by Eve Gaddy
“Even if you do, there’s no guarantee you’ll be allowed to foster Grace.”
She must be pretty transparent. “But there’s a chance.”
“Yes, of course there’s a chance. Maggie, are you really serious about this?”
She nodded. “Foster parents get first shot at adopting the child, right? Assuming she comes up for adoption?”
“Yes, but—” Nina looked troubled. “First of all, you don’t know that Grace will ever come up for adoption. And it’s not that simple. There’s a long process involved in becoming licensed as a foster parent. Training and assessment of your ability to care for children, background checks, that sort of thing. And then there’s an even more intensive process to be approved as an adoptive parent. Intensive and invasive. The people who assess you pry into every part of your life. Your present, your past, your relationships with friends and family. Everything.”
“I don’t have any skeletons.” Not just a lie, but a whopper. But her secrets were buried deep. “I’m a cop. I have a good, steady job. I’m a respectable, responsible person. Doesn’t that count?”
“Well, of course, but—”
“I want to start the process now,” Maggie interrupted. “Help me do this, Nina.”
Nina seemed distressed. She hemmed and hawed and finally said, “You’re single.”
“What does that have to do with anything? I looked it up online. It says single people can be foster and adoptive parents.”
“That’s true.” Nina bit her lip and sighed. “I wouldn’t tell just anyone this, but since it’s you…If there’s a choice between giving a child to a single parent and giving her to a couple, the couple wins almost every time. The party line is that your marital status doesn’t matter, but take it from me, it does.”
“You’re saying I have to be married to be Grace’s foster mother. To be a foster mother, period.”
“No, not at all. I see no reason why you won’t be approved as a single foster parent. But I am saying your chances of getting to keep Grace are better if you’re married.” She hesitated. “The thing is, Grace is the type of child who everyone wants to foster or adopt. She’s an infant and she’s healthy. Now, if she had some sort of mental or physical problem, then that might be a different case. I’m telling you the truth, Maggie, even though it shouldn’t be that way.” She stood and added, “The Petersons are a great couple. Grace will be in good hands.”
But she wouldn’t be in Maggie’s hands. It wasn’t fair, damn it. It wasn’t as if she could go out and stop the next man she saw and ask him to marry her. She wasn’t even dating anyone, much less talking marriage. The only single men she knew very well were committed bachelors.
Single man. Committed bachelor. An idea hit her, stunning in its simplicity.
“You’re not seeing anyone seriously, are you, Maggie?”
“Actually, I am. In fact, I think he’s going to propose any day now.” Liar, liar, her mind chanted. Minor detail, she decided. I can fix this.
Nina looked like she wasn’t sure she believed her. “Isn’t this kind of sudden? I don’t remember you talking about seeing anyone special.”
“But you haven’t seen me in a couple of months,” Maggie reminded her. “He’s an old friend of mine. We started dating fairly recently, but we’ve known each other forever.”
“Does he have a name?” Nina asked drily.
“Tucker Jones,” Maggie said, stepping into deep, deep trouble.
SINCE SHE WAS still off for the day, Maggie decided to put her plan into action immediately. Anything was better than sitting around looking at all the baby stuff…and no baby to go with it. She’d watched Nina take Grace away with her heart heavy and tears threatening. At least she would be able to see the baby, though. Nina had said she’d fix it with Grace’s foster parents for Maggie to visit and she’d let them know Maggie wanted to care for Grace as soon as she was approved.
As a rule, Maggie didn’t cry. Since she’d become a cop there were only a handful of times she could remember crying. A couple of times when she’d worked in Dallas and a particularly brutal case had come along. She hadn’t cried on the job but she sure had once she’d gone home.
Another time had been when she discovered the man she’d believed wanted to marry her had lied to her. Not only was he not divorcing his wife, but his wife was pregnant with his child. And to put the whipped cream on that dessert, the wife had gotten pregnant while Maggie was dating him.
