Stand-in Wife

by Karina Bliss

  “You’re welcome.” She cleared her throat. “Here, let me help you.” She tucked an arm in Ross’s. “Lean on me if you need to.”

  “Thank you,” he said meekly. “I’ll do that.”

  As soon as they left, Viv flung back the sheet, leaped out of bed and stripped off the gown. At the mirror she yanked her ponytail off center, then pulled the curtain around the bed and sauntered down the corridor. Florence—the flirt—was chatting to Ross as he waited for the elevator. Catching sight of Viv, she scowled.

  “I thought you’d left?”

  “Just about to.” Viv nodded politely to Ross, suddenly reminded of his fantasy. We’d meet casually by the elevators. Another ping and the door opened. The half-dozen people inside squeezed together to let them in. So much for that fantasy.

  Florence smiled at Ross. “You take care now.” Ignoring Viv, she sailed back down the corridor. Viv jabbed the button for the basement.

  “Halfway there,” Ross encouraged, as the door closed. Unfortunately the second part of Operation Reconciliation didn’t go as smoothly.

  Charlie refused to let Viv in the door.

  “I can’t wear these now, can I?” Viv fanned out her soccer T-shirt and pretended to shiver. “All I want is my suitcase, Charlie…some clothes aren’t too much to ask, are they?”

  Her brother-in-law’s hostile gaze went past Viv to his brother, sitting in the SUV at the curb. Merry lay concealed in the backseat. “Tilly said Ross only found out the day before the funeral. Sounds like his hands were mostly tied so I’ll let him come in to collect it. Not you.”

  Except Viv was supposed to keep Charlie occupied while Ross helped Merry inside. Past Charlie, Viv saw Tilly hovering at the end of the hall. She smiled encouragingly, received a tremulous one in return. “It’s going to be fine, hon. Hang in there.”

  Charlie stepped into her line of sight. “Don’t make out as if I’m the bad guy,” he snarled. “You take responsibility for this.”

  “I do. Total and full responsibility. Don’t punish Merry.”

  “She went along with it. To hell with this. I’m not talking to either of you.” He went to close the door and Viv jammed her foot in it.

  “I know you’re hurt but please, Charlie, Merry loves you so much, give her a chance to fix this.”

  “Charlie.” In the heat of the exchange neither of them had noticed Ross’s approach. “Meredith’s in the car,” he said without preamble. “Go talk to her.” Forcefulness wasn’t part of the plan. Viv opened her mouth to soften the order and Ross gave her a look that made her close it. He knew his brother better than she did.

  Charlie looked over to the SUV where Merry now sat in plain sight and his jaw tightened.

  “We’re done here.”

  Ross said in a tone too low for Tilly to hear, “After scaring the crap out of your children this afternoon, you have to reassure them that you don’t hate their mother—even if you do. You’re a parent first…outraged husband second. You know this, I shouldn’t have to remind you.”

  “Charlie!” They turned to see Merry trying to swing herself out of the passenger seat of Ross’s 4WD but the seat was too high off the ground. “I don’t expect forgiveness, I just want to tell you why I did it. For our kids’ sake, will you listen?”

  The weight of her cast started to pull Merry forward and she grabbed the door frame. Instinctively Charlie started forward, then stopped. Viv remembered his gallantry at the funeral when he thought his wife was being snubbed.

  “She needs help,” he said to Viv, jerking his head in Merry’s direction and jamming his hands in his pockets.

  “Not me.” Viv folded her arms.

  Ross glanced between Charlie and Merry. “Not me,” he said.

  “Someone,” Merry called plaintively.

  Ross held out his keys. “Go somewhere you can talk in private. We’ll watch the kids.”

  “Seriously needing help here, guys,” Merry called.

  Charlie snatched the keys. “This isn’t agreeing to anything.”

  “I get that.”

  Charlie hurried to help his wife, stony-faced as he resettled her in the passenger seat. Merry’s apprehensive gaze met Viv’s.

  “Good luck,” Viv mouthed. Tilly crept to the door, and seeing her, Charlie’s expression softened. “I’m going for a drive with Mum,” he said huskily. “You want to say goodnight to her?”

  Viv felt a spark of hope.

  Tilly scampered over to hug her mother. Charlie embraced his daughter. “I’ll be home soon.”

  “Okay, Dad.” She skipped back to the house much happier.

  The first thing Viv noticed when they went inside the house was an open suitcase, half-packed with the children’s belongings. She and Ross exchanged glances but with Tilly there, they couldn’t say anything. Harry was curled up on the couch, the dog beside him, engrossed in watching a DVD of The Wiggles. “Ub,” he said, pointing at the TV screen. At least one of the kids wasn’t going to remember this.

  “What do we do now?” Tilly asked.

  Viv fondled Salsa’s ears. “I vote McDonald’s.”

  Her niece brightened. “Really?”

  “Great idea,” said Ross. “Just let your aunt and I grab a quick shower first.”

  The vision that evoked…. “Do you have any clean clothes?” she asked. Ross had covered up the bloody T-shirt with a windbreaker.

  “I’ll borrow a shirt of Charlie’s.”

  They managed to show the kids a good time. At seven-thirty, Tilly went to bed cheerfully, fully expecting that her parents would come home together. Viv hoped to God that she was right.

  Ross was pensive when she returned to the living room after settling the kids but she resisted the urge to ask what he was thinking. Viv had no idea where they went from here and she suspected he didn’t, either.

