•
Hayely almost choked on her food and her eyes widened. His actions had already surprised her several times over. He alternated between setting her on edge with his insane demands and then soothing her with his low, calm voice.
But this? This was crazy talk.
“I’ll hire someone to move your things into one of the empty bedrooms tomorrow,” he continued. He waved his fork in the air as if in the grip of some great revelation. “Or even better—buy yourself new furniture for that room and sell your old things if you want. Or put them in storage. Whichever. I’ll have the movers do what you want tomorrow while you’re at work.”
Hayely stared at him in dumbfounded silence. This was the second time she’d seen him genuinely expect the impossible to be done in the snap of a finger.
“Are you nuts?” she finally asked in the calmest tone she could muster.
Gary stopped chewing and looked up at her with the same self-assured expression she’d seen when she stepped on his watch.
“I made a promise when I was younger and I mean to keep it. I won’t be able to keep it unless a particular man in a position of power allows me to. And he won’t allow me to unless he sees I’m a family man with a stable home and a wife.”
“I still don’t understand why I have to move in,” she said with a hint of stubborn confusion.
“Because I’ll be contacting this man tomorrow and the minute I do, he’ll start keeping a very close eye on me. And on you. If you come and go every evening and he catches wind of it, he’ll know something’s not right. I can’t afford for him to suspect anything.”
“This whole thing had better not be about some multi-million-dollar acquisition you promised yourself you’d chase down and conquer when you were younger.”
“It’s not,” Gary said through clenched teeth. “And I don’t think that’s what you think of me either.”
Hayely planted her elbow on the table and rested her forehead in the palm of her hand. “I have a one-year lease on my apartment. Ten months left to go.”
“I’ll pay it off.”
She groaned. “What about my mail? My phone? I’ll have to give the new information to my office and my family, too. What if someone calls and you answer the phone?”
“I’ll give you a cell phone with your own private number tomorrow. I don’t see a problem with the address change. No one will recognize it.”
“Are you kidding? This is the most exclusive area of town.” Gary’s estate took up most of the area all on its own, she mused.
“Tell them you’re house-sitting for friend for a few months.” He cut apart the last succulent piece of salmon.
Hayely leaned back in her chair. “You have an answer for everything, don’t you?”
She knew he enjoyed the way her emotions swam so openly across her eyes when she was coming to an agreement. She’d never been able to help that.
“You’d never make a good corporate negotiator.”
She sighed.
“Think of it this way, Mrs. Tarleton. You’ll have something to put into a savings account now. You’ll be saving all that rent money. Grocery, electricity, water and phone bill money, too. Look at me as your financial plan.”
She waved her hands in the air. “And that. That’s another thing.” Laughter threatened to bubble up inside her. Incorrigible. That was the word she’d use to describe him. Incorrigible and slightly antisocial in an endearing way.
“That?”
“That ‘Mrs. Tarleton’ thing. It’s on all the accounts and all the credit cards. I think I can avoid changing it on everything else. Lots of women keep their maiden names. And I’ve tried not to buy much locally, but I have to sign that new name for all the delivery men anyway, so I might as well just shop here. Everyone in this city is going to know we’re married within the month at this rate.”
“All the more reason for you to move in here by tomorrow. At least we’ve managed to keep it out of the papers. What does it really matter, though? If letting the secret out makes it more convincing, so be it. I kind of like the idea.”
Hayely pushed herself away from the table, alternated between laughing and gritting her teeth, and finally stomped her foot down once. He was absolutely infuriating without even trying. She’d lose her job instantly and her family would disown her for sure, but he didn’t seem to give that much thought at the moment.
“I’ll be ruined! Don’t you even care if I’m ruined?”
She rose up on the balls of her feet a little and then marched away from the table. Just as she passed Gary, he reached out and caught her arm again. This time he stood to face her.
Without a word, he caught her other wrist, gently guided her back around to face him, pulling her slightly closer to him in the process.
“Look up at me, Hayely,” he commanded.
She turned her face up, meeting his gaze defiantly. “You know, I enjoy decorating your home. But I hate the circumstances of it.”
“We signed a contract. What would you have me do?” he asked softly.
“Get a new homeowner’s insurance policy that would have covered that stupid watch.”
•
Gary dropped her hands and stepped away. He wasn’t sure where the boundaries were. He’d paid for her services, and if he crossed any line she might feel—well, she might believe he looked at her without the respect she deserved and would hate him for it.
But he did respect her. He hadn’t been able to get the way she spoke with such poised, calm fire out of his head for the last two days. He admired that quality in a woman. He also wondered how anyone as classically pretty as Hayely could come across so sure of herself yet so uncertain about everything around her at the same time.
They stood facing each other in silence for moments, unsure, breathing. The thud of the front door shook them both and the spell was broken.
“Charlie,” Hayely greeted too enthusiastically. “Would you like some pineapple upside down cake?”
Was that relief or disappointment in the air between them?
Charlie crossed the room toward them, quickly closing the space with his long, skinny legs. “No one’s fool enough to say no to that offer,” he said.
As Charlie sat down, Gary nodded at him and then left the room.
“What’s with him?” Charlie asked.
