by Sara Daniel
“Don’t worry. I’ve dedicated my life to choices that benefit kids. I’m the founder of The Forever Marriage. It’s is a proven model based on friendship, respect, and—”
Proven to send a healthy marriage straight to divorce court. She couldn’t bear to listen to another word. “Yes, I’ve heard of it. People are supposed to play house with their best friend and ignore their desire for raw, sweaty sex with the hottest babe in the bar.”
Eyes narrowed, he leaned toward her. “Since we’re isolated from the bar tonight, we’re stuck playing house. I’ll teach you some tips, so the next time you tie the knot, you’ll do it right.”
Oh my God. Could a more arrogant, obnoxious man possibly exist? “What the hell gives you the right to make offensive judgments about people you don’t know?”
Liam squirmed and cried out.
With effort, she relaxed the muscles she hadn’t been aware had turned rigid. “Your way may not be the only right way,” she continued furiously. “Your way may not be right at all.”
By his shocked expression, either no one had ever broken the news that his theories weren’t perfect, or her display of emotion had broken a Forever taboo. Probably both. For Liam’s sake, she had to talk some sense into him.
Before she could, his phone rang again and he rose to his feet. “Sorry. I’m in the middle of a business crisis.”
“No need to apologize. That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
Unfortunately, he’d already left the room and probably didn’t catch her parting shot. Long after Liam had finished his bottle and closed his eyes, she continued to cuddle the baby.
Caleb didn’t return to the room, and since she’d left the baby monitors upstairs, she carried Liam to his crib in her apartment where he belonged. Despite losing the opportunity to convince the sexy but overbearing ogre that his marriage theories were dead wrong, she had Liam in her custody, where she could protect and love him.
* * * *
Caleb worked through the night trying to stem the crisis engulfing his company. The media had fixated on the details of his one-night stand and Jennifer’s accidental pregnancy instead of his core message. Even Olivia had blown off the benefits of Forever with glib misunderstanding.
After an early morning conference call to refocus his employees and marriage counselors, he wandered into the dining room to find a single plate and silverware at the end of the table where he’d eaten the torturous meal last night. “How about I save both of us a lot of work by eating over the sink in the kitchen?”
“I enforce a ‘no guests’ policy in the kitchen.” Olivia set a bowl of scrambled eggs in front of his place setting. Her hair teetered on top of her head, absurd yet impossibly sexy with the oversized clip topping it off.
“I thought we already established that I’m not a guest. An informal, simple meal shared with the rest of your family would be more than sufficient. Cut the eccentric chef ridiculousness.”
“This eccentric chef ridiculousness, as you so elegantly put it, is how I earn my living. I can accommodate your request for informal by sitting with you while you eat, but you’ll have to leave your room much earlier if you want to eat with my family. Austin would have starved to death—or at least complained enough that you’d think he would—if he had to wait this long.”
He swept his gaze down the rest of her body. She’d discarded the evening’s prim blouse and skirt for another baggy sweater and tight jeans ensemble. Lust shot through him in approval. “Doesn’t he have school?”
“The storm hasn’t let up, so he has a snow day. He’s playing in his room.” She leaned across the table to set a plate of bacon next to the eggs.
A slim woman with science goggled perched on the top of her forehead entered the far side of the dining room. “Have there been any deliveries for me today?”
Olivia swiveled toward her. “Are you kidding? With the snow we’ve had?”
“It snowed?” She glanced toward a window.
“It definitely snowed. Whatever you’re waiting for won’t arrive today. I guarantee it.”
The woman turned from the white swirling flakes outside and eyed him. “A guest managed to arrive.”
“I’m Dr. Caleb Paden, founder of The Forever Marriage,” he offered. “My car’s in the ditch at the end of the driveway, so I’m not going anywhere.”
“If you want a custom perfume while you hole up here, come down to the basement and see me.” She turned and strode out the way she’d come in.
He turned to Olivia. “And she is?”
“Off-limits.”
“Give me a little credit.” He hadn’t been flirting. He couldn’t even see straight to notice anyone else with Olivia in the room.
She pursed her lips. “My sister Penelope. She’s a very talented chemist.”
“Are there any more people in this house I haven’t been introduced to? Someone who’s watching Liam right now, I hope?” He tried not to admire the way she filled out her jeans. His body had not gotten the “off-limits single mother” memo.
“Please tell me you didn’t wait ten hours to wonder what happened to him,” Olivia said, scorn lacing her tone. “For your information, I took him upstairs last night. He woke up early this morning with the rest of us and is already down for his morning nap. No one else is in the house.”
“Shouldn’t you go upstairs to hear him if he cries?” If anyone should listen for the baby, he needed to volunteer. Although he’d been grateful she’d taken Liam so he could give his work his full attention, he shouldn’t have let her. Somehow, he needed to multitask his parental and company responsibilities, another thing his books didn’t offer advice on.
“Baby monitor.” Lifting the edge of her sweater, she exposed the electronic device clipped to her jeans. “This one vibrates, so I’ll know when he wakes, but the noise won’t disturb the guests.”
