His Pretend Wife

“Yes, of course,” she agreed, but wasn’t this taking pretence too far?

“This must seem overwhelming. It’s all going to take time. I hope he’s the patient sort.”

Abby smiled. “No, he’s not.” Jack burned energy just standing still, which made his injuries all the more tragic.

The doctor glanced at his wristwatch again. “I still have a plane to catch.”

“But what do I tell Jack?”

“The truth—when you think he’s ready to hear it.”

“When will that be?”

He left her with an ambiguous, “You’ll know.”

How would she know?

Jack was a virtual stranger. They’d rarely spoken before his accident. Once, Jack had driven her home and they’d hardly exchanged a word. She’d given him directions to her house. He’d acted as if he couldn’t wait to get rid of her. The feeling had been entirely mutual. Abby had never spent a more uncomfortable fifteen minutes. Until now.

She had no idea what constituted Jack’s inner thoughts or feelings—if he had any.

Abby walked down a corridor, then another. Like a maze, every hallway looked alike, every door remained closed. She saw an open door. She walked hastily toward it, anxious to find a way out. But instead of an exit, she found herself in a large room with a wall of sunlit windows overlooking park-like grounds and a pond. There was no way out.

Startled, she stared at her own reflection in the glass. Her face was drawn, her eyes looked bruised from lack of sleep. Yes, she’d lost sleep over Jack Slade. She was in grave danger of losing much, much more. Like a diamond in the rough, Jack had a devastating charm she couldn’t deny.

Despite that undeniable threat, she didn’t regret her decision to pose as his wife, thereby insisting his surgery be delayed until a specialist could be consulted. The hospital staff had never questioned her claim. If the facts were to come out now, there might be legal repercussions. At the very least, the situation would be embarrassing for everyone concerned.

She smiled faintly, recalling her mother’s frequent warning that pride would be Abby’s downfall. She really had no choice but to continue the deception. Earlier, she’d been relieved when Jack had agreed. It was too late for second thoughts now.

So, why was she having them?

She was so mixed up. She’d once heard that if you saved a life, that person belonged to you. Abby shuddered at the thought.

Moments later, she found an exit and pushed her way through a set of heavy revolving doors. She stood on the pavement, breathing in the frigid air. The wind carried a bite. Wrapping her coat around her, she began to walk. She passed some skaters on the frozen pond. It all seemed so normal, yet nothing in her life felt real.

She checked into a nearby hotel.

The desk clerk raised an eyebrow at her lack of luggage. “How long do you plan to stay?”

“A day or two.” Abby had no idea. In all conscience, could she go back to Henderson and leave Jack to cope on his own? She couldn’t think of that now.

Her hotel room wasn’t luxurious, but it was more than adequate. After a long soak in the bathtub, she wrapped herself in a terry bathrobe provided by the hotel.

With distaste, she gazed at the clothes she’d worn for the past three days. Her lack of wardrobe wasn’t insurmountable. A phone call to a department store soon resolved the problem. A salesclerk promised to have a selection of lingerie and casual outfits in Abby’s size sent to the hotel for approval. That dealt with, Abby hung up.

After living in a small town for the last three months, she’d almost forgotten the conveniences of city living—not that she had missed it. She’d moved back to help Drew reopen the sawmill. Her family had closed it down and moved away several years ago, and Abby had gone with them. Returning to Henderson had created some unnecessary complications to her life. For one thing, Seth Powers had read more into her decision than she’d intended. She’d once had a crush on him but that was a long time ago.

Her parents disapproved of Seth, a small-town sheriff. They wanted Abby to marry well—meaning upward. What would they think of Jack?

Abby felt weak at the mere thought.

Or maybe she was weak with hunger?

Reminded that she hadn’t eaten a decent meal in days, Abby ordered room service. “A mushroom omelet, toast and raspberry tea, if you have it.”

While waiting for the meal, she picked up the phone and dialed her brother’s phone number. “Hi, Drew. It’s me.”

His voice sounded warm and familiar. “I wondered when you’d get around to calling. How’s Jack?”

“I’m worried about him,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “The doctor’s aren’t promising anything much.”

“Does Jack know?”

“Not yet.” On impulse, she added, “If I decide to stay for a while, do you think someone could fill in for me at the sawmill? The situation here is complicated.”

“Tell me about it,” he said dryly. “It’s all over the newspapers. A reporter dug up Jack’s prison record. He’s not going to be happy about that.”

Abby gasped. “So everyone knows?”

“You’re off the hook. Everyone here knows better than to believe everything they read. They assumed the reporter messed up the part about you and Jack being married.”

“Well, that’s one less thing to worry about.”

“That doesn’t clear everything up. Do you know what you’re doing?”

She laughed, admitting shakily, “No.”

Drew didn’t sound amused. “Abby, I’m not going to tell you what to do with your life. I care about you. Jack is my friend, so is Seth. Someone’s bound to get hurt.”

“Seth will understand.” He always did.

“Well, you’d better get your story straight because he’s on his way. He intends to bring you back with him.” Drew changed the subject. “By the way, Olivia sends her love. You missed our New Year’s announcement—we’re having a baby.”

Abby could hear the emotion in his voice. Drew’s good news emphasized the emptiness in her own life. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you both.”

“Yes, it’s pretty great.”

The conversation ended on that lighter note.

After hanging up, Abby dialed room service and ordered a newspaper. Fifteen minutes later, a hotel steward delivered her meal with a newspaper folded on the tray. After tipping him generously, Abby ignored the food and reached for the paper.

Splashed across the front page, the eye-catching headline said it all—Dramatic Air Rescue.

The reporter had romanticized the event—a devoted young wife going to her husband’s rescue. They were identified simply as Jack and Abby Slade.

Abby sighed.

So much for keeping a lid on it!