The One-Week Wife

Reed didn’t immediately call his mother. Instead, he sat there and thought about the conversation with Felicity. He knew creating goodwill with the Newhouses wasn’t the only reason he’d agreed to Felicity’s request.

The truth was, despite all the reasons he’d told himself she was not for him, he wanted to see Felicity again.

“Dinner was wonderful, Mom.”

“Thank you, darlin’.” Maeve Kelly beamed at Shannon, one of Reed’s two older sisters. “There’s nothing I enjoy more than feeding my family.”

Wednesday-night dinner at his mother’s was a weekly ritual in Reed’s family. Not everyone could always attend. Shannon was a nurse anesthetist and her husband, John, was a lawyer with a busy practice. The same was true of Reed’s other sister, Bridget, and her husband.

If everyone in the family, including brothers Daniel and Aidan, their spouses and children, came to dinner, the total count was twenty-three. Tonight only Reed, Shannon and her family, and Daniel and his family were there, making a total of eleven.

Normally, Reed enjoyed these gatherings. With everyone’s busy schedules, he didn’t get to see much of his siblings and their families, even though they all lived in Eastwick or its environs. So he made an effort to attend the Wednesday dinners. Today, however, he’d just as soon have skipped it, because everyone, but most especially Shannon, had been giving him furtive looks filled with pity. He knew they all thought he was miserable over the breakup with Emma, but he also knew if he made a big deal of denying his misery, they’d think he was protesting too much.

Once again he realized the best thing he could do to stop all the gossip in Eastwick and the unwanted pity of his family would be to start seeing someone else…and fast.

Felicity.

Jeez! No matter how he tried, he couldn’t get the sexy blonde out of his mind. Nor could he stop thinking about the way she’d looked earlier. He knew some people thought Felicity had ruined her hair when she’d chopped it all off after her divorce, but he liked the short, spiky style. In his opinion, she looked sexier than the other Debs, the tight-knit group of friends that she ran around with. They tended toward more conservative styles, whereas Felicity looked as if she could have been one of the trendy actresses on television.

Today she’d worn some kind of sparkly butterfly clip in her hair and one of her trademark short black dresses that showed off her rather remarkable legs.

He grinned, thinking of those legs and the completely inappropriate shoes she’d had on, all pointy toes and spike heels. She definitely hadn’t looked as if she belonged in the stables, but she’d certainly gotten him thinking in terms of throwing her into the hayloft.

“Hey, Reed, you doing okay?”

He turned to Shannon, who had scooted over next to him now that her two teenage girls, along with Daniel’s kids, had begun clearing the table.

“I’m fine. Why?”

Shannon, who had the Kelly blue eyes and dark hair, shrugged. “You know…” She lowered her voice, although no one else at the table was paying any attention to them.

Reed stifled a sigh. “Trust me. I’m fine.”

She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but instead bit her lip. Her eyes held concern.

Reed reached over and squeezed her hand. “Thanks for worrying about me, Shannon, but I’m really okay. In fact, I’m relieved.”

“Well, I think the whole thing stinks. What’s wrong with that woman, anyway?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Emma. She was just more honest than I was. Our breakup is for the best.”

“You’re not just saying that? You’ve been awfully distracted today.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m not just saying that.” Shrugging, he added, “There was always something missing between us. I felt it, but I didn’t want to face it. I’m glad Emma did.”

Now Shannon gave him a real smile. “You know, I never thought she was right for you, either.”

He couldn’t help grinning. Her loyalty warmed him. He could always count on his family.

“What’s going on over there?” Daniel said.

“Who wants to know?” Shannon said cheekily, winking at Reed.

After a few more lighthearted remarks, Daniel’s wife, Anna Lisa, turned to Shannon and said, “Hey, guess who I saw coming out of Goldman’s Deli this afternoon.”

“Have no idea,” Shannon said.

“Alex Newhouse.”

“Really?”

Alex Newhouse sightings were rare in Eastwick, for even when he was home and between films, he usually stuck close to his gated estate, especially during the height of tourist season.

“Yes. You should have seen the tourists gawking at him.” Anna Lisa giggled. “Of course, I wasn’t much better. God, the man’s gorgeous! Those eyes…” She sighed. “Did you know Felicity Farnsworth is doing his daughter’s wedding?”

