by Ryanne Corey
Zack stared at her, the soft heat of anger filling his chest. He tried to visualize her as a child, tried to imagine what it had been like for her. He wished he hadn’t had so much experience with foster homes. He might have been able to convince himself it hadn’t been too bad for her. Yet amazingly, there wasn’t a shred of self-pity in her voice. Her extravagant eyes lit up when she talked about her adoptive parents, and he knew she had found unconditional love. She’d beaten the statistics, being adopted at twelve years of age. Quietly he said, “I’m happy it turned out well for you.”
“Better than well,” Anna said. “I was one of the lucky ones.”
Zack dredged up a smile. “You’re also one of the amazing ones. Gorgeous and lucky.”
There he went again, catching her off guard with his sexy smile and lavish charm. Anna went back to her sugar packets. Rip, dump, toss. Rip, dump, toss. “Have you ever noticed that the most beautiful things in the world are also the most useless, like ice sculptures and peacocks? Beauty is highly overrated.”
“Anna?”
She ripped open another packet. “Yes, Mr. Policeman?”
He bit his lip, but not hard enough to kill his grin. “Your coffee is pretty well sweetened. You’ve created a Mount McSugar in that cardboard cup.”
Anna looked at the coffee spilling over the sides of her cup, then rolled her eyes and slumped in her seat. It seemed that even the most innocent contact with Zack Daniels turned her into an instant airhead. What on earth had happened to her usual personality? Granted, for the first time in her life she had encountered a man who was capable of getting under her skin, but that hardly merited instant schizophrenia. Anna wasn’t a gun-toting cop, but she did enjoy living every moment of life to the fullest, as Zack obviously did. Her “potentially hazardous situation” radar was up and flashing neon red. All right, so she was vulnerable to a knowing smile, magnetic personality and a talented pair of lips. Who wouldn’t be? “I’m not usually like this,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Still, I guess you’re probably used to it.”
Zack took a bite of his Egg McMuffin. Ahh, ambrosia. “Used to what?”
“Women acting like dimwits around you. You’re a walking dream.”
Zack started to choke. Alarmed, Anna jumped up and started slapping him on the back—hard—until he grabbed her hand. “Stop it, woman! You’re going to crack a vertebrae. I’m not dying, I was just shocked. I can breathe now. Sit. I’m paralyzed from the waist down, but other than that, I’m fine.”
Anna returned to her yellow plastic seat with a cheerful smile. “What do you mean, shocked? Hasn’t a woman ever drooled over you before?”
Zack regarded her incredulously. “This is completely unacceptable. Women shouldn’t fluster men. That’s encroaching on the male’s territory.”
“Just because I said—”
“Cut it out! I swear you say anything that comes into your mind. What’s the matter with you?”
“Honesty is scary?”
“No, but some discretion is necessary. You can’t go around willy-nilly, just speaking your mind.”
Anna lifted her chin in the air. “And why not?”
“Because relationships between men and women are sort of like a game. You know, like Candyland for grown-ups. There are rules to the game. I am the one who flusters, you are the one who gets flustered. Tarzan brave, Jane gorgeous and flustered. It’s the way of the world.”
“That’s such a crock. You’re a chauvinist, Mr. Policeman.”
He grinned with great satisfaction. “Thank you. And you are a remarkable woman, one whose like I have never seen. If only we could have stayed locked in that basement for the entire two weeks of my vacation, I would have absolutely nothing to complain about.”
He was flirting again, but she couldn’t help the unwilling grin that broke over her face. “Well, I sympathize. I’ve just been forced to take a vacation of sorts myself, and I was constantly bored, not to mention…” Her voice trailed off. She stared at Zack until he actually looked over his shoulder to see if some large predatory animal was sneaking up on him.
“What?” he asked, spooked. “Blink or something, will you?”
“I…have…an…idea,” she said slowly, still glassy-eyed. “The most outrageous idea. Zack…you could very well be the answer to my prayers.”
“Oh, I like this idea already,” Zack replied happily. Anything to keep her sitting across from him as long as possible. McDonald’s had never possessed such magical ambiance before. “Tell me. I’m all ears.”
