Her Accidental Engagement (Harlequin Special Edition)

by Major, Michelle

“I think he’s back down,” she said as she came into the kitchen.

  Sam rounded on her, needing to get to the crux of the matter before he completely lost control. “You’re right,” he told her. “This deal was my idea and I’ll play the part of doting fiancé because it helps us both.”

  “Doting may be pushing it,” she said, fumbling with the pizza box, clearly wary of his change in mood. “We don’t need to go overboard.”

  He propped one hip on the counter. “We need to make it believable.” He kept his tone all business. “Whatever it takes.”

  “Fine. We’ll make people believe we’re totally in love. I’m in. Whatever it takes to convince Jeff to drop the custody suit.”

  “Will he?”

  “He still hasn’t even seen Charlie. I get the impression his parents are pushing for the new custody deal. The attorney is really here to figure out if they have a viable case or not before they go public. Jeff didn’t want kids in the first place. He’d even talked about getting the big snip. They probably think Charlie is their only shot at a grandchild, someone to mold and shape in their likeness.”

  “I don’t think that’s how kids work.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t think they care. If we can convince Lexi that Charlie has a happy, stable home and that he’s better off here than with Jeff and his family, that’s the report she’ll give to them. It will be enough. It has to. Once I get the custody agreement—”

  “You’ll dump my sorry butt,” Sam supplied.

  “Or you can break it off with me.” She rinsed a plate and put it into the dishwasher. “People will expect it. You’re up for reappointment soon. It should earn extra points with some of the council members. Everyone around here knows I’m a bad bet.”

  “I thought you and Ethan had been the town’s golden couple back in the day.”

  “He was the golden boy,” she corrected. “I was the eye candy on his arm. But I messed that up. My first in a series of epic fails in the relationship department.”

  “Does it bother you that he’s with Lainey?” Sam asked, not willing to admit how much her answer meant to him.

  She smiled. “They’re perfect together in a way he and I never were. She completes him and all that.”

  “Do you think there’s someone out there who’d complete you?”

  “Absolutely.” She nodded. “At this moment, he’s drooling in the crib at the end of the hall.”

  He took a step closer to her and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “We’re going to make sure he stays there.”

  Her lips parted as she looked up at him. Instinctively he eased toward her.

  She blinked and raised her hands to his chest, almost pushing him away but not quite. “We have to establish some ground rules,” she said, sounding as breathless as he felt.

  “I’m the law around these parts, ma’am,” he said in his best Southern drawl. “I make the rules.”

  “Nice try.” She laughed and a thrill ran through him. “First off, no touching or kissing of any kind.”

  It was his turn to throw back his head and laugh. “We’re supposed to be in love. You think people will believe you could keep your hands off me?”

  She smacked his chest lightly. “I’m surprised your ego made it through the front door. Okay, if the situation calls for it you can kiss me. A little.” Her eyes narrowed. “But no tongue.”

  He tried to keep a straight face. “Where’s the fun in that?”

  “My best offer,” she whispered.

  He traced her lips with the tip of one finger and felt himself grow heavy when they parted again. “I think we’d better practice to see if I’ll be able to manage it.”

  He leaned in, but instead of claiming her mouth he tilted his head to reach the smooth column of her neck. He trailed delicate kisses up to her ear and was rewarded with a soft moan. Pushing her hair back, he cradled her face between his palms.

  Her breath tingled against his skin and she looked at him, desire and self-control warring in the depths of her eyes. He wanted to keep this arrangement business but couldn’t stop his overwhelming need. As out of control as a runaway train, he captured her lips with his.

  Chapter Four

  It should be illegal for a kiss to feel so good. The thought registered in Julia’s dizzy brain. Followed quickly by her body’s silent demand for more...more...more. Her arms wound around Sam’s neck and she pressed into him, the heat from his body stoking a fire deep within her. His mouth melded to hers as he drew his hands up underneath her shirt.

