Contents
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
EPILOGUE
OTHER BOOKS BY JANET
ABOUT JANET
A BIG THANK YOU
COPYRIGHT
PROLOGUE
Six Months Ago—Las Vegas
When Josh McInnes realised it was time to settle down and start a family, he did what any self-respecting celebrity would do and called his manager.
“This better be important,” Mitch grumbled down the line. “It’s four in the morning over here.”
Josh glanced at the clock and winced. He hadn’t thought about the time in New York. In his mind’s eye he could see his best friend with his hair standing on end and a scowl on his face.
“I want to get married,” Josh said instead of apologising.
There was silence for a beat.
“Thanks for the offer, Josh, but you’re not my type.”
“Not to you, fool, to a woman.”
“Please tell me that you aren’t planning a Vegas cliché? The world doesn't need another celebrity with a drive-through marriage license.”
“You don't seriously think I'd do something that stupid?” There was no reply. Josh frowned at the phone. “No, dumbass, I’ve decided that it’s time to start a family, before I’m too old to play football with the kids.”
“You’re only thirty-five.” Mitch sounded fed up.
“And by the time I find a wife and start churning out the kids, I’ll be older. I don’t have time to sit around waiting for it to happen. That’s why I’m calling. I need you to find me a wife.”
The line went dead.
Josh’s lips pursed as he listened to the dial tone. Then he hit redial.
“Go to sleep,” Mitch said by way of hello. “Or at least let me go to sleep. I was in meetings all day; I’m beyond beat and don’t have the energy for whatever the hell this is.”
Sleep? Josh scoffed at the phone. It was barely one a.m.—Vegas was just getting started.
“Did you hear me? I need you to find me a wife.”
“Yeah, I heard. Are you drunk? Why the hell would I find you a wife? Find your own woman.”
“You’re my manager.” From his room high above the city, Josh watched lights flicker on the Vegas Strip.
“Exactly. I manage your career. Your life is your business.”
“You’re also my best friend.”
“That doesn’t mean I want to play matchmaker. Marry one of the many women who throw themselves at you.” Mitch paused. “Just don’t do it in Vegas.”
“I don’t want one of them. They’re factory made. I feel like I'm a product tester for Mattel. One more Barbie look-alike and I'm going to lose it. I don't need another date. I need a wife. Someone different. Someone real. I want you to arrange a marriage for me. You know, like they do in India.”
“Like they do in India?”
“Why are you repeating everything I say?” Josh was losing patience; Mitch was supposed to be the one with the brain.
“Seriously? You have to ask me that? You call me up in the middle of the night and ask me to get you married and you wonder why this is hard to follow?”
“Look,” Josh said, “I thought this through.”
“Yeah, that’s what worries me.”
“You know me better than anyone else, so you’re the best person to find me a wife.”
“What about romance, attraction, crap like that?”
Josh waved a dismissive hand, even though Mitch couldn’t see him. “You know I don’t believe in that stuff.”
“You make millions from that stuff.”
“Singing about romance is different from actually believing it exists. It’s the same as singing about Santa. He doesn’t exist either. There’s no such thing as romantic love, only hormones and lust.”
“That’s a great quote,” Mitch told him. “Should we put that on your next album cover?”
“Funny.”
“So you don’t want to love your wife, just bang her and get to the baby part?”
“I didn’t say that.” Josh kicked off his shoes. Dealing with Mitch was using all his energy. Suddenly the party he’d planned to attend didn’t seem like such a great idea. “I believe in love. But love doesn’t happen instantly. You start with commitment and then you get love. And what’s more committed than marriage? The love will come later.”
“Commitment my ass. You should be committed,” Mitch mumbled.
“I know what I’m talking about. I’ve been around all that romance stuff since I was a teenager. I know every soppy ballad out there. I’m telling you, there’s no such thing as romance. I want a wife.”
“A non-romantic wife?”
“Exactly.”
“A wife with family values who doesn’t care about her career?”
“She can have a career, just not one that involves using me to get ahead.”
“My mistake.”
“Carry on.” Josh grinned at his reflection in the window.
“Basically, you want a relationship from the fifties?”
“Yes!” He thought about it. “No! Wait a minute; you’re putting words into my mouth again.”
There was a long sigh in his ear. “Don’t worry. I get it, buddy. You want me to vet some women and find you a wife, and”—there was a grin in Mitch’s voice—“if she happens to be Doris Day, even better!”