Hayely poured them both a cup of coffee to go with the cake. “We just had a discussion, that’s all. Looks like I’m moving in tomorrow.”
Charlie looked from Hayely to the dirty dishes scattered across the table. “Did you two just eat dinner? And I missed out?”
Hayely nodded. “You’ll have to come earlier next time. I got a new recipe book the other day.”
Charlie shook his head. In the twenty years since he’d met Gary, the times they’d had to relax and eat a home-cooked meal had been few and far between. There had been too many business luncheons, too many airplane meals to count, too many well-meant setups with women who were mostly captivated by Gary’s bankbook.
“Didn’t you hear me say I’m moving in?” Hayely frowned at him. The man had seemed lost in his own world for a moment.
Charlie waved his hand cheerfully. “Oh, I already know about that. Gary was worried someone might see you leave. Then sure enough, our accountant was coming here last night and asked him why his wife was going out of town so soon after the wedding. Gary didn’t want that kind of assumption to happen again.”
“Oh.” She took a sip of coffee and looked thoughtfully at Charlie. “Gary was just telling me about the promise he’d made—why he needed a temporary wife. It sounds awfully important to him.”
Charlie assessed the casual look on her face carefully. If Gary trusted her, then he could. “Well, after growing up in that place, he knows firsthand what it’s like. He wants to make sure those kids have the absolute best.”
Hayely gazed into her coffee mug. If she pushed the subject, Charlie might realize how little she really knew and not let something slip
later. And she didn’t know when she might need to understand more about her new boss. Co-conspirator. Husband. Whatever he was to her.
“I’d better go upstairs and let Gary know which room to move my things into.” She gave Charlie a smile and left him alone at the table with the entire cake and a fork.
She reached the top of the stairs and called out, “Gary? Are you up here?” Without much in the way of furniture, a cold museum-like echo came back her. “Gary?”
•
Gary heard her voice and stepped from his bedroom and walked toward the hall. He was just getting ready to take a shower and was still grinning because of the plush towels and new supply of toiletries he’d found in his bathroom. He’d mostly made due with his collection of miniature samples from hotels ever since the house’s construction had wrapped up.
“I’m right here,” he called out as he rounded the corner. Gary stood only a few feet away from her and ran his fingers through his hair.
Hayely said quietly, “I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She glanced down at the bar of bay rum soap in his hand. “Glad you found things. I didn’t know which cabinet to put them in.”
Gary felt himself smile again. “Why, Mrs. Tarleton, I had no idea you’d gone so far above and beyond the call of duty,” he murmured. “Fancy soaps even.”
“I’m just earning my bonus.”
“The cooking alone would have done that.”
“I cook because I enjoy it.”
“Not because I do?” A smile played at the corner of his lips.
“It’s a side-effect that couldn’t be helped.” Hayely smiled. Or at least threatened to.
“If you’re wondering,” Gary said, “I hope I’m keeping up my end of the bargain, too. I’ve been pleased—more than pleased with how you’ve held up yours. You’ve proven yourself to be an intelligent, attractive woman. You had a talent or two hidden away that I hadn’t suspected and—I’m trying to say you’re an asset.”
A furrow crossed Hayely’s brow and as such an “attractive woman” he worried she might make a snappy comeback about sexual harassment in the workplace. She looked with widened eyes at the man in front of her.
“You said I’ve ‘proven’ myself. But what was your first impression of me, Gary? I want the honest truth. Did you think I looked frumpy? Unattractive? Dimwitted?”
Gary’s low laughter subsided into a chuckle as he ran his hand along his chin. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’ve never seen any woman less frumpy. The day we met I wasn’t thinking of anything other than a means to an end. It’s inexcusable. I apologize.”
Hayely’s hand fluttered to her mouth. “No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I don’t know why I even let myself ask that. I shouldn’t have. Bottled insecurities tend to push their container’s cork skyrocketing at the strangest times.”
Gary studied her eyes, full of a subsiding emotion that looked like splinters of crystal. He thought strangely about reaching out to smooth back her hair, then thought the better of it. She might take it the wrong way. There would be no right way to take it.
“It must have been bothering you,” he said at length. “Whoever gave you the idea you were unattractive?”
“Something petty I overheard today. And all the things you said that day I ran into you.”
“As I said, my mind was on my problems that day. Did I mention I’m often stupid and inept around women?” he asked with a low chuckle.
“This is a really inappropriate conversation,” Hayely said with a start. “I think being in this house together makes things seem more casual than they are sometimes.”
Gary nodded. “I’m sure that’s it. But before we go back to strictly business, let me say this. Hayely, you look like a modern-day 1940s movie star without the ego. The way you dress, the way you carry yourself.” He paused and looked at her expression closely. “That’s all.”
“I appreciate that you’re trying to make me feel better.” She closed her eyes as if some great tragedy had befallen her and then quickly opened them again.
“Don’t mention it.” Gary cleared his throat. “Now what can I do for you?”
“I wanted to ask about my room. You can move my things into whichever one you like. I have to tell you I’m hoping for one with a fireplace and a nice view of the grounds, though. Since I’ve got to live here, might as well make it good.”
