Free Here Comes the Groom by Karina Bliss

with Grant?”
    â€œHaving a quiet drink with an old school friend. If my bride won’t spend time with me, I’ve got to hang out with someone.”
    â€œI can’t believe Grant breached confidentiality.”
    â€œWell, he was pretty hammered at the time,” Dan confided. “You know he can’t hold his liquor.”
    She narrowed her eyes. “You got him drunk.”
    â€œIf you won’t tell me what’s going on, what choice did I have?” he said reasonably.
    â€œWhat else did he say?”
    â€œThat he hates his boss. Is it true, you invited an offer?”
    â€œI was curious to know what the paper was worth.”
    â€œSo you’re not serious about selling?”
    Jo shook her head. “Keep that quiet, though. I’m still working out the best way to say no.” She added pointedly, “Some people aren’t always good at listening.”
    Dan grinned, then lay down on another bed. “This one’s got memory foam, which will apparently mould to our bodies.”
    â€œYour body,” she corrected. “I have a bed.”
    â€œA single bed,” he dismissed. “I’m talking marital.” He took all the legitimacy out of the word, made it wicked.
    Jo put her hands on her hips. “Dan, I’m losing patience.”
    â€œ You’re losing patience?” She found herself lying on the mattress, his weight on top of her. “Are you really going to make me wait until the wedding night?”
    Jo tried to wiggle free. “There isn’t going to be a wedding night because there isn’t going to be a wedding.” Effortlessly Dan held her pinned and she gave up the undignified struggle and craned her neck to see where the sales assistant was. Engrossed on the phone, thank God. “What the hell’s gotten into you?” she demanded. “The old Dan would never have done this.”
    â€œMore fool him,” he said and lowered his head to kiss her. Jo froze.
    â€œYou folks okay here?”
    Pushing free, Jo scrambled off the bed and straightened her tailored shirt with the gathered bust.
    On the bed, Dan put his hands behind his head. “We’lltake it…unless there’s one in a larger size? We like a big playground don’t we, honey? And that leaves plenty of room for the kids.”
    Jo turned to the mirror and concentrated on raking a hand through her disheveled curls.
    Sensing it wasn’t in his best interests, the salesman didn’t press her. “Let me go see if we have a super-king in the storeroom.”
    When he’d hurried away, she crossed to the bed and looked down at Dan. “Is there anything I can say to make you stop this?”
    He swung his feet to the floor. “Not a damn thing.”
    â€œFine,” she shoved him flat. “Play your games but play them solo. Order the cake and the flowers…I don’t care. But I’m not seeing you again until you come to your senses.”
    Before she walked out, Jo noticed Dan no longer looked so smug. If you wanted to douse a fire, you took away the fuel. And he wasn’t the only one capable of finding allies in the enemy camp. She should have thought of this earlier.
    Jo took out her cell and dialed. “I know this is a surprise,” she said after exchanging greetings, “but I think we need to talk.”

CHAPTER SIX
    â€œW HAT A LOVELY IDEA,” Pat gushed as she embraced Jo at the garden-center café. “Meeting here to celebrate, just us two girls. You know I’ve been meaning to phone and congratulate you but it’s all been so confusing. On, then off, then on again.”
    â€œRelax,” said Jo. “I’m not marrying your son.”
    The older woman sank into an wrought-iron chair. “Thank God.”
    â€œOuch.” Jo took her own seat. “Maybe I do prefer it when you pretend to like me.”
    Pat recovered. “It’s not that I don’t