CHAPTER ONE
Present Day—Invertary Castle, Scotland
Caroline Patterson pursed her lips at Invertary Castle’s main entrance. It made her sick to her stomach that a celebrity had bought the place. He would probably paint the interior gold and throw orgies in the grand room. She stepped back to look at the building and smiled. Not big by castle standards, it was more on the scale of a grand house. Caroline loved the pale grey stone; she was tempted to run her fingers over it while she waited for the lord of the manor to open the door. Instead she let her gaze follow the sleek lines of the building up over four floors to the twin turrets at the top. Gorgeous. Like a tall, lean sculpture, full of grace and life—and, unfortunately, Americans.
Her admiration of the building was interrupted when the heavy wooden door swung open. Standing before her was Josh McInnes, People magazine’s sexiest man alive. He was taller than he’d looked in the photos she’d seen. His shoulders were broad, his hips slim and his legs long. Black hair flopped towards one of his brilli
ant blue eyes. They were electric. And they were amused. Caroline blinked hard. He was smiling at her—a lazy, confident smile. Caroline pushed back her shoulders, took a step forward on wobbly legs and thrust out her hand.
“Caroline Patterson.” Her voice was a little huskier than usual. “I represent the Council. Your friend Mitch met me in my office at the community centre. I have the forms he asked me to drop off.”
She cleared her throat and resisted the urge to fidget. She never fidgeted.
“Josh.” He captured her hand in his.
He held it a moment longer than was polite, and Caroline could swear she felt the heat from his touch slide across her body like honey on warm toast.
“Come on in, Caroline Patterson.” He flashed his award-winning grin. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Caroline followed him into the castle and promptly forgot all about him. It was worse than she’d imagined. Not only had the previous owners covered the beautiful wood panelling in the hallway with smooth board, and the marble floor with grey carpet—they’d lowered the ceiling to hide the plaster moulding that wound around the top of the walls.
“This way.” Josh put his hand on the small of her back.
Caroline stepped away from his touch as her heart sank further. The grand room was no longer grand. The walls were cream, the old stone fireplace had been covered over, only to be replaced by the biggest TV screen she’d ever seen, and the chandelier was now a modern spotlight system.
“Please, sit down.” Josh pointed to one of the twin blue sofas.
Caroline perched on the edge of an overstuffed cushion, holding her briefcase in her lap. She wanted to weep. From the inside of the castle, you wouldn’t know it was a beautiful nineteenth-century building. The character of the place had been stripped away.
“Can I get you something to drink?” Josh said.
Caroline pulled her attention away from the utilitarian blinds on the bay window long enough to reply. “Tea, please.”
“Ah.” Josh scratched his head. “I’m not sure we have tea.”
Then why ask?
“Don’t worry.” Mitch entered the room carrying a tray. “I have tea.”
He put the tray on the monstrous modern coffee table.
“Nice to see you again, Caroline.” Mitch handed her tea in a large mug with “Party Hearty” written on it. “Sorry.” He winced. “Josh hasn’t gotten around to stocking the place yet.”
“It’s perfectly okay.”
She tried not to grimace as she sipped the tea. Basically, it was a delicious mug of hot, watered-down milk. She put it on the ugly glass table, before reaching into her briefcase.
“I have the paperwork that you need to fill in to obtain permission to renovate the castle.”
She held the paperwork out towards Josh, who sat opposite her on a matching sofa. The ankle of one of his legs was perched on the knee of his other leg. He was watching her. No, studying her—in a way that was almost predatory.
“I’ll take that.” Mitch reached for the paperwork.
Caroline smiled gratefully. Out of the corner of her eye she could see that Josh was still staring at her. She wriggled uncomfortably before picking invisible fluff from her skirt.
“So, what do you plan to do to the place?” She flicked a glance at Josh before turning to Mitch for the answer.
“We’re going to convert this room into a sound studio,” Mitch said.
Caroline felt the blood drain from her face. “You’re going to convert the grand room into a sound studio?”
Mitch shrugged. “It seems to be the best space for it.”
Caroline bit her tongue as anger bubbled inside her. It made her feel sick to think that the castle was now in the hands of people who didn’t recognise its value.
“Well, if that’s all.” Caroline stood. “I’ll get back to work.” And start proceedings to stop you messing up the castle any further. She flicked through her contact list in her mind, planning what strings she would pull to save the castle. “Thanks for the tea.”
She took a step towards the door.
“Actually.” Josh stood up. “There’s one more thing I’d like to discuss.”
Mitch shot him a pointed look. “Don’t you want to think about that first, buddy?”
“Nope.” Josh grinned widely. “I’m sure.”
Caroline didn’t know whether to sit or stand. Mitch sighed and rubbed his face. Caroline’s stomach clenched tightly. Whatever was coming, she wasn’t going to like it. If he told her he was going to replace the lead windows with aluminium, or paint the exterior pink, she’d have to resort to violence.
“It’s like this,” Josh said in that melodious voice of his, before peering out from under lashes that were thicker than hers. “I’m looking for a wife, and I think you might be it.”