She’d cried over him, and over her naiveté in believing his lies when he’d been stringing Maggie along. After that, she vowed never to get involved with a man who wasn’t completely free. She’d kept that vow until she’d met and fallen for the love of her life. What a disaster that had been.
But Tucker Jones was as free as a bird. Well, he did say he was dating someone, but he also said he wasn’t serious. Surely he hadn’t managed to fall madly in love with the woman in the space of a few days. Not Tucker. He enjoyed his freedom too much.
Which could be a problem, she admitted. But it wouldn’t be a real marriage, after all. He could resume all his normal activities as soon as they divorced. After she had custody of Grace.
First she had to see him, though. Since it was Sunday and she knew he rarely went to church, she called him at home. Maggie waited as the phone rang, tapping her pen on the table.
“Hey, Maggie. What’s up?”
“Oh, not much,” she said, keeping it casual. “How about meeting me for lunch today?”
“Today?”
Her heart sank. She really wanted to put her plan in action. “Yes. Why, do you have plans?”
“I could rearrange them if it’s important.”
“If you wouldn’t mind, I’d really like to see you today.”
“All right. When and where?”
“The Scarlet Parrot, about twelve-thirty.”
“See you there.”
TUCKER HAD HAD TO cancel a lunch date with Isabella but he’d done it willingly. There had been something in Maggie’s voice that he couldn’t quite describe. She’d sounded a little bit anxious, he thought. Something was going on with her.
He was waiting for her at the table when she walked in. Damn, she knew how to make an entrance. She wasn’t in uniform and she looked nothing like a cop. Nothing like one of the guys, either. Today she wore her long, wavy red hair down around her shoulders, a lightweight white sweater that molded to her generous curves and a short, tight black skirt that made her world-class legs hard to miss, even for a man who didn’t normally think about said legs.
Now he knew something was going on. Maggie didn’t often dress up, at least that he’d seen, but when she did…Wow. He stood as she reached the table.
“Hi, Tucker. Thanks for meeting me,” she said as she sat in the chair he’d pulled out for her.
He sat down, too. “Wouldn’t miss it. You look great, Maggie.”
“Thanks,” she said, looking pleased.
He considered her a moment. “What are you up to?”
She smiled and flashed him a look brimming with mischief. “Now why would you think I’m up to something? Just because I asked you to lunch?”
He’d noticed before that Maggie’s hazel eyes often changed color with her mood. Tucker wasn’t sure what kind of mood went with that brilliant emerald-green, but he found it more than a little fascinating.
“That’s one reason,” he said. And because she’d gone to some trouble to look like one of his ultimate fantasies. The thought made him feel…weird. This was Maggie, after all. “Is this like a date?” he asked suspiciously.
“Not exactly,” she said, with a laugh in her voice.
“Last I checked you swore you’d never date me. You said you’d been cured of that in high school.” Even all this time later, he still felt like a jerk whenever he thought about what had happened the one and only time she’d agreed to go out with him, when he’d asked her to homecoming her junior year. Even so, it was a long time to hold a grudge,
in his opinion.
“I’m sure I didn’t say never.” She busied herself spreading her napkin out and putting it in her lap. “Besides, I told you, this isn’t exactly a date.”
The waitress came and took their drink order, returning shortly with two iced teas. When she asked if they were ready to order, Maggie told her they’d like to wait.
Mystified and curious as hell, Tucker waited for Maggie to get to the point…which she didn’t do.
She stirred sweetener into her tea and took a sip. “How was your date with the latest audition?”
“The latest what?” he said blankly.
“You know, the woman your mother set you up with. The one you said you’d been dating. The latest auditioner for the part of Mrs. Tucker Jones. The future mother of your children.”
“Oh, Isabella. She’s…nice.” He took a sip of his drink, wondering where she was heading. If she was heading anywhere, which he was beginning to doubt.
“Just nice? Are you seeing her again?”