Shannon nodded. “I’d heard.”

“Wouldn’t you kill for an invitation?”

“I know I would,” Reed’s mother said. “I’ve loved Alex Newhouse from the moment I first saw him in a movie.”

“He is magnetic,” Shannon agreed.

Reed wondered if he should mention the fact that the Newhouse wedding pictures were going to be taken at Rosedale. And that Alex would be in them. Best not to, he decided. The Newhouse family wouldn’t want an audience, especially at a photo shoot that was costing them five grand.

“Felicity’s done quite well for herself, hasn’t she?” Anna Lisa said.

“Surprisingly so,” Shannon said.

Daniel stifled a yawn, clearly bored with this talk of weddings. “Reed, want to go catch the rest of the ball game?”

What Reed really wanted to do was stay and hear what the women had to say about Felicity, but he couldn’t think of any way to do that, so he reluctantly pushed his chair back.

“Why do you say surprisingly so?” Anna Lisa asked.

Yeah, Reed thought, stalling by pretending something was in his shoe. Why do you?

“Oh, you know,” Shannon said. “She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. I just didn’t think she’d have that kind of drive.”

“She strikes me as a woman who, once she sets her sights on something, will work like crazy to accomplish it,” Anna Lisa said. “I give her credit for picking herself up after that horrible divorce of hers and making something of her life.”

“It’s too bad she doesn’t have better taste in friends,” Reed’s mother said, shooting him a dark look.

Reed knew an exit line when he heard one.

But even after he and Daniel were settled in the family room in front of the big-screen TV their father had bought less than four months before his fatal heart attack, Reed’s mind was only marginally on the Red Sox game. Most of it remained centered on Felicity, his ex-fiancée’s best friend. And the more he thought about her, the more he wanted to pursue what they’d started earlier today.

Damn!

Why couldn’t he get the woman out of his mind?

Maybe his subconscious was trying to tell him something. Maybe, instead of trying to forget about Felicity, he should be figuring out how to get her into his bed. Because, obviously, he wasn’t going to be able to move on with his life until he did.

When Felicity arrived at her office Thursday morning, she wasn’t surprised to see Bo Harrison already there, ready and waiting. Bo, with his dyed platinum hair, diamond earrings and all-black “uniform,” looked like the creative artist he was. His photographs were works of art, and he was in high demand despite his outrageous prices.

“Good morning,” he said, smiling.

“Good morning, Bo.”

“Ready to roll?”

“As soon as I get my coffee I will be.” She’d barely uttered the words before Rita emerged from their little kitchen and handed Felicity an insulated cup. Felicity grinned. “You’re an angel, Rita.”

Today her assistant wore a bright yellow dress and matching yellow heels with peekaboo toes. She, too, was a shoe junkie, although unlike Felicity, Rita bought her shoes on sale at discount stores instead of designer shops.

“You look nice today,” Felicity said.

“So do you,” Rita countered, eyeing Felicity’s frothy multicolored sundress, a far cry from her normal work attire of either black or taupe—colors that would never take attention away from her brides or their attendants.

“Thanks,” Felicity said. “I have a Debs Club luncheon later.”

“I saw it on your calendar,” Rita said. “What time will you be back here?”

“Probably not until three. Why? Is there something urgent that I’ve forgotten?”

“No.” Rita smiled. “I just like to keep track.”

“If anything changes, I’ll call you. Or if something does come up, you call me on my cell.”

“Okay. Have fun today, you two.”

Five minutes later, Bo and Felicity were on their way. Felicity had declined Bo’s offer of a ride, since she would go straight to the club from Rosedale.

As they neared the entrance to the horse farm, her heart beat a little faster. Even though she’d spoken to Reed on the phone after that kiss—and both had pretended it hadn’t happened—it would be different seeing him in person. Meeting his gaze, remembering how his body had responded to hers, and hers to his. But no matter how awkward the situation, Felicity was determined to be her normal cool, efficient self today.

Because the last thing she wanted was for Reed to think that kiss had been important to her or that she attached any significance to it. Better for him to think her behavior yesterday had been a temporary aberration, a momentary lapse of good judgment.