  She waited for him to say something…anything that would clue her in. He picked up the TV Guide. “There’s a rugby match on the sports channel.”

  The disappointment was crushing. “I’ll put the kettle on.”

  So was the relief.

  ROSS FLICKED FROM ONE channel to the other unable to settle, and completely frustrated with himself.

  Whatever happened with their siblings’ relationship, he expected Viv to come home with him later, but did she?

  And if so, in what capacity—as a friend, lover, girlfriend? He wanted to talk about a future but he didn’t know where to start. How the hell was he going to convince Viv she could still be independent in a committed relationship when he had no experience of making one work?

  He needed to ask but the very idea made Ross squirm. What if she’d had second thoughts since their kiss this afternoon?

  And why was he worrying about her having second thoughts when she hadn’t given any indication that she’d had first ones yet? One quick snog in a parking lot didn’t mean she returned his feelings. Feelings.

  The Iceman broke into a sweat. For a wild moment, he considered waking his niece and asking Tilly to ask Viv how she felt about him.

  She brought in the tea, put his mug on the table and took the chair when she could have joined him on the couch. Left the scent of her perfume…honeysuckle. “What do you think?” she said. “Is it a good sign they haven’t come back…or has your brother murdered my sister? Is he now burying her body under Linda’s topiary?”

  “I don’t know.” Ross didn’t give a damn about his brother or his wife right now.

  “No need to snap.” Viv picked up her mug and looked at the screen. “What’s on? Anything good?”

  He realized he’d been watching Romeo and Juliet and flicked to the sports channel because Romeo and Juliet had had it too easy with their families. They should try the Coltrane–Jansen combo sometime.

  “Okay with rugby?”

  “Sure.” She sounded resigned.

  He was making a complete hash of this.

  “Oh, for God’s sake.” Disgusted, Ross threw down the remote. “I love you,” he
said. “Practically, I think we can make it work, if we want to.” He glared at her. “Do you…want to, I mean?” Do you love me?

  Viv blinked, opened her mouth. Ross’s cell rang.

  He ignored it.

  “You should answer that,” she said. “It’s probably Charlie.”

  Impatiently he answered it.

  “We’re working it out,” Charlie said, and Ross gave Viv the thumbs-up.

  “That’s great, Charlie. Goodbye.”

  “Wait…can you stay with the kids overnight. Merry and I—”

  “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  “You don’t sound very happy about it.”

  “I’m frickin’ delighted, okay…but right now I’m trying to talk Viv into marrying me and—” Shit. He’d mentioned the M word.

  “Marry Viv?” Charlie sounded stunned. “No, Merry, you can’t talk to him…. Ross, I don’t want you to—”

  “Tough.” He cut the connection and stared at Viv who was staring back like a possum caught in the headlights of an oncoming car.

  “Marriage,” she said slowly. “Ross, you never said marriage. We’ve only known each other a week.”

  “Eight years and a week,” he reminded her.

  “You don’t believe in soul mates.”

  He sighed. “I know.”

  “I don’t, either,” she said.

  “I love you, Viv. Marry me,” he said. “I’d get down on one knee if I could. You’re everything I never thought I’d find in one woman…adventurous, independent, loving, loyal. Hell, didn’t I let you drive?”

  Viv stood and wandered to the window. Salsa left his basket and followed her, but she was gazing out distractedly and didn’t notice him. Looking for an escape route? Ross swallowed and waited.

  “I’ve never seen marriage and kids in my future,” she said at last. “I think because I never thought I could do it perfectly…like Merry seemed to. But I’ve learned she’s not perfect and never was, except in my imagination.”

  Hope propelled him to his feet.

  “And I’ve discovered,” she continued, “that marriage—and kids—is a messy, complicated, think-on-your-feet exercise and since I’ve had a lot of experience in that area…” She stood in front of him. “I’m extremely worried that I’m overqualified.”

  “That’s okay,” he soothed, drawing her into his arms. “I’m a novice so it’ll balance out.”

  “What about practicalities?”

  He smiled against her hair. “It’s such a turn-on when you talk all sensible.”

  Viv persisted. “You’re based in New Zealand, I’m based in New York. While we can juggle schedules and I can do some design work remotely, it’s still one hell of a commute.”

  She’d already thought about this. A lot. Excellent. “Skype sex?” he suggested.

  Viv pulled back, concern in her eyes. “I want you to be sure about us because it won’t be easy.” She laid her palm against his cheek. “Charlie’s going to take a while to forgive me.”

  Always trying to protect. He turned his head and kissed her palm. “We’ll sic Attilla on him,” he reassured her. “And Jo’s got your brother covered. You and I will retreat to New York and wait until the dust settles.” Ross had always had the option of easing himself back into the Unit. Now he had a reason to. “And if we come back married…”

  She frowned. “Hey, I only said I loved you. I never said I’d marry you.”

  Actually this was the first time she’d said she loved him, but Ross was learning that stealth, not resistance, worked best with his future wife. He loved a challenge. Loved being challenged. “I’ll try not to get ahead of myself.”

  Appeased, Viv raised her face for his kiss. “I love you.”

  “That’s all that matters.” Ross lowered his lips to hers. Salsa growled.

  “You have got to be kidding me,” Viv said.

  Ross laughed and kissed her anyway.

  He considered himself a simple man. All he needed was to be the best at what he did. And soon—way sooner than Viv imagined—that would include being a husband.

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-0971-8

  STAND-IN WIFE

  Copyright © 2011 by Karina Bliss

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