[Anthology] A Clean Fake Marriage Romance Collection

by Victorine E. Lieske

  She closed her eyes, the breeze blowing the strands of hair that had come out of her ponytail.

  “You still mad at me for agreeing to go see your father?”

  She peeked at him with one eye open. “No.”

  “Good. Because I’ve been wanting to finish what we started.” He hooked a finger under her chin and raised it, staring at her lips. “If it’s okay with you,” he added, not wanting to force her.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said, turning her face away from him.

  Rick clenched his jaw as the sting of rejection coursed through him. Trying to get Tara to fall in love with him was going to be harder than he thought. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea after all.

  He wasn’t sure he could take any more rejection.

  Chapter 20

  Tara swallowed the lump in her throat threatening to close off her breathing. Familiar streets flew by the passenger seat window. They were on their way to her parents’ house. Why had she agreed to see her father again? She gripped the leather seat, her fingers turning white.

  Rick squeezed her knee. “It’ll be okay.”

  She glanced back at Kylee, asleep in her booster seat, hugging her Winnie the Pooh. Her hometown was two hours from the airport. Even though it was only four o’clock in the afternoon, the long drive had done her in.

  “I hope this was the right decision.”

  “Tell me about growing up. Did you have a good relationship with your father before the fallout?”

  How could she best describe it? “It was more like living with a dictator than a father.” That was harsh. Her father had been strict and emotionally pulled back, but that might be taking it a bit too far.

  Rick cringed. “That bad?”

  “He was always right. You didn’t go against his wishes. I found that out the hard way when I married Bobby. And now I’m married again. And no offense, but he won’t be happy about our marriage, since you’re always in the papers.”

  “What does he do for a living?”

  “He’s a cop.”

  Rick tugged on his collar. “Really?” Beads of sweat broke out on his brow.

  “Don’t worry. It will be okay.” She couldn’t help but smile as she said it.

  He chuckled, but Tara saw him swallow hard as he pulled in front of her childhood home. “We’re here. Quick, get the kid. We can use her as a shield.”

  Tara whacked him on the arm, but smiled nonetheless. She carefully unbuckled Kylee, gathering her into her arms. Kylee rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Where are we?”

  “We’re at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.”

  Kylee placed her head on Tara’s shoulder and buried her face into her neck. Rick put his hand on the small of Tara’s back as they walked to the door. The door swung open and Tara’s mother, Joyce, stepped out onto the stoop. “Tara,” she said, enveloping her in her arms. “I’m so happy to see you.”

  Seeing her mother again was like a balm to her soul. She blinked back tears. “How are you, Mom?”

  “I’m good.” She pulled back and smiled at Kylee. “My granddaughter?”

  Tara nodded. “Kylee.”

  Joyce gave Kylee a kiss on the cheek. “Please, come in.”

  The smell of something cooking met her as she walked in. The living room seemed dark compared to the outdoors, and Tara’s vision took a second to adjust. Her father stood by his favorite recliner, his face a stony mask. His hair had thinned a bit, and now had grey streaks. His firm jaw and broad chest hadn’t changed.

  Tara cleared her throat. “Mom, Dad, this is Rick,” she said, introducing him. “And this is Kylee.” The little girl looked around the room at the various gnome statues Joyce had collected over the years.

  Tara motioned to her parents. “This is Joyce and Douglas McDermott.”

  Rick stuck out his hand to her father. “Nice to meet you, sir.” When he turned to Joyce, she held out her arms for a hug, which Rick awkwardly accepted.

  “Please sit down,” her mother said.

  Tara and Rick sat on the couch. Tara smoothed her fingers over the orange flowered upholstery she’d lain on when she had tonsillitis as a child. Her childhood home had not changed much, if at all.

  Douglas sat in his recliner and Joyce pulled a chair in from the dining room. “How old is she?” her mother asked after seating herself.

  “She just turned four.”

  Douglas finally spoke. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell us about our own grandchild.”

  Her mother shot him a warning glare. “Doug, please.”

