Husband for Hire

Becca shut the master-bedroom door behind her and leaned against it. He wasn’t going to take the job. He was perfect, but he wouldn’t be hers, not even for two days.

Unless she could change his mind. She’d been called tenacious but also sincere all her life. It was usually a winning combination. What did she have to lose?

She shoved her hair back from her face and headed into her bathroom then returned to the living room a few of minutes later with her armor on—her hair brushed and fresh lipstick applied. She’d seen in the mirror how tired she looked, so she tried to smile now, knowing that would help.

She also carried a picture frame. She sat next to Gavin and turned the photo around.

“These are my brothers,” she said. “Eric, Sam, Trent and Jeff. Eric is oldest. He’s thirty-nine, and I’m the youngest. I’m thirty.” She set the frame on the coffee table facing Gavin. “They’re coming to Sacramento on the Saturday after next to celebrate my wedding.”

“Which you didn’t have.”

“That’s true. But they need to think I did.”

“Why?”

“Because Eric—” she pointed to him in the photograph “—won’t get married until I do. Actually I think it’s possible that all four of them are waiting for me to marry first.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“I know it seems so, and certainly Eric has never confirmed it as fact, but he loves kids and he wants to be married. I know he does.”

“Why would his getting married have anything at all to do with you?”

“Because he won’t give up feeling responsible for me until he’s satisfied I’m being taken care of by a husband.”

“You do realize how archaic that sounds, don’t you?”

“Of course. But our circumstances are unusual. You see, our parents died when I was thirteen. My brothers took over raising me. It was a group project, but Eric was the patriarch and he always had the last word.” She traced a finger across the glass. “They love me. I’ve never doubted it for a second.”

“But?”

“But they also smothered me with that love, Eric most of all. He’s been by far the most overprotective. I know there are worse things in life to complain about. I’m lucky in so many ways.”

“Do they live close?” he asked.

“No. In fact they’re scattered around the country, but they remain in solidarity when it comes to me. It kills them that I’m living alone in a big city.

“And now that I’ve turned thirty, their desire to get me married and settled has intensified. Are your parents like that?”

“I’m pretty sure it doesn’t matter to them. Although maybe my father would like the Callahan name to continue.”

“How old are you?” she asked.

“Thirty-four. And nowhere close to marriage. What do you think is behind Eric’s need to see you settled down?”

“This is purely speculation on my part, but it’s almost as if his job won’t be done until then.”

“So you’re feeling pressure to marry because you want him to do the same?”

“Not just him, but all my brothers, I think. I owe them a lot, Gavin, a whole lot, but Eric most of all. He was twenty-two when our parents died. He’d just graduated from college and would’ve been off to new places and adventures. Instead he stayed and took care of us. We all went to college. He made sure of that. We’re all successful.”

“Professionally,” Gavin said.

“Meaning?”

“Well, none of you have married, yet you’re all in your thirties. Seems that out of five siblings, at least one would’ve taken the plunge.”

Her back stiffened. “Now you see my dilemma. Besides, that’s an odd statement from someone who’s thirty-four and happily declares he’s nowhere close to marriage himself. Don’t you consider yourself successful?”

“I’m not the one looking for a pretend spouse.”

He had a point. She stacked some cheese and crackers, giving herself something to do with her hands. “Well, I can’t speak for my brothers, but I feel not only professionally successful, but personally, as well. I’ve been happy with my life. For the most part.”

She saw him look around her loft, as if reminding her how scattered her life had become. Now, she never invited anyone to visit other than Suki, yet at one time years ago, her home had been party-central.

“So, what are you looking for in a one-weekend husband?” he asked.

“Attentiveness,” she answered hopefully.

He laughed.

She smiled. “Seriously, I do have a plan. My brothers are flying in on Saturday morning and leaving Sunday afternoon. Your job would be to convince them we’re really married, that you’re the real deal, you know? A man who loves me. So, what I need is an actor, although this play is live-action. You need to be able to improvise in a believable way.”

He eyed her thoughtfully. “Why did you choose that particular course of action?”

