Page 10 of Married at Midnight

Connor’s face paled, visibly shaken by the woman’s weakness. “I’ll do anything to help you, Grandmother.”

“Good. Then move into the house.”

Connor frowned. “My condo might be small, but your old Victorian is too big for the two of us.”

“You said Ellie needed clients for her event-planning business.” Viola might be weak, but her voice remained firm.

“Oh, it’s fine, really. I’ll find something soon,” Ellie said past the lump that lodged in her throat. The woman was very ill, yet Ellie could see that iron fist coming out.

Viola’s watery gaze passed between the two of them. “I was contacted last week about getting Grayson House ready for a holiday event—the Historical Society’s Holiday Street of Dreams. I was going to turn it down. Getting the house ready would have been too much work for me to oversee. Now it all seems the perfect solution. Grayson House will be a place for you both to live, and the event will help Ellie until she finds more work.”

Viola paused as she searched their faces. Her gaze narrowed. “Consider it helping to fulfill a dying woman’s last wish.”

Ellie pressed her lips together, holding back a gasp at the emotional blackmail. Viola might be sick, even dying, but she wanted their cooperation. Would Connor hold his ground or let Viola get her way?

“Grandmother,” Connor said, his spine stiffening, “Ellie can’t do that job alone. You said yourself that the house needs repairs. It’s unfair to ask her to do such a thing.”

“I’ll hire you both.”

Connor shook his head. “I already have a job that keeps me insanely busy. Besides, you need to focus on getting better. Not fixing up Grayson House.”

“I want the house fixed up,” she countered with a lift of her chin. Her cardiac monitor beeped a little faster. The green line spiked higher than it had before. “Knowing you both are doing the work will help me get better faster. Besides, you won’t have to do that work by yourselves. Your grandfather left me oodles of money. You can hire whoever you want to help you.”

Connor’s gaze shifted from the monitor to his grandmother. His posture relaxed, and Ellie knew he was buckling. “When is this event supposed to take place?”

“The day after Thanksgiving.”

“That’s five weeks from now. I’d have to see the job to know if that schedule is workable,” Ellie interjected, unable to keep silent a moment longer.

“I’m confident you can handle the challenge and the time frame,” Viola said. “I’ll pay each of you a salary. And, Connor, I’ll make a sizable donation to the development of your self-driving car. That should allow you to hire others to assist you at the university and give you time to help Ellie with the house.”

“That’s very generous, Grandmother.”

“You’re my only grandson. I want to see you happy and successful.” Viola started to say more, but then a phlegmy cough rattled through her chest.

Connor took his grandmother’s hand, so slim and fragile, and squeezed it gently until the coughing subsided. The erratic beep of the machine beside her settled into a more stable pattern.

“I’m getting tired,” Viola managed after a moment. “No more arguments. You know where the spare key is, Connor. Let yourselves in.”

“We will,” Connor agreed as he pulled up the sheets beneath her chin once more.

“Thank you,” Viola said as she shut her eyes, sinking into the mattress.

“It’s time for us to go and let you rest.” Connor placed a final kiss on her forehead. “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

While Ellie was relieved to have a new job, she didn’t like the fact that Viola had manipulated her and Connor into living together for the next five weeks. The two of them would discuss a way around that situation as soon as they were out of earshot of Viola’s room. Ellie followed after Connor to the edge of the nurse’s station. She turned to face him only to meet Jordan Krane’s quizzical gaze behind his shoulder.

Jordan had been Ellie’s friend since high school. She knew, better than anyone, how the breakup with Connor had affected every relationship Ellie had had since. She also knew Ellie had vowed never to allow herself to be hurt by the man again . . .

They’d been high school sweethearts and each other’s first love. She’d opened her heart and soul to him. Couldn’t imagine a life without him. But he’d abandoned the dreams they’d forged at the first opportunity, thinking only of himself. He’d killed a part of her that year—a part he’d claimed to love. A part she’d never gotten back.

What are you doing with Connor Grayson?Jordan mouthed silently, her green eyes wide.

Jordan usually worked in the emergency room at Swedish Hospital as a physician’s assistant. What was she doing in the ICU today?

“I’m sorry about my grandmother’s insistence that we move in together,” Connor said, unaware of Jordan behind him. “It only makes sense now that we’re married.”

“Move in together?” Jordan asked, no longer silent. She spun Connor around. “Married?” A tangled mix of horror and hysteria flashed through her eyes as she looked past him to Ellie. “What the hell? You don’t even like him.”