Husband for a Weekend

“That would definitely work,” Emma agreed. “If Grandma offers the ring, it would be clear that Tate pulled off the charade.”

“That would be the ultimate proof,” Evan conceded. “But I still say if anyone—grandmother or other relative—expresses doubt, the bet would be lost.”

“Well, since you won’t be there, how would you know if anyone expressed doubt?” Emma asked. “Tate wouldn’t have to tell you if they did.”

Both Lynette and Evan looked offended by Emma’s naive question.

“Tate wouldn’t lie to me to win a bet,” Evan disputed loyally.

“He’d only lie to my entire family,” Kim said with a shake of her head, both exasperated and reluctantly amused by this insane conversation.

“Well, yeah,” Lynette agreed matter-of-factly. “That’s the challenge, right?”

Setting down her chopsticks, Kim looked from one of her friends to the other with a frown of disbelief, her gaze sliding rather quickly past Tate. “Are you guys really serious? You’re actually suggesting Tate should accompany me to my family reunion in Missouri and pretend to be my husband? My daughter’s father?”

“You said you wouldn’t mind seeing your ailing grandmother one more time,” Lynette reminded her. “And that your mother would never forgive you if you exposed her as a liar to her entire family. Seems like the perfect solution.”

“The perfect solution is for me to skip the reunion altogether, which is what I told my mother I plan to do. Just as I’ve missed the past three Dyess family reunions.”

“Lynette’s right, this would give you a chance to see your grandmother without permanently alienating your mother. And if he can make it work, Tate’s a hundred bucks ahead,” Evan agreed with an uncharacteristically mischievous laugh.

Tate shrugged, his smile easy, his eyes inscrutable as he looked across the table at Kim. “No one’s given you any say in all this.”

“It’s about time someone acknowledged that.”

He chuckled. “It’s a crazy idea, of course. Would probably get awkward as all get-out. But if you want to give it a shot, I’m in.”

She blinked. “You would really do this?”

“Sure. I could use the extra hundred bucks,” he added with a quick grin toward Evan.

Kim wasn’t fooled that the money had anything to do with his offer, but she was not quite certain how to read the expression in Tate’s amber-brown eyes. She’d had lunch with him almost every Wednesday for the past five months, but there were still times she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Kim, Lynette and Emma had started the Wednesday lunch outing six months ago as a little break from their usual, frugal practice of brown-bagging. A month later, Lynette had impulsively invited her brother to join them when he’d mentioned that he would be in the area. He had brought his business partner, Evan, and somehow Chinese Wednesday had evolved into a weekly ritual after that. Occasionally other people came along, and sometimes one or more of the core group had other obligations, but most Wednesdays found the five of them gathered around a table in this popular Little Rock, Arkansas, restaurant. They ate, chatted casually about a variety of topics—usually work-related—then Kim, Lynette and Emma returned to the medical rehabilitation center where they all worked as therapists and Tate and Evan left to check on their ongoing landscape projects.

Kim always looked forward to these get-togethers. She told herself she needed the break from work and deserved the weekly splurge. The conversation was always lively and sprinkled with lots of laughter, a nice midweek pick-me-up. During the almost seven months since she’d started working with them, Lynette and Emma had become her friends, and she considered Tate and Evan friends, as well. They all carefully avoided any intra-group drama, which meant no real flirting between any of them. It was nice to just be pals without complications.

Which didn’t mean she was unaware of exactly how attractive Tate and Evan were. She had no intention of getting involved with either of them, but she was far from oblivious to their appeal. Especially Tate, she had to admit, if only privately. If she were looking for someone with whom to have a toe-curling fling—which, as a hardworking single mother, she had neither the time nor the inclination for—brown-haired, tanned and fit Tate Price would most definitely qualify as a candidate. Evan was a great-looking guy, too, with his thick, near-black hair and gleaming, solemn dark eyes, but there had always been something special about Tate….

Not that she would want to hook up with the brother of a good friend anyway, she always assured herself hastily. Way too much potential for awkwardness involved there. And Tate had stated on more than one occasion that he had no interest in any commitment until he and Evan were comfortable that their fledgling landscape design business was established and successful. His business was just about the only thing Tate took seriously.

Lynette bounced a little in her seat, all but clapping her hands in excitement. “You should do it, Kim. It’s not like anyone would be hurt by the game. And in a way, it would serve your mother right if she has to scramble to keep up the ruse she started.”