Becca tucked her feet under her, facing him. She had to be honest or the situation wouldn’t work. He needed to know everything—even though she was going to look foolish. She could only hope he would take pity on her.

“My brothers have an annoying habit of setting me up with blind dates, a situation that has intensified in the past couple of years. How they come up with these guys is a mystery, especially long distance, but one brother or another sets me up every few months. Every one of these guys is an extreme Alpha male, by the way, just like my brothers. I finally made up a boyfriend. A doctor,” she added, trying not to seem too embarrassed by her actions. “I knew he would need to be very successful in order to be found satisfactory. Then they started planning visits here to meet my boyfriend, so I pretended he was part of the Doctors Without Borders organization and sent him out of the country.”

Gavin looked surprisingly amused. “It’s hard to imagine being able to pull that off for any length of time.”

“I know. I didn’t think it through. I can be … impulsive.” Which didn’t describe her logical and methodical business persona, but did describe her in many other ways. “Eric didn’t buy it. After a couple of trips to see me and meet the mysterious boyfriend who was always out of the country, he called my bluff.”

She took a sip of her now watered-down iced tea. “My friend Suki and I were out to dinner when Eric called to set me up with yet another blind date. It was the same old argument, with me saying I already had a boyfriend and Eric saying he didn’t believe it. Suki said, ‘Tell him you eloped.’ So I did.”

Gavin still looked amused, so she relaxed a little.

“Which Eric also didn’t buy,” Gavin said. “Because as close as you are, he knows you wouldn’t leave him out of your wedding plans.”

She nodded. The hurt in Eric’s voice still haunted her. “I told him that my husband had been about to leave on a particularly dangerous assignment, and we wanted to marry before he went. I can’t tell you how much I regretted the lie—still regret it. But in the end it served two important purposes. It got my brothers off my back about getting married, which I will do in my own way and time, and it opened the door for them to stop worrying about me and move on with their own lives.”

“I still find it hard to believe they haven’t married because you haven’t.”

“I know it seems like I’m reaching, but you don’t understand what happens when you lose both your parents at the same time, especially at such young ages. It created an unusual bond between us as siblings.”

“And yet you don’t feel you can be honest with them.”

“I get that you probably think I’m crazy—or worse. Certainly I could’ve set things right since I made up the marriage. I could even pretend to get a quick annulment, but that would give my brothers free rein to start in again, and wouldn’t accomplish what I want most of all—for them to put themselves first for once, especially Eric.”

Gavin picked up her iced-tea glass and headed into the kitchen. What was he thinking? Had she been too honest? Did she seem pathetic?

He returned in a minute with a fresh glass, ice cubes clinking, and handed it to her. He must have needed a moment to take it all in.

This made her hopeful. Except he didn’t sit down again.

“I admit I don’t understand your connection with your brothers,” he said. “My family life didn’t and doesn’t resemble yours in the least. I don’t identify with your bond, not to the point of creating such a lie. And even though it sounds somewhat intriguing, you need to find someone else. I’m sorry. Good luck, Becca. Goodbye.”

He walked out, pulling the door shut quietly behind him. The moment it closed she felt as if she were drowning in a silent pool of disappointment and, well, shame. His saying it all out loud did make her seem pathetic. Maybe no one else could ever understand the obligation she felt to her brothers, especially Eric.

Becca let out the breath she’d been holding. She picked at the food but had lost her appetite, so she cleaned up the dishes then carried her suitcase into her bedroom to unpack. Her eyes stung. She sat on the bed and tried not to cry.

What a mess she’d created for herself.

Gavin took the elevator to the basement-level parking and headed for the visitor parking. He couldn’t believe he’d even entertained the idea of taking the job—even for Shana. What had he been thinking?

And yet … he was intrigued. Maybe because he’d watched her sleep, as vulnerable as a child. She’d lost the mother in the photo with the matching dress. She’d been left with domineering brothers who obviously adored her, even if they didn’t acknowledge her as an independent adult.

But was that any reason to lie? Couldn’t she just stand up for herself?