  A man hadn’t kissed her like this in so long. As though he meant it, his mouth a promise of so much more.

  A familiar voice cut through her lust-filled haze. “So, the rumors are true. Doesn’t seem right your mother should be the last to know.”

  Sam’s eyes flew open as he stepped away from her. Julia let out a soft groan.

  “Ever think of knocking?” she asked, pressing her hands over her eyes.

  “No” was her mother’s succinct answer.

  “Nice to see you, Mrs. Morgan.” Although Sam’s voice sounded a little shaky, Julia had to admire his courage in holding her mother’s gaze.

  Almost unwillingly, Julia turned and met her mom’s steely glare. “I’m sorry, Mom. We wanted to keep things quiet a bit longer.”

  Vera Morgan was a tiny blonde dynamo of a woman. Her hair pulled back into a neat bun, she retained the beauty of her youth mixed with the maturity of decades spent overseeing her life and everyone in it. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Until you could announce your engagement in the middle of a crowded restaurant?”

  Julia cringed. “Not the exact plan.”

  “I don’t understand what this is about. It sounds like one of your typical impetuous decisions. Your father and I raised you to be more careful with how you act. I thought you’d have learned to be more responsible about the choices you make. Have you thought of Charlie? What’s best for him?”

  “He’s all I think about and of course I want what’s best for him. You have no idea...” Julia wanted to lay it all on the line for her mother—Jeff’s family, the attorney, her fear of losing Charlie. She paused and glanced at Sam. He nodded slightly as if to encourage her.

  How could she admit her years of bad choices could jeopardize Charlie’s future? She knew her mother thought she was irresponsible, fickle and flighty. For most of her life, Julia had been all of those things and worse.

  Her mother waited for an answer while the toe of one shoe tapped out a disapproving rhythm. Julia could measure the milestone moments of her life by her mother’s slow toe tap. She swore sometimes she could hear it in her sleep.

  “I don’t expect you to understand, but this is good for Charlie. For both of us.”

  Vera’s gaze slanted between Julia and Sam. “Having the hots for a guy isn’t the same as love. From what I just witnessed, you two have chemistry, but marriage is a lot more than physical attraction.”

  Julia felt a blush rise to her cheeks. “I’m not a teenager anymore,” she mumbled. “I get that.”

  “I worry about you rushing into something.” Vera paused and pinned Sam with a look before continuing. “Especially with a man who has a reputation around town. I don’t want you to be hurt.”

  “I know what I’m doing. Trust me. For once trust that I’m making the right decision.” She hated that her voice cracked. She’d made some stupid choices in her life. So what? Lots of people did and they lived through it. Did she have to be raked over the coals for every indiscretion?

  Sam’s hand pressed into the small of her back, surprisingly comforting. “Mrs. Morgan,” he began, his voice strong and confident. Julia wished she felt either right now. “Your daughter is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”

  Julia glanced over her shoulder, for a m
oment wondering if he was talking about her sister.

  The corner of his mouth turned up as he looked at her. “You are amazing. You’re honest and brave and willing to fight for what you want.”

  Charlie’s sweet face flashed in Julia’s mind, and she gave a slight nod.

  “You’re a lot stronger and smarter than you give yourself credit for.” His gaze switched to Vera. “Than most people give her credit for. But that’s going to change. I want people to see the woman I do. Maybe we shouldn’t have hidden our relationship, but it wasn’t anyone’s business. To hell with my reputation and Julia’s, too.”

  “I hear a couple town-council members are making a big deal about your single status as they’re starting to review your contract. They think only a family man can impart the kind of values and leadership Brevia needs.”

  “Another reason we were quiet. I don’t want to use Julia and Charlie to get reappointed. The job I’ve done as police chief should be enough.”

  He sounded so convincing, Julia almost believed him. At the very least, his conviction gave her the courage to stand up for herself a little more. “Sam’s right. We’re not looking for anyone’s approval. This is about us.”