Despite concentrating on his eggs, he couldn’t erase from his mind the sight of her enticing flesh above her jean line. What would it be like to slide his hands under her sweater and cup her sweet breasts?
No, no, no. He needed to teach her about Forever, so she’d appreciate it, and he desperately needed the reminder not to throw away his life’s work over a little attraction.
“I’ve given last night’s conversation a lot of thought,” he began. “You don’t value the expertise of The Forever Marriage because you don’t know what it offers.”
Avoiding his gaze, she rearranged the jelly packets on the tray in front of her. “God forbid I be both ignorant and foolish in your eyes. By all means, enlighten me in thirty seconds or less.”
Rising above her sarcasm, he focused on the opportunity to teach her for the sake of her child. “The seven main points of the marriage model each correspond to the letters of the word ‘forever.’”
“How very convenient.” Shooting him a sneer, she nudged the jelly tray in his direction and opened a tin of scones. “Did this appear to you by divine messenger or in a Cracker Jack box?”
All right, so her divorce had left her more bitter than he’d suspected. “My principles are the product of solid research and deep thought, not a religious experience.”
“Really? I could have sworn you were trying to convert me.” She picked up a scone and bit into it.
Dual urges to throttle her and kiss her senseless rose inside him. Dang but she could push his buttons. He shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth to buy time to compose himself. “F is ‘friendship before all physical encounters.’”
“Let’s agree to disagree on that.”
Not a chance. Friendship was the cornerstone. However, he would discuss the other six points before debating with her. “‘O is open communication.’”
“A basic of every good marriage,” she agreed, taking another bite of scone and leaving a tiny, tantalizing crumb at the corner of her mouth.
“The Rs are really listen and respect.”
“I have no problem with those points. I consider them part of
being a good innkeeper and a decent human being.”
So far so good, even though he wished for a little more respect. “The Es are ‘each person must use good manners’ and ‘explore your partner’s world.’ V is ‘validate your partner’s dreams.’”
“What if those dreams come at the expense of the relationship?” Instead of another potshot, her question rang with sincerity.
“The dreams are secondary to the relationship, but you have to respect each other’s dreams and explore them together. You have to give them a chance.”
“A chance to let the marriage fall apart,” she scoffed. “I don’t have a problem with most of the sayings in your little letter game, but I think you’ve left a few things out.”
“Such as?”
She set the half-eaten scone on the tabletop and began ticking off her fingers. “Sex, tenderness, intimacy, needs, kissing, sentimentality.” She smirked at him. “Hey, why don’t you add those and improve on your theory? You can call it Forever Stinks.”
Very funny. Couples already taking his advice knew they’d hit a goldmine and wouldn’t stop due to the fallout from The Brighid Show. Unfortunately, cynics like Olivia mocked him instead of giving his model a chance.
As much as he hated Ethan’s badgering about his personal life, he needed to practice what he told everyone else to do. If he could find a woman he trusted, a friend who could control her outbursts and physical expressions, they could pose for the media as an example of Forever in action.
Not only did Olivia make fun of his theories, she was divorced and had a kid. He would not step in and out of a child’s life, leaving chaos, confusion, and abandonment in his wake.
The fact that she looked incredibly hot in her tight jeans and ragged sweater added a more compelling reason for him to keep his distance.
* * * *
“Mom, will you play in the snow with me?” Austin asked as Olivia finished wiping down the kitchen counter. From the set of his shoulders, he expected her to say no. Between taking care of the baby and meeting the never-ending demands of the inn, she’d turned him down more often than not lately.
Liam had awakened from his nap, but the baby’s schedule didn’t have to dictate her plans today. She wanted to and should enjoy playtime with Austin. If she forced Caleb to own up to his responsibility with Liam, he might decide the constant mundane tasks and need for attention were too much bother. Once he realized she was the best person to care for Liam, they could work out a guardianship agreement.
Despite the slim possibility the best case scenario would come together during a single afternoon outside, she had to start somewhere. She smiled at Austin. “Put on your snow pants. I’ll be ready in a minute.”
With Liam in one arm and a fresh bottle in the other, she sashayed to Caleb’s suite.
He opened the door with the phone to his ear. “Can it wait? I’m in the middle of something.”
Ignoring his disgruntled expression, she crossed the room and laid his son in the middle of the king-size bed. “Sorry. Adult obligations mean nothing to babies. Here’s a bottle if you need to feed him. You have diapers and wipes. I’ll be outside your window in the event of an emergency.”
“I’ll call you back,” he said into the phone and then set the device aside. “What are you going out for?”
“I’m going to play with my son.”
He raised both eyebrows. “Are you aware of how much snow has come down in the past twenty-four hours?”
“That’s the point, actually. Playing in the snow happens to be a common winter pastime in northern climates, especially among children and parents caring for young children. Liam will expect you to participate in these activities next year and for a decade or two into the future.”
He cleared his throat. “I’m aware parenting is a long-term commitment.”