He reached his car but didn’t unlock it. She’d also wanted a doctor. He laughed a little, the sound echoing in the concrete structure. He hadn’t bothered to tell her he was a doctor—one on a break for who knew how long. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to continue in medicine, not after what he’d been through.

If he did the job for her he would have to take down his Facebook page….

Dammit. Why couldn’t he just let it go?

He knew the answer. Because spending time with a scattered woman could be a good distraction right now while he made some life decisions.

Or, more likely, drive him crazy.

He climbed into his car, slid the key in the ignition. Really, why should he do it?

First, he recognized a workaholic when he saw one. He’d driven himself too hard, too, for reasons he’d never stopped to analyze beyond the usual escape-from-a-small-claustrophobic-town need that many young people feel after high school when the future is a blank canvas.

He certainly hadn’t experienced the deep family ties she had, but he understood how important they were to her.

Second, he liked her. More than that—he was attracted to her, which could be problematic in the long run.

Third, as Shana had reminded him, he had no life at the moment.

Fourth, and maybe most important, he needed to feel needed.

After a minute, he started the engine, his mind made up. All the reasons he’d listed were self-serving. They were about him, not her.

And it really should be about her.

Just as abruptly, he turned off the ignition. He’d left with barely a goodbye, bordering on rudeness, which wasn’t like him. For her sake he would go back and talk to her, explain why he was the wrong person, tell her the kind of person she should be looking for instead. One who wouldn’t be in it for his own selfish purposes.

He owed her that much, and Shana and Julia, too. He didn’t want to give the agency a bad rap.

Right. That was why he was going back upstairs to see Becca Sheridan.

Becca was back at square one, and she really didn’t want to go through the process of explaining herself again, especially since telling him the story had let her see how truly pitiable it was.

Aside from that, Gavin had intrigued her, especially his integrity. She was offering a lot of money for a day and a half’s work, and he hadn’t jumped at it, which said something. He wouldn’t take the job just for the money.

She had to take his lead and tell the truth. It was too late to call Eric tonight, but first thing in the morning—

Her doorbell rang.

Suki. She’d forgotten to call her. And now she’d find Becca looking red and puffy after a good, long crying jag. Becca didn’t want to talk, not even to her best friend in the world, but she figured Suki might call the police if she didn’t get an answer, worried that the “candidate” had harmed her in some way.

She opened the door.

It wasn’t Suki, but Gavin, looking determined. Then his eyes narrowed.

“Have you been crying?”

Hope got mixed up with embarrassment once again. Why did he keep catching her when she looked her worst? “Do I really need to answer that?”

After several seconds of just staring at her, his expression changed. He looked … resigned.

“Tell me if I’ve summed this up correctly,” he said. “You lied about having a boyfriend for your sake—to get them off your backs about it. But you lied about having a husband for their sakes—to let them to move on with their lives and futures.”

He put her reasoning into words much better than she had. “Yes, exactly.”

“Then, okay, I’ll do it. I understand wanting your siblings, especially Eric, to be happy. I get that they’ve given up a lot for you,” he said. “But I’ve got a few requirements of my own.”

Relief and joy battled inside her. “Come in.”

He did, but he didn’t sit. “Obviously I can’t just show up here next Saturday and pretend to be your husband and expect your brothers to buy it. That means we have nine days to become believable. And nine days to get all this—” he gestured around her messy space “—in order. I’m volunteering to do that for you. If you want your brothers to think your life is in good hands, this place needs to reflect that—because it also reflects on me.”

She didn’t know how she felt about his take-charge attitude, but she knew he was right. “I guess I do need a keeper.”

“And I’ve never been anyone’s keeper, but I do need a challenge right now.”

“So you would be free all week to help me? I’m not taking you away from another job?”

“I’m between jobs at the moment.”

Which could mean anything, she thought. He could have been fired, laid off, or quit. Maybe temp jobs were his mainstay. “What kind of work did you do?”

“My last job was at a hospital.”

“Really?” This was even better than she’d hoped. “So you’ll be able to toss in a few medical words and sound like you know what you’re doing? You could sound like a doctor?”

