BRENDA JACKSON is a New York Times bestselling author of more than one hundred romance titles. Brenda lives in Jacksonville, Florida, and divides her time between family, writing and travelling. Email Brenda at [email protected] or visit her on her website at brendajackson.net.
Also by Brenda Jackson
The Westmoreland Legacy miniseries
The Rancher Returns
His Secret Son
An Honourable Seduction
His to Claim
Duty or Desire
Forged of Steele miniseries
Seduced by a Steele
Claimed by a Steele
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.
The Wife He Needs
Brenda Jackson
www.millsandboon.co.uk
ISBN: 978-0-008-90473-9
THE WIFE HE NEEDS
© 2020 Brenda Streater Jackson
Published in Great Britain 2020
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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Note to Readers
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Text to speech
To the man who will always and forever
be the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr.
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
—Proverbs 10:12
Contents
Cover
About the Author
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Note to Readers
Dedication
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Twenty-One
Twenty-Two
Epilogue
About the Publisher
One
“So, when is the wedding, Garth?”
Garth Outlaw raised his eyes from studying his cards. Was his brother playing mind games to mess with his concentration?
“And just what wedding are you talking about?”
Garth glanced around the table and saw the smirks on the faces of all four of his brothers. Even Jess had made a trip home from the nation’s capital for a week long visit.
“Is anyone going to answer?” Garth asked.
Jess grinned as he threw out a card. “I heard it from Dad the moment I walked through the door. He claims you’ve gotten over Karen Piccard, decided to settle down and do whatever needs to be done for the benefit of the company, which includes getting a wife and making babies to guarantee the Outlaw dynasty. Those were his words, not mine.”
“We heard the same thing,” Cash said, with Sloan and Maverick nodding in agreement.
Garth didn’t say anything. Being the oldest son of Bartram “Bart” Outlaw wasn’t easy, especially when his father liked spreading information that wasn’t true. However, in this case, it was. At least partly. He was planning to do what needed to be done for the company. But he seriously doubted he would ever get over Karen. She would always have his heart.
“No wedding date has been set because I haven’t chosen a bride.”
His brother Cash sat up straight in his chair. “Are you really thinking about settling down with a wife and making babies?” he asked, as if the thought of doing such a thing was as unheard of as living in outer space.
Garth threw out some chips. “Why not? I don’t see any of you guys rushing to the altar to continue the Outlaw legacy. Not even you, Jess, and you’re the politician in the family. You of all people should be thinking about acquiring a wife.” A couple of years ago, Jess had gotten elected as a senator from Alaska.
A grin touched Jess’s lips. “No, thank you. I’m not ready to fall in love.”
Garth shrugged. “Who said anything about falling in love?”
“You’re thinking of marrying a woman you don’t love?” This question came from Sloan.
“For me there’s no other way.”
There was no reason to explain what he meant. They knew.
“And you’ll do it because Bart says it needs to be done?”
Garth rolled his eyes at his youngest brother, Maverick, who’d been quiet up to now. “No, I’ll consider doing it because I think it’s about time I settled down. I’m thirty-eight, and dating gets old.”
“Speak for yourself,” Maverick said, grinning. “I happen to enjoy dating a lot of women.”
Garth shook his head. “And Walker got me thinking. Look how long he was a loner before he got married. If he can do it, then anyone can.”
Walker Rafferty was Garth’s best friend. A couple of years ago, Walker had met his current wife and now they were parents to twins, a boy and a girl they’d named Walker and Westlyn. Nobody thought Walker would ever remarry after losing his first wife and son in a car accident. Surprisingly, ten years later, Walker had fallen in love again. Garth was happy for Walker, and inspired to settle down, but honestly, he couldn’t see himself falling in love. He was convinced Karen was the only woman he was meant to love.
He and Karen had met in the Marines. They’d fallen in love immediat
ely and made plans to marry after their enlistment. They’d dated six months and then one morning during a routine border check in Syria, her military chopper had crashed, killing everyone on board. He’d never even gotten the chance to bring Karen to Fairbanks and introduce the woman he’d loved to his family.
“Walker certainly does seem a lot happier these days, thanks to our cousin,” Cash said, intruding into Garth’s thoughts.
