“Lauren’s birth mom was going to give her away until Russ invented a bride-to-be,” Rachel blurted with typical candor. “That’s the only way he can win custody.”
Well, what the heck? Russ doubted anything less than the truth would have satisfied their hostess.
Connie drummed her fingers on the door frame. “Are you certain this engagement is absolutely necessary? Because it’s a harebrained idea.”
Taking over the lead, Russ detailed the circumstances with Janine, including the unexpected death of her parents. He kept his voice low, reassured by the faint sound of his daughter chattering to the dolls in the bedroom.
Connie tilted her head pensively. “Well, at least it’s a pretend engagement. You’ll break it off as soon as the custody issue’s settled, right?”
Rachel glanced at Russ before answering. “Not exactly. It’s real.”
“How real?” This woman had the tenacity of a pit bull.
“There’s a chance we might get married.”
“Would that be a ten percent chance? Twenty percent?” her friend asked. “Or about the same odds as, say, a blizzard hitting L.A. in August?”
Russ jumped in. “Fifty percent.” Rachel nodded enthusiastically.
The blonde perched on a chair. “So you might actually walk down the aisle or you might not. Depending on what?”
“How hot the sex is,” his bride-to-be quipped.
Russ tried not to dwell on an image of Rachel’s lightly tanned skin pressing against his and their legs tangling beneath the sheets. With Lauren in the house, he hoped he’d be in no danger of yielding to temptation.
“We’re doing this for Lauren’s sake, and I appreciate Rachel’s help,” he said more gruffly than he’d intended.
“And I’d love to be Lauren’s stepmom,” Rachel said.
Connie studied her speculatively, then swung her gaze to Russ. “Is she moving in with you?”
“Oh, hey, can I?” Rachel regarded him with an unmistakable flash of hope.
On the verge of refusing, Russ reconsidered. Although he’d decorated the third bedroom as an office, he’d included a foldout couch for visitors. Given her knack for reading his daughter’s moods, Rachel’s presence might help Lauren adjust. Besides, as Connie had explained on the phone, she’d be returning to her condo before long. “Sure, if you’d like.”
Both women heaved sighs of relief. These two must be grating on each other’s nerves, Russ thought. Considering their dissimilar personalities, he was amazed they’d become friends in the first place.
Connie chuckled. “Guess I was kind of obvious about that, huh? Don’t take this the wrong way, Rache.”
“You don’t have to tell me I’m a bull in a china shop.” Rachel chortled. “A person can’t stretch her legs around here without kicking over two candle arrangements, three little pigs and the seven dwarves.”
Connie made a face. “You exaggerate!”
“Not much.”
A reluctant nod of recognition. “Guess I’m overdue to rotate some of them into the stores. That was the original plan.” To Russ she explained, “I own Connie’s Curios at the intersection of Villa and Arches avenues, about half a mile from here. We have a branch at In a Pickle.”
“She also owns the gift concession at Mesa View Medical Center,” Rachel noted. “Marta runs it for her. They’re cousins.”
If he’d considered Rachel and Connie an odd couple, the blood relationship between this dewy blonde and boyish Marta struck him as stranger still. The discovery served as another reminder that in a small town, he should never assume people weren’t connected.
“The gift shop’s excellent. One of the best I’ve seen.” In addition to flowers, personal-care items, snacks and stuffed animals, the hospital boutique carried books, games, rental DVD players and the latest DVDs, well displayed and stocked.
“Well, speaking as the expert on small decorative items, if you two expect to convince the world you’re engaged, you’ll need a ring,” Connie informed them.
“A ring, huh?” Visions of thousand-dollar price tags danced in Russ’s brain. He also hadn’t begun to tally the impact of day care and other new expenses on his tight budget. “We’ll have to keep it simple.”
Rachel averted her gaze. “Yeah.” Beneath the word, he read disappointment. For heaven’s sake, how seriously was she taking this engagement?
“I have an idea!” Connie sprang to her feet. “You can borrow mine. One of these days I plan to reset the diamond, but in the meantime, you might as well use it.”
