Arranged Marriage, Wanted Wife Read online

  Prologue

  “Jassi,” Glynis Meadows called out in a sharp voice the second she walked into the house. “Get in here. We need to talk with you.”

  Jassi Parks’ blue-violet eyes took on a wary look although she headed in that direction walking into the living room just as her two cousins, Becca and Freya, came in from the garden.

  Both sent her sneers before taking seats next to their mother who was settled on the couch one leg crossed over the other although her frowning countenance was focused on Jassi.

  “Glynis,” Dylan Parks, Jassi’s grandmother, stated in a low voice sending her daughter a sharp look.

  Glynis leaned back against the cushions of the couch folding her arms over her chest eyes narrowed on Jassi. “I think she owes us something after taking her in,” she uttered harshly.

  Jassi flinched shielding her blue-violet eyes with her lashes. “As your brother’s daughter, Aunt Glynis, isn’t that what a family should do?”

  Glynis sat up sharply eyes narrowed on Jassi before Dylan intervened.

  “Glynis,” Dylan’s voice was low and a meaning was threaded behind it which had everyone calming down. “Jassi, dear,” she stated with a small smile turning to her youngest granddaughter. “We have a problem that we hope you can help us with.”

  Jassi nodded her head automatically although inside she was kicking herself at her response.

  “An arranged marriage has been decided on,” Dylan began watching Jassi’s eyes fly open in shock.

  Jassi glanced over at her aunt seeing the look that flitted across her face before the look vanished and then she shifted her look to her two cousins who both nodded their head to confirm their grandmother’s words.

  “An arranged marriage,” Jassi repeated returning her attention to Dylan.

  Dylan nodded her head a brief frown crossing her face. “We went into debt a few years back and an old family acquaintance helped us out, but now he is demanding that we pay back the lump sum and well, we don’t have it at this time. So…”

  Dylan glanced over at her daughter and other granddaughters before continuing.

  “He suggested an arranged marriage for a year to settle the debt,” she finished seeing the frown that settled on Jassi’s face.

  “I don’t see how…” Jassi began only to be cutoff by her eldest cousin Becca.

  “It’s only a year, Jassi,” Becca cajoled in a light voice although her eyes flashed at her. “Look at it as helping us out of a tight spot.”

  Glynis added her own argument. “Both Becca and Freya are seeing potential suitors so a marriage of convenience can ruin their chances.”

  The words ‘marriage of convenience’ echoed through Jassi’s mind even as her grandmother got her attention.

  “Once the year is up, we will be out of debt and you can get a divorce.”

  “Or annulment which would probably be more likely,” Freya snorted in a smug tone.

  Jassi kept her face blank while her mind whirled with questions although a hint of hope was nestled within it.

  “When do we need to give him our answer,” Jassi asked her eyebrows lifting when she saw the look on her grandmother’s face.

  Glynis laughed outright while her daughters snickered giving Jassi smirking smiles.

  “We’ve already agreed, Jassi, and the wedding will be this Saturday here at the house,” Dylan stated shooting the others hard looks.

  Jassi opened her mouth to argue, but she mentally shook her head knowing that arguing would only cause trouble even if she had already decided to do it for her grandmother.

  “We’ll go shopping tomorrow to get you a wedding dress,” Dylan remarked glancing over at her. “It will have to be something simple though.”

  Jassi nodded her head in agreement although she privately wondered why she couldn’t just wear one of her old dresses that hung in her closet.

  “Which of Bowen’s sons will she be marrying,” Glynis asked more relaxed now that it was settled even though there had been no doubt in her mind.

  “Waren since his younger son, Brody, is married already,” Dylan replied reaching for a notebook next to her on a small table.

  There was a gasp from the couch before Becca said with a laugh. “Waren? Jassi will be marrying the emotionally detached male of the family who has been waiting for his first love.”

  Both women were laughing and Jassi turned away not going to admit how the marriage was making her uncomfortable so knowing that she was marrying someone who was pining over another woman didn’t help ease the situation.

  “How long has Waren been waiting,” Jassi asked in a soft voice.

  “What,” Freya asked with a slight sneer. “Five years although why you want to know is pathetic if you ask me.”

  More laughter followed, but Jassi merely walked out of the room heading upstairs to her room which was no bigger than the supply closet downstairs.

  Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it sighing loudly and closing her eyes. “Daddy, I hope that everything will finally be settled with this marriage.”

  The following day, Jassi and Dylan went out after a hurried breakfast.

  “I think we can find the perfect dress for you here,” Dylan suggested pulling up to a secondhand dress boutique, and Jassi looked at the fading sign sighing mentally.

  She didn’t make a comment and climbed out of the car following her grandmother into the store where they were met with a harried looking woman.

  “May I help you,” she asked looking over her shoulder at another woman who was hunched over the counter.

  “We are looking for a dress for a civil wedding, but nothing too classy or expensive,” Dylan stated glancing around the small shop.

  Jassi flinched at her grandmother’s tone of voice and her eyes shifted down when the assistant glanced at her.