Anna hesitated, wondering if this was absolutely insane on her part. What she was about to propose could result in some rather serious complications if she didn’t keep her wits about her. If nothing else, she had discovered she was particularly susceptible to off-duty cops with charm to spare. Still, she wasn’t a child. She had always managed to accomplish her goals by remaining heart-whole and stubbornly optimistic. Her adoptive parents had always stressed the importance of smiling cheerfully through the ups and downs of life. There was no reason to think she couldn’t pull this off without becoming personally involved.
“This will sound pretty wild,” she said slowly, “and it is, actually. But I have this little problem waiting for me at home, and I think you might be able to help me with it. We’ve just met, and you might think I’m being too forward—”
“If you knew me better, you wouldn’t say that. Go on.”
Anna started drawing finger circles on the tabletop. “Well…I have this friend, Kyle. He’s a veterinarian in Grayland Beach. Have I mentioned him before?”
Zack gave a long-suffering sigh. “You’ve mentioned several of your male friends to me. But no, I believe this is the first I’ve heard of Kyle the veterinarian. I can’t imagine how on earth you keep all these men straight in your head. Go on, I’m all ears.”
“Well, we’ve known each other for eons and we’ve always been really close, but he went wacko on me a couple of weeks ago. We were going over some things for the wedding one evening—”
“Beg pardon?” Zack sat up like a puppet whose strings had just been yanked skyward. “How close? How wacko? Whose wedding?”
“Kyle’s wedding,” Anna explained, wondering what on earth had put the fire in Zack’s storm-colored eyes. “He’s engaged to marry a really sweet girl named Carrie. She’s very thoughtful and kind, and they’re truly perfect for each other.”
Zack instantly relaxed. “Oh, that’s good. I’ve always liked Carrie.”
“You don’t know Carrie,” Anna said.
“That’s irrelevant. Go on, I’m on the edge of my seat.”
Two Egg McMuffins later, Zack knew it all. The way Anna had first met Kyle thirteen years earlier, when her father had been the coach of the high school football team. Then Kyle had left for school and Anna hadn’t seen him for several years. When he’d come home to open his veterinary practice years later, he’d stopped by and visited Carson Smith. Anna was all grown-up by that time, and they had instantly become fast friends. At this point Zack’s eyes had started to narrow. When he heard the part about Kyle confessing his feelings to Anna, he almost lost his Egg McMuffin. Still, he managed to hear it all without comment, nodding understandingly in all the right places.
“So, let me sum this up,” he said finally, folding his arms on the tabletop. “Your good friend Carrie—who, by the way, seems to be the only female in the entire world you are acquainted with—is supposed to marry your good friend Kyle. Only Kyle, who in my opinion sounds like a devious scoundrel—”
“He is not a scoundrel, nor is he devious.”
“That’s your opinion. Devious Kyle is suffering from wedding jitters and is distracting himself with thoughts of his beautiful best friend, you. And, being the wonderful girl you are, you attempted to defuse the situation by taking a little vacation of your own. Obviously, you want to go home as soon as you can, but Kyle the insensitive numbskull—”
“Why do you keep insulting a man you don’t ev
en know?”
“Don’t interrupt, I’ll lose my train of thought. Ding-dong Dr. Kyle is showing no signs of coming to his senses. You’re afraid if you do go home, he’ll cancel the wedding, and you’re afraid if you don’t go home he’ll cancel the wedding. Have I missed anything?”
“Yes,” she replied promptly. “Your part in all this.”
“I didn’t know I had a part, but I’m excited to hear it. I hate feeling useless. Please go on.”
“Well, it has occurred to me that you don’t seem to have anything really important to do for a few days, so maybe you could…help me out.” Anna took a deep breath, then plunged in. “I’d like you to come home with me and pretend you love me.”
Four
Zack had heard all kinds of propositions throughout the course of his career. Not a one had the nuclear-bomb effect of this particular proposition.
“You want me to go home with you?” he asked stupidly. Then, a bit louder, “And pretend I love you? Is that what you said?”
“Well, don’t look so shocked. You won’t be in any mortal danger, or anything. The key to the whole thing is pretend. For heaven’s sake, you’re a cop. I thought you were used to unusual situations.” Then, after a short pause, “You’ve never been this quiet for this long. Are you still breathing?”