“I’m not sure. Why?” he asked. Maggie didn’t normally quiz him about his dating habits. A suspicion entered his mind. “Are you trying to set me up with someone, Maggie?”
She laughed. “I guess you could say that. I just wanted to make sure you’re not involved with anyone.”
“You ought to know I’m not. You saw me three days ago and I wasn’t then.” He took another drink and continued, “If you want me to go out with a friend of yours, why didn’t you just ask me over the phone? Why the lunch and all the mystery?”
“It’s not that simple.”
It never was. He wondered what was wrong with the woman, because there almost had to be something seriously weird about her. “Who is this woman?”
“Well, Tucker—” She met his gaze and held it with dancing green eyes. “It’s me. But I don’t exactly want to date you.”
“Color me confused as hell. What are you talking about, Maggie?”
“I need a favor, Tucker.”
A favor? Why didn’t she just ask? Why all the lead-up? But knowing Maggie, she must have a reason for how she approached him. “A favor.” He leaned back in his chair and looked at her. She seemed a little anxious now. “A big favor or a little favor?”
She bit her lip. “Pretty big,” she admitted. “But temporary.”
A big, temporary favor. He shrugged. “Sure, babe, anything for you. What’s the favor?”
“I want you to marry me.”
Stunned, he stared at her. Marry Maggie? He couldn’t quite wrap his mind around the thought.
“You want me to marry you.”
“That’s right.” She nodded happily, as if pleased by his perception. “So, will you?”
“Maggie…?” She looked at him hopefully. “What are you smokin’?”
CHAPTER FOUR
MAGGIE SCOWLED AT HIM. “Very funny. I’m not on drugs and you know it.”
“You want me to marry you and we’ve never even been on a date. How crazy is that?”
“It’s not crazy,” she insisted, though she realized it did sound a bit…well, strange.
“Why?” When she didn’t answer, he said, “Are you pregnant? Did the son of a bitch run out on you?”
“Don’t be silly. Of course I’m not pregnant. It’s nothing like that.”
He put his face in his hands and laughed. And continued to laugh. When he finally stopped laughing he wiped his eyes and looked at her. “Okay, you really had me going for a minute. What’s the joke?”
“It’s not a joke. I’m dead serious.”
Delilah stopped at the table. “Hi, Tucker. Hey, Maggie. Has Rachel taken your order?”
“I told her we’d wait but would you mind sending her back over?”
“I’ll do better than that. What do you need?”
They both ordered the shrimp plate, a dish the Scarlet Parrot was famous for.
“How’s the baby?” Delilah asked as she picked up their menus.
“She’s good. They found her a foster home. Took her this morning.”
“What did you decide to do?”
“I’m working on it,” Maggie said, and couldn’t resist glancing at Tucker. He looked thoughtful, not confused. Damn it, the man always had been quick.
Delilah smiled but didn’t say anything else as she left.
“What baby? And am I to assume she has something to do with this cuckoo idea of yours?”
She ignored the jab about her idea being cuckoo. “I found an abandoned baby on Friday. Her name is Grace,” she told him, and plunged into the story, including what she’d learned from Nina about her chances of keeping the child.
“She’s just so precious,” she said in conclusion. “If you saw Grace you’d know why I want to keep her. That’s why I need to be married. But obviously, I’m not dating anyone seriously so…that’s when I thought of you. You’re not interested in being married, and besides, we’re friends. I couldn’t exactly ask a stranger to marry me. Which makes you the perfect person to be in a sham marriage with me.”
Tucker had listened intently, only interrupting her to clarify a point or two. The waitress had come and left their food and Maggie was picking at hers, since she’d been too busy talking to eat much. Normally Maggie was good at reading people, it came with her job. But she couldn’t tell what Tucker was thinking at all. He just sat there, staring at her with an unblinking gaze.
Tucker rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “I’m not questioning why you want the baby. But you know it’s illegal for CPS to discriminate against you on the basis of your marital status. You don’t have to be married to be a foster parent. Or to adopt, for that matter.”
