The Best Bride

by Susan Mallery

  “Because when the detective located me, I was still married.”

  He turned his head and glared at her. “Married?” The outrage in his voice made her smile.

  “Yes, married.”

  “Married?”

  “Nick, watch the road. I want to get to Glenwood in one piece.”

  He returned his attention to the road and swore under his breath. “Dammit, Hannah, you didn’t tell me you were married.”

  “Why are you acting like it matters?”

  “Because it does.”

  “That’s crazy. We don’t even know each other.”

  “That’s something a man likes to know before he pretends to be somebody’s husband.”

  “Sorry. I’ll remember that for next time.”

  He shook his head. “Married.”

  Her amusement turned to irritation. “I know it’s hard for you to imagine this, but there are actually men who find me attractive. Amazingly, I did trap one into a committed relationship, at least for a short period of time.”

  She hadn’t trapped Shawn, although the relationship had been a mistake from the beginning