Zack realized he wasn’t, and immediately rectified the matter. “I’m not shocked,” he gasped, pulling oxygen into his paralyzed lungs. “I’ve been around, you know. It takes a lot to shock me. It’s just…it’s just…”
“It’s just what?”
I’ve never had a dream come true before. “You took me by surprise, that’s all. I’m not often on the receiving end of this sort of proposition. I’m…collecting my thoughts.”
Anna stared at him, feeling the hot sting of blood in her cheeks. She knew her suggestion was a little outrageous, but he seemed to like her. And he obviously needed a bit of entertainment to take his mind off all the crime he was missing back in Los Angeles. It was an ideal situation, where they could both help each other out. “I realize you don’t really know me, and I probably sound crazy as a loon. But don’t you think it’s strange that we met up when we were both suffering because of unwanted vacations? And then locked up in a basement together? It seems like we were destined to meet, don’t you think?”
Zack nodded enthusiastically. “Oh, yes. Absolutely. I’m a big believer in destiny.”
“You see? It’s perfect. If you could stay with me just a few days, until Kyle and Carrie get married, it would help me out tremendously. You see, he doesn’t really love me, not in that way. He’s just been a bachelor for so long that the closer the wedding gets, the more excuses he’s coming up with to cancel it.”
“You know,” Zack ventured, “there are those men who are fairly certain they wouldn’t make good husbands. It’s a good thing to realize that before you get married, don’t you think?”
“Kyle’s not like that at all,” Anna replied promptly. “He and Carrie are soul mates, I’m certain of it. That’s why our little charade would work. Deep down he loves Carrie with all his heart. Losing her would utterly destroy him.”
“Well, I’d hate for Kyle to be utterly destroyed. At least, I think I would.”
“Besides, you’d have a freebie vacation in Grayland Beach—it’s a great seaside town, full of tourists. You could swim or go fishing or read…do whatever off-duty policemen like to do. Best of all, I could go home. If we play our parts well, Kyle would believe I was smitten with you, he’d realize what really mattered to him, and everyone would live happily ever after. It’s perfect.”
Yes, it is, Zack thought happily. There is such a thing as a heaven, and its name is Grayland Beach. Suddenly his vacation had a different spin on it. Best of all, it was a short-term situation, so there would be no time for emotional complications. They would be serving each other’s purposes very well.
Still, he couldn’t appear too eager. “There is the matter of my virtue, you know,” he said solemnly. “Sharing a home with a near-stranger, and all that.”
“Oh, that’s funny. Really funny. I’m the one taking the risk here, and if I feel pretty safe, you probably should. If it will make you feel better, I’ll cross my heart and promise not to compromise you.”
“Oh.” There was a wealth of exaggerated disappointment in the little word. “How reassuring.”
“We have a deal?”
Zack grinned, resisting the urge to turn cartwheels in the Playplace. “I’m tickled to death to be of service. After all, I have sworn to protect and serve the people of California. You’re from Oregon, but since you once lived in Los Angeles, I’ll make an exception this time and serve you, as well.” He played that back in his mind and added, “It would be a strictly platonic service, of course. On my best behavior at all times, unless someone is looking.”
“This is wonderful,” Anna breathed, her eyes lighting up. “You’ll do it? I can actually go home?”
“Yes, and I can actually go with you.” Zack was dumbstruck by his own good fortune. He couldn’t have planned this any better himself. “I feel like I’m taking advantage of you, to tell you the truth. After all, I’m getting free room and board.”
“It’s the least I can do for you helping me out. All you’d have to do is back me up. Play the part, pretend we’re smitten with each other. I’m certain that would help Kyle realize how important Carrie really is to him. This way Kyle and I will still be friends when this is all over.”
“I’m happy I can help you and Dr. Doolittle just be friends,” Zack said magnanimously. “Besides, it gives me something to do.” Something very sweet, his own personal Mount McSugar. “Now, about the rest of your male friends. If you want Kyle to swallow this, you can’t be spending any time with anyone else. No other men. No more Davy or Frank, not while I’m there. We have to make this look good. Agreed?”
“Of course.”
“Do you think you can convince Kyle you’re absolutely, completely, positively infatuated with me? It would require some serious acting on both our parts. Serious acting.”