“You’re not going to fight me on this?” he asked.
“What would be the point? You’re the boss.”
Gary watched until she disappeared down the winding staircase, her stocking feet making no noise at all. He shook his head silently.
He’d avoided complications that might interfere with his focus on the company like a contagious disease all his life. So how was it that he suddenly had a shopping, decorating, cooking, laughing woman living in his home? How was it that he’d become so bent on keeping a childhood promise that he’d blocked everything else from his mind? Still, he had to go through with the plan. He hoped Hayely understood and didn’t loathe him for it.
“You’re getting soft, Tarleton,” he said to himself before he turned to go take that shower.
Chapter Four
Hayely had never considered it possible that she could be more miserable outside her father’s house than in it. In the span of a month, she’d turned her life into a giant disaster and didn’t know exactly how to go about correcting the situation.
She thought she might even be missing Gary some—probably caving in under the stress at work and the sheer emptiness of the big stone house while he was away. Charlie stopped by to check on her from time to time, but after a full week and then two had passed, she found herself straining her neck toward the door at every sound.
Soon after Gary had gone out of town, the much-anticipated shipment of furniture had arrived all the way from Vermont and Hayely couldn’t wait to show it off.
The den looked like something from a hundred years ago with its heavy mahogany wood and rich brown leather. The desk and chair she’d chosen for Gary simply oozed understated power. A rug twisted with muted colors rested between the furniture legs and the hardwood floor below. With a painting of the English countryside she’d particularly liked and a plant or two, Hayely called that room complete and moved her efforts fully to the master bedroom.
When Gary returned he would find a giant bed with four posts carved of mahogany in the same style as his desk downstairs in the den. Those gauzy, cream-colored curtains she’d envisioned were in place, as was the rest of the bedroom furniture. She even painted the walls a dark cream and hung a large, medieval-looking tapestry full of reds and blues against one of them as a finishing touch.
Then her attention turned toward her own room. Why the movers had instructed her things delivered to the bedroom next to Gary’s was beyond her. Surely he wouldn’t have requested such an arrangement, but then, it was the second largest bedroom. The location was probably her fault—she realized it when she walked into the room. There in the corner was her own stone fireplace, just as she’d requested.
As night fell, she started a small fire and curled up in front of the hearth with a book. She pulled her comforter off the bed and smoothed it out underneath her for some cushioning. Some thick, plush carpeting was definitely in order.
Hayely’s mind wandered from the novel in her hand as she stared off into the hypnotic flames. What would she do with herself in just five months? If office work wasn’t her calling, then what was? The only time she was truly content was when she was working in this house for Gary. But that would all end soon—too soon. Six months rang out like a harsh jail sentence at first, but now she almost dreaded the end of that time.
She was so absorbed in her thoughts and so very tired from the day’s work that she didn’t hear the sound of a car arriving in the winding driveway outside.
•
The yellow cab slipped through the rain and turned its wheels against the circular curb near the front door. Gary stepped out of the taxi, tippe
d the driver and pulled his luggage inside. From the silence that met him, he assumed Charlie had returned to his own house and Hayely was probably asleep upstairs.
“Anybody home?” He kept his voice low just in case.
Charlie rose from the kitchen table as his boss entered the room. “Good trip?”
Gary nodded and looked around the transformed kitchen and out into the formal dining room. “You really ought to just move in, too. You practically live here anyway.” He paused and took in the changes around him. “She’s made quite a bit of progress, hasn’t she?”
Charlie nodded in return. “So what did Mr. Bellmark have to say?”
“He nearly confirmed that the children’s home is up for sale. He has plans for it, but he hasn’t confided in me what they are. It’s hard to believe that the time has come already. Did you know he’s almost eighty-years-old now?”
Charlie shook his head. “I haven’t seen him in years. Seems like a lifetime ago. Any luck convincing him to let you buy it from him?”
Gary chuckled low in his throat. “I don’t think he believed me when I told him I wasn’t going to let anyone bulldoze the place.”
“I wouldn’t doubt it. You were just ten years old then.”
Gary gave Charlie a surly look that told him he couldn’t comprehend why his being a boy at the time should make a hair of difference.
Charlie smiled, stretching a few freckles across his cheeks. “Ah, I forget the great Gary Tarleton was never a mere boy.”
“Absolutely right.” Gary thrust his hands into his pockets. “But the stubborn old guy is staying true to his word, too. He says he’d rather see it demolished than let someone disreputable get his hands on it.”
“Did you tell him about Hayely?”
“Of course. I made it a casual, personal visit. But Charlie, we’re not even close to convincing him. You know, I didn’t even have a picture of my own wife in my wallet to show him when he asked.”
“This is getting complicated.”
Gary ran his hand along a new five o’clock shadow. What he wanted of Hayely had ballooned far above his original intentions. There was no way they could hide their marriage from the public and make it convincing at the same time. Even a media campaign would be to his advantage. If he’d had a real wedding, he’d bet photographers would have been all over it. But whatever benefited him would probably hurt Hayely more, and after hearing what she’d said in the kitchen, he didn’t want to make things worse if he could help it.
A Wife by Accident Page 4