“Wow!” Rachel’s colorful hair bounced. “That’s so generous!” Dubiously she added, “You don’t think Joel will recognize it?”
Connie didn’t hesitate. “Are you kidding? He’ll be clueless.”
Rachel wearing a ring to work—that made this arrangement public. And no doubt Marta would spread the word at the hospital, as well. The spiraling nature of the situation disturbed Russ.
“I’m not entirely comfortable with this,” he admitted. “Everybody in the world’s going to hear the news.” The immediate world, anyway.
Rachel tapped her fingers on her thigh. “That’s the idea, isn’t it? To make it seem real?”
“I don’t want to raise false expectations, including yours,” Russ said. If they were going to break it off, he’d rather do it now. “Frankly, you’re sending mixed messages. Moving in. Wearing a ring. How much of this is real to you?”
“The part about wishing I were Lauren’s stepmom is true,” she said wistfully. “And I have to believe we’re actually tying the knot or I’ll never manage to convince Janine.”
That cleared up nothing. “I’m still not sure what you mean by ‘believe.’”
With a rueful smile, she answered, “I stopped believing in Santa Claus eons ago, but every year I decorate a tree and set out cookies by the fireplace.”
How delightful. “Who eats them?”
“Me.” After a moment, she murmured, “But not until after midnight. Just in case he does show.”
Before Russ could sort out this confusing statement, Connie returned with a jewelry box. Lauren followed, clutching a blue-clad male doll about a foot high. “Look, Russ, I can keep Officer Bud!”
“Are you sure that’s all right, Connie?” He feared his daughter might be taking advantage of their hostess.
“You bet. The darn thing reminds me of my ex.” She extended the velvet box. “So does this. Hope it brings you more luck than it brought me.”
Rachel’s attention riveted on the case as she opened it. Moving closer, Russ caught a twinkle of blue-white light from a large stone set amid an emerald swirl. A stunning piece, he thought as his new fiancée slid it onto her finger.
“Thanks, Connie.” Holding her hand aloft, she regarded the ring with shining eyes.
Lauren stared at it. “Connie said you and Russ are getting married.”
Rachel took a deep breath. “I sure hope so.”
Russ recalled that she’d sworn not to lie to his daughter. And that she hadn’t entirely given up on Santa Claus. How much of this is real to you? Maybe a whole lot more than he’d anticipated.
He prayed that he hadn’t made a very big, very awkward mistake.
ONCE RUSS AND LAUREN LEFT, Rachel went to pack her stuff. A simple matter, since she hadn’t brought much.
On her finger, the ring twinkled like a faerie gift. Rachel hadn’t expected to care about anything as froufrou as a diamond ring, especially a borrowed one. Yet its exquisite beauty made her feel pretty and desirable, like the popular girls in high school who’d never acknowledged she existed.
Connie used to be among those girls. Funny how people changed.
Speaking of Connie, her friend barged into the room and stood with arms folded. “Okay, I held my peace and played along, but now I’m going to pose the burning question of the day…Are you nuts?”
“People walk down the aisle every day.” Rachel continued folding clothes into a bag. “As for Russ, h
e’s cool with it.”
“In case you’ve forgotten, you aren’t walking down anything except a primrose path. You’re posing as fiancés because the man’s desperate.”
Rachel wasn’t ready to let go of this magical sense of belonging. “He can’t be that desperate. Of all the women in the world, he chose me.”
“Did you see his reaction when I mentioned buying a ring? The guy was practically backing out the door,” Connie pressed.
“The doc’s reserved. But he’s not the type to run away.” She could count on him in a crisis, as Rachel had discovered yesterday. “Also, he invited me to move in with him. That has to mean something.”
“You invited yourself.” Agitated, her friend sank onto the bed. “Seems to me you’re a lot more into this engagement business than he is.”
Happiness began slipping away. Rachel made one more grab for it. “I like the guy. What’s wrong with that?”
“You’re going to get your heart broken, that’s what!” Connie replied. “He’s gorgeous and he’s a doctor, which means he’s used to having women fall in love with him. I’ll bet he doesn’t even realize how much pain he causes.”
