His Pretend Wife

Jack mumbled something around the thermometer.

“Good morning,” Abby said. It wasn’t exactly original, but he was tempted to smile because when he was trapped on that mountain, he’d wondered if he’d ever see the dawn of another day. But this was no time to get all sentimental.

He needed some answers from his wife.

His brow creased at the reminder.

Normally confident, Abby looked tense as she glanced from Jack to the nurse, then back again. “It’s good to see you awake. You look better.”

Finally, the nurse removed the thermometer from Jack’s mouth. He grinned—or tried to. “Liar.”

Abigail blushed, which intrigued him. For a brunette, she had very fair skin. Her hair was a rich deep shade of brown with highlights that gleamed red in the sun. She wore it held back with a silver clasp. Her clothes were tailored. Nothing fussy or overly feminine, but on her it looked good.

Before he got carried away with admiration, he could see pity in her eyes and refused to betray any sign of weakness. In any case, he had a lot of things to say to her.

Under the nurse’s watchful eye, Abby brushed a fleeting kiss against his mouth.

That shocked Jack into an automatic response. He kissed her back. There was no pressure, the light contact lasted a fraction of a second, but it left an indelible impression of sweetness he hadn’t expected. She looked startled when she pulled back.

Abigail Pierce always seemed so cool, almost frigid, with that reserved air. So, what the hell was going on? She’d kissed him. So what? Jack knew she wouldn’t be half as brave if he wasn’t all tied up—literally—with one arm in a cast, and another hooked up to an intravenous.

Obviously a romantic, Tammy said, “Your wife arranged to fly a specialist up from Boston in the middle of the night. And on New Year’s Eve to boot. She sure was determined.” The nurse spoke in obvious awe.

“I’ll bet.” Jack’s sarcasm earned him a withering look from Abigail. With the Pierce family connections, she could get anyone to do her bidding, which only served to point out their insurmountable differences.

Tammy smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. Only short visits are allowed. You both could use some rest. Your wife hasn’t left your side in days.”

There it was again.

His wife.

And Abigail hadn’t denied it.

After Tammy left, the two lovebirds glared at each other. Jack supposed he should be grateful. But he wasn’t. He felt trapped. Once, wrongly accused, he’d gone to prison and served time for a crime he didn’t commit. He felt that way now.

The memory of that harsh time was in his voice when he said, “All right, Abigail, let’s get this over with. What’s going on here?”

She looked extremely uncomfortable. “I know this must seem confusing. Please don’t be angry.”

“Can you blame me!” he snapped, feeling as if he stood on a precipice. He put every ounce of skepticism into the words, “Clue me in. What’s the wifely act all about?”

“There is a logical explanation.”

“Then, let’s have it.”

She slipped her hands into her pockets. Despite the casual pose, Jack wasn’t fooled for a minute. She cleared her throat. “I don’t know how much you recall about the airlift. You were so terribly hurt, and someone had to go with you.”

“Why?”

Her eyes widened. “Well, because you couldn’t go alone. And since only immediate family are permitted on board the rescue helicopter, I told them I was your wife.” She ignored his muttered expletive. “It was the only way. When we got to the hospital, the situation simply got out of control.”

Jack didn’t get it. Either his thinking was fuzzy, or Abby wasn’t making much sense. He needed to be absolutely clear on this. “So, you told them we were married?”

She took a breath. “Once we got here, I never actually said anything, everyone just assumed we were married.”

“And you let them believe a lie?”

She sighed. “Well, yes.”

He lifted his brow in amazement. “That’s it?”

“Mmm,” she murmured to his added frustration. “I did sign the admission form.”

“You put it in writing.” Jack took a much-needed breath. The movement hurt his ribs, but he didn’t reveal his discomfort. Getting to the bottom of this was more important than a few broken bones. Those would heal in time. But the emotions he was feeling wouldn’t go away in a hurry. What was he feeling? Confusion? What game was she playing at? “How did you manage to fool the entire hospital staff?”

She stiffened. “No one asked questions. I really didn’t have any choice. The doctor was going to operate. He refused to rule out an amputation. I let him assume I was your wife. He finally agreed to wait until an orthopedic specialist could fly up from Boston. You asked me to save your leg. And I did. The only way I knew.”

“By claiming we’re married?” he snapped in disbelief.

“Exactly. There was no other way,” she said heatedly. “You don’t think I’d go through all this for any other reason?”

His eyes narrowed. “Why would I think that? You’ve got Seth Powers back home on a short leash. The guy’s obviously nuts about you.”

“He doesn’t own me.”

“He acts as if he does. He’s going to be furious when he hears about this.”

“I don’t see why he has to know. After all, I did what I thought necessary, now it’s over. And even if Seth should find out, I’m sure he’ll understand when I explain the circumstances.”

Jack wondered about that—if she belonged to him, he wouldn’t be that understanding. “Then he’s a fool.”

“Because he trusts me?”

“You said it, I didn’t.”

Abby sighed. “This isn’t getting us anywhere.”

Abby didn’t know what else to say.

Of course, there was no logical explanation for what she’d done. She must have lost her mind. How could she have claimed this man, even temporarily? Being in the same room with him was like entering a cage with a live tiger. Even in Jack’s weakened condition, he was still a major threat. His blue eyes, so often remote and indifferent, burned into hers, scouring her with a look that made her heart beat faster with alarm—and something more threatening.

His face was gray, and his mouth tight with pain—it was there in his eyes. How could it hurt so much to see him hurting?

His weariness apparent, he leaned back against the pillows and said dryly, “Did you ever think that maybe I’m not worth it? Maybe you should have left me on that mountainside.”

She gasped at the words. “Don’t say that! Don’t even think such a thing. I’ve gone to all this trouble, don’t you dare let me down now!”

“All right.” He laughed, obviously surprised at her vehement response, then gently mocked her with the words, “You may still live to regret it.”