HUSBAND BY THE HOUR

by Susan Mallery

  He and Hannah had become lovers that afternoon. He'd touched her and tasted her and taken them both to paradise. What happened now?

  Had their time together been a one-shot deal? Had it meant anything to her? He placed the glass on the counter and closed his eyes. He wasn't being fair. Although he wanted their lovemaking to mean everything to her, he wasn't willing to make the same kind of statement himself. He didn't want to take the risk.

  Even as he told himself it was a bad idea, even as he warned himself she could easily blow him out of the water, even as he prepared himself to fail, he turned and started for the bedroom.

  He paused in the doorway. She sat on the edge of the bed staring at her hands.

  "Hannah?"

  She raised her head and looked at him. Her long, dark hair hung loosely around her face and shoulders. Her mouth twisted slightly and there were questions in her eyes.

  His heart sank. She was having second thoughts. More than that, she didn't want him and didn't know how to tell him. He wasn't even aware he'd been anticipating being with her until disappointment flooded him. It was all he could do to keep from groaning aloud.

  "I overheard you talking to Louise," she said softly. "You never told me."

  He tried to remember what he'd said to her mother. "You mean about the bed-and-breakfast?"

  "Yes, but that's not what I mean. How did you know about my work at the hospital?"

  He leaned against the door frame and folded his arms over his chest. "A friend had a sick kid a few months ago. I went to visit and I saw you getting off another elevator on the same floor." He shrugged, feeling faintly self-conscious. "I couldn't imagine what you were doing there, so I asked a nurse. She told me."

  She nodded. "That makes sense. I didn't understand how you'd know unless you'd followed me, but that's not really your style. You don't sneak around in the dark. You come out and say who and what you are."

  Ouch. She might be paying him a compliment, but it stung like the lash of a whip. He was hiding in the dark – hiding who he really was. In the process, he was forcing her to question her beliefs. He had no right … and no choice.

  She laced her fingers tightly together and continued to stare at him. "How did you know about the other thing? About the … wall?"

  He wanted to go to her and hold her close. He wanted to promise he would always be there for her, protecting her from the world. Yet the person he most had to protect her from was himself.

  "It's not difficult to see that you're holding yourself back from the world, Hannah. You want to belong, but you're afraid of being hurt. Everyone does it. I saw it in you because you're so strong in other ways. It's your only weak spot."

  "I think you saw it because you were looking."

  She had him there. He fought against flinching. "That, too."

  "Do you really think I have a big heart?"

  "Absolutely."

  Maybe too big. He hoped she wasn't thinking of opening it to him. God help them both if she did.

  She opened her mouth, then closed it. After drawing in a deep breath, she said, "Are you planning on spending the night with me?"

  Pure honesty. She had ten times his courage. "I want to. It's your decision."

  She stood up and pulled her shirt out of her jeans.

  He was at her side in an instant. He lifted his hands and gently cupped her cheeks. "I don't deserve you. Whatever happens between us, please know that I care about you as much as I've ever cared about anyone. I don't want to hurt you."

  Her gaze was steady. She nodded slightly. "But you will."

  It was as inevitable as the tide. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

  She pressed her mouth to his, perhaps to accept the apology, perhaps to silence him.

  As they touched each other and began the life-changing journey, she murmured his name and begged him to love her. He told himself she meant with his body, but in his heart he knew the truth. She meant true love, the kind that reached in and filled the soul.

  She asked for the one thing he was too terrified to give.

  * * *

  Time was not her friend.

  Hannah strode back and forth in the gatehouse living room and wished she could slow it or turn it back a few days. Her deal with Nick was nearly over and there was nothing she could do to change that.

  She told herself she should be grateful. The sooner he was out of her life, the sooner she could get on with being over him. It was going to take a long time, so she needed to start the process as soon as possible.

  She sank onto the sofa and covered her face with her hands. Whom was she kidding? She was never going to be over him. She loved him. Even though he broke the law. Even though their time together was a lie. The pain of not knowing what to do tore her apart, yet she couldn't turn her back on him.