“When Kyle’s around,” Anna qualified.
“Well, of course when Kyle’s around. There would be no point to acting all googly-eyed when he’s not around, would there?” Zack rubbed his hands together with great anticipation. He loved a challenge, and from what he knew of Anna Smith, he was certain this would be an exceptionally enjoyable challenge. “This will be fun. Undercover cops are very good at acting, you know. We’re always having to bluff our way through sticky situations.”
“Well, that’s encouraging,” Anna said doubtfully. “I’m sure I don’t have as much practice acting as you do, but I’m a quick study.”
Zack smiled. Smoothly he said, “I’m a good teacher.”
“I’ll just bet you are. Well…” Anna stood up, clearing up the cartons and napkins on the table. “I guess we can be on our way. The drive isn’t too long, only a few hours from here. I’ve absolutely hated being away from home. I didn’t sleep at all last night. You have no idea how happy I’ll be to get into my own bed.”
“Well then, I guess we just became partners in crime. So to speak.” Zack stood up as well, wanting to hit the road before she had a chance to reconsider. “It seems like the same things keep happening to us. I didn’t sleep a wink myself last night, then this morning we both head to McDonald’s for breakfast. Fate is definitely playing a part here.”
“Fate,” Anna said firmly, “is what you make it. I learned that a long time ago.”
Zack grinned at her, feeling very kindly toward a benevolent fate at that moment. “If you say so.”
“It’s true. You can’t leave anything to chance in this life. You’ve got to make the most of every day, every minute.”
Zack’s sparkling eyes took in her swinging hair, the snug fit of her jeans, the way she wrinkled her turned-up nose when she tried to make a point. “I intend to, Anna. From this second on.”
There was somethin
g about being closely followed for three hours by a car that looked as though it came straight from the Grand Prix that was detrimental to Anna’s driving. Since she wasn’t a good driver in the best of circumstances, this was bad. She repeatedly found herself weaving back and forth across the yellow line, exceeding the speed limit by as much as twenty-five miles an hour, and throwing up gravel and clouds of dust on the soft shoulder of the road when navigating S-curves. These things all happened when she paid more attention to her rearview mirror than to the road ahead of her.
The problem was the view. Some people would say the stretch of coastal road reaching into Oregon was one of the most picturesque trips one could take. But some people hadn’t seen Zack Daniels driving a Lotus. As far as Anna was concerned, the man put Highway 105 to shame. He drove with the windows down, the wind softly beating his black hair around his California-tanned face. He also wore wraparound sunglasses that added to the exotic, elegant picture. Up until this point in her life, Anna had never understood women’s susceptibility to a man driving a gleaming, undeniably sexy machine capable of breaking the sound barrier. And so, absentmindedly ignoring practically every rule of the road, she drove more than three hundred miles looking more behind her car than in front. It was a small miracle that she didn’t wrap the Jeep around a tree. Once or twice she saw Zack toss one of his arms up in the air as if to say, What the hell are you thinking? But he stuck stubbornly behind her, never once losing sight. On reflection, she decided he probably had a lot of experience tailing people.
It was late afternoon when she pulled off the highway, happy to once again be traveling the familiar tree-lined streets of Grayland Beach. Her only regret was that Zack was seeing her beloved Victorian at this particular time of day. She had always felt that seeing a house for the first time was like meeting a person for the first time. It was important to be lively and memorable, while remaining true to one’s individuality. When she first decided to restore the home she had lived in for so many years, she spent months researching the complicated color schemes, authentic materials and elaborate ornamentation of Victorian architecture. Then she set about interpreting them to suit her own unique personality. She had used seventeen shades of creamy pastels on the exterior of her home, a color scheme that had deeply offended the modern minimalist in her friend Davy. He had gone so far as to liken her home to a “color-blind peacock dressed to kill.” Anna, however, was thrilled with the finished product. The fanciful towers and turrets of the Victorian reminded her of a fairy-tale castle, a fitting setting for Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty or Anna Smith. She adored the stark-white gingerbread trim, expansive bay windows and deep wraparound porch which added to the charm. Granted, the rainbow of colors was a little unsettling to some of her neighbors, but Anna considered her “Painted Lady” a masterpiece of artistic creativity.