Reed stood outside the office building as Felicity and Bo drove in. They both parked, then walked over to greet him.

“Good morning,” Felicity said crisply.

“Good morning,” he answered.

Damn, he looked good. Once again he wore close-fitting breeches, but today they were topped with an open-necked blue shirt the same vibrant shade as his eyes.

Felicity’s heart clutched when those eyes met hers. It took every ounce of her willpower and self-control not to look away. Instead, she said in a voice admirably even, “Reed, this is my photographer, Bo Harrison. Bo, Reed Kelly, the owner of Rosedale.”

“Bo,” Reed said, extending his right hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kelly. I appreciate the opportunity to work here.”

Reed smiled. “Where did you want to start?”

“Maybe you could just give us a tour of the place,” Felicity suggested. “Give Bo an idea of what’s here?”

Reed gave her a dubious look. “Are you planning to walk around in those shoes?”

“And risk my Blahniks? Are you crazy?” Felicity grinned. She’d shopped far and wide for the perfect complement to her shimmery sundress in shades of turquoise, violet and gold. “I brought some others.”

She reached into her tote and extracted a pair of New Balance cross trainers, exchanging them for her strappy gold sandals.

Soon they were off, Reed leading the way and explaining what each area’s function was. Felicity was glad they’d decided on a morning tour, for already the sun was getting uncomfortably warm. As they walked, she couldn’t help being impressed with the scope of Rosedale. It was truly beautiful, and far more comprehensive than Felicity had imagined from Emma’s sketchy description the one time they’d discussed what Reed did for a living.

Come to think of it, Emma hadn’t talked about Reed much at all during their engagement, other than to say they’d been there or done that. The omission should have been Felicity’s first clue that all was not well between them.

Had Reed sensed Emma’s misgivings? Because surely she’d had them for a while, even if she hadn’t been able to articulate them or share them with Felicity. Wondering how long it would take him to get over Emma, Felicity shot Reed a furtive look.

And caught him looking at her with the oddest expression on his face.

Startled when their eyes met, she could feel her face coloring and quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the quarantine and layup facility he had just pointed out.

What had he been thinking just now?

She swallowed. Damn, she wished she had been capable of restraining her baser instincts yesterday.

For the remainder of their tour she studiously avoided looking at Reed. He unnerved her, and she didn’t like the feeling, even as she liked him far more than was good for her.

Telling herself any future interaction with Reed that didn’t involve business would complicate her life in ways she absolutely did not need, Felicity thanked him when the tour was over, said goodbye to both him and Bo, and drove away from Rosedale without looking back.

Reed stood outside and watched the departure of Bo and Felicity. An idea had struck him this morning, one that, on the surface, seemed outrageous.

And yet…was it that outrageous?

He didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to see that Felicity was as attracted to him as he was to her. Just the way her gaze darted away every time it met his—well, maybe not every time—would have told him she felt the same things he did.

So what if she had no interest in marriage and he did? All he wanted right now was something new. A brief liaison, one that would satisfy both of them and be a hell of a lot of fun in the process.

Sex with no strings.

He grinned.

Sex with no strings. They’d both get something they wanted and wouldn’t have to worry about any messy entanglements or hurt feelings afterward.

And if he presented his proposition to her on that basis, she might just say yes.

Three

Felicity headed straight for the powder room when she reached the club. She felt overheated by her excursion to Rosedale. Or maybe the heat had been caused by her impossible-to-deny attraction to Reed.

God, he was sexy.

Just looking at him made her feel weak in the knees.

Well, no matter what had caused this unwelcome heat, she needed to put herself together again before facing the Debs, some of whom were way too perceptive. Of course, no one had to know where she’d been earlier today. In fact, she absolutely did not want them to know, because the last subject she wanted to discuss, in front of Emma or anyone else, was Reed.

After repairing her makeup and repositioning her violet rhinestone butterfly hair clip, Felicity felt ready to make her appearance.

Walking past the Emerald Room’s malachite bar, she waved to Harry, the bartender, who waved back, and headed straight for the table where she and the other Debs always sat.