“I’m aware of that. But like Nina said, if it comes to a choice between a married couple and a single parent, guess who wins?”
“Legally—” he began.
Frustrated, Maggie interrupted. “It’s not about the law, Tucker. We both know that. This is about what really happens. And I can’t take the chance that I’d lose her just because I don’t happen to have a ring on my finger.”
“Maggie, this is insane.”
“Please, Tucker.” What would she do if he refused her? And if she lost Grace because of that? Pleading wasn’t in her nature, but if that’s what it took, she’d do it. “It will only be until I can get custody of Grace and for a short time after that. We’ll have to stay married for at least a few months, and by then I might know whether I can adopt her. As soon as that’s settled we can get a divorce.”
“You’re nuts, you know that? You’re doing all this for a baby you might not even get to keep. Have you thought about what you’ll do if the mother shows up?”
“I’ll deal with that if and when it happens. In the meantime, Grace needs foster care and I want it to be me. And you, if you’ll help me.”
“It won’t work.”
“It will. I know it will work. And it’s not like we’ll have a real marriage.”
“Yeah, about that.” He pinned her with a sharp look. “Does this fake marriage have any fringe benefits?”
“What do you mean?”
He arched his brow and smiled. “What do you think I mean? Does this phony-baloney marriage include sex?”
Stupidly, she hadn’t even considered that. She’d been totally focused on her goal of caring for Grace. But now that he mentioned sex, she felt her stomach flutter. She couldn’t deny that she’d always wondered what it would be like to go to bed with Tucker. But it would be a mistake. A huge mistake. “No sex,” she said decisively. “And no sex with other women, either.” No way would she put up with that, fake marriage or not.
“I’m supposed to be celibate for the duration? For what, months? Forget it.”
“Cheer up, Tucker. I’ll be celibate, too.”
“Now I know you’re nuts. No, forget it.”
But he didn’t sound definite to Maggie. She tried another tack. “Marrying me will get your mother off your back. Have you thought about that?”
&nb
sp; He seemed struck by the thought and then he started laughing, though he wouldn’t tell her why. Maggie had an idea she knew, however.
“I know she doesn’t like me but at least if you’re married she can’t expect you to go out with all the women she’s been parading in front of you.”
“That part’s not really a hardship,” Tucker said. “Unless they want to go to the opera.”
“I hate opera, too,” Maggie said hopefully. “And we do have things in common. We both enjoy Tae Kwon Do and action movies and…well, we’ve been friends for a long time.”
“I don’t know. I’d have to be certifiable to agree to this scheme of yours.”
He was wavering. She knew it. She could feel it. She put her hand over his. “Don’t decide right now. Take some time to think about it.” But not too long.
“Thinking about it won’t make this idea any less insane.” He searched her eyes and smiled. “You really want this baby, don’t you?”
“More than I’ve wanted anything in a long time. I can’t explain it. She just…something about her calls to me. I have to try.”
He sighed. “All right. I’ll think about it.”
She had to restrain herself from throwing her arms around his neck. “Okay, that’s all I ask.” He was still regarding her suspiciously, so she added, “Are you busy after lunch?”
“No, why?”
“Come with me to see Grace.”
He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. “All right.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing Grace might not seal the deal, but it couldn’t hurt. Tucker was a nice guy. Surely once he saw Grace and saw how much Maggie wanted to keep her, he’d go along with her plan. And Grace was such a charmer, how could he resist?
BIG MISTAKE, Tucker thought. He’d known it even as he’d agreed to go with Maggie. And now here they were alone with the kid, who he admitted was pretty as could be with her wispy blond curls and dark blue eyes. The foster mother was obviously comfortable with Maggie, because she’d gone off to do laundry or something the minute they showed up. And now Maggie was holding the baby and cooing at her and looking like the complete marshmallow he’d always suspected she was. Tough cop Maggie Barnes was gaga over the kid.