  She heard a car approach and raced to the window. It wasn't Nick. He'd gone out earlier with Louise. There was an old Victorian house for sale and she'd wanted him to see it. He'd agreed, keeping alive the fantasy that he and Hannah were married and that they might really have a chance at happiness together.

  She frowned as her four half brothers got out of the car and approached the gatehouse. None of them looked happy. Her stomach tightened uncomfortably as she went to answer the front door.

  "Hi," she said, staring at the four men.

  They nodded and muttered greetings, then came in when she held open the door.

  They filled the living room. Four tall, handsome, dark-haired men who looked unhappy and vaguely uncomfortable. The knot in her belly grew and she already knew what they wanted to talk to her about. Nick. Somehow, they'd learned the truth.

  There wasn't seating for everyone in the living room. Jordan pulled in one of the kitchen chairs. Craig sat in the easy chair. Hannah settled in a corner of the sofa with Travis in the middle on her right and Kyle next to him. For the first time in her life, she felt physically insignificant.

  It was like being in a strange kind of fun house and looking into one of those mirrors that distorts everything. They were dressed alike. Jeans, T-shirts, boots. Enough alike in looks to make everyone aware of their relationship. She knew she, too, was a Haynes, with the physical characteristics that went with the name. Someone seeing them together on the street would know she belonged to the family.

  She tucked her feet under her and folded her hands on her lap.

  "You know about Nick," she said quietly.

  "We know about Nick," Kyle announced, then frowned. "What did you say?"

  "Nothing. Go on."

  "I went to check on your husband and he's no longer in the computer. Someone pulled his file." He sounded angry and he had a right to be.

  Hannah didn't know what had happened and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

  Travis angled toward her. "I checked with a friend of a friend at Southport Beach Police Department. Nick isn't working with the police. He's a shady real-estate investor who's managed to avoid criminal charges through deals and high-priced lawyers."

  "What's going on, Hannah?" Craig asked.

  She looked at Jordan, waiting for him to pounce, too. Instead, he gave her a slight smile. "Whatever you have to say can't be worse than what we've imagined."

  She nodded. "I know you're right. And everything you've said is true. All of it." She looked at Travis. "I probably should have told you the truth when you first mentioned all this to me."

  Kyle frowned. "You knew about this?" he asked his brother. "You suspected something before I talked to you about it?"

  "I overheard Nick and Hannah talking." Travis shrugged. "I figured it wasn't any of my business."

  "But you still had Nick checked out," she said.

  "I had to. He might be married to my sister."

  Craig leaned forward. "Are you two married?"

  Hannah wanted to run away. But there was nowhere to go. It was time to face the consequences of her actions. She sucked in a deep breath. "A few months ago, I got a letter from Louise. I'd thought abou
t my birth mother, but I'd been afraid to try to find her. After all, if she'd given me up before, there was no reason to think she would want me now. You can imagine how thrilled I was to learn that she'd never forgotten me and wanted to be in touch. She said that she'd found me through a private investigator."

  She went on to tell them about her separation from Shawn, how Louise assumed she was still married, and her own mistake in thinking Louise was a frail, dying woman. She told them about hiring Nick.

  "I didn't set out to deceive anyone," she explained, "although, in telling the story, it certainly looks that way. I didn't want to disappoint my mother. I didn't think we'd have very much time together. I thought she'd be happier if she thought I was married. Later, when things were settled, I could tell her the truth. Then we arrived and everything got out of hand."

  There was a moment of silence.

  "You're not married?" Craig asked. He was obviously trying to control the tone and pitch of his voice. Cords tightened in his neck. "You never even dated him?"

  She shook her head. "I knew him from the station. What with his criminal activities and associates, he spends a lot of time there. We'd spoken, but…"

  She resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands. Telling the story like this made her see how stupid she'd been. She didn't know the first thing about Nick. He could have been a murderer. She'd blithely invited him into her private life. What on earth had she been thinking?