Sure enough, two of them were already there—Emma, wearing a powder-blue dress that set off her silky black hair and violet eyes, and Lily Miller Cartwright, who was now seven months pregnant and radiant in a yellow maternity dress that hugged her rounded belly.

Felicity used the few moments before her friends noticed her approach to study them. She couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy at the happiness evident on both faces. A happiness caused by being deeply in love and knowing they were loved back.

But I don’t want to be married. I don’t even want a long-term commitment. So why am I envious because they’ve both found their soul mates?

Just then, Lily turned and saw her. “Felicity!” she exclaimed, giving her a beaming smile.

“Hi, Fee,” said a quieter Emma.

As Felicity leaned down to kiss first Lily, then Emma, she wondered at Emma’s more restrained greeting. Was it possible she suspected something about Felicity’s whereabouts today? Her inappropriate feelings for Reed? Was she even now wondering if Felicity had harbored those feelings all along, even when Emma and Reed had been engaged?

Oh, don’t be ridiculous! How could she possibly suspect anything? That’s just your guilty conscience bothering you.

Besides, Felicity thought, even if Emma did suspect something, why would she care now? She hadn’t wanted Reed. She’d wanted Garrett. And Felicity had absolutely no interest in Garrett Keating. But even after telling herself this, she still felt uncomfortable. After the debacle with Sam, she hated deception of any kind, even when it was rooted in an omission rather than an outright lie.

Telling herself to chill, Felicity sat next to Emma and when their waiter approached, ordered a glass of her favorite German Riesling, then joined in the conversation, which centered around an upcoming baby shower for Lily.

“It’s being hosted by Jack’s cousin Jennifer,” Lily said happily. She absently pushed an errant strand of curly auburn hair under her yellow headband. With her blue eyes and bright coloring, she could have been the model for a Botticelli painting.

“I hope we’re all going to be invited,” Felicity said brightly.

Lily gave her a look of incredulity. “Of course you are! How could you even think I wouldn’t want all the Debs Club there?”

Just then, Vanessa Thorpe and Abby Talbot, the last two members of their group who were joining today’s lunch, arrived together. Both young women were immaculately turned out—Vanessa in the same shade of green as her eyes and Abby in white, which set off her beautiful tan and long blond hair. Felicity hadn’t seen much of Abby since her mother’s funeral earlier in the summer, and she wondered how Abby was doing.

Kisses, hugs and compliments flew while the newcomers settled themselves and ordered glasses of wine. Once they’d had a chance to briefly study the menu—they met here for lunch so often they’d practically memorized it—the five women ordered. Mostly they stuck to salads, fish, or chicken, although Lily—laughing—said she didn’t care, she was going to have pasta today. “After the baby comes, I’ll have to say goodbye to carbs. Might as well enjoy myself while I can.”

“Knowing you, you’ll be back into a size four before that kid’s a month old,” Vanessa said.

“I’ve never worn a size four in my life,” Lily said.

“Well, six, then.”

“Eight’s more like it.”

“Listen to her,” Vanessa said.

“Oh, she’s just trying to make the rest of us feel better,” Abby quipped.

“Like you’re fat or something,” Vanessa shot back.

Felicity sat back and enjoyed the banter. She loved these get-togethers with the Debs. They were all terrific women and had become loyal friends who had supported and encouraged her through her problems with Sam.

Even Abby had been loyal, although that mother of hers had had a field day writing about Sam’s desertion and the loss of Felicity’s inheritance. Felicity had long wondered how a mother and daughter could be so different, for Abby rarely gossiped. Maybe she’d had enough of it growing up with Bunny.

After their orders had been placed, the conversation turned to Emma’s relationship with Garrett, or more accurately, the breakup with Reed.

“How’s Reed taking the news?” Vanessa asked.

Emma shrugged. “I haven’t seen him or spoken to him since I broke the engagement,” she confessed.

Vanessa grimaced. “Poor Reed. He’s probably brokenhearted.”

“I hope not,” Emma said. She bit her lip.

Emma was tenderhearted, and Felicity knew she’d truly cared for Reed and wouldn’t have wanted him to suffer.

“Have any of you seen him?” Emma asked, looking around the table.

