Marrying Mister Perfect

by Lizzie Shane

  That night in the Jacuzzi with Lou had rocked his life like an earthquake. She was the one he wanted. The only one. He had no idea if he was ever going to have a shot at having her—the way she’d run off hadn’t exactly been a promising sign and he hadn’t been allowed to talk to her since. But he knew one thing for sure. He wasn’t in love with Marcy or Katya, or any of the others. He liked Marcy, he was attracted to Katya, but love? Heart-pounding, til-death-do-us-part love? Only one face came to mind. An achingly familiar face.

  “I don’t feel led on,” Marcy said firmly, bringing him back to the conversation. “I knew what I was getting into, Daddy, and I don’t regret it for a second.”

  The corners of Mr. Henrickson’s mouth turned down ominously. “You don’t regret it yet,” he growled.

  Marcy sighed. “Oh, Daddy.”

  “I’m not giving any man permission to marry you if he can’t make up his mind between you and three other girls. That isn’t happening.”

  Jack knew Marcy well enough by now to figure that statement wasn’t going to go over well. He glanced at the brunette and saw her jaw shifting like she was grinding her teeth.

  “I am not a possession to be handed out at your discretion,” she growled at her father. The muted Midwestern tinge to her accent grew more pronounced as her temper went higher. “The only permission a man needs to marry me is my own. And I haven’t said one way or the other whether I’d be giving it if Jack did ask. No offense intended, Jack.”

  “None taken.” He really did like Marcy. She was feisty and sweet by turns. Playful and funny as all hell. Maybe things would have been different on the show if he hadn’t been hopelessly in love with someone else before he signed up for it—even if he had been too blind to see his own feelings for what they were at the time.

  “I know you didn’t like my decision to do this show, but I’ll ask you to be civil to my guest,” she said to her father.

  Mr. Henrickson muttered something that sounded like, “Worse than your mother.”

  “I heard that, Frank Henrickson,” came a drawl from the vicinity of the kitchen where Mrs. Henrickson was slicing her famous pecan pie.

  Frank winced and turned to Jack with his teeth bared in a parody of a smile. “How have you enjoyed Murphysboro, Jack?”

  Jack seized the olive branch with both hands. “It’s a lovely town, Mr. Henrickson. I’m very grateful to Marcy for showing me around today.”

  “I’m surprised she remembered the way around herself,” Mr. Henrickson muttered. “Running around on the show for weeks at a time and forgetting everyone she left behind.”

  Marcy rolled her eyes and mouthed “I’m sorry” at Jack, but he had to admit, he didn’t mind Mr. Henrickson’s bark. He liked the older man, his fight and the obvious affection for his daughter. Jack could do worse than to marry into the Henrickson clan, if he hadn’t had his heart set on making ties with the Tanners.

  Jack smiled at Frank Henrickson, determined to enjoy the evening, end it quickly, and call Lou.

  Miranda had given him back his cell phone before he headed to the Henrickson house, telling him he was allowed one call as long as he kept his mic on.

  He might not be able to get things settled or talk about how they felt, but he had to at least hear Lou’s voice and try to get some hint how she was feeling.

  Had that kiss been as electric and life-changing for her as it had been for him? Why had she rushed off so quickly, almost using Emma as a barrier to keep him at bay?

  One horrible thought wouldn’t leave his mind. What if she thought that kiss had been a horrible mistake? What if she was still expecting him to bring home a replacement bride and free her to roam the world without him? He could easily go through to the end and not choose anyone and go home only to find that Lou wanted to leave because he’d made a pass at her in the Jacuzzi. They’d both been drinking. What if it had just been lust and now she regretted it?

  He needed to talk to her.

  “I’m sorry about Daddy. I think he was playing it up for the cameras some. He isn’t usually quite such a bear. At least not so obviously.”

  Hand-in-hand, Jack and Marcy strode down the front walk of her parents’ house toward the cars waiting in a row on the narrow street. The cameraman in front of them backpedaled quickly to keep them in the shot while another crew trotted alongside. A third camera on a tripod at the edge of the lawn captured their progression from a wider angle. Just another day in the life of Mr. Perfect.