  But she hadn't been thinking. She'd been reacting to a scary situation. At the time, being with Nick had been better than being alone. Now, nearly two weeks later, she thanked God for the quirk of fate that had brought them together.

  Kyle jumped to his feet. "You and Nick are living here, together. And you're not married?"

  His outrage made her smile.

  "Fine. Think it's funny," he said, glowering. "When Sandy and I…" He paced to one end of the living room and back. "Don't tell me you're sleeping together." He covered his ears. "Sex. I don't want to hear about it."

  Hannah felt color creep up her face. A few days ago, they hadn't been, but now they were. "It's not what you think."

  Travis stood up also. "My God, they are. That's it. I'm going to find Nick and beat the hell out of him. Nobody messes with my sister."

  "I'm with you," Craig said. "I can't believe this. It's an outrage."

  "Wait a minute," Hannah said. "What on earth are you talking about? I'm not some sixteen-year-old virgin. I'm a grown, divorced woman who has made choices. Choices, I might add, that are none of your business."

  Travis glared at her. "Of course it's our business. You're our little sister."

  She stood up. "Not so very little. I can take care of myself."

  "Like you've done a good job so far? Coming up here, pretending to be married to that guy? Couldn't you have picked a cop at least?"

  They stood toe-to-toe. Craig and Kyle hovered nearby, ready to jump in, but she wasn't sure if they were going to defend her or join in the attack.

  She turned away first. "You don't understand."

  "Then explain it," Craig said. "Or we'll get Nick to explain it. After we break his arms."

  "That's mature," she muttered.

  A sharp whistle filled the room. She glanced toward the sound and saw that Jordan was still in his chair.

  "Now that I have your attention," he said, "let's try to be adults about this. Sit down."

  Hannah resumed her seat because the alternative was running, and where was there to go?

  When everyone was settled, Jordan looked at her. "I know we're coming on strong. It must be difficult for you. You were raised as an only child, but we've always had each other. What hurts one of us, hurts us all. You're our sister, Hannah. So the rule now includes you. We're here to fight your battles."

  "I can fight my own battles."

  "You can, but you don't have to anymore. That's the point." He glanced at his brothers, then returned his attention to her. "You know what we want. But beating up Nick isn't an option."

  "Sure it is," Travis muttered.

  Jordan silenced him with a glare, then turned back to her. "What do you want, Hannah?"

  "I don't know. I…" Tears burned in her eyes. She blinked them away, but they spilled onto her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. I love him."

  She brushed her face and sniffed. "There. I've said it aloud. I know what he is. Probably better than you four. I've seen him at the station. I'm a cop. I can't believe any of this."

  She turned to Travis. "Do you think I like what's happened? I picked him because there wasn't anyone else. I don't have a lot of friends. It's not that people don't like me. It's that I'm afraid to let them in. I worry about what they want and wonder how long they'll stick around. But Nick was there for me. When I needed him, he just came. He's been wonderful. Kind, gentle, sweet. He's an honorable man."

  "He's a con artist," Craig said.

  "I know. I know. If I could change it, I would. But I can't. Do you want me to stop loving him? I will. Just tell me how. There's no way it's going to work between us. Once he knows the truth is out, he'll leave and I'll probably never see him again. Or if I do – it won't matter. When we go back to Southport Beach, we'll be on opposite sides again. And I'll be alone again."

  The tears flowed. She covered her face and tried to get back control.

  Someone awkwardly patted her back. Weight shifted on the sofa and she was gathered into strong arms. She looked up and found Travis staring down at her.

  "Don't cry," he said. "We'll make it work."

  "How?"

  He glanced around helplessly. "Guys?"

  Kyle swallowed. "Well, if he's not in the computer anymore, he doesn't have a criminal record."

  "He didn't have one before," Travis added.

  "You're right," she said and wiped her face. "That's something."

