The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc #3)(34)

"Only a few months," Jack said, "but when you know, you know."

"Ahh! This is so crazy," Emily said. "I mean that in a good way. Steven is going to be so sorry he missed this. I have so many questions."

"I think we all do," Pete said.

"So, Jack, I assume that's your car in the driveway. What exactly do you do in politics?" Emily asked.

"He's a congressman," Charlotte said.

"A what?" Emily almost choked on her wine.

"A congressman," Ellen shouted from the kitchen. "They make laws, honey."

"Eh, that's up for debate," Jack said with a laugh.

"I know what Congress does," Emily said. "I just wasn't expecting my sister to meet someone so…"

"Go on," Charlotte said. It had been a long time since she had caught her sister off guard.

"You've finally done it, is all," Emily said.

"Finally done what?" Charlotte asked.

"Found someone who doesn't have a flaw for you to pick at, unless he snores or likes the Yankees or something."

"I think I'm ok on both counts," Jack said. "My family owns a small stake in the Red Sox."

"We're a Phillies family, but I think we can let that one slide," Pete said.

"I'm not sure I know what you're getting at, Em," Charlotte said.

"You have a tendency to fall for guys then nitpick their faults until you can't stand them anymore. Anyway, it was supposed to be a compliment. Can we just let it go?" Emily asked.

"This smelled so delicious when I pulled it out of the oven, I couldn't help myself," Ellen said, carrying the roast in and placing it in the middle of the dining room table. There was a sizable chunk missing off the end already. "I started without you. Let me go get the sides." She disappeared back into the kitchen.

With a mischievous look in her eyes, Emily sat down at the table. "So, Jack," she said, "want to know what Charlotte was like before you met her?" The look on Charlotte's face told Jack everything he needed to know. He should have just let it go, but he wanted to know more about her. The embarrassing stories were always the good ones, the ones that really told you about who someone was deep down inside. Besides, he doubted Charlotte could actually have anything to be embarrassed about.

"Maybe it's best we leave those embarrassing stones unturned until after we've said our vows," he said.

He watched Charlotte sigh in relief and sink a little lower in her chair.

"On second thought," he added, "why don't you tell me just one thing? Go ahead, tell me the best one you've got."





Chapter 13

"Benji," Emily said. She swirled the wine in her glass and grinned across the table at Charlotte, savoring this moment. Ellen had insisted that there wouldn't be any humiliation happening during the meal, but now Charlotte's parents were wrapping up the leftovers in the kitchen. Jack leaned over the table beside Charlotte, propping his head up with both hands as he waited to hear more from her sister.

This was the way things had been between them back in high school, Charlotte just trying to get by and Emily asserting herself, trying to be in charge of everything. Emily had always done everything first — she had the first boyfriend, had gotten the first real job, had gotten married first. Emily just couldn't let the engagement announcement go by without using it as a chance to keep all the attention back on herself.


Charlotte watched her, wondering where she was going with this. The Benji story was far from the worst one Emily could have chosen.

"No," Charlotte said. "Come on. Do we really need to do this?"

"Yes," Emily said.

"Who is Benji?" Jack asked.

"So you haven't seen him? Not so much a who as a what," Emily said. "He was Charlotte's favorite stuffed animal."

Charlotte stared at her for a moment.

"I'm sorry," Emily said, "Benji is Charlotte's favorite stuffed animal. He's a little puppy she got when she was young. She still keeps it with her."

"Why are you telling him this?" Charlotte asked.

"She used to bring it to school in her backpack," Emily said.

Charlotte's dad laughed from the kitchen. "Remember when you were moving back to college, Bean? It must have been your sophomore year. You forgot Benji at home, and I had to drive him back up to you."

"You didn't have to," Charlotte said. Ok, now she was embarrassed. She bit her lower lip and tried to plan a way to end the conversation.

"I wanted to," her dad said. "Like it or not, I'm always going to look out for you. I guess Jack will be on Benji duty from now on, though."

"Why are we talking about this?" Charlotte asked.

"I wanted Jack to know something about you," Emily said.

"What, that I'm a big dork?" Charlotte said.

"No, I wanted to let him know that once you have something good, you don't let go. I always envied the way you held onto Benji. I refused to have any stuffed animals after middle school. I thought it was grown up." Emily turned her attention to Jack. "I guess I'm trying to say she's in it for the long haul."