan, and still, he didn’t let go of Celia’s hand. He returned her embrace with his free arm and said, “Hello, Mom. I told you I was coming.”
“I know, but after Bettina told me she’d been to see you and when she told me that …”
She broke off and looked curiously at Celia, whose hand was still securely held in Evan’s.
Then his mom looked back at Bettina, confusion clear in her eyes.
“But my dear, you told me that Evan wasn’t seeing anyone, that he just told me that to ease my concern.”
“Did she?” Evan asked in an even tone. He pinned Bettina with a stare that would have had Celia fidgeting.
His mom nudged him impatiently. “Well, introduce us, Evan.”
“Yes, do introduce us,” Bettina said in a chilly voice.
About the time she felt Evan’s grip on her hand tighten and the cool metal slide over her finger, Celia regretted having agreed to come. She tried to look down, wondering what Evan had done to her finger, but he kept his hand over hers. Awkward didn’t begin to cover it. She felt as if she’d just entered a minefield.
“Mom. Dad. Bettina. Mitchell.” His lips curled when he said the last and Celia zeroed in on the man in question. He had to be Evan’s brother. The similarity was striking. “I’d like you to meet—” His entire body tensed and he gripped her hand almost painfully. It was like he was sending her a silent message. “I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Celia Taylor.”
Six
Celia froze. There was a horrible buzz in her ears, and she stared in horror at Evan. She hadn’t heard him right. What kind of idiotic thing had he just done?
She wasn’t sure who was more stunned. Her or his family. Bettina looked as if she just swallowed a lemon. Mitchell looked annoyed, while Evan’s father simply frowned. His mom was the only person who actually seemed happy about the bomb.
“Oh, Evan, that’s wonderful!”
Celia found herself in the older woman’s arms and was hugged so tight that she was in danger of passing out.
“I’m so glad to meet you, my dear.”
She held Celia out at arm’s length and beamed at her. Then she proceeded to kiss her on both cheeks and if that wasn’t enough, she yanked her into another long hug.
This was insane. Evan was insane. His entire family was nuts. She opened her mouth to blast Evan with both barrels and ask him what the hell kind of stunt he was trying to pull when Evan’s father put his hand on Evan’s shoulder to steer him away from the women.
“Come with me and we’ll get you checked in and get your keys. Then you can take Celia up to the room.”
Evan looked a little reluctant to leave her. She could well imagine why.
It was then that she remembered her finger. He’d put something on her finger.
She looked down. Holy cow! He’d slipped a huge diamond engagement ring on her finger while he’d held her hand. Fury simmered in her veins. She mentally counted to ten just so she didn’t explode on the spot. The bastard had planned this all along. No one carried around a rock like this for the hell of it.
“You two go on ahead and be seated. Order our drinks. Marshall and I will be along in just a moment. I want the chance to speak to Celia for a moment.”
Celia regarded Evan’s mom warily as she shooed Mitchell and Bettina on toward the hotel restaurant.
When they’d disappeared, only after Bettina had glared enough holes in Celia to rival a hunk of Swiss cheese, Evan’s mom seized Celia’s hands and squeezed affectionately.
“Oh, my dear, I’m so thrilled to meet you. I can’t tell you how fantastic your news is. I was so worried about Evan. He didn’t take Bettina’s defection very well, but look at you! Even more gorgeous than Bettina. I can see why Evan was so taken with you.”
Celia opened her mouth and halted. What on earth could she say? With every word that poured out of the other woman’s mouth, the more furious Celia became and the more sickened she was by Evan’s deception.
This was some huge soap opera. Things like this didn’t happen in real life. Even in really wealthy people’s lives, surely.
“By the way, I don’t think I introduced myself … well, other than as Evan’s mother. I’m Lucy. Please do call me Lucy. Mrs. Reese just sounds so formal and we’re going to be family after all.”
Celia’s heart sank. Lucy obviously was a really wonderful lady and super kindhearted, which only made her angrier that Evan had just lied to her. What the hell had he been thinking?
But then Lucy’s other statement came back to her. The part about Bettina’s defection, and suddenly it all made sense.
“Bettina and Evan were involved?” Celia asked.
Lucy colored slightly and looked abashed. “Oh, heavens, I’ve said too much. I always do have a problem with just prattling on. Do forgive me.”
Celia smiled. “It’s all right. Truly. It is one of those things women like to know. Men are so thick when it comes to these things, but if any awkwardness can be avoided, I would like to know.”
And she could go straight to hell for lying, too. She’d just make sure Evan got there first for his role in this debacle.
“It’s all in the past. Rest assured.”
“Naturally,” Celia said drily.
“Evan and Bettina were engaged. It was a long engagement. The truth of the matter is, I’m just not sure how much of Evan’s affections were engaged. Bettina and Mitchell fell in love, and well, it’s obvious to anyone that those two were meant for each other. Evan didn’t take it well, though, and if I hadn’t begged him to come to the wedding, I have no doubt he wouldn’t be here.”
Lucy smiled and reached out to touch Celia’s arm. “Bettina led me to believe that Evan was just going on about being involved because he wasn’t over her yet and didn’t want to worry me, but I can see that isn’t the case. You’re even more beautiful than Bettina. I can tell by the way he looks at you that he’s besotted. He never looked at Bettina that way.”
You are such a sucker, Celia. There should be a law about being so stupid when it came to men. But then she’d spend a lot of time behind bars if that were the case.
She felt Evan’s approach. It was hard to miss all that tension. Celia glanced up and met his gaze, and she didn’t at all try to disguise her fury. Let him stew. He was damn lucky she liked his mom so much or she would have denounced him in front of the entire hotel lobby.
The poor woman didn’t deserve to be humiliated just because her son was a first-rate ass.
Evan regarded her warily even as he turned to his mom. “We’ll catch up tomorrow, Mom, okay? Celia and I have had a long day and we’d like to go up and have dinner in the room.”
Lucy