The Perfect Match. Debbie Macomber
it is for men and women to fall in love with the person of their choice. However, he refused to accept any of it.”
“He wouldn’t listen to you?”
“He listened,” she replied, feeling defeated, “but he disputed everything I said. Gramps says the modern version of love and marriage is a complete failure. With the divorce rate what it is, I’m afraid I don’t have much of an argument.”
“That’s true enough,” Zach said, looking frustrated.
“I told him men and women fall in love and then decide to get married, but Gramps insists it’s better if marriage comes first.”
Zach rubbed a hand over his face. “Now that I think about it, your grandfather’s been introducing you into every conversation, telling me how wonderful you are.”
Janine gasped softly. “He’s done the same to me about you. He started weeks before we even met.”
Pressing his lips together, Zach nodded. “A lot of things are beginning to make sense.”
“What should we do?” Janine wondered aloud. “It’s perfectly obvious that we’ll have to agree on a plan of action. I hate to disappoint Gramps, but I’m not willing to be married off like…like…” Words failed her.
“Especially to me.”
Although his low words were devoid of emotion, Janine recognized the pain behind his statement. Knowing what she did about his past, the fact that he’d experienced only brief patches of love in his life and little or no approval tugged at her heart.
“I didn’t mean it to sound like that,” she insisted. “My grandfather wouldn’t have chosen you if he didn’t think you were pretty special. He prides himself on his ability to judge character, and he’s always been impressed with you.”
“Let’s not kid ourselves, Janine,” Zach returned, his voice hardening. “You’re an uptown girl. We’re totally unsuited.”
“I agree with you there, but not for the reasons you assume. From the minute I stepped into your office, you made it clear that you thought of me as some kind of snob. I’m not, but I refuse to waste my breath arguing with you.”
“Fine.”
“Instead of hurling insults at each other,” she suggested, crossing her arms in a show of indignation, “why don’t we come up with a plan to deal with Gramps’s preposterous idea?”
“That isn’t necessary,” he countered. “I want no part of it.”
“And you think I do?”
Zach said nothing.
Janine expelled her breath loudly. “It seems to me the solution is for one of us to marry someone else. That would quickly put an end to this whole thing.”
“I already told you I have no intention of marrying,” he said emphatically. “You’re the one who insinuated you had plenty of men hanging around just waiting for you to say ‘I do.’”
“None that I’d consider marrying, for heaven’s sake,” she grumbled. “Besides, I’m not currently in love with anyone.”
Zach laughed, if the sound that came from his throat could be called a laugh. “Then find a man who’s current. If you fall in and out of love that easily, surely there’s got to be at least one prospect on the horizon.”
“There isn’t. You’re going to have to come up with someone! Why don’t you go out there and sweep some sweet young thing off her feet,” she muttered sarcastically.
“I’m not willing to sacrifice my life so you can get off scot-free.” His words were low and furious.
“But it’s perfectly all right for me to sabotage mine? That makes a lot of sense.”
“Okay,” he said after a tense moment. He paused, shaking his head. “That idea’s obviously not going to work. I guess we’ll have to come up with something better.”
“Okay, then.” Janine gestured toward him. “It’s your turn.”
He glared at her, seeming to dislike her even more. In all honesty, Janine wasn’t too pleased with the way she was behaving, either. She’d been sarcastic and needlessly rude, but then, Zach had driven her to it. He could be the most unpleasant man.
Still, Janine was about to say something conciliatory when the sound of the front door opening distracted her. Her gaze flew to Zach and he nodded, reassuring her that he’d handle the situation.
They’d returned to their chairs and were seated by the time Gramps appeared in the library doorway.
“Zach, I’m sorry for the delay. I’m glad to see Janine entertained you.” Her grandfather smiled brightly as if to tell her he approved and hoped she’d taken advantage of this hour alone with Zach.
“We did manage to have a stimulating conversation,” Zach said, his eyes briefly meeting Janine’s.
“Good. Good.”
Zach stood and reached for his briefcase. “There were some figures you wanted to go over with me?”
“Yes.” Looking satisfied with himself, Gramps led the way out of the room. Zach followed him, with a glance back at Janine that said he’d get in touch with her later.
Later turned out to be almost a week. She was puttering around outside, trimming back the rosebushes and deciding where to plant the geraniums this year, when Mrs. McCormick came to tell her she was wanted on the phone.
“Hello,” Janine said cheerfully.
“We need to talk,” Zach said without preamble.
“Why?” she demanded. If he was going to keep her hanging for six anxious days, then she wasn’t going to give the impression that she was thrilled to hear from him.
“Your grandfather laid his cards on the table this afternoon. I thought you might be interested in hearing what he’s offering me to take you off his hands.”
“All right,” Janine said, bracing herself. “What’s he offering you? Huge bonuses?”
“No,” Zach said quickly.
“Cash? I want to know exactly how much.”
“He didn’t offer me money.”
Janine frowned. “What then?”
“I think we should meet and talk about it.”
If her grandfather had openly approached Zach with the arranged-marriage idea, Janine knew darn well that Gramps would’ve made it worth Zach’s while. Despite his claims to the contrary, it wouldn’t have surprised Janine to discover that the newly appointed chairman of the board of Hartman-Thomas Business Supply had taken the bait.
“You want us to meet?” she repeated in a faltering voice.
“There’s a restaurant on University Way—Italian 642. Have you heard of it?”
“No, but I’ll find it.”
“Meet me there at seven.” Zach paused, then added, “And listen, it might not be a good idea to tell your grandfather that we’re getting together. He might misunderstand.”
“I won’t say anything,” she promised.
Zach hesitated once more. “We have a lot to discuss.”
Janine’s heartbeat accelerated, and she felt the perspiration break out on her forehead. “Zach,” she began, “you haven’t changed your mind, have you? I mean, you’re not actually considering this ridiculous idea of his? You can’t…We agreed, remember?” She