Caroline looked at both men in turn. Mitch shrugged, like this was out of his hands. Josh thrust his hands deep into the pockets of his worn jeans and rocked back and forth on the spot. He flashed his megawatt smile.
“So what do you say, Caroline Patterson. Do you want to marry me?”
Caroline swayed before sitting back down with a dull thud.
Josh shot a worried glance at Mitch. His friend had one of those “I told you so” looks on his face. So maybe he’d rushed things a little? When he’d opened the door and saw her standing there looking like Grace Kelly in a Hitchcock film, it was as though he’d been punched in the gut. He knew she was the one—with a certainty that had shocked him. She was perfect. All buttoned up and proper in her grey polyester suit, without even a dab of makeup on her smooth, creamy skin. She was screaming out for someone to come along and ruffle her a little. And he itched to be the one. He’d made up his mind on the spot. He’d found his wife. Unfortunately, from the bewildered look on Caroline’s face, it seemed she didn’t agree.
“You want to marry me?” Her voice was barely a whisper.
She tucked a strand of her perfect blond bob behind her ear.
“Yes.” Josh sat on the edge of the sofa opposite her.
She looked at Mitch, then back at Josh. “Is this a joke?”
“I’m dead serious.”
She turned to Mitch, who sighed heavily. “He’s telling the truth. He’s serious.”
Caroline swung back to Josh. “Why on earth would you want to marry me?”
Okay, so not the response he was looking for, but he could work with it.
“You’re exactly what I’m looking for.” He gave her his best charming smile. The one that usually made women swoon.
“You’ve been looking for an ordinary Scottish woman who works in a community centre?”
She reached for the mug of tea she’d obviously hated, and took a large gulp. Her nose screwed up.
“It’s like this.” Josh worked at keeping his tone soothing. “I don’t believe in romance. I believe in commitment. I want an arranged marriage, like they do in India. So, Mitch here has been checking out potential wives for me. Up until now he’s completely bombed out, but I think he’s spot on with you. You’re perfect. I think you should marry me.”
Her jaw fell open. “You think I should marry you?”
Josh looked at Mitch. “Why does everyone insist on repeating what I say?”
“It’s a mystery.” Mitch’s tone was droll.
“You don’t know anything about me.” Caroline’s cheeks had turned the prettiest shade of pink. It made up for the boxy suit and sensible shoes his mother would love.
“I know you care about family. I know you quit college to help your sister when she got pregnant as a teenager.” He smiled reassuringly. “I know you lost your parents when you were a kid, and your grandfather raised you. I know you live alone and aren’t in a relationship. I know the whole town considers you to be the woman in charge around here.”
The colour leeched out of her face. “You’ve been spying on me?”
Josh realised his mistake. “Not spying, just checking you out.”
<
br /> Caroline frowned at the two of them. “That is very…” She looked around the room. “Creepy,” she said at last.
Josh rubbed his neck. This wasn’t going how he’d planned it to go. Now she not only looked like she was going to run, but call the cops while she did it. He tried a different tack.
“Lots of people get married for practical purposes. It isn’t always about falling in love. It’s really quite simple. Think of it as a business arrangement, only with sex.”
Mitch groaned and slapped a hand over his eyes.
“You mean like a prostitute?” Caroline’s green eyes went wide.
“No!” Josh threw up his hands. “That came out wrong. It’s a marriage.”
“Between two people who don’t know each other.”
“But who will grow to care for each other.” He infused his words with the absolute conviction he felt.
Caroline sat silently for a minute. At least she seemed slightly less stunned. She turned to Mitch.
“You picked me?” She pointed at Josh. “For him?”
“He needs a nice girl.” Mitch shrugged. “Someone down to earth who can balance out the nuttiness.”
Caroline shook her head. “I’m sorry.” She spread her elegant hands. “I don’t understand this at all. Don’t people like you usually marry models, or film stars? Isn’t there someone more appropriate who fits your bill?”
“Uh-uh. Not going to happen. I’ve been down that road. I don’t want a famous wife.”
“No,” Mitch said. “There’s only room in his life for one ego.”
“You’re not helping,” Josh told his friend.
Mitch grinned and settled into one of the cream-coloured armchairs.
“This is ridiculous.” Caroline’s voice had a slightly hysterical edge to it. “Why would I marry you?”
Josh spread his hands wide. He thought it was self-evident. Apparently not.
“Because you’ll have a great life with me. We’ll travel the world, meet interesting people, have loads of fun and you’ll get to live in a castle.” He leaned towards her and lowered his tone. “And trust me, I will make you feel good. Very, very good.”
Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. They stared into each other’s eyes for a minute before she blinked and looked away.
Goody Two Shoes (Invertary Book 2) Page 1