  He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m sorry. My wife seems to think we need to mend fences.”

  So he wasn’t the one who wanted to patch things up after all. She should have figured that out. Joyce quickly stood. “Does anyone want anything to drink? We have soda or water or iced tea.”

  Rick glanced at Tara before answering. “I’ll take a glass of water.”

  “Water is fine, Mom,” Tara said.

  Kylee buried her face into Tara’s shirt. Her mother rushed from the room and came back a moment later with two glasses of ice water. She set them on the coffee table in front of them. “How was your flight?”

  “It was fine,” Rick said.

  Tension hung in the room like a thick cloud, making it hard to breathe. Tara rubbed Kylee’s back. “Do you want to say hi to your grandma?”

  Kylee shook her head and covered her face with her hands. Great. The clock ticked the seconds as everyone sat. Her head spun as she tried to think of something she could do. Anything to dispel the awkwardness. Nothing came to mind.

  Her mother stood. “I almost forgot. I have something for Kylee.” She rushed into the other room and came back with a gift bag decorated with blue and yellow elephants. She held it out.

  “That’s for you,” Tara said, nudging Kylee to take it. Her daughter still wasn’t fully awake, but she took the gift from Joyce and peered into the bag.

  Kylee pulled out a set of plastic keys. “That’s a baby toy,” she said, a frown on her face.

  Tara felt like crawling under the carpet. “Say, ‘thank you,’ Kylee.”

  “Thank you,” Kylee said, tossing the keys on the couch.

  Joyce twisted her fingers together. “I wasn’t sure what to get.” She motioned to the bag. “There’s something else in there.”

  Kylee stuck her hand back in the bag and rustled the paper. She pulled out a stuffed elephant and hugged it to her chest. “Thank you,” she said.

  Joyce smiled at the reaction. “You’re welcome.”

  The awkward silence settled in again until Rick shifted and looked at her father. “Tara tells me you’re a police officer. How long have you been on the force?”

  “I’m retired now,” her father said. “A fact she would know if she hadn’t gone off and married that idiot actor.”

  Joyce sat up straight and glared. “Can’t we put that behind us?”

  “I can’t see how. She’s gone and done it again.”

  Rick stiffened. He put his hand on Tara’s shoulder protectively. “Maybe we should be going.”

  Joyce stood. “No. Please, stay. There’s a roast in the oven. I’d really like for you to eat dinner with us.”

  Her father got up from his chair and crossed the room. “I don’t need to be disrespected like this in my own home.” He grabbed his keys and opened the front door. “I meant what I said. I don’t have a daughter anymore.” He left, slamming the door behind him.

  Tara’s throat constricted and she tried to blink back the tears. This was worse than she’d expected. And she hadn’t expected a lot. Rick pulled her close in a one-arm embrace.

  Joyce exhaled and rubbed her temples. Tara handed Kylee to Rick and walked to her mother, taking her into her arms. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to cause any more damage. We’ll leave.”

  “Your father is just upset. He’ll come around.” Joyce pulled back, a pained look on her face. “It will all be fi
ne. You’ll see. Please stay for dinner.”

  Tara glanced at Rick to gauge his reaction. “It’s up to you,” he said.

  “Alright, we’ll stay, but if he comes back it will probably be best if we go.”

  Her mother nodded, and Tara realized how much older she looked. Maybe the stress had aged her. Joyce took a step back. “That’s fine.”

  “Do you need any help in the kitchen?” Tara asked.

  Her mother ushered her back to the couch. “No, not for another hour. Let’s just sit and talk.”

  Rick shifted Kylee on his lap. “I can’t help but notice all your gnomes. Tell me about them.”

  Her mother blushed. “I’ve been collecting gnomes for as long as I can remember. Most I found at garage sales or thrift stores.” She crossed the room and picked up one from a shelf. “A few of them are Tom Clark gnomes, and those are worth a little money, but the rest are just fun to have.”

  She handed Rick the figure. “This one is signed by Tom.”

