Male Order Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

leak.
    Just what did this Rafe Chancellor think he was getting in
her, sight unseen? Or had he seen her? Could he have come into the shop
and checked her out when she was unaware of him?
    Just who did he think he was to expect he was going to get
her at all? She wouldn't return the card. It was too risky, in spite of
all the favorable comments everyone had been giving her about him. He
could have paid all those people to say good things about him, now that
she thought of it. All of them were his agents for hire, designed to
give nothing but good propaganda in his conquest of her.
    He couldn't have known she would call Amy, Lacey reasoned,
or Jennifer. That was a remote connection he couldn't have counted on,
although Amy was the one who had suggested she call Jennifer. No, it
was more likely that if he paid anyone to say good things about him, he
would have paid the references he had listed in his note.
    Lacey got up from the sofa and went into the kitchen to
rummage through her purse for Rafe's latest note. Why not call these
people, just for fun, to see what kind of propaganda they would give
her about him?
    A. J. Tell was the first name on the list. Her heart
pounded at the prospect of dialing this complete stranger to ask him
about another complete stranger. What would she say? What would she
tell him she wanted to know?
    At least he hadn't given her an 800 number. That showed he
didn't do this on such a regular basis that he had to cut down on phone
costs. What the heck, she thought, clutching the phone receiver in her
hand. All the references could do was tell her she'd gotten the wrong
number and they'd never heard of a Rafe Chancellor, or else they could
fill her in on anything she thought she wanted to hear.
    The phone rang twice, three times, then four, and Lacey
began to wonder if this was a business number reached only during the
day. She was ready to hang up when, on the sixth ring, someone sleepily
answered the phone.
    Oh Lord, Lacey thought, glancing at the clock. She hadn't
thought of time zones. What if she had dragged this poor person out of
bed? But it was only nine o'clock here now. Ten shouldn't be too late
for phone calls on the East Coast, and if this was a West Coast call,
it'd be earlier.
    "Hello," Lacey stammered. "May I speak to A. J. Tell?"
    "You got him," the answer came, followed by an audible
yawn.
    "I'm sorry," Lacey apologized. "I hope I'm not calling too
late and didn't wake you up."
    "You did," he answered, "but it's no problem. Who is this?"
    Lacey took a deep breath. She should have prepared some
opening remarks or a speech before she attempted this phone call. Now
that she had him on the phone, she wasn't certain what to say.
    "I'm Lacey Adams," she replied. "You don't know me, but I
think you do know Rafe Chancellor."
    "Yeah. I know Rafe. How's he doing?"
    "Fine," she responded automatically. "I mean, I guess he's
fine. I really don't know. I've never met him. You see, that's why I'm
calling."
    There was a pause on the other end of the phone; then A.J.
said, "I think I'm still asleep. I'm not following this conversation.
Am I even having a conversation? Run that one past me again."
    Lacey grimaced. This was turning out to be much more
difficult than she had imagined it to be. It was a good thing she
hadn't thought through to all of these possibilities before she picked
up the phone, or she wouldn't have picked it up and dialed this mystery
number in the first place.
    "Let me try to explain," Lacey began. "You see, I got
these flowers and a note from Rafe yesterday, and then another note
from him today with your phone number."
    "What for? Is this another one of his mastermind projects?
Should I go get my checkbook?"
    "I don't think so," Lacey answered. "But it could be one
of his projects. That's what I guess I'm trying to figure out. He's
trying to get a date with me, and he listed you as a reference."
    Laughter boomed across the line.
    Lacey frowned at the phone and held the receiver