Lynette thought of this as a game? Having Tate pretend to be a husband and father?

“It would be kind of funny,” Emma murmured, her almond-shaped dark eyes crinkling with a smile as she looked from Kim to Tate and back again. “I would love to see you towing Tate around like a bossy wife.”

Tate eyed Kim in teasing appraisal. “You think she’d be a bossy wife?”

Emma giggled. “No, I just think it would be funny if she acted like one toward you.”

“I have no interest in being any kind of wife,” Kim reminded them, aware that embarrassment made her sound more cross than she intended. “Daryn and I get along quite nicely by ourselves.”

Lynette’s smile faded. “I know your father and stepfathers all left you eventually, but that doesn’t mean all men abandon their families, Kim. I could name lots of couples who have been together for a long time, including my parents. You’ll meet someone someday who’ll always want to be there for you and Daryn.”

Kim shrugged, having no intention of discussing any baggage she carried from her past with her lunch companions. “You know what they say—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I’m quite content with the life I have. Now if only I could convince my mother of that.”

“She’d never understand it,” Emma said perceptively. “Not if she’s the type who always has to have a man in her life to feel complete.”

“Bingo,” Kim murmured.

“Then maybe you should just skip the reunion rather than risk a permanent falling-out with your mother,” Evan remarked. “Besides, I still believe it would be hard to fool everyone. Even for Tate.”

“Maybe Kim’s the one who doesn’t think she could make it work,” Tate said, his ego still piqued, apparently, by his partner’s doubts. “She said she didn’t want to go to the reunion and pretend to be married because she’s a terrible actor.”

“I said I’m a bad liar. It’s not necessarily the same thing as being a bad actor. And that’s not the only reason I don’t want to get involved in this.”

“Of course not.”

She frowned at him, trying to decide if he was patronizing her.

“Well?” Lynette prodded impatiently. “Are you going to at least think about doing what your mother asked? Especially if Tate’s willing to go along?”

Feeling everyone’s gaze focused on her, Kim bit her lip, warning herself not to let her friends sweep her into this impulsive plot. “I’ll think about it. But I’m still inclined to say no, even if it makes Mother mad. She’ll get over it. Probably.”

Lynette’s dimples flashed again. “You take your time deciding.”

Something told Kim that Lynette would do her best to help with the decision—and by help, she meant persuade. Studying Tate’s rather challenging smile through her lashes, Kim felt a sudden surge of nerves, wondering if she was insane for even considering this reckless scheme.

She had to admit that there’d been a time when she would have jumped at the chance to pull a practical joke of this magnitude on her annoying family—but that was before she’d grown into a responsible, serious-natured single mom, she reminded herself. Her impetuous, adventurous, wild-oats-sowing days were behind her now.

But maybe she could indulge in one last, reckless escapade before settling into a maturely circumspect future?

“Tate, why don’t you give Kim a kiss? We’ll tell you if it looks natural.” Emma made the suggestion as if it were perfectly reasonable, then looked vaguely surprised when Kim spun to gape at her. “What? You want this to work, don’t you?”

Kim wasn’t sure why Emma, Lynette and Evan had gathered at her house at noon on Friday, nine days after that fateful lunch, before she and Tate departed for the four-hour drive to Springfield, Missouri. Kim and Tate had both taken the afternoon off work for the trip, but the others had wasted their lunch break for this. Evan, apparently, was there primarily to make fun of his partner. Emma and Lynette had shown up presumably to make sure Kim didn’t back out at the last minute. Which, she admitted privately, was a definite possibility.

She had spent the past nine days changing her mind so often she now had a dull headache. Even standing outside her house preparing to start the drive, she dithered about whether she should risk any future contact with her mother and just call off this whole crazy scheme. Tate was still taking the situation as a big joke, even as he loaded his suitcase into the back of Kim’s hatchback, stuffing it among the numerous bags and miscellaneous accessories necessary for traveling with a nine-month-old.

“Kiss her?” Closing the hatchback with a snap, he turned to respond to Emma. “You mean, now?”

Always the ultraorganized, detail-oriented member of the group, Emma nodded thoughtfully. “It wouldn’t hurt to practice before you leave.”

Tate grinned. “I don’t think I need practice kissing.”

Kim would just bet he didn’t. Even the thought of kissing Tate made her toes curl.

Emma rolled her dark eyes in response to Tate’s quip, but continued seriously. “I’m assuming you haven’t kissed Kim before. If your first time is in front of her family, it could be awkward.”