The question unsettled Felicity. She didn’t want to reveal that she’d seen him, because she was afraid that in talking about their meetings she might give away her feelings, yet she hated deceiving Emma. So she pushed back from the table. “Sorry, I’ve got to visit the ladies’. Now, don’t talk about me when I’m not here to defend myself.”

They all laughed.

She would stay away just long enough to let the conversation move to another subject. Unfortunately, when she entered the ladies’ room, Felicity almost turned around and walked right out, because standing in front of the large mirror in the outer lounge area was Delia Forrester, one of Felicity’s least favorite people.

“Felicity! Darling, it’s been too long,” Delia exclaimed. For some unknown reason, the woman had taken a shine to Felicity, almost as if she thought they were two of a kind.

Felicity forced herself to smile and say pleasantly, “Hello, Delia.” Although she detested the woman, she saw no point in openly antagonizing her. “How are you?”

“I’m absolutely wonderful.” Delia patted her dyed platinum pageboy, which was always perfectly coiffed.

Why was it people seemed to love platinum-blond so much? Didn’t they realize the dyed version looked completely fake? Felicity looked in the mirror at her own natural platinum hair color with satisfaction.

“And what about you, dear? I know you must be run ragged these days, what with the Townsend wedding and the Newhouse wedding and the Dearborn-Kelly cancellation, not to mention all that committee work.”

This last was said disparagingly, because Delia was not a part of any of the charities or club committees that the Debs were involved in. Felicity nastily wondered if that was because she knew the other women would not let her run roughshod over them as she was wont to do.

“I’m managing just fine,” Felicity said. Her tone didn’t invite further comment. Taking lip gloss out of her handbag, she applied a fresh coat.

Delia, however, was too obtuse to take the hint. “I’m just shocked that your supposed friend Emma would do that to you.”

Felicity frowned. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.” She closed the tube of lip gloss and dropped it back into her handbag.

“Oh, come on, Felicity. Why, she just canceled her wedding out of the blue, now, didn’t she? That tells me she doesn’t care who she hurts. Frankly, I think it’s horrible that she would let you lose money like that. But that’s typical of your friends, isn’t it? They’re all independently wealthy, so they can’t understand what it’s like for someone like you.”

“Delia, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Felicity snapped, suddenly not caring if she antagonized this stupid woman or not. “Emma would never purposely hurt anyone, least of all me. Breaking her engagement to Reed Kelly had nothing to do with me, and even if it had, I would not have wanted her to marry him if she didn’t love him. And as far as my friends being independently wealthy, Lily’s had nothing given to her. She’s worked hard all her life. And Abby’s an executive—she works like a dog. In fact, they all work. Emma has an art gallery and Vanessa…” Her voice trailed off. Why was she even talking to this despicable woman? “Never mind. I’m wasting my breath talking to you.”

And with that, Felicity spun on her heel and walked out. She told herself to calm down, but she was still gritting her teeth and muttering under her breath when she got back to the table.

“What’s wrong?” asked Emma.

Felicity rolled her eyes. “Delia Forrester. Need I say more?”

Everyone immediately groaned and agreed.

“You know,” Abby said, “I sure would like to know what that woman did before she married Frank. My mother tried to find out, but as far as I know, she wasn’t successful.”

“Oh, I know what she did,” Felicity said.

“You do?” This came from Lily.

“Yes.” Felicity grinned. “She stirred her cauldron and concocted her brews.”

For a moment there was silence. Then Vanessa snorted, and they all burst out laughing.

“Oh, you’re bad,” Emma said, but she was laughing, too.

“Well, she is a witch,” Felicity pointed out.

“More like a bitch,” Vanessa corrected.

“That, too,” Felicity said.

The conversation stopped as their waiter approached with their food, and after that, the subject of Delia was dropped. For the next hour they talked about the blackmail letters that Lily’s husband and Garrett’s sister Caroline had received. Abby was convinced that the extortion attempts and the theft of her mother’s journals were connected, and Felicity couldn’t help thinking she was right, even though that might mean Abby’s other theory—that her mother had been murdered—might also be right. Felicity shivered at the thought. Murder seemed so horrible, but Bunny had certainly inspired animosity among those people whose lives and secrets she’d written about.