  “Have you set a date yet?” Vera asked, her tone hard again.

  “We’re working on that.”

  Sam cleared his throat. “I’m going to head home.” He dropped a quick kiss on Julia’s cheek. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Coward,” she whispered.

  “Sticks and stones,” he said softly before turning to Vera.

  “Mrs. Morgan, I’m sorry you found out this way. I hope you know I have Julia and Charlie’s best interests at heart.”

  Her mother’s eyes narrowed.

  “That’s my cue.” Sam scooted around Vera and let himself out the front door.

  “I only want what’s best for you.” Vera stepped forward. “Your father and I didn’t do enough to help you when you were younger. I won’t make that mistake again.” She wrapped one arm around Julia’s waist. “I don’t understand how this happened and I don’t trust Sam Callahan. But I know Charlie is your number one priority. That’s what counts.”

  Julia didn’t want her mother to feel guilty. As a child, she’d tried to hide the extent of her problems from her parents, as well as everyone else. They weren’t to blame. She let out a slow breath. “I’m doing this for Charlie.”

  “You love him?”

  “He’s my entire life.”

  “I meant, do you love Sam? Enough to marry him.”

  “Sam is a wonderful man,” Julia answered quickly. “I’d be a fool not to want to marry him.” Not exactly a declaration of deep and abiding love but it was as much as she could offer tonight. “I’m sorry you had to come over.”

  Her mother watched her for several moments before releasing her hold. “You’re my daughter. I’ll do anything to protect you. You know that, right?”

  Julia nodded. Once again, she had the urge to share the whole sordid mess with her mother. She swallowed back her emotions. “It’s late. I’ll bring Charlie by in the morning before I drop him at the sitter’s.”

  Vera patted her cheek. “Get some sleep. You look like you could use it. You can’t keep up this pace. You’re no spring chicken.”

  “Thanks for the reminder.” That was the reason Julia wanted to handle this on her own. Vera couldn’t help but judge her. It was in her mother’s nature to point out all the ways Julia needed improvement. She’d have a field day with the custody situation. Julia had enough trouble without adding her mother’s opinion into the mix.

  She closed and locked the door behind her mother then sagged against it. She’d done a lot of reckless things in her life but wondered if this time she’d gone off the deep end.

  The baby monitor made a noise. Charlie gave a short cry before silence descended once more. Her gaze caught on a framed photo on one end table, taken minutes after his birth. She’d known as soon as the nurse had placed him in her arms that Charlie was the best part of her. She’d vowed that day to make something of her life, to become worthy of the gift she’d been given. While she had a difficult time tamping down her self-doubt, she never questioned how far she would go to protect her son. She’d do whatever it took to keep him safe, even this ridiculous charade with Sam. If it helped her custody case in the least, Julia would become the most devoted fiancée Brevia had ever seen.

  * * *

  That commitment was put to the test the next morning when a posse of angry women descended on the salon. Two to be exact, but it felt like a mob.

  She’d swung by her mother’s after breakfast then dropped Charlie with Mavis Donnelly, the older woman who watched him and one other toddler in her home. She’d gotten into town by eight-thirty, thanks to Charlie’s propensity to wake with the sun. She wanted time to look over the monthly billing spreadsheets before anyone else arrived.

  No one outside her immediate family knew about her condition, and she intended to keep it that way, afraid of being taken advantage of or thought too stupid to handle her own business. She put in the extra time she needed to get each financial piece right. Sometimes she studied the numbers until she felt almost physically ill.

  When the knocking started, she straightened from her desk in the back, assuming it was one of the stylists who’d forgotten her key. Instead the front door swung open to reveal two pairs of angry eyes glaring at her.

  “How’d you do it?” Annabeth Sullivan asked, pushing past her into the salon without an invitation. Annabeth had been in the same high-school class as Julia, a girl Julia would have referred to as a “band geek” back in the day. She hadn’t been kind, and Annabeth, who now managed the bank reviewing Julia’s loan application, hadn’t let her forget it. Annabeth’s younger sister, Diane, followed her inside.

