Bride by Mistake by Marilyn Shank Read Free Book Online Page B

small-town ballet teacher who would soon marry a wonderful man with whom she would hopefully start a family in the not-too-distant future.
    “Mrs. Martin Landsburg,” she whispered, reminding herself who she wanted to be. Who she
would
be. End of story.
    But when Meg saw Zach with his nose buried in a brochure, a stab of attraction hit her with such force that her knees nearly buckled. She suddenly felt breathless.
    Mrs. Martin Landsburg
, she said again. Silently this time.

    Liza returned to the living room, and Zach was glad to have her back. She seemed more relaxed today, and he enjoyed their banter. And, as always, he relied on her good judgment. When Liza sat down, Zach noticed that her cheeks looked flushed, and a slight frown creased her forehead.
    “That took some time,” he observed. “Did you arrange the firm’s social calendar for the entire year?”
    “The call wasn’t from my law firm,” she said. Her mouth was set in a firm line, and she nibbled on her lower lip.
    “Hmm. Was it your boyfriend? The architect guy?” To Zach’s chagrin he felt a rush of envy that caught him off guard.
    “Brett Sampson is
not
my boyfriend,” she snapped. “Not my steady one, anyway.”
    “Sorry, Liza. I like giving you a hard time.”
    She eyed him cynically. “So I’ve noticed. And what will you do if I resign as coordinator of the birthday bash?”
    “Probably shoot myself.”
    “We can’t have that. It would spoil the party,” she said, taking the brochure from his hand. “Did you check out their menu?”
    “I did. World Wide Cuisine is just what we need.”
    Zach still didn’t know who had phoned or why Liza had left the room to take the call. They both were frequently interrupted by business calls. Liza often took them in Zach’s presence and vice versa.
    It’s none of your affair, Addison
, he told himself. Liza’s life was her own business. He’d never felt the need to probe into her personal relationships before. But suddenly he wanted to know everything about the woman. Especially if the guy in St. Louis was a serious suitor.
    “What about chicken cordon bleu as the entrée?” he asked, getting back to business.
    Liza nodded. “Great choice. I love chicken cordon bleu.”
    Hmm. Zach didn’t bother to point out that the dish contained not one but two kinds of meat. It seemed Liza’s eating habits were changing along with the rest of her.
    Unfortunately, this new Liza attracted Zach in a dangerous manner. He’d felt like that about Denise right from the beginning. She’d taken his breath away. As it turned out, Denise had taken more than just his breath. When her attorney had finished with him, Denise had acquired a healthy chunk of Zach’s earthly goods. Since then, he had kept his emotions under wraps.
    But Liza could make his heart race at the most unexpected times. And he constantly fought the desire to touch her—even kiss her! The alarm bells clanged loudly in his brain. He’d better pay attention.
    “Do you want me to call World Wide Cuisine and place the order?”
    Zach nodded. “Yes. For fifty-five people.”
    “Okay, then. I’ll see what I can do.”
    Zach listened as Liza efficiently made the catering arrangements. She even bartered the price, not that it made a real difference to him. At this moment Liza was her efficient, no-nonsense self. He hoped she’d revert back permanently so he could relax—and forget the attraction that was driving him crazy.
    When Liza finished, she turned to him. “What else do we need to arrange for the party? Are you planning to have music?”
    “Do we need music?”
    “If you want to make the evening memorable, you do.”
    Zach shrugged. “Gram likes two kinds of music. Classical and elevator.”
    Liza smiled. Zach could get addicted to that smile. Maybe he already was.
    “I made some calls earlier; there are several good options,” she told him.
    Liza started talking about a string quartet, a first-rate harpist, and several other