Probably true. But if Rachel listened, her common sense might make her return the ring and go on sleeping in a china-doll guest room. Besides, she’d made a promise to help Lauren. “You may be right, but I don’t care. I’m thirty years old, for Pete’s sake, and there’s not a big market for women who can outshoot and outwrestle guys. I’m going to take a chance that the prince might actually fall for a supersize Cinderella.”
Connie radiated disapproval. “Playing house with a guy you’re falling in love with could have all sorts of unpleasant consequences, especially if you’re falling in love alone.”
Rachel thrust wadded socks and underwear into the corners of a suitcase. “If I’m kidding myself, that’s my problem. When I’m old, I want more to reminisce about than how many crooks I took down! For once, I can be an insider, the girl with the sexy boyfriend, and I’m determined to enjoy every minute. Who can say? He might discover I’m the one he’s been searching for all along.”
A rueful air replaced the frown. “Oh, Rache! Take it from a woman who’s been there. If the guy isn’t a perfect match, don’t try to change him. I wasted three years on Joel, and I don’t even have a kid to show for it. Not that I wanted one, at the time.”
A kid. Lauren. Rachel’s spirits leaped at the prospect of playing with her. And with Russ. “Men always flocked around you. This may be my only chance.”
“You deserve better,” Connie replied loyally. “One of these days you’re going to find a fellow who’ll buy you a ring of your own.”
Rachel lifted her hand, enjoying the flash of blue light. “I prefer this one.”
To her shock, Connie jumped up and gave her a hug. “Don’t underestimate your appeal. Lots of the guys find you attractive. Hale told me a couple of them were disappointed you had to work and missed the Super Bowl party.”
“Well, that’s encouraging, although I can’t imagine who.” Another bit of curiosity nagged at her. “Since when do you and Hale have heart-to-heart talks about me or anything else?”
“He helps me with yard work once in a while. Since we don’t have much else in common, we discuss mutual acquaintances.” She returned to her earlier topic. “So don’t let the doctor break your heart.”
“Thanks for the advice. And for the hospitality.”
“Honestly, it’s been my pleasure.”
Rachel lugged her stuff out to the car. She left most of the beer, which she’d stashed in Connie’s garage refrigerator. No doubt it would migrate back to Hale’s house sooner or later.
Unseasonable sunshine turned the afternoon to California gold, and a faint floral scent drifted through Rachel’s open window as she drove to Russ’s development. Seeing the bungalow again, she registered appealing details: two-toned honey-and-tan trim setting off the beige paint, a large front porch flanked by clumps of calla lilies, and an abstract design etched into the glass of the front door.
It was such a beautiful place compared to the run-down apartment complex where Rachel and her mother used to live. Vague images lingered of dirt and weeds in the yard and the sour scent of an unclean kitchen. She’d longed for an enchanted cottage like this one, and what a glorious opportunity to help a girl who must be aching inside just as Rachel had been, so long ago.
She was proceeding along the walk when Russ opened the front door and stepped out. He made a distinguished figure, with his graying temples and confident carriage.
Then she saw his taut stance, the wariness in his eyes, and her spirits plunged. After a short while to reflect, he apparently had regretted inviting her.
Connie was right. He’d been honest about his discomfort and his intention to break off their engagement once they’d convinced Janine. Why had she nursed delusions about princes and enchanted cottages? A princess didn’t wear boots and strap a gun to her hip.
A twist of sorrow was all the emotion she tolerated before striking a cheerful note. “Don’t worry,” she announced as she approached the porch. “I wasn’t serious about getting married. Let’s just enjoy this while it lasts.”
Relief showed on Russ’s face. That might have hurt, had she allowed it to. But dwelling on disappointments didn’t suit Rachel’s nature.
Giving him a friendly, impersonal nod, she hauled her luggage inside.
Chapter Seven
On Tuesday, Rachel arrived a few minutes early for her new shift, which began at 6 a.m. Although she was happy to be working days following six months on swing, a lot of guys hated rising before noon, so she found herself in an empty briefing room with twenty minutes to spare.