  “Morning to you, ladies.”

  “He never goes on more than three dates.” Annabeth held up three plump fingers. “Never.”

  “Can I see the ring?” Diane asked, her tone gentler.

  Reluctantly, Julia held out her hand. “It’s perfect,” Diane gushed.

  “Kind of small,” Annabeth said, peering at it from the corner of one eye. “I figured you’d go for the gaudy flash.”

  Julia felt her temper flare. “You don’t know me, then.”

  Annabeth took a step closer. “I know you, Julia Morgan. I know you had your minions stuff my locker with Twinkies the first day of freshman year. And made my life hell every day after that. I spent four years trying to stay off your radar and still you’d hunt me down.”

  The truth of the accusation made Julia cringe. “I’m sorry. I tried to make amends when I came back. I was awful and I’m truly sorry. I offered you free services for a year to try to repay a tiny portion of my debt.”

  “A year?” Diane turned to her sister. “You never told me that.”

  “Be quiet, Diane. That doesn’t matter now. What I want to know is how you cast your evil spell over Sam Callahan.”

  “I’m not a witch. No spells, no magic.” She paused then added, “We fell in love. Simple enough. Is there something else you need?” She took a step toward the front door but Annabeth held up a hand.

  “Nothing is simple with you. Sam is a good man. He went on three dates with Diane.”

  “Almost four,” Diane added. “I thought I’d made it past the cutoff. But he got called to a fire and had to cancel our last dinner. After that, he told me he wanted to be just friends.”

  “So, how come you two are all of a sudden engaged when no one even knew you were dating?”

  “Even Abby was surprised and she knows everything about Sam.” Diane clamped a hand over her mouth as Annabeth leveled a scowl at her.

  As Julia understood it, Abby Brighton had moved to Brevia to take care of her elderly grandfather.
She was the police chief’s secretary and dispatcher. She didn’t know about Abby’s relationship with Sam, but the way Annabeth was looking at her sister, there was more to the story.

  “Plus, you’re a little long in the tooth for Sam,” Annabeth stated, getting back to the business at hand.

  Her mom had just said she was no spring chicken and now this. Lucky thing she’d chucked her ego to the curb years ago. “I’m thirty-two, the same age as you, Annabeth. We’re not quite over the hill.”

  Annabeth pulled a small notebook out of her purse. “That’s old for Sam. He usually dates women at least four years younger than him.”

  “And how old is that?”

  “Don’t you know how old he is?” Diane asked.

  Julia met Annabeth’s shrewd gaze. Calculated error on her part. “Of course. What I don’t understand is why you carry a notebook with Sam’s dating stats in it.”

  Annabeth snapped the notebook shut. “I don’t have his dating stats, just a few pertinent facts. He and Diane seemed closer than any of the other women he dated. I want my sister to be happy. She had a chance before you came into the picture.”

  Julia studied Diane and couldn’t begin to picture the dainty woman and Sam as a couple. “Did Sam break your heart?”

  Diane scrunched up her nose. “No,” she admitted after a moment. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s supercute and such a gentleman. But he’s a little um...big...for me.”

  Julia’s mouth dropped open. “Big?”

  “Not like that,” Diane amended. “He’s just...with the uniform, all those muscles and he’s so tall. It’s kind of intimidating.”

  “I know what you mean,” Julia agreed, although Sam’s size appealed to her. She was five-nine, so it took a lot of guy to make Julia feel petite, but Sam did it in a way that also made her feel safe.

  “You have real feelings for him.” Annabeth interrupted her musings.

  “I... We’re engaged. I’d better have real feelings.”

  “Frankly, I thought this was another one of your stunts to show up the other single women in town. Prove that you’re still the leader of the pack and all that.” She glanced at Diane. “I didn’t want my sister to fall prey to you the way I did.”