  “I liked him,” Jack said honestly. “He obviously loves you. What father wouldn’t worry about his daughter doing a show like this? There’s a lot of opportunity for heartache.”

  Marcy paused, tugging him to a stop with their joined hands. She glanced at the cameras hovering nearby and stepped closer, lowering her voice. The microphones would probably still catch their conversation, but it was all the privacy they were going to get.

  “Is your heart going to ache, Jack? I got the impression today you aren’t really in this anymore. Did something change?”

  The woman was too perceptive by half. “I…” What was he supposed to say? Could he admit it? Tell her about Lou?

  Marcy shook her head and raised her hand palm out in a stop sign. “You don’t have to tell me. If you like one of the other girls more than me, if you’ve developed genuine feelings for someone, I don’t want to stand in the way of that. I really like you, Jack. I might even be talked into falling in love with you if you wanted me to, but I don’t get the sense that you do. And if you…” She hesitated, searching for words, which was something Marcy so rarely did, he found himself paying even closer attention when she continued in a low, serious murmur. “If you know who you’re going to walk off into the sunset with now, and you want someone else to take along with you to the end who you won’t feel guilty leaving standing there… I’m just trying to tell you I won’t get my heart broken if I come in second.”

  For a minute, Jack said nothing. He wasn’t sure what he was contractually allowed to say.

  Marcy gave him a wry little smile. “I know you’re not allowed to tell me, one way or the other. And I know I’m supposed to be throwing myself at you with my heart wide open, but I get the impression that’s not what you want anymore. So maybe you could give me a sign?”

  Jack glanced at the cameras and mic booms hanging around them. “I really like you, Marcy,” he told her, projecting for the sound guys. “You’re very perceptive and understanding. I can definitely see us going a long way together.”

  Her smile lit her face, filled with so much relief he doubted she’d ever really been that interested in falling in love with him. It hadn’t even occurred to him that Marcy might be one of the girls who wasn’t there for the Right Reasons, but she certainly looked like she had her heart set on starring in Mister Perfect’s companion show, Romancing Miss Right next season.

  “I can’t tell you what a weight has just been lifted off my shoulders,” she gushed. “I’m happy to hear… how much you like me, Jack.”

  She pulled him into a hug and when they drew back, her smile had a mischievous, secretive edge. They both knew half that conversation would end up on the cutting room floor. The editors would make it look like they’d had an intense I-really-want-to-confess-my-love-but-I-can’t-yet moment together. The hug would be shown from an angle where it might be mistaken for a passionate kiss.

  She’d said a weight had been lifted and his own load had definitely been lightened. He felt so much better having a partner in crime. Someone who would wink at him during the Elimination Ceremony. Someone whose feelings he didn’t have to crush when it finally came time to say goodbye.

  Jack slung his arm around her shoulders and they walked together to the cars that would separate them for the night. Tomorrow they would meet back in LA for the Elimination Ceremony.

  The day after that, he would see Lou.

  But he couldn’t wait that long to talk to her. He needed to hear her voice. He needed to hear that she didn’t t
hink kissing him in the hot tub was the single biggest mistake of her life. He felt like a teenager who’d just scored a date with his dream girl and expected to find out it was all a cruel hoax.

  As soon as Marcy was tucked into her car, he walked quickly back to the SUV that would carry him to the airport, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket as he walked. When the segment producer frowned, he flashed his devoted father smile. “Just wanna check in with the kids before it gets past their bedtime,” he explained.

  The producer gave a slight nod and Jack hit the speed dial. One ring. Two…

  “Hello?” She sounded breathless—and heavenly—like she’d just run in from outside to grab the phone.

  “Lou.” For a second all he managed to say was her name. Memories of the last time he’d seen her flooded his brain. That skimpy red bikini, the miles of smooth skin, the way her blondish hair curled at her nape from the humidity. His blood heated at just the thought. Man, he was a goner.

  “Jack. Uh, hi. Um… how was your week?”

  “Long. I missed you.”

