Marrying Maddy by Kasey Michaels

closet stuffed with blue shirts. Matt, Jessie, I’ve had the most lovely day!”
    Everyone had already turned to watch Almira Chandler come into the room, dropping packages in her wake as she crossed the room and collapsed onto one of the couches.
    â€œWhat a day, children, what a day! I can’t believe the bargains one can get at those Reading outlet stores. I thought it would be a lark, having Maddy take us there for a peek after we looked at linens, but then she practically had to drag me out of those wonderful, wonderful stores. Does anyone here wear a size six?”
    â€œI do, Allie,” Jessie said, warily eyeing the packages as she reentered the room and handed Joe a single key on a bright gold key chain. “Why?”
    â€œOh, good,” Almira exclaimed, bouncing back up from the couch with the energy of a long distance runner. She went straight to a pink plastic bag andpulled out the sexiest, most ridiculous looking sheer ivory negligee in the history of sexy lingerie. It even had a matching feather boa.
    â€œAllie…” Jessie said, backing away as her grandmother approached her.
    â€œOh, stand still, darling,” Almira said, winking at the two men as she wound the boa around Jessie’s throat.
    Jessie inhaled, nearly swallowed a stray feather, and felt herself blushing to the roots of her hair as Almira held the negligee up to her, pulling the sheer material taut over her breasts. “There, boys. What do you think? Not at all bridal, but then, who needs bridal, right? Some things are just for the fun of it.”
    Joe copped a quick look at Matt Garvey’s strained features and thought that the French sure could have used a few strategists like Almira Chandler at Waterloo. “Very nice. Very nice,” he said.
    â€œShe bought one for herself, too. In hot pink, no less,” Maddy said, rolling her eyes. “So? Are we ready to go?”
    Joe shook his head, pitying both Maddy and Jessie, who clearly were uncomfortable, each for her own reasons. For himself, he was enjoying himself mightily.
    There was a whole lot going on in the Chandler drawing room, several layers and levels of intrigue and misdirection, although it seemed that only he and Almira knew about any of it. What would happen if everyone else were let in on the joke? All the not-so-funny jokes?
    â€œYes,” Matt echoed, coughing into his fist, struggling gentlemanly to find a way out of what could only be a bad situation getting worse. “Very nice,indeed, Almira. You made a good choice. And you’re ready to leave, Maddy? Anybody else hungry? I’m starved. Why don’t the five of us go out for something to eat?”
    â€œFive of us?” Almira parroted, looking confused. Then she brightened. “Oh, no. No, no, no, Matt, thank you anyway. I’m exhausted, ” she went on, deliberately drooping her shoulders, just a moment too late to look less than ready for a quick four minute mile in stiletto heels. “I think I’ll just have some soup and a sandwich, and make an early night of it. But you four go on, have a nice time, get to know each other better.”
    â€œAllie, no, I don’t think—” Maddy said quickly.
    â€œSounds good to me,” Matt said at the same time, looking toward Joe.
    â€œMy…my hair,” Jessie offered quickly. “I thought I’d wash—”
    â€œWorks for me, too,” Joe said brightly, pulling the keys to his Mercedes out of his pocket. “My car’s already out of the garage, so we could all go in it. That way somebody can give me directions.”
    â€œBut—”
    Almira cut Maddy off in midprotest. “Well, then, that’s settled. Good. Have a lovely evening, children. And, Joe? Don’t let Matt try to talk you into putting all your money in his bank. Only half of it,” she said with a wink, then picked up her packages and all but skipped out of the