  "It's not that we don't like him," Craig said. "We do. Maybe we could show him the error of his ways."

  "Yeah," Kyle said and grinned. "And if he doesn't agree, then we beat him up."

  Despite everything, Hannah laughed. "Great plan." Her smile faded. "We can't make Nick change. He has to do it on his own. Why would he bother?"

  "Because of you," Jordan said. "Because he doesn't want to lose you."

  "I wish that were true. But it's not. He cares about me. He's been very sweet."

  "There you are," Travis said.

  She shook her head. "When I tell him you guys know the truth, he's going to leave and I'm going to let him." She patted Travis's arm and slid back. "I'm fine. Thanks for being concerned."

  "He doesn't have to know just yet," Jordan said.

  She frowned. "What are you talking about?"

  "Louise's party is on Saturday, in three days. You two were going to leave Sunday morning. Why not stay with that original plan? We don't have to tell Nick what we know. You could do that on the drive home. It's a long ride with just the two of you trapped in the car together. If you told him how you feel about him, he might be persuaded to change his ways."

  "Maybe." Although she had her doubts about the plan. She glanced at her brothers. They looked at her with matching expressions of hope and affection. She wouldn't share her concerns with them. Besides, if Nick didn't think his cover was blown, he would stay through the weekend. She would have three more days – and nights – with him.

  "Then it's settled," Jordan said. He rose and crossed to the sofa, then took her hand. "If there's anything any of us can do, you let us know. We're happy to talk to Nick."

  "Or beat him up," Craig added.

  Kyle sighed. "Please tell me you're not sleeping together."

  Hannah laughed, then carefully crossed her fingers and tucked her hand behind her back. "We're not."

  * * *

  Thursday evening, Nick slipped away from the group card game at Kyle's house and walked back to the gatehouse. Once there, he crossed to the phone in the living room and dialed a number.

  "Rodriguez," the voice an
swered.

  "It's Nick. Any news?"

  "Hey, how's it going?"

  Nick dropped onto the sofa and stretched out his legs. "I'm doing fine. Are the arrest warrants issued?"

  "They were done this morning." Rodriguez laughed. "They had one for you, too, Nicky, but I took care of that. It seems unfair to ask you to go undercover for a year, then arrest you when it's all over."

  "Gee, thanks."

  "Everything is falling into place. Should be over by Saturday at the latest. But don't come back until you check with me. No one has been brought in."

  "I know. I'm staying right here." He wanted to be here for Louise's party on Saturday. And he wanted to spend as much time as possible with Hannah.

  "There was some computer activity on you," Rodriguez said. "Someone's been checking you out."

  "I know." Hannah's brothers. "Don't worry about it."

  "I didn't. I pulled the file. Just in case."

  "Probably a good idea."

  They talked business for a few more minutes, then hung up. Nick replaced the receiver and thought about Rodriguez's order that he continue to lay low. Nick had no plans to leave. He wouldn't mind a life sentence in Glenwood. What kind of crime would earn that as punishment?

  He thought about the old Victorian house he and Louise had found a couple of days ago. It needed a lot of work. Remodeling, modernizing. The works. It would take the better part of a year if he did it himself. Of course, if he stayed, he would have help. All four Haynes brothers and Austin would be around offering advice and labor.

  If it were real.

  If it were real, he would ask Hannah to look for a job here. He would quit the Santa Barbara force and open the bed-and-breakfast with his mother-in-law. If it were real, he would start a college fund for the three kids he and Hannah would have. If it were real, he would love her forever.

  He was going to love her forever anyway.

  He reached for the light and clicked it off, then sat in the darkness. He loved her. He who had sworn never to love anyone. He who had promised never to risk getting hurt. He who, like Hannah, was terrified to trust, had fallen in love.

  He didn't know when it had happened. He didn't understand the evolution of his emotions. He wasn't sure he was going to be very good at loving her, but there wasn't a choice. As long as he drew breath, she was part of his life.