  “We miss you too!” she exclaimed, her tone way too bright and way too fake. “Would you like to talk to the kids? They’re right here. TJ’s been dying to tell you about his friend Joey’s frog.”

  TJ had been wheedling for a pet for a long time. He kept a detailed list of which of his peers had animals they cared for to prove he was not, in fact, too young for the responsibility. That wasn’t what concerned Jack. What bothered him was the forced, stilted way Lou was fobbing him off on the kids. As if she couldn’t bear to talk to him for another second. His stomach clenched nervously.

  “Lou...”

  “Here’s TJ!”

  He heard a momentary fumbling and then his son’s voice piped through the line. “Hey, Dad. Did you know frogs are one of the easiest pets to care for? You can look it up. And Joey says his frog…”

  Jack listened with half an ear to his son’s sales pitch while the majority of his brain searched for explanations for Lou’s awkwardness. Explanations that did not involve her being mad at him for molesting her last weekend.

  TJ finally wound down and Jack promised they would discuss the intricacies of frogs again when he got home day after next. Emma was next, but her part of the conversation didn’t last long—she’d hadn’t really gotten the knack of phone conversations. When his daughter chirruped goodbye, he heard Lou again.

  “So, uh, nothing much to report here,” she said, exaggeratedly casual. “You had a good week then?”

  “Long,” he repeated. “I’ve been wanting to call you for days. I wanted to talk about—”

  “You sound like you’ve been really busy. Us too! You know how crazy it can get around here. And I know what an important week this is for you. Meeting all the in-laws.”

  “You can always call—”

  “No, no. I figured you would call when you were free. And you did! So there you go.”

  “Lou, we need to ta—”

  “I better get the kids to bed. School night and all. But I’ll see you soon, right? Just a couple days. TJ’s been wanting to go to the corn maze. Maybe you can take the kids with one of your Suitorettes when they come visit next week. Give the kids a chance to have fun with them, her, whoever. Right. Bedtime! Bye, Jack.”

  The call disconnected suddenly and Jack dropped the phone to his lap, dropping his head back against the SUV’s headrest. That had not gone well. Lou was cheery as all hell, but every bright and sunny word out of her mouth had increased his nerves. She hadn’t let him get a word in edgewise. She didn’t want to hear what he had to say about last weekend.

  Lou didn’t want to talk to him.

  That could only be a bad sign. Jack swore.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “I talked to Jack last night.”

  Kelly dropped the plates she’d been clearing into the sink so suddenly they would have shattered if they hadn’t been made of twin-proof material. She pivoted and pinned Lou with an eager gaze. “And? Did he say he loves you?”

  “No.”

  Kelly visibly deflated. “No?”

  Lou closed her eyes, reliving that awful phone call. She’d been half-longing for half-dreading Jack’s call all week. She’d almost considered not answering, but the kids had been home and wanting to talk to their dad and she hadn’t been able to deny them. If only that hadn’t meant that she had to talk to him. God, had it ever been awkward. “When he first called, he just said my name and then there was this long silence. Like he was waiting for me to apologize for jumping him last weekend or something.”

  “I’m sure that isn’t…”

  “Dead silence, Kel. No ‘I adore you’, no ‘I’m so glad we kissed.’ Nada.”

  Kelly rallied, quick to jump to the best conclusion. “Maybe he was nervous too.”

  “About what? That I’d reject him? He’s Mr. Perfect, for crying out loud! Who rejects Mr. Perfect?”

  “Jessica from Season Two.”

  “That was a rhetorical question, Kel. And Jack has never seen Season Two, so he can’t be worried about me pulling a Jessica.”

  “So what did you say?” Kelly asked. She abandoned all pretense of doing dishes and sat next to Lou at the table.

  Lou groaned. She’d been an idiot. An unqualified idiot. “I told him he should take the kids to the corn maze with one his perfect Suitorettes and that I didn’t have the right to expect calls from him. Or something like that.”

  Kelly’s face fell. “Oh, Lou. That’s awful. He’s going to think you don’t want him.”