  Rick turned the sculpture over in his hand. The gnome sat on a stump and held a teddy bear. “Nice,” he said, handing it back. Tara figured he was just being polite. Her mother’s gnome obsession was a bit weird.

  Her mother put the gnome back and sat down. “Tell me, how did you guys meet?”

  Kylee snuggled into Rick’s chest, still clutching her toy elephant. Rick gave Tara a loaded look before speaking. “Tara was my housekeeper. When I saw her, I was instantly attracted to her. I don’t know . . . something about her eyes.” He winked at her, and her heart stuttered. “We started dating, and things took off rather quickly from there.” Rick’s fingers grazed her arm, and tingles erupted. Why did his touch always do that to her? “She’s pretty amazing.”

  Tara had to remind herself that Rick was an actor. This is what he was good at. And man was he good at it. She wanted to dump her glass of ice water on herself. “Thanks,” she said, forcing a demure smile. Then she turned to her mother. “I fell in love with Rick as I got to know the man he is deep inside. He’s the kind of man who would dole out a compliment to a kid, just to give them a nice memory. He’s tender-hearted. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt anyone else.” As she spoke, she tried to keep her voice steady, for while Rick was acting, she realized her own words were true.

  She loved Rick.

  The thought made her draw in a quick breath, which unfortunately came with a wad of spit and she immediately started coughing. Was she really in love with Rick? Her mother wrung her hands as Tara struggled to breathe.

  Rick patted her on the back. “You okay?”

  She coughed some more, unable to speak. Nodding, she picked up her water and took a gulp. When she could breathe, she managed to say, “I’m fine. Just breathed in funny.”

  A look she couldn’t interpret crossed Rick’s face before he smiled. “Well, that was exciting.”

  Joyce clutched at her imitation pearl necklace. “Do you need more water?”

  “No, Mom, I’m fine.” Tara took another breath to show everyone she knew how to breathe properly.

  “I made a cheesecake for dessert.”

  Rick grinned. “Now you’re talking.”

  Tara let them talk about the food while she revisited the idea that she was in love with Rick Shade. His touch sent her heart into overdrive, that was for sure. And his smile . . . he didn’t just have one. She’d learned to discern his many different smiles. He had one he put on for the cameras. One for when he was uncomfortable. But then there were the ones he let her see when no one else was around. The smile that crinkled his eyes. That was the one he used when they were playing around.

  Just thinking about his smile made her feel all giddy. He had a hard exterior, but she knew it was because he’d been hurt in the past. Inside, he truly cared about people. She stared out the window at her parents’ front lawn. Yes, she loved him. That was the only explanation for the way she felt.

  And she had no idea what she was going to do about it.

  Chapter 21

  Rick stabbed a piece of beef and put it in his mouth. The thing almost melted. He held back a moan. He’d never tasted anything so good. “This is delicious.”

  Joyce smiled, her cheeks turning pink. “Thank you.”

  Kylee sat beside Tara with a dictionary under her because Joyce had worried she couldn’t reach. Kylee gleefully spooned mashed potatoes in her mouth.

  “Mom loves to cook,” Tara said, taking a bite. “For some reason, I didn’t get her talent.”

  “I think in order to learn to cook, one has to spend time in the kitchen.” Joyce gave her daughter a playful smile.

  “Sorry, I never got too interested in it.”

  “She was more interested in studying. She graduated with a 4.0 GPA, did she tell you that? She was valedictorian of her class.” Joyce straightened her back.

  Tara’s face flushed. “No one cares about high school, Mom.”

  “That’s an impressive accomplishment,” Rick said. He was beginning to realize what a sacrifice it was for Tara to work while Bobby went to college.

  Tara shrugged away his admiration. “Doesn’t mean anything now. I’m just a maid.”

  Joyce dropped her fork and it made a clanging noise. “You’re not just a maid. You’re the wife of a movie star. Surely you can do anything you want to do.”

  Tara’s eyes widened. “Oh, yes, well. I meant I was just a maid before.” She coughed and slouched down in her seat.

