words: extracurricular activities. Did Thomas and Victoria Barrett truly live as business partners instead of life partners? At first the idea of an arranged marriage shocked and offended him. After all, why should someone else choose his mate? But then he began to think, Who knows Evie Barrett better than her own father? Even in a strained relationship, he understands her love of politics and drive to succeed—two characteristics he shared with her. But now, he wondered if Evie saw marriage as simply another responsibility to endure as the daughter of a wealthy doctor.
6
)
T
wo weeks later, Evie and Eli walked hand in hand across the grass surrounding the University’s football stadium. Around them alumni, fans, and students laughed and ate with an air of excitement brought only by the anticipation of a rigorous game of football. Evie waved fondly to a couple of her sorority sisters.
Evie tugged her burgundy leather jacket tighter over a thin brown sweater. The heels on her brown boots crunched the occasional piece of gravel. She studied the girls in front of her in a mental comparison to herself. She felt Eli give her hand a squeeze and turned questioning eyes toward him.
“Don’t play their game,” he whispered. His lips moved very little as the words slipped from his mouth. “You look beautiful. Don’t compare yourself.”
Evie jerked her head in the direction of her friends. How did he know? Could he read her thoughts? Did he know she often wished for Stacy’s brown curls or Megan’s curvy figure? And did he really think she was beautiful?
Evie forced happiness to her face as they approached an area where middled-aged men and women gathered wearing sweatshirts and team hats. She wondered briefly why the students dressed up while the alumni dressed down. Tradition, she reminded herself.
“Thomas!” her mother called in a sing-song voice. “Evie’s here, and she’s brought Eli.” Pleasure oozed from her mother’s voice.
Heat rose up Evie’s neck as her parents’ friends turned to look at them. The spicy scent of barbecue chicken drifted from an open grill smoking just outside her parents’ tents.
Eli nodded toward a couple of the partners in his law firm.
“Mrs. Barrett,” Eli called as he let go of Evie’s hand to extend it for her mother to shake.
“Eli, dear, please call me Victoria,” she slurred.
“Whatever you say, Victoria,” he obliged.
A gag rose in Evie’s throat. Is this how an actress feels? How much longer can I play the part of a politician’s girlfriend?
When she finished ogling Eli, Evie’s mother placed thin arms around her in a limp hug. “Smile, sweetheart, everyone’s watching,” Victoria murmured in her ear. Obediently Evie turned the corners of her mouth upward.
As quickly as her mother had swooped down upon the couple, she backed away. “Drinks are in the cooler under the food tent, and the barbecue is ready,” she announced more to the gathering crowd of friends than to the couple she just greeted.
The low buzz of conversations resumed, and people migrated toward the tables whose white tablecloths were hidden beneath mountains of barbecued meat, steamed vegetables, crusty bread, and moist cookies.
“Don’t look now, but the Barretts’ newly married son and his lovely bride have entered the tent,” a deep voice whispered in her ear. Evie’s brother slid his arm around her shoulders. “How ya making it, Sis?”
“Why couldn’t you have shown up five minutes ago?” she growled after shooting a smile toward her sister-in-law, Leigh Anna.
“Well, that’s not much of a greeting.” His body shook with unreleased laughter.
“Yeah, whatever.” Evie watched as her parents’ friends loaded their plates with free food and lounged in chairs protected from the sun by her parents’ tents. “Who are all these people?” She recognized only a few faces.
Eli leaned in toward her, his eyes focused on a table at the end of
6
)
T
wo weeks later, Evie and Eli walked hand in hand across the grass surrounding the University’s football stadium. Around them alumni, fans, and students laughed and ate with an air of excitement brought only by the anticipation of a rigorous game of football. Evie waved fondly to a couple of her sorority sisters.
Evie tugged her burgundy leather jacket tighter over a thin brown sweater. The heels on her brown boots crunched the occasional piece of gravel. She studied the girls in front of her in a mental comparison to herself. She felt Eli give her hand a squeeze and turned questioning eyes toward him.
“Don’t play their game,” he whispered. His lips moved very little as the words slipped from his mouth. “You look beautiful. Don’t compare yourself.”
Evie jerked her head in the direction of her friends. How did he know? Could he read her thoughts? Did he know she often wished for Stacy’s brown curls or Megan’s curvy figure? And did he really think she was beautiful?
Evie forced happiness to her face as they approached an area where middled-aged men and women gathered wearing sweatshirts and team hats. She wondered briefly why the students dressed up while the alumni dressed down. Tradition, she reminded herself.
“Thomas!” her mother called in a sing-song voice. “Evie’s here, and she’s brought Eli.” Pleasure oozed from her mother’s voice.
Heat rose up Evie’s neck as her parents’ friends turned to look at them. The spicy scent of barbecue chicken drifted from an open grill smoking just outside her parents’ tents.
Eli nodded toward a couple of the partners in his law firm.
“Mrs. Barrett,” Eli called as he let go of Evie’s hand to extend it for her mother to shake.
“Eli, dear, please call me Victoria,” she slurred.
“Whatever you say, Victoria,” he obliged.
A gag rose in Evie’s throat. Is this how an actress feels? How much longer can I play the part of a politician’s girlfriend?
When she finished ogling Eli, Evie’s mother placed thin arms around her in a limp hug. “Smile, sweetheart, everyone’s watching,” Victoria murmured in her ear. Obediently Evie turned the corners of her mouth upward.
As quickly as her mother had swooped down upon the couple, she backed away. “Drinks are in the cooler under the food tent, and the barbecue is ready,” she announced more to the gathering crowd of friends than to the couple she just greeted.
The low buzz of conversations resumed, and people migrated toward the tables whose white tablecloths were hidden beneath mountains of barbecued meat, steamed vegetables, crusty bread, and moist cookies.
“Don’t look now, but the Barretts’ newly married son and his lovely bride have entered the tent,” a deep voice whispered in her ear. Evie’s brother slid his arm around her shoulders. “How ya making it, Sis?”
“Why couldn’t you have shown up five minutes ago?” she growled after shooting a smile toward her sister-in-law, Leigh Anna.
“Well, that’s not much of a greeting.” His body shook with unreleased laughter.
“Yeah, whatever.” Evie watched as her parents’ friends loaded their plates with free food and lounged in chairs protected from the sun by her parents’ tents. “Who are all these people?” She recognized only a few faces.
Eli leaned in toward her, his eyes focused on a table at the end of
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