The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife (Blair and Grayson) novel Chapter 259

Chapter 259

LORETTA-

The next day, he had not called.

I was losing my mind.

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He was the one who had proposed it. A contract. To a stranger who did not like him, which he had called perfect for his situation.

I had walked into a hospital and handed him my number like a woman with no pride, and the phone had stayed quiet all night and all morning.

I paced the living room.

Every time I passed the table I checked the screen. Nothing. No missed call. No message. My heart kept doing this stupid skip anyway, like it had not received the update it wanted.

My mother stood by the dress.

“The blue one,” she said. “Rico is an hour away. You will not receive him in whatever this is.”

This was trousers and a shirt. What was wrong with that?

“I am not wearing it.”

“You are. He is bringing his mother. You will be respectful and lovely. You will not mention anything to embarrass our family.”

So Giovanni had not told her about yesterday. Good.

“I met Rico twice,” I reminded her. “I do not need to see him again to know we are not compatible.”

“You want a fairytale. We do not have time for one.” She held the dress out. “Put it on. I will not have a Bellandi lady looking like this when her future husband arrives.”

Future husband. The words made my stomach sick.

“He is not my future anything. He asked about papa’s properties. Twice. If that is romance, I would rather stay single.”

“You will smile. You will sit. You will let his mother see that this house raises daughters who know their duty.” She shook the hanger. “Hair. Dress. Smile. In that order. And take that phone off the table. You look like you are waiting for bad news.”

If only she knew what I was waiting for.

I was waiting for a man I barely knew with a broken wrist to save me from this marriage that I didn’t want…by offering me another marriage. How wonderful for me.

I stared at the phone.

Tue,

The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife

Nothing.

Why was he not calling?

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I needed him more than ever today. Needed to get out of this mess, and he was the only one who could help.

He had looked shocked that I had agreed. Not happy. He had tried to sit up and his injured wrist had stopped him.

Maybe he had lost the paper with my number on it. Maybe he had found someone else to do it with him.

I picked the phone up. Put it down. Picked it up again.

My pulse was ridiculous at this point. I pressed a hand to my chest like that would slow it.

“Loretta.”

“A minute.”

“You do not have a minute.”

The phone rang.

I did not recognize the number.

My heart skipped a beat and I almost dropped the phone. I answered too fast. I walked out of the room so my mother could not hear.

“Hello?” I said, too happily.

“Loretta.”

Marco.

It was him.

His voice did something I had not prepared for. It was deep and unbelievably sexy. I had not realized I liked it until it was in my ear, saying my name like he had been repeating it in an empty room since I left.

“You took your sweet time,” I said, because if I sounded relieved I would hate myself.

“I was in a hospital with a broken wrist and my mother. It was not a quiet night.” A pause. “You left a number. I assumed that meant you were honest about accepting my offer.”

“Yes.”

Why would I lie about that?

“You want the contract?”

“Yes.”

I could hear him breathing. Careful. Like he still thought I might be joking.

The Hockey Captain’s Unwanted Wife

“As long as you’re willing,” he said, “we can start as soon as you’re ready.”

m ready now

It came out too quickly.

The line went quiet.

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I pressed my lips together and stared at the curtain so I would not take it back. My heart was still racing. Annoyingly. At his voice. At the fact that he had called at all.

“Today,” he said. “I can meet you today.”

My heart skipped again. Was I actually excited to see him?

“Where?”

He gave me a café name I had definitely not visited before.

“I want to leave home now,” I said.

“Then leave. I’ll be there.”

I hung up before my mother could hear the conversation when she walked into the room.

She was already frowning. “Who was that?”

“No one you need to worry about.”

“Loretta.”

“I have something to do, mama. I won’t be long.”

“Rico is an hour away. You will not embarrass me by not being here.”

“Then tell him I had a headache and will be back soon.”

I went for Giovanni before she could stop me.

He was in the hall.

“The car,” I said. “Now. Do not tell her where.”

He looked at the phone in my hand. At the stairs.

“Signorina-”

“Please.”

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