Free Bride by Mistake by Marilyn Shank Page B

her wardrobe—of which he heartily approved.
    To his dismay, Zach couldn’t drag his eyes off Liza. If this kept up, he’d have to make an appointment with his friend Jeff Thomason, a psychiatrist by trade. Maybe a shrink could explain this crazy attraction. And tell him how to stop it.
    As Maria served crepes and a fruit salad, Gram chatted with Liza as if she were her long-lost granddaughter. Zach mostly listened, still baffled by the rapport between them. When he had cooked up this little scheme, he never imagined it would work so well.
    An hour later, Zach had endured all the chitchat he could tolerate. “I hate to have to leave such delightful company, but I need to get back to the office.”
    “Me too,” Liza added.
    Gram stood. “Thank you both for coming. I must confess I’m ready for a nap. Will you children see yourselves out?”
    Zach shot out of his chair. “Here, Gram, let me help you upstairs.”
    “There’s no need, darling. We’ll talk later. Good afternoon, Zachary. Good afternoon, Liza, dear.”
    “Good afternoon, Eloise. Thanks for a lovely lunch.”
    Gram bestowed a radiant smile on them both and left the room.
    Zach shook his head as he watched her go. It seemed Gram wasn’t willing to leave courting Liza up to him. She obviously wanted to speed up the process.
    As Zach helped Liza from her chair, her lavender scent drew him like a high-powered magnet. It wrapped around him and held on tight, in the process scrambling every synapse in his brain.
    He’d better see Jeff right away. Maybe a shrink could put a stop to these unwelcome feelings that wouldn’t go away. And tell him how to get his good friend back.

    Meg breathed in the fresh air as she and Zach left the comfortable elegance of Eloise’s home. She tried to ignore how handsome Zach looked in his charcoal-gray suit and silver shirt,and she wished his musky aftershave didn’t wreak havoc on her senses.
    The feeling of Zach’s hand grasping her arm made her pulse skitter and her knees wobble—a reaction his nearness always caused.
    “I’m worried about Gram,” Zach told her.
    “Eloise looks healthy to me,” Meg observed. “Does she usually nap after lunch?”
    “Never. That’s why I’m concerned.”
    “But she says she feels well. Are you sure she’s ill?”
    “I’m positive. Ian pulled me aside two weeks ago and informed me of Gram’s heart problem. He told me it’s serious.”
    Once again his eyes shone with a sadness that tugged at Meg’s heart. She placed her hand on his arm. “I’m really sorry, Zach. I know how much you and Eloise love each other.”
    “The hardest part is that I’m not supposed to know she’s ill. Gram made Ian promise he wouldn’t tell me.”
    Meg sighed. “More pretending.”
    “Yes, more pretending,” he affirmed. “Listen, do you have a minute before you go back to the firm? I’d like to show you Gram’s rose garden.”
    Meg had all afternoon. All week, actually. As Zach steered her down the cobblestone path, his touch and his powerful presence set off tiny explosions inside her body—ones she seemed powerless to prevent.
    Spending more time with this man is the height of stupidity
, her conscience declared. And Meg heartily agreed. She must tell Zach who she really was. This stroll in the garden gave her the perfect opportunity.
    Meg smiled. “I have time for a quick peek.” But all she really wanted was to escape to Liza’s condo. And to stop pretending.
    They followed a stone walkway into the heart of a garden. Everywhere Meg looked she saw rosebushes heaped with blossoms—some red, some pink, and others a delicate shade ofpeach. Some plants were earthbound while others climbed up stately white trellises. Their heady fragrance filled the air with sweetness.
    “This is magnificent,” Meg said softly. “So many different varieties.”
    “Gram prides herself on her roses. She tended them herself until just last year, when she hired a gardener.”
    They walked toward a