His stable home obsession had some merit, but personal interaction and demonstrating love mattered more. “Are you prepared to commit to a long-term relationship with your child? Liam won’t care what you write and lecture about. He’ll only know and care about the way you treat him.”
“I fully intend to practice what I preach. I don’t need a lecture from someone who broke their vows.”
She flinched at the painful low-blow and advanced toward him. She’d like to see if he could keep a marriage alive following his own advice. “Have you ever been in a long-term relationship before?”
“Not that it’s any of your business but yes. For six years.”
That stopped her fire. She’d expected weeks, maybe a month. Really, who could put up with him any longer? “What happened?”
“She died.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Her derision morphed into sympathy. She’d never poke fun at anyone’s loss. Curving her hand over his cheek, she attempted to convey her apology and sincerity. The rough whisker stubble on his cheek shot tingling down her arm while her heart skipped a beat.
He turned his head away, breaking the contact. “Not only were we going to be a therapist couple, we were in complete agreement on the Forever points.”
“She was your soul mate.” Olivia could do nothing to ease the pain of his loss, and she hated that she might have worsened his pain by throwing nasty barbs at his theories.
“She was my friend. We never fought or shouted at each other. We never would have slammed out the door after an argument, leaving our kids to wonder if we were ever coming back.”
Parenting had started their conversation, and it involved a lot more than not slamming doors. “A partner who’s also your friend can go off to explore their dreams and never return.”
“Beth and I were going to make sure the kids of this world never had to endure what we went through,” he continued. “I’m still trying to reach everyone—people like you. Think how much trauma you could have saved your son by keeping your marriage together.”
Oh, he had some nerve. He had no basis for assuming her son had been traumatized. If he spent more than a minute in Austin’s company, he’d realize his error. Austin was a well-adjusted kid because he had her. Parent-child love was the only kind of love that withstood the test of time.
Maybe if he spent enough time with Liam, he would discover the truth. Then he could focus on nurturing the father-son bond, instead of destroying more relationships with his Forever nonsense.
Chapter 4
With his son cooing and kicking his legs in the middle of the bed, Caleb stood behind him. Outside, the snow continue to fall, swirling around the corner of the house. Bundled in a hat, coat, scarf, and boots, Austin tromped a path to the center of the driveway and lay down, swishing his arms back and forth.
As he jumped to his feet, Olivia joined him, covered from head to toe in the same winter garb. Together, they admired the angel imprint. The boy tipped his head to the sky. She scooped a mound of pristine snow with her mitten and sprinkled the flakes over his open mouth until they both laughed.
Whatever her marriage and divorce had been like, the ill effects on Austin weren’t immediately apparent. As a single parent, Olivia seemed to be doing as good a job as anyone could expect, something he could take hope from since he wore the single parent label, as well.
Shouldering the responsibility for Liam didn’t bother him as much as knowing how disappointed Beth would have been that his actions—and negligence—had distracted from the mission of The Forever Marriage. Together he and Beth had battled through their parents’ destructive marriage and continued their friendship after the marriage disintegrated, building the Forever foundation from their parents’ mistakes.
His phone rang, and he pulled himself from his thoughts to answer it.
“Have you looked at the résumés I emailed yet?” Ethan asked.
Caleb grimaced. His brother had given up the random envelope plan and wanted him to pick a wife based on a compatible profile. “Not yet.”
“You don’t have the luxury of dragging your feet. The media is doing their best to chew you up and spit you out
. The hashtag ‘screw Forever’ has gone viral. You need a wife, so you can show the world your Forever marriage. Immediately.”
Laughter and teasing banter outside his window coaxed him to the glass. Austin dashed toward a snowbank on the other side of the driveway, packing snowballs and launching them at his mom. She took shelter behind a tree directly in front of the window, peeking out to throw and then bending down to pat together another round of ammunition.
Behind him, Liam began to fuss, as if he wanted in on the fun too.
“You still there?” Ethan demanded in his ear.
“I’m here.” He folded the baby’s tiny fingers around a rattle.
Liam bopped himself in the head with the hard plastic and screamed in outrage.
“Want another reason to get married? You’ll have a partner to help you deal with that,” Ethan said.
If he knocked on the window to get her attention, Olivia would help him. But he couldn’t depend on her, not when she would heartily approve of the “screw Forever” sentiment.
“All the résumés belong to practical businesswomen,” his brother continued. “I’ve vetted them personally. They won’t get carried away with emotion, say the wrong thing, or embarrass you in public.”
“Are they all as boring and stiff as they sound?” He eased the rattle from Liam’s fist before he harmed himself further. Cinching the phone between his shoulder and his ear, he picked up the screeching baby.
“Worse,” Ethan confirmed without apology. “That’s why they’re a perfect fit for your criteria.”
A snowball hit his window. “Oops, sorry.” Olivia laughed, her voice distant with the glass between them. She brushed the packed remains away with her mitten, leaving a watery smear in its place.
Liam stopped crying and turned a gummy smile toward her voice.
“Austin, let’s finish this behind the house. We’re disturbing Dr. Paden.” She moved away from the window.
Liam’s face crumpled.