She tried to focus on the posted flyers and announcements, but her mind kept flicking over Monday’s events. Since the department operated on a “five nines” schedule, which meant five nine-hour days followed by three days off, she’d had an extra day to settle in at Russ’s.
Yesterday morning he’d enrolled his daughter in kindergarten. He’d also taken Lauren to a licensed day care at the home of a young mother in the neighborhood. Apparently the meeting had gone well, because he’d agreed to let Mrs. Sommers collect the little girl when school ended at noon, beginning today.
While father and daughter were out, Rachel had found a locked cabinet to store her gun, inspected the smoke alarms and bolt locks, and purchased a carbon monoxide monitor at the hardware store. Having been raised by parents who met foster-care standards, she considered those basic precautions.
Rachel had eaten an early lunch with Marta, then spent the rest of the day with Lauren while Russ worked. The kid had definite tastes—yes to tuna, no to peanut butter—and an understandable tendency to cling. At the park, Lauren had insisted they swing side by side, and when they stopped at the supermarket, she’d required no reminders to stick close.
Later that evening Rachel had struggled to maintain her distance from Russ. She hadn’t entirely succeeded.
As they fixed dinner, she’d bumped into him twice. After Lauren went to bed, a tussle for the remote control had involved further bodily contact and laughter. He hadn’t seemed to mind.
She’d avoided any mention of shopping for a wedding dress or introducing him to her folks. The only reference to their engagement had occurred when he said that Janine wanted to meet his fiancée.
What a peculiar push-pull Rachel experienced about the whole business! Until next weekend, she had to carry on with the pretend engagement in front of the world. And perhaps for a while longer, until custody became final.
As for her condo, the homeowners’ board had hired experts to fix the slope. However, the management company had warned in an e-mail that residents should anticipate at least another few weeks of banishment.
More officers wandered into the briefing room. Determined to wrest some information from her inattentive study of the wanted posters, Rachel reread one about a prison escapee. A robber named Noel Flanders, wh
o’d been arrested in Villazon eight years ago, might have ties to the area. A large tattoo of a skull and crossbones on his neck ought to make him easy to ID even if he dyed his bushy red-brown hair. But, she mused, he’d probably fled across the border to Mexico by now.
Rachel turned as Joel, today’s watch commander, strolled in with Hale. As a detective, Hale didn’t have to put in an appearance this early, but the guy worked harder than you’d assume for a party boy.
They drifted toward Rachel. “How’re you and the dragon lady getting along?” Joel sniped.
“Oh, I’m not living with Connie anymore.”
Hale blinked in surprise. “They fixed your slope?”
“Hardly.” Rachel extended her left hand and braced for a flood of questions. “I moved in with my fiancé.”
Dead silence fell over the room. Her voice had obviously carried. Oh, man, she hated being the center of attention. Every doubt she’d entertained and a plethora of new ones swarmed over her. But I’m doing this for a good cause.
Elise Masterson shot her a dubious glance. Bill Norton, the patrolman who’d been working the yellow-tag scene Saturday night, said, “Don’t tell me it’s that doctor I heard about, the one who pulled you out of the pool.”
“That’s him,” Rachel confirmed.
“He sure works fast!” Bill grumbled.
He was complaining? If her co-worker took a personal interest in her, that was news to Rachel. Maybe Connie had been right. Well, the guy should have spoken out sooner.
Hale gripped her hand, raised it into full view and regarded the sparkler with a pained expression. “Oh, come on, Rache, people don’t just…Hey, that sure looks like Connie’s old ring.”
Uh-oh. Who’d have figured Hale would notice?
“No way,” Joel scoffed. “Her diamond was a lot bigger. I oughtta know. I paid for it.”
Rachel smothered a laugh. If she’d had to fork over the bucks, she’d probably overestimate the size of the rock, too.
“Guess you’re the expert.” With a shrug, Hale released her hand and ambled out. Briefing was for patrol. As a detective, he attended to his own cases.
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