  “Come this way, please.”

  The young woman ushered them over to a stand that held a discount sign, and Dylan nodded her head in satisfaction.

  “I’m sure we can find something here,” Dylan agreed starting to go through the rack.

  Jassi gave the woman a small smile before she began to browse herself, and a few minutes later, Dylan pulled at a black dress that hung to the floor.

  “I think this would be good,” Dylan pronounced getting looks from the other customers.

  “Grandma,” Jassi addressed quietly avoiding the stares, “isn’t it supposed to be a wedding, not a funeral?”

  Dylan pursed her lips giving Jassi a hooded glance before she nodded her head. “Of course, dear, what was I thinking?”

  Putting the dress back, Dylan continued the search and Jassi gave a small shake of her head.

  After an hour, Dylan finally put a vibrant orange dress back on the self with a huff.

  “You are being too picky, Jassi, for a simple wedding,” Dylan stated in a loud voice. “It’s a marriage in name only so why are you being so conscious about the dress?”

  “Are we going to sign a marriage certificate,” Jassi asked without turning to face her eyes shadowed with hurt knowing that everyone was still staring at them along with the few snickers and pity looks she was getting.

  Dylan’s eyes widened at that before she stated. “I didn’t think about that,” she admitted slowly. “I should get Bowen to pay for it too.”

  This was an aside that Jassi caught and she shot her grandmother a brief look before returning her attention to her searching.

  “We can’t find anything here,” Dylan finally proclaimed tossing a dress she had pulled off the rack aside. “I don’t have time to do this until the wedding so I think you should go looking by yourself, but don’t buy one too expensive, Jassi. It should be some
thing that you can wear again.”

  With those words, Dylan started for the door and Jassi followed after picking up the dress her grandmother tossed aside.

  “Yes, Grandmother,” Jassi gave the assistant a brief, apologetic smile before leaving the shop.

  Heading to the car, Dylan suddenly stopped and turned her gaze to Jassi smiling.

  “Jassi, sweetie, can you find your way home? I was invited to lunch with some friends,” Dylan glanced down at the watch on her wrist, “and I don’t have time to drop you off at home.”

  “Oh,” Jassi uttered hiding the hurt that flashed inside at her grandmother’s words. “Of course, grandma, go have lunch with your friends.”

  Dylan smiled waving to her before sliding into the car, starting it up and driving away living Jassi standing on the curb watching her.

  Jassi shook her head and hitching her purse across her chest, she started to walk her mind wandering until she pulled out her phone dialing a number.

  “Hey, can you give me the number of a notary someone who can perform weddings,” Jassi requested when the phone was picked up on the other end.

  Four days later, Jassi stood in the living room watching lightening flash in the sky a second before it began to pour.

  The door opened behind her and in the reflection of the glass, she saw her grandmother walk in the room leaving the door opened a crack so they could hear the guests out in the hallway where the vows would be said.

  “What a great day for a wedding,” Dylan spoke walking into the center of the room her floor length elegant dress molding to her elderly frame.

  Jassi noted that it was tasteful glancing down at her own simple white sheath that she bought yesterday and she winced softly returning her gaze to the window when another flash of lightening lit up the sky. After the afternoon with her grandmother, Jassi did her own shopping finally finding a dress that she thought was pretty and a little more expensive than her grandmother allotted. The dress was short with flower lace details that extended from the shoulder to taper past the elbow and a flaring skirt that ended a little above the knee. The lace covered the bodice in a V-shape with high waist, and Jassi liked the simple yet elegant style.

  “Jassi,” Dylan said softly watching Jassi turn around the dress flaring around her legs. “Thank you for doing this for us.”

  Jassi smiled shaking her head before walking over to give her a hug not saying aloud the thoughts that were running through her mind.

  The guests were still talking until suddenly a deep voice sounded in the hallway and Jassi sensed that her groom-to-be had arrived when the noise began to dwindle down.

  “It’s time,” Dylan whispered patting Jassi’s back before stepping away.

  Jassi gave a jerky nod before straightening her shoulders and smoothing her palms down the sides of her dress.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Jassi muttered to herself while following her grandmother to the door watching her open it with a flourish.

  Jassi saw all eyes to go to her, and the looks in a few of them, but she ignored them walking out into the hallway when a strong, rough male voice rung out.

  “Is the notary here, Dylan, or was I supposed to hire him too,” Bowen Glenson stated loudly for all to hear.

  Dylan narrowed her eyes at him even as an elderly woman stepped up on the stairs that headed to the second floor.

  Bowen glanced over at her before he smiled with a smirk. “Well, at least it’s something. Waren,” he turned to man next to him who was frowning which pulled at the small scar next to his mouth.

  Jassi followed the man’s gaze and for some reason something flashed in her mind before it drifted away.

  Waren Glenson didn’t even look at her even as they were both directed to stand in front of the notary who performed the ceremony.

  Jassi winced mentally at the whispering and snickers behind them, but she forced a blank look on her face.