“As long as no one needs brain surgery.”

“When can you start?” she asked, grinning.

“What time do you leave for work?”

“Seven-thirty.”

“I’ll be here at seven. I’ll bring breakfast.”

“I don’t eat—”

“I’ll bring breakfast. I saw the inside of your refrigerator. You have very little on hand.” He headed to the door, grabbed the knob. “I have to be home for the weekend, but I’ll do an assessment of what needs to be done tomorrow then come back on Monday. I’ll call Julia and let her know.”

“Wait!” She walked to him, the door open. “How can I reach you?”

“I’ll give you my cell-phone number tomorrow. Sleep well.” He laid a hand on her shoulder. “Everything will work out, Becca.”

With those softly spoken, comforting words, he left.

Becca closed her mouth after a moment, her eyes watering and throat burning. Then she shut the door and went to bed, where she fell asleep within a minute.

Life was good.

Chapter Three

“I’m trying to remember the last time I ate oatmeal,” Becca said, scraping her bowl clean. “And I’m sure it didn’t taste this good.”

Gavin had guessed what she might like to eat and decided on oatmeal loaded with raisins, walnuts and brown sugar for both of them, something hearty he’d picked up at the restaurant of the hotel where he’d stayed overnight.

She looked fresh, her eyes bright, her spirits high. Maybe a little too high. There was nothing leisurely about her this morning. She moved quickly, spoke with rapid-fire speed and continually bounced a foot while talking. He hadn’t noticed anything like it last night, but she was definitely wound up now.

“Are you all right?” He picked up her empty bowl and set it in the kitchen sink with his.

She hopped off the barstool. “I feel good. Hopeful.”

Hopeful. An interesting word. “What’s your plan for your second bedroom? Office? Guest room?”

“Both. Suki has crashed on my couch a few times, but it would be good to have a real guest room.”

“How much work do you do at home?”

She scooped up her briefcase, which she’d tossed onto the couch, and checked the contents. “Lots. But I usually sit here on the sofa with my laptop. I don’t have to spread out much.”

He found himself staring at her rear, which was round and taut, her jeans fitting her like a second skin. She was slender but toned, her breasts small and firm. “Do you need all the trade journals that are stacked up around the place?”

“Probably not.” She straightened and faced him in time to find him staring.

He felt like a teenager, caught ogling. It’d been way too long since he’d been on a date, having no interest while the lawsuit was being investigated then tried. He supposed it was a sign of emotional progress that he was thinking about sex again, but it was disconcerting in this situation. For all intents and purposes, she was his boss.

Not to mention she lived in Sacramento and he in San Francisco, too far apart to see each other often. Although in a week’s time they would need to look as if they were married, with all the intimacy that implied. Interesting contradictions, he thought.

“This is my cell-phone number,” he said, passing her a scrap of paper.

“And here’s a key for you,” she said. “So, I won’t see you again until Monday?”

“Right.” He could have changed his plans at home but decided he’d rather work without her around—which meant putting it off until Monday. It had been a year since he’d spent time with a woman he liked and was attracted to. “You must have a casual workplace,” he said, “to wear jeans as a vice president.”

She flashed a grin. “Actually I’m dressed up.” She pulled an orange cardigan over her crisp white shirt. “We don’t see many visitors, although we’re doing a lot more video conferencing these days, so some of the guys may need to start wearing dress shirts instead of T-shirts.”

Gavin got caught by her smile, which spread from her mouth to her eyes, their dark brown depths sparkling. How she could look both at ease and wound up was beyond him, but it described her.

“If there’s something you need me to do over the weekend, let me know,” she said as she headed to the door.

“Will you go grocery shopping?”

She frowned. “What for?”

He laughed. “Eat out a lot, do you?”

“I don’t have time to cook. Or the interest.”

“Then I’ll take care of it before I get here on Mon day. I think if you want your brothers to believe you’re married, your kitchen should be a little better stocked.”

“They know I don’t cook.”

“People have a different expectation for a married person, I think. I won’t overdo it.”

