The Cinderella Deal - Jennifer Crusie [32]
He nodded, nudging her down the road to Prescott. “Security I can give you. And we could get married by a judge. No God in the ceremony at all.”
She thought about it. “When’s midnight?”
“Midnight?”
“You know. When Cinderella turns back into a pumpkin. Midnight. When we stop being married.”
“Oh.” Linc hadn’t thought far enough ahead to worry about an end. “I don’t know.”
Daisy pursed her lips. She had great lips. Forget her lips. “A year? Lots of marriages hit the skids after a year. Or maybe the end of the school year. June. That’s ten months. I’ll flounce off at the end of June and leave you to be consoled by your adoring students and Little Gertrude.”
“Ten months is fine. Whatever.” He was having trouble focusing again. “Will you do it?” He suddenly straightened and patted his jacket pocket. “Wait a minute. Let me do this right.” He pulled out the daisy ring they’d used the last time they were in Prescott and offered it to her, and for some reason, his hand shook. He took a deep breath. “Daisy Blaise, will you marry me?”
Daisy felt her throat catch as she looked at her old ring, the tiny sapphire blinking in the lamplight. It was pretty and sweet, the kind of ring Daisy Blaise would love. Linc had been right to insist on it. Daisy Flattery still liked the chased silver and free-form pearls, but Daisy Blaise would want this ring. If she put it back on, she’d be Daisy Blaise again; Linc obviously thought she still was; he’d even called her that. If she went along with it, she could have everything she wanted and needed.
It’s time for a change, she told herself. Stop being such a coward. She nodded at Linc and said “Yes,” and he exhaled and slipped the ring on her finger, fumbling a little because her hands were shaking and so were his.
Oh, my God, she thought as she felt her hand in his. What am I doing?
Then Linc stood up and said, “Let’s get started,” and Daisy pulled her hand back.
“Started on what?”
“Calling movers,” Linc said. “Packing your clothes.” He frowned even as he mentioned her clothes. “We’ve got to get back to Prescott tonight. Our return flight leaves at seven.”
Daisy’s jaw dropped. “Tonight?”
“Why wait?”
Daisy looked around the apartment she’d had for eight years. She’d loved it, but now it was too small, like her old life. Just like in the fairy tale: the Prince had come along and swept her out of the ashes, and it would ruin the story if he stopped to pack or cancel the phone. “All right.” She stood up. “All right, then. Let’s go.”
She watched bemused as Linc called the movers, who agreed to come on Wednesday. Then she called Julia, who laughed when she told her she was going to Prescott and promised to take the day off from school to watch the movers, especially when they were packing Daisy’s stained glass lamp. Linc left to buy a travel case for the cats, and when he got back, Daisy had her clothes packed and was sitting on the boxes, feeling a little lost.
Linc stood in front of her, looking efficient and in charge and that didn’t help her qualms any. “Our return flight is in two hours,” he told her. “I picked up tranquilizers for the cats. See if you can find Annie.” He looked at Liz sprawled out on the floor, asleep in the sun. “I have enough for two in case Liz regains consciousness.”
“Forget Liz, give them to me,” Daisy said.
Daisy was so stunned when she saw Linc’s house that she sat down on the curb to get her breath. It was her house, gleaming yellow in the twilight just the way she’d imagined it. Less than twelve hours earlier she’d been stuck in her old story, and now she’d been given everything she wanted for her new one. It seemed too good to be true, but there was the house in front of her.
Linc paid the cabdriver and then turned and saw her on the curb. “What are you doing?”
“It’s perfect,” she told him.
“Good,” he said. “Now get up off the curb before the neighbors think you’re weird.”
Daisy thought about telling him where he could put the neighbors but didn’t. This is his story, she reminded herself as she stood up. Then she looked at the house again, so beautiful