  Once the vows where said, they signed the marriage certificate which the woman informed them had to be registered before she congratulated them and slid into the crowd.

  Jassi watched Waren take the marriage certificate and fold it before slipping into his jacket pocket just as a soft coy voice called out to him.

  The woman walked forward with seductive sway of her hips and Jassi heard every word including the smile that graced her new husband’s face a second before they walked out of the house together. Jassi had to put on a blank smile when the guests laughed and jeered at her before they turned away and left.

  Bowen scowled after the last guest left telling her harshly. “Go pack because as of today, you will be staying in my house.”

  Jassi nodded her head seeing the look of disgust that filled his eyes confused by it, but she didn’t comment merely turned on her heel and did as ordered of her.

  Removing the simple dress in her room, Jassi stared sadly at it for a few seconds before she tossed it in the trash knowing that she would never wear it again.

  “It’s only for a year,” she reminded herself after she finished dressing and putting on her shoes before grabbing her cases.

  Her grandmother had warned her that Mr. Glenson probably order her to go with him so Jassi had already packed her clothes.

  Going back downstairs, she sensed the tension in the air although there were smiles on her aunt and cousins’ faces.

  “I’m ready,” she called out quietly.

  Bowen gave her a hard look, but never responded turning on his heel and starting out of the house.

  Jassi quickly bid goodbye giving her grandmother a kiss before following after him.

  “Don’t think there will be any help at my house,” Bowen told her when she had settled in the passenger next to him after the housekeeper helped her put her few cases in the trunk. “This is an arrangement and nothing more. Just so you know, I have only one daughter-in-law.”

  “Yes, sir,” Jassi’s’ quiet voice was low and she stared out the window watching the trees flash by glad that the rain had lessened some since an hour ago.

  Jassi glanced down at her watch in disbelief wondering how everything had seemed to have been mere minutes ago not an hour.

  Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to a house that was bigger than her grandmother’s house and it had begun to rain harder.

  “Don’t take forever,” Bowen warned hitting the trunk button before grabbing an umbrella and exiting the car.

  Jassi opened the passenger door sliding out only to be soaked in a matter of minutes getting her cases and darting up the porch steps.

  Waiting on the steps was an older woman who frowned disapprovingly at Jassi before she turned on her heel and started inside, and Jassi followed her repeating over and over in her head.

  It’s only a year, just one year.

  Waren entered his apartment after dropping off Pricilla and tossed his suit coat onto the couch.

  Scowling, he walked into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the refrigerator before going back into the living room.

  Staring at his coat where the marriage license protruded from his pocket, he opened and took a long drink of his beer.

  “Why did I have to find her now,” he muttered in the silence of his apartment before draining the rest of his beer and going to get another one.

  Going back into the living room, he took the license out of his pocket and stared at it for a few minutes before he sat down and leaned his head back against the couch setting the beer on the table.

  Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath a frown slipping across his face and the license slipped from his hand to land on the cushion next to him.

  “Hey Waren,” his friend called out getting his attention and he smiled wading through the crowded restaurant to reach their table. “I thought you were going to stand us up again. Ever since Pricilla…”

  He stopped when one of their other friends slapped another beer in his hand. “Drink. You’re talking too much.”

  Waren’s smile slipped, but he nodded h
is head and sat down at the table accepting the drink that another friend handed him.

  Laughter from another table caught his attention, and taking a swig of his drink, he allowed his eyes to drift stilling when he saw the woman sitting a few tables over.

  Her face was flushed with laughter and her eyes sparkled although Waren couldn’t tell what color they were, and yet he was drawn to the smile on her face including her light laughter.

  He could hear his friends around him talking and then the phone in his pocket buzzing, but his attention stayed focus on the woman until one of his friends nudged him.

  “Waren, your phone is going off and it must be important because it is the third time it’s went off.”

  Waren shook his head and reached inside his pocket to pull out the phone noting the missed calls from his brother.

  “Excuse me,” he uttered getting up from the table to find a quieter place to call his brother.

  After their brief talk, he hung up and headed back to the table stilling when he noticed that the woman from earlier was gone.

  Chapter 1

  Ten months later

  Jassi drove up to the house wincing as she saw the number of cars parked in front of the two story structure. Getting out of her car, she grabbed her back pack from the passenger seat before she closed the door with a slam. Entering the house, one of the servants that her husband’s family hired came over with a smile.

  “Miss Jassi, good evening,” she said reaching out to take her back pack.

  Jassi smiled shifting the back pack out of reach responding with a smile. “Good evening, Anita. I guess that father-in-law is having another party.”

  Anita nodded her head before she hesitated briefly adding softly, “Mr. Waren is here too. Would you like me…?”

  Before Anita could even finish that sentence, Jassi was shaking her head heading for the stairs. “We both know that I’m a wife in name only so there is no reason to tell him that I am home, or anything else for that matter. I’m sure that Mr. Glenson has forgotten that he even has a wife,” she called over her shoulder before vanishing upstairs.