Almost Forever Read online

  What sort of life would they have together? She didn’t even know if she could expect him to be faithful. Women melted around him—how could a man not be tempted when he was surrounded by constant opportunities to wander? Given that, she would be incredibly foolish to stop being self-supporting. She only hoped he would be sensible about it.

  She didn’t have time to call Alma that morning, but found time at lunch and sat chewing her lip, listening to the ringing on the other end of the line. At last she hung up, both relieved and disappointed that Alma wasn’t at home. She didn’t know how she felt about marrying Max, either. Part of her was ecstatic because she loved him so much. Another part was plain terrified. What if she couldn’t make him happy? He was so intelligent and sophisticated and supremely self-confident. He made Jeff look like a lightweight, and Jeff had turned from her to someone more poised and polished.

  Max was waiting in the office for her when she returned from lunch, and a warm, intimate smile touched his chiseled mouth when he saw her. “There you are, darling. I’d hoped to take you to lunch, but I couldn’t get clear in time. Was your mother pleased?”

  Claire glanced at Theo’s office, relieved to see that he hadn’t returned from lunch. “I just tried to call her, but she wasn’t at home. I’ll call her tonight.”

  He put his hands on her waist and drew her to him for a quick kiss. “My mother was all but dancing on the table,” he said in amusement. “By now half of England knows.”

  He was in a good mood, his eyes sparkling like sunlight on the ocean, and she felt her heart give that little jolt again. Uneasily she watched the door, trying to draw back from him. “Should you be in here?” she asked, worried. “What if someone saw you kiss me?”

  He actually laughed. “Is it supposed to be a secret that we’re getting married? I told Rome this morning, and he’s already called Sarah to let her know. Then I told Anson, who asked if I couldn’t have proposed to you in Houston, rather than rearranging the entire office to empty a position for you. So you see, it’s already common knowledge. The news will have gone around the office at the speed of sound.”

  Claire flushed, staring at him in mortification. “You made this job me?” And did the entire office know that he’d brought her to Dallas for himself?

  “No, love, the job is a legitimate one. I simply made it available by promoting and shifting some people who, incidentally, are all thrilled with their new positions.” Gently he touched her pink cheek. “You don’t have any reason to feel embarrassed.”

  He kissed her again then reluctantly let her go. “Have you been thinking about the type of ring you would like?”

  She hadn’t, and surprise was plain on her face. “No, not really. I think I’d like a plain wedding band, though.” The rings Jeff had given her had been encrusted with yellow diamonds, and she had never really cared for them. The stones had been so large, almost ostentatious, as if they were only what was expected of the Halseys. She had returned them to him after the divorce and never missed them.

  He watched her, wondering what memories had caused the brief sadness that darkened the soft brown of her eyes. “Whatever you want,” he promised, wishing that he would never see sadness on her face again. For a brief moment she had drifted away in her thoughts, leaving him behind, and he resented even a minute when she wasn’t with him.

  Max was at her house that night when she finally got Alma on the phone, and he lounged across from her, smiling as he listened to the conversation. Alma laughed, then she cried. Then she had to speak to Max, who assured her with quiet sincerity that he would take care of Claire. When he gave the phone back to Claire, she gave him a look of gratitude for being so understanding with Alma.

  “Have you set a date?” Alma asked excitedly.

  “No, we haven’t had time to talk about it. How long will it take to arrange a church wedding?” Claire listened then turned to Max. “How many of your family do you think will attend?”

  He shrugged. “At an offhand guess—seven hundred, give or take a hundred.”

  “Seven hundred?” Claire gasped, and on the other end of the line Alma gave a small shriek.

  “I’ve mentioned that I have a large family. That also includes friends—Mother will be able to give us a list in a week or so.” He motioned for the telephone, and Claire gave it to him again. “Don’t panic,” he said soothingly to Alma. “Perhaps it would be easier if we were married in England. How many people would we have to transport?”

  Claire tried to think of how many people would be invited to her wedding. Her family was small, but there were friends of the family who would have to be included. But if they were married in England, how many of them would be able to attend? And if they were married in Texas, how many of his family and friends wouldn’t be able to make a transatlantic trip? Suddenly the wedding was assuming horrendous proportions.

  “Accommodations aren’t a problem,” Max was saying soothingly, so Claire guessed that Alma was having hysterics at the thought of moving the family, lock, stock and barrel, to England. “There are plenty of spare bedrooms scattered around the family. The church? Yes, the church is large enough to handle a wedding of that size. It’s an enormous old rock pile.” He listened a moment, then laughed. “No, I don’t care where we’re married. England or Texas doesn’t matter to me, so long as I get Claire and it doesn’t take an eternity to do it. How long? Six weeks is my limit.”

  Even sitting across from him, Claire heard the loud protest that Alma was making. Max merely said patiently, “Six weeks. I’m not waiting any longer than that. Claire and I will visit this weekend, and we’ll make our plans.”

  Claire stared at him in horror as he hung up with an air of patent satisfaction. “Six weeks?” she echoed. “It’s impossible to put on a wedding for more than seven hundred people in six weeks! That takes months of planning!”

  “Six weeks, or I’ll carry you before a judge and do the deed. I’m being generous, at that. My inclination is to marry you this weekend, and it’s damned tempting. The only thing is, a lot of people would never forgive us.”

  He flashed her a brilliant smile, standing and holding his hand out to her. Claire put her hand in his, and he pulled her to her feet and into his arms, kissing her long and hard. “Don’t worry. Between your mother and mine, this wedding will be perfect. Nothing would dare go wrong.”

  To Claire’s consternation, he didn’t take her to one of the small jewelry stores she’d anticipated. Instead she found herself seated in a luxurious salon while the manager brought trays of glittering jewels for her inspection. What on earth was Max thinking about? Surely he didn’t think he had to compete with Jeff Halsey in the material things he could give her? Claire knew that Max was certainly not poor; his salary was far more than comfortable, but it didn’t make him a millionaire. He didn’t have to compete with Jeff in anything, because he had Jeff outclassed in everything.

  But there the rings were, waiting for her to make a selection. “What I really want is a plain simple old-fashioned wedding band,” she said, frowning slightly.

  “Certainly,” the manager said politely, starting to take away the tray of diamonds and emeralds and rubies.

  “No, leave that,” Max instructed. “We’ll look these over again while you’re bringing the tray of wedding bands.”

  Claire waited until the manager was out of hearing then turned to Max. “I prefer a wedding band, truly.”

  He looked amused. “Darling, we’ll have our wedding bands, and don’t look so surprised. Of course I intend to wear a ring. I’ve waited long enough to be married. I’m not going to waffle about it. But this is for your engagement ring.”

  “But I don’t need an engagement ring.”

  “Strictly speaking, no one needs any sort of jewelry. An engagement ring is just as old-fashioned and traditional as a wedding band, a symbolic warning to other primitive and marauding males that you aren’t available.”

  Despite her misgivings Claire couldn’t keep hersel