“it’s only a losing battle if you don’t put up a fight. Don’t take this one lying down, Bri. Trust me, you have too much at stake.”
With that, he pressed a kiss to her lips then turned and left the room. Brianne had never felt so utterly alone in her life.
***
“It’s not going to be as easy as we hoped,” Jake told her parents a few minutes later when he joined them in the hotel restaurant.
Phillip nodded to a waiter who immediately produced an extra glass and poured the wine for Jake. “You seemed so sure she has feelings for you.”
“I still am, but Donahue has something on her . Bri as much as admitted it, but wouldn’t tell me what it was.”
Juliette’s frown did nothing to mar her beauty but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of urgency to make it go away. He’d felt that same frantic need to bring Brianne’s smile back when he was in her room earlier.
“I’ll get it out of her, but it’s going to take some time. How long do I have before Donahue comes back for a visit?”
“Two weeks,” Phillip answered irritably, “and he’s planning on staying for a week.”
A sly smile replaced Juliette’s frown. “Surely there will be pressing matters at the home office that won’t allow him to be absent for so long?”
Jake chuckled at her quiet deviousness. “I believe you would do just about anything to keep your daughter from marrying Chad, wouldn’t you?”
“If only she were as easy to manipulate as our other daughter was,” she sighed.
Jake almost choked on the wine he’d just sipped. “I thought Brianne said Miranda married her boss.”
“Who do you think arranged for her to work for Holt?”
His eyes widened. “Holt Devlin? I heard the rumor he finally settled down but didn’t really believe it. I have to say, if Miranda is anything like Bri, he’s a very lucky man.”
“Miranda and Bri are as different as the sun and the moon,” Juliette told him, “but we knew Holt was the right man for her. She needed someone who would draw her out of her shell and he needed a woman with a gentle touch, someone who could steal quietly into his heart before he suspected what was happening.”
Jake grinned. “You’re quite the little matchmaker. So what went wrong with Brianne and Chad?”
Juliette scrunched her nose in disgust. “We didn’t have anything to do with that. If we thought for a moment Bri was getting serious about him, we would have interceded immediately.”
“By the time we found out,” Phillip added, “it was too late and she had already accepted his proposal. We thought it would burn out because Bri is so headstrong and Chad is so…well, Chad .”
Jake was thoughtful for a moment. “I take it you had someone else in mind for Bri?”
Phillip cast a furtive glance at his wife before answering. “As a matter of fact we did.”
“We were very selective,” Juliette said. “We chose a young man who has the same creative nature as our Bri, but who we thought would be able to…tame her outspoken manner without breaking her spirit. She needs someone with a sense of humor, someone who will keep that brilliant smile on her face and love her as unconditionally, as we know she will love him. He’s the perfect choice. I know they will have a wonderful life together.”
Jake nodded, biting back his disappointment. “I know I have no right to interfere with your plans for Bri, but…” he cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, “but I’m afraid I can’t go along with you on this.” He rushed on before either of them could interrupt.
“Look, I know you think you’re doing the right thing . Obviously, you were very successful in hand picking Miranda’s husband, but like it or not, I am going to do everything in my power to make
With that, he pressed a kiss to her lips then turned and left the room. Brianne had never felt so utterly alone in her life.
***
“It’s not going to be as easy as we hoped,” Jake told her parents a few minutes later when he joined them in the hotel restaurant.
Phillip nodded to a waiter who immediately produced an extra glass and poured the wine for Jake. “You seemed so sure she has feelings for you.”
“I still am, but Donahue has something on her . Bri as much as admitted it, but wouldn’t tell me what it was.”
Juliette’s frown did nothing to mar her beauty but he couldn’t help feeling a sense of urgency to make it go away. He’d felt that same frantic need to bring Brianne’s smile back when he was in her room earlier.
“I’ll get it out of her, but it’s going to take some time. How long do I have before Donahue comes back for a visit?”
“Two weeks,” Phillip answered irritably, “and he’s planning on staying for a week.”
A sly smile replaced Juliette’s frown. “Surely there will be pressing matters at the home office that won’t allow him to be absent for so long?”
Jake chuckled at her quiet deviousness. “I believe you would do just about anything to keep your daughter from marrying Chad, wouldn’t you?”
“If only she were as easy to manipulate as our other daughter was,” she sighed.
Jake almost choked on the wine he’d just sipped. “I thought Brianne said Miranda married her boss.”
“Who do you think arranged for her to work for Holt?”
His eyes widened. “Holt Devlin? I heard the rumor he finally settled down but didn’t really believe it. I have to say, if Miranda is anything like Bri, he’s a very lucky man.”
“Miranda and Bri are as different as the sun and the moon,” Juliette told him, “but we knew Holt was the right man for her. She needed someone who would draw her out of her shell and he needed a woman with a gentle touch, someone who could steal quietly into his heart before he suspected what was happening.”
Jake grinned. “You’re quite the little matchmaker. So what went wrong with Brianne and Chad?”
Juliette scrunched her nose in disgust. “We didn’t have anything to do with that. If we thought for a moment Bri was getting serious about him, we would have interceded immediately.”
“By the time we found out,” Phillip added, “it was too late and she had already accepted his proposal. We thought it would burn out because Bri is so headstrong and Chad is so…well, Chad .”
Jake was thoughtful for a moment. “I take it you had someone else in mind for Bri?”
Phillip cast a furtive glance at his wife before answering. “As a matter of fact we did.”
“We were very selective,” Juliette said. “We chose a young man who has the same creative nature as our Bri, but who we thought would be able to…tame her outspoken manner without breaking her spirit. She needs someone with a sense of humor, someone who will keep that brilliant smile on her face and love her as unconditionally, as we know she will love him. He’s the perfect choice. I know they will have a wonderful life together.”
Jake nodded, biting back his disappointment. “I know I have no right to interfere with your plans for Bri, but…” he cleared his throat and squared his shoulders, “but I’m afraid I can’t go along with you on this.” He rushed on before either of them could interrupt.
“Look, I know you think you’re doing the right thing . Obviously, you were very successful in hand picking Miranda’s husband, but like it or not, I am going to do everything in my power to make
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