She smiled, obviously happy. “We already feel so domestic,” she said. “I feel like I should kiss you goodbye and call you honey.”

Feel free. The words stayed trapped in his head.

“But I’ll just say thank-you. You don’t know how relieved I am, Gavin.”

“Have a good day. Honey.”

She laughed then waved goodbye.

The apartment seemed unbearably quiet after the door shut. Becca Sheridan had presence. He wondered if she knew what a potent force she was.

Gavin planned to spend the next few hours looking through boxes, sorting stacks and making lists. He was excited to get started, anxious to create order out of her chaos. He had work to do, physical and mental.

And he felt better than he had in a long time, lighter, unburdened. Focused.

Sane.

He hoped it was worth living the lie.

Suki shadowed Becca from the front door all the way to her office. She’d been lying in wait, had texted Becca four times this morning demanding to know how the interview had gone. Becca couldn’t explain it adequately via text message, so she waited, although knowing Suki would pounce.

“Tall, blond and handsome, like he’d just come out of the ocean with a surfboard under his arm,” Becca said as soon as Suki shut the door. “Intelligent. Easygoing. Good manners. Knows how to take care of a person. Jackpot.”

She started to laugh after that, feeling like a teenager, light and carefree.

“Wow,” Suki said, sitting back in her chair. “And he works as a temp? Something’s gotta be wrong with him.”

“I kept looking for flaws. I didn’t see any.”

“Did you make him strip down? Maybe it’s where you can’t see it.”

Becca grinned. “Why didn’t I think of that? I could’ve brought out my casting couch. I’m telling you, he’s one gorgeous man. And he intends to take care of my needs.”

“Do you have to pay more for that?” Suki waggled her eyebrows.

Warmth suffused Becca. She hadn’t intended to give things a sexual spin, but those visions simmered below the surface without conscious thought. She was more than a little attracted to Gavin. If she’d put together the man of her dreams, feature by feature, Gavin Callahan would’ve been the end result.

“I meant,” Becca said to Suki, “that he accepted the job, and I’m sure he’ll do a great job of being a pretend husband.”

“Can I have him when you’re done?”

Becca had no glib comment in return. She didn’t want to share him. He’s mine, she wanted to say. Then her phone rang, saving her as Suki slipped out of the room and the workday began.

Except it wasn’t work related.

“Hey, Bec,” her brother Eric said, his voice deep and sure.

Becca always felt safe when she heard him. He’d been her lifeline after she left home, even as she’d craved the independence. “How’s life in the Big Apple?” she asked.

“Dog-eat-dog. How’s everything with you?”

“Busy and good. I’m looking forward to seeing you. All four of you. Are your plans all set?”

“Our flights will arrive within an hour of each other. Sam and I will hook up in Chicago then fly to Sacramento together. Trent and Jeff will do the same in Dallas. So, only two flights to contend with in the end. We should get to your place around noon.”

“I’ll have lunch ready.” Or catered or something, she thought.

“Are you cooking these days? Have you become the little wife?”

She didn’t know why that stung, but it did. “Chauvinist. I think I can manage sandwiches.”

“Sounds good. We’ll take the newlyweds out to dinner Saturday night, though.”

“Thank you. I’ll let Gavin make reservations for us all.”

“Oh, he has a name finally.”

She’d referred to her mystery boyfriend as Doc whenever she spoke of him to her brothers. It had become a joke, although she knew they were annoyed at not knowing the real name of her fantasy man.

“And his last name?” Eric prompted.

“I’m not telling. You can meet him and form your own opinion, not whatever information you might dig up on him in the meantime.”

“Spoilsport. And you’ll share pictures from your wedding with us, too, since we haven’t received any either by mail or email.”

A statement, not a question, she realized. “Of course.”

There was a moment of silence. Then Eric spoke again. “Are you happy, Bec?”

“I am.” Except for lying and deceiving and being attracted to a man without any potential for a future relationship. “Don’t be too hard on Gavin, okay? Eloping was my idea.”

“He went along with it.”

She heard condemnation in his voice. “He’d do anything for me, Eric. Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted?”