Garth nodded as he studied his cards. Yes, Walker had become the Outlaws’ cousin-in-law after marrying Bailey Westmoreland. Bailey was a cousin they hadn’t known existed until it was proven that the Westmorelands and the Outlaws were related. The physical resemblance between the two families could not be disputed, although for some reason their father still would not accept the fact that the Outlaws and Westmorelands were kin. However, like Garth and his siblings had told Bart, it didn’t matter whether or not he accepted the kinship, it was the truth.
The Westmoreland extended family spread from Georgia and Texas to Montana, Colorado and California. After growing up with no other relatives, it was fun joining the Westmorelands whenever they had get-togethers or family events, like the annual Westmoreland Charity Ball in Denver. Garth loved it whenever the Westmorelands and the Outlaws got together.
Hours later, after the poker game ended with Cash winning all their money, everyone retired to bed except for Garth and Jess. Although all six Outlaw offspring owned homes in Fairbanks, every once in a while, to appease the old man, they would stay under his roof at the Outlaw Estates.
Some people found it amazing that the six Outlaw siblings were as close as they were, considering each one of them had a different mother. Unfortunately, some of those women had turned out to be gold diggers. When the divorces became final, Bart’s attorneys made sure he was given full custody of his children.
Garth was the oldest. His mother had been Bart’s first wife and had come from a wealthy family. She had married Bart against her parents’ wishes. And when her family finally got to her, she had asked Bart for a divorce. He told her he would give her one but she couldn’t take his child. In the end, she’d left without Garth. She’d remarried a couple years later, to the man her parents had chosen. After marrying her second husband, Juanita pretty much forgot Garth existed. However, his maternal grandparents had left him a pretty hefty trust fund when they’d died twenty or so years ago.
Jessup or Jess, as he preferred to be called, was thirty-six and the second oldest, and had always wanted a career in politics. Jess’s mother, Joyce, had been the first gold digger, and Bart had ended his marriage to Joyce before their first anniversary rolled around. Bart had taken her to court for custody of Jess.
Cashen, who was usually called Cash, was thirty-four and the third-born son. Cash’s mother, Ellen, had been a decent woman and Bart’s third wife. In a way, she’d been too decent for Bart. She was soft-spoken and had tried bringing out the good in Bart. When she’d realized such a thing wasn’t possible, she’d left. Even with Bart’s threats, Ellen had called Bart’s bluff and tried to take Cash with her. In the end, she’d lost the custody fight after finding out Bart had friends in high places.
Sloan was thirty-two. His mother, Barbie, had been another one who’d picked Bart for his money. Although the marriage had lasted less than six months, that was long enough for Sloan to be conceived. Barbie’d had no problem leaving Sloan behind—for the right amount—when she split. She hadn’t been seen or heard from again.
Maverick, at twenty-nine, was the youngest Outlaw son and the most womanizing. Granted, all of them enjoyed their share of the opposite sex from time to time, but Maverick had his share and then some. His mother had been an exploiter, too. Rosalind was the one who’d been caught having an affair right under Bart’s nose. However, there hadn’t been any question that Maverick was Bart’s kid, since he favored the old man more than any of them. Right down to the cleft in his chin.
Last but certainly not least, was Bart’s only daughter, definitely his pride and joy, twenty-five-year-old Charm. To this day, Charm’s mother, Claudia, was the only woman Bart had ever loved and the one he couldn’t handle. And...she’d been the only one Bart hadn’t married, but not for lack of trying.
Claudia had refused to accept Bart’s marriage proposals. All five of them. The most recent was four years ago, when Charm had turned twenty-one. The Outlaws saw Claudia frequently because, unlike the other mothers, she had an open invitation to visit as often as she liked, but she never visited as often as Bart would have wanted. Claudia didn’t tolerate Bart’s grouchiness and seemed to bring out the best in Bart...if there was such a thing.
Bart hadn’t known Claudia was pregnant when their affair had ended. She’d left for parts unknown. Fifteen years later, Claudia reappeared with Charm in tow, telling Bart she couldn’t handle Charm’s sassiness anymore and for him to now deal with it.
Unfortunately, Bart dealt with it the wrong way by spoiling Charm even more rotten. It had taken the five older brothers stepping in and applying the firm hand their father had refused to apply. In the end, their spoiled sister had settled down. That didn’t mean she didn’t try their patience every once in a while, because she did.
