Angel In Disguise. Patt Marr
Leteisha. Was your mom a good cook?”
“A wonderful woman named Cook did our cooking.”
“Hmm. A guy named McDonald did most of ours. I learned to love peanut butter. Now it’s a vice.”
She laughed and silently thanked Pete for not pursuing her family background.
“So, do you want to invite the team over for cheesecake?” he said, leaning back in his chair, dangling his goblet in one hand.
“You aren’t trying to slip out on me again, are you?”
He grinned. “No, I just thought the girls had worked pretty hard on this meal and deserved a treat.”
“It’s more than that. Confess. You want someone to eat your piece of cheesecake.”
He worked that crooked smile and nodded. “Guilty,” he said, not looking it, not for a minute, not with those teasing eyes.
“We’d better not have the girls over. Mouse would have a fit if she knew I’d changed out of that top.”
“That was a great top.” The appreciative gleam in his eye made her as self-conscious as she’d been in the sweater.
“I thought I ought to work on that gravy stain right away. The sweater belonged to her.”
“Very considerate.”
He wouldn’t think so if he knew she’d spilled the gravy on purpose. She felt bad about it, but she’d buy Mouse a dozen sweaters if need be. She’d just had to get out of that thing.
“The way your girls brought this whole thing off, it’s no wonder they won the regional. You must be some coach, Sunny Keegan.”
The words might be pure shmooze, the stock and trade of handsome men, but she didn’t mind, not this once. “The girls deserve all the credit,” she said, trying not to enjoy his praise too much.
“I can’t believe the trouble they went to, getting you on Dream Date and all.”
“They were dead serious about getting me a date.”
“They thought they had to fix you up?” His astonishment was real and very flattering.
It gave her the courage to tell him what he’d probably find out anyhow. He deserved the truth, and she’d rather it came from her. “I hadn’t had a date since they’d known me.”
His eyes widened in surprise.
She looked away, not wanting to see the inevitable pity her explanation would generate. “Last June I was supposed to be married. Hours before the wedding, I discovered my fiancé with one of my bridesmaids and realized…well, you know.”
She risked a glance. It wasn’t pity on his face, but anger. That was okay.
“I didn’t handle it very well. I knew I couldn’t marry him, but I was pretty confused. Maybe it was cowardly, but I just took off and left the explanations to him.”
“Cowardly?” His eyebrows rose in protest. “He got off easy. If it were my sister, she’d have shot the guy. What happened when everybody realized you were gone?”
“My dad stood beside Bruce at the altar and told everyone the wedding was postponed because I was ill.”
“Postponed?”
She nodded.
“And you didn’t tell anyone what you saw.” He said it as a statement, not a question, as if he understood she’d rather live the lie than have people pity her.
Let people think she was an irresponsible flake. It was better than having them know she was an idiot who’d been taken in. Besides, if her parents hadn’t believed her, how could she expect anyone else to?
There was no pity in Pete’s eyes, just an awareness of the tough time she’d had. Testing his reaction, she added, “They went ahead and turned the reception into a party, saying I’d insisted on it.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” he said with disgust.
She’d felt the same way, but she had to be fair.
“I ought to explain that my ex and my father are both in politics. It’s normal for them to put a spin on a bad situation. That’s why they went ahead with the reception.”
Pete was obviously baffled. “Let me get this straight. You found your ex messing around, told him it was over and took off. Nobody knew why or where you’d gone, and your parents went ahead and partied with your ex. That doesn’t make sense.”
Exactly. “Well, that’s what happened. My parents believed Bruce, not me. They thought I’d done him a great wrong, jumping to conclusions they way I did. My anger shouldn’t have been with Bruce, but with the deranged groupie who’d cornered the poor man and forced herself on him.”
“Groupie? Sunny, who is your ex?”
“Congressman Bruce Daniels.”
“No way! I voted for the guy!”
“You don’t need to again.”
“I won’t!” Shaking his head in wonder, he murmured, “Politics!”
She smiled. It was rather nice having someone understand, though it still hurt how her parents reacted that night.
“What happened when you confronted Bruce about his lies?” he asked tersely, as if he already knew he wouldn’t like the answer.
She grimaced, waving the question away. She didn’t care to relive that scene. If Pete understood at all, he’d give her a break on this.
And he did, just muttering under his breath, “Daniels! What a jerk!”
She was human enough to appreciate his distaste and support. It made her feel less alone somehow.
“The gifts were returned,” she said, clearing the lump in her throat when the words came out thick with emotion, “but my parents and Bruce still talk about our engagement as if it’s an ongoing thing.”
“And you don’t mind?” Pete asked, incredulous.
“Mind! Of course, I do, but keeping silent has been better than having the facts brought out. They’ve left me alone until recently. Not long ago Bruce visited a government class at my school and told everyone I was his fiancée. My girls knew I couldn’t be engaged to anyone without them knowing it, and they were furious.”
“Good for them!”
“Then a tabloid printed a news story that really got the rumor mill spinning. I’m from a political family, so my hide is tough. But the girls can’t stand it that I’m seen as heartless and insensitive while Bruce is the long-suffering lover.”
“I’m with the girls.” He stood abruptly as if he couldn’t sit still another minute. “I don’t like to see Daniels get away with this.”
His righteous anger made her smile. It was great having a champion. “The girls are determined to shut Bruce down. That’s why they got me on the show. Don’t you think a big-haired babe in pursuit of her dream date ought to give Bruce and my parents a reality check?”
He threw back his head and laughed heartily. It was remarkable what this man did for her morale. She’d even stopped minding that he was way too good-looking.
“Now that I think about it,” he said, still chuckling, “that kiss you gave me at the door… That was probably more for the congressman than it was for me.” His adorable lopsided smile dared her to deny it.
She shrugged innocently. “Just following orders. The girls said to make it look ‘real good.”’
“I expect it did!”
She was lucky he was such a good sport. “If I got a little overenthusiastic, I’m sorry.”