  Kylee giggled and dropped her fork on her own plate, so it made another loud noise. Tara touched her daughter’s hand. “Grandma dropped her fork on accident, honey. Don’t do it on purpose.”

  Rick took a sip of his water and wondered if Tara wanted to enroll in some classes. He filed it away to bring up later. “Joyce, tell me a little more about yourself. What is it you do?”

  “I work down at the county clerk’s office. Just pushing papers and answering phones.”

  Tara raised her eyebrows like she hadn’t known this. “How long have you worked there?”

  “About two years.”

  The front door opened and Douglas walked in. He deposited his keys in a bowl and walked into the kitchen. No one moved. Only the sound of the living room clock ticking permeated the room. A moment later he came into the dining room with a fork and plate and sat down. He proceeded to fill his plate, not saying a word.

  Kylee wiggled in her chair. Tara leaned over. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

  Kylee nodded, and Tara took her daughter into the other room. Douglas continued to eat. Joyce sat quietly, watching her husband. The term awkward didn’t come close to the situation.

  Rick decided the silence was too much for him to take. “You two have a lovely home.”

  Joyce smiled at him. “Thank you, Rick.”

  “What made you settle here in Iowa?”

  Douglas picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth. “We both grew up here. No reason to leave.”

  “How did you meet?” Rick figured if he kept asking questions, at some point the awkwardness would evaporate.

  “We met in high school. On a blind date,” Douglas said.

  “Actually, you only thought it was a blind date.”

  “What?” Douglas stared at his wife.

  “I wanted to go out with you, but I was afraid you’d say no, so I schemed a little.” She picked up her water glass and took a sip, a smug look on her face.

  “And I’m just now finding out about this?”

  “Had no reason to tell you after we hit it off.”

  Tara walked back into the room with Kylee, and Douglas burst out laughing. Tara raised an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?”

  “Apparently your mother has hidden the real story of how we met for the last twenty years.”

  Tara lifted Kylee onto her seat. “What do you mean? You didn’t meet on a blind date?”

  Everyone looked at Joyce. She fidgeted in her chair. “I asked my best friend Patty to help me get a date with this cute guy at school. P
atty was a cashier down at the hardware store where his uncle worked, so she talked to Mike and set things up.”

  “All this time I thought Uncle Mike knew you from his youth program.”

  Joyce looked at her husband through lowered lids. “Mike coached junior league football. He made up the story about the youth program.”

  Douglas roared with laughter again.

  Kylee giggled, at first a little nervously, but her giggles made everyone else laugh.

  “What’s funny, Kylee?” Tara asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said while giggling. Everyone cracked up.

  The tension dissipated after that. When they were done eating, Rick offered to help with the dishes, but Joyce and Tara shooed him into the living room with Douglas. He wondered if they needed time alone to chat.

  Rick sat down on the couch as Tara’s father reclined in his chair. Unfortunately, the awkwardness came back in full force. Douglas picked up a newspaper and Rick fingered the Good Housekeeping magazines stacked in the bottom of the coffee table. With nothing else to do, he picked one up and began leafing through it.

  After ten minutes of looking at recipes and furniture, Rick tossed the magazine back and rubbed his hands together. “So, do you miss being on the force?”

  Tara’s father lowered his newspaper and stared him down. “I’d rather talk about my daughter. What are you doing with her?”

  Rick choked and pounded his fist on his chest. “Excuse me?”

  “I’ve read the articles. I know what kind of man you are. Why are you married to my daughter?”

  Rick glanced outside. They get tornadoes in Iowa, right? Why couldn’t one come ripping through town right about now? He tugged on his collar. “Don’t believe what you read in the papers.”

  A scowl crossed Douglas’s face. “Were you drunk when you proposed?”

  Dinner sat in Rick’s stomach like a rock. “We were at a club. I had a few—”

  “And were you drunk when you dragged her to a Las Vegas chapel?”

  Rick held up his hand. “No. I hadn’t been drinking the night we got married. We—”