“So, what’s the real deal with you and this marriage thing, Garth?” Jess asked, intruding into Garth’s thoughts. “Unlike what Dad thinks, I find it hard to believe you’ve gotten over Karen...although it has been close to ten years now.”
Garth glanced over at Jess as he took a sip of his wine. Garth was close to all his siblings, but there was a special closeness between him and Jess. Jess had confided his intentions to Garth when he’d decided to run for United States senator. Jess had won the election in a landslide victory. And he knew just what Karen had meant to Garth, because it was all in the letters Garth would write home to Jess.
Garth leaned back in his chair. “It could be twenty years and I still won’t get over Karen, Jess. I loved her too much. But I’m not getting any younger, and I want the same happiness I see that Walker and our cousins have. Besides,” he said with a chuckle, “I figure if I make the first step, the rest of you will follow suit.”
Jess threw his head back and laughed. “Don’t expect that to happen. Some of us aren’t ready for home, hearth and the sound of little feet yet.” Then Jess added, “Now that you’ve made up your mind, have you decided on a particular woman? Anyone we know?”
Garth shook his head. “Nope. Taking Charm’s advice, I—”
“Wait! Hold up. You took Charm’s advice about something?”
Garth chuckled. “Yes. I know it sounds scary, but I liked what she suggested. It’s a totally different approach to meeting a woman who is wife material.”
“What approach is that?” Jess asked, taking a sip of his beer.
“A private dating service.”
Jess nearly choked. “You’re serious?”
Garth smiled. “Yes. I thought it was way out there at first, too, until Charm convinced me how productive it would be. She did all the legwork for me and found this high-class dating agency that’s located in Beverly Hills, California. Just to be considered as an applicant the men must have a specified financial portfolio, and the women are required to not only be attractive but have a certain level of poise, education, classiness and sophistication.”
Shifting in his seat, Garth added. “I further specified I wanted a woman who was trustworthy, had good morals and was one who wants to become a wife and mother one day. Sooner than later. And she must share my interests and hobbies. I provided a list of them.”
“Have they found such a paragon of a woman who met all your specifications?”
Garth grinned. “Surprisingly, yes. Trust me, any woman who comes through this particular dating service is well vetted. She’ll keep things confidential and private during the entire process.”
“Have you met her yet?”
“No, but she has agreed to spe
nd two weeks with me, at a location we both agreed to, so we can get to know each other better. Of course, I’m covering all the expenses, including those to get her there.”
“And exactly where is there?”
“Santa Cruz, Spain. I’m flying there next week.”
“This method sounds so impersonal. More like a business arrangement.”
“In a way, it is. I’m hiring the service to match me with someone who’s compatible with my needs and desires. I’ve seen pictures of her and she’s beautiful, and her résumé is impressive. If things work out the way I’m hoping they will, after our Spain trip we’ll continue to date and then eventually talk marriage.”
“A loveless marriage.”
“Yes, a loveless marriage. I will honor her, respect her and take care of all her needs, but I won’t ever love her,” Garth said bluntly. “I’ll be honest and forthright with her about that, Jess. I won’t have her entering the marriage with false hope or illusions.”
“Why use a dating service? I would think you’re capable of finding a woman on your own.”
“Didn’t have time.”
“Any reason you’re in a rush?” Jess asked.
“No.”
Jess studied him intently and Garth wished he wouldn’t do that. Jess could always figure out his motives, and Garth hoped like hell that he didn’t figure out this one. The less Jess knew, the better.
“Well, you’re an ace when it comes to strategic planning, and I wish you the best. I hope the woman is everything you want, Garth, and things work out.”
“Thanks, Jess. I hope so, too.”
Regan Fairchild’s job as a corporate pilot was one that anyone who enjoyed flying would love. Then why was she thinking of leaving it? The answer to her question was the gorgeous specimen of a man walking toward the plane with his briefcase in one hand and a cell phone in the other. His long black coat whipped against his legs as he headed toward the plane while ignoring the strong gust of Alaskan wind that always accompanied October weather. The shoulders beneath the coat were massive and powerful, which gave him a totally heart-stopping, virile look.
The Wife He Needs (Mills & Boon Desire) (Westmoreland Legacy: The Outlaws, Book 1) Page 1