  Lou steeled her jaw. “I’ve been thinking maybe that’s a good thing. We got carried away in the Jacuzzi and things happened that shouldn’t have happened. If we’re going to have a relationship, we have to go into it without our eyes open, not just because we’re both so drunk and horny we grab the first available body. We have to consider the kids. A relationship between us is bound to impact them. Especially if it doesn’t work out. If we don’t have the same vision for our future, if I think we’re happily ever after and he thinks we’re friends with benefits… I just can’t take that, Kelly, and I can’t do that to the kids. I need to know he’s really there for me, for the long haul, and not just because it’s convenient. I have to know that it’s real. And I can’t know that while he’s tangled up in that damn reality TV show.”

  To Lou’s surprise, Kelly nodded slowly. She’d expected her friend to be on the side of impulsive romance, but her expression was sober. “You’re right.”

  Hearing Kelly agree with her made Lou’s spine sag in defeat. She’d secretly hoped Kelly would talk her back into pursuing Jack. She wanted someone to tell her to do the irresponsible thing and go after what she wanted. But she just couldn’t justify it if Kelly, Ms. Romance-Conquers-All, agreed with her.

  Lou took a deep breath, trying—and failing—to convince herself that she hadn’t just lost out on the best thing that might ever have happened to her. “After Marrying Mr. Perfect is over…”

  And Jack is engaged to someone else…

  Tears pricked the back of her eyes. Lou sniffed them back. “After all this, if he’s free and interested, we’ll sit down and talk about it. We’ll be adult and rational. And if it isn’t meant to be—” The words caught in her throat.

  “Oh, honey,” Kelly murmured, scooting her chair closer so she could wrap her arms around Lou and give her a squeeze. “It’s gonna work out. Jack isn’t an idiot. He knows a good thing when he sees it. And you, Louisa Renee Tanner, are a very, very good thing.”

  Lou hugged Kelly back, telling herself she was crying because she was so lucky to have such an amazing best friend. She was getting pretty good at lying to herself. She almost believed it.

  Jack realized his sense of reality had been screwed up beyond recognition when he didn’t even feel strange climbing out of a limo in front of his house and strolling up the walk slowly to allow the cameras on either side of him to keep pace.

  He wondered how long it would tak
e his sense of reality to get back on track after all this was over.

  Only two weeks left.

  That thought comforted him as nothing else could. This week the girls would visit his house and meet his family—the kids, his parents, and Lou. Next week would be the two-day exotic destination dates, culminating in the finale where he picked between the final two. Then it was over. He headed home, never to see the girls again until the reunion show aired live at the end of the season. Free to live his life and figure out what was between him and Lou, once and for all.

  The front door opened when he set his foot on the first step of the porch. The kids must have been watching for him. Jack grinned and threw his arms open in time to catch TJ and Emma as they barreled out the door. “Daddy!” they squealed and the cameramen shuffled eagerly in circles, trying to get the best angle on the happy reunion.

  Lou’s earlier warning about exploiting the kids rose up in his mind. Was this bad for them? Had he failed to consider how this might impact them? Miranda had assured him they would be a minor part of the show. Nothing was demanded of them other than they be themselves. He couldn’t imagine a few minutes of screentime would really do them any harm, but Jack still cut the welcome-home hugs shorter than he normally would, ushering the kids inside.

  He didn’t see Lou immediately and wanted nothing more than to look for her, but the crew was already swarming in the door behind him, getting ready to set up for their first day of home life. The first of the girls wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow, but there was a lot of work to be done to wire the house the way they wanted it.

  Emma latched onto her favorite cameraman’s ankles while TJ ran to high-five the sound guy he’d bonded with in LA.

  Jack nodded to himself. They were fine. The show was a good experience for them. He was sure of it. Though he was less and less sure it was good for him.

  Or for Lou.

  He couldn’t help wondering, if she did have some feelings for him, if he had hurt her by going on Marrying Mr. Perfect. He’d thought he was doing the right thing—for her more than anyone, freeing her from the life he’d imposed on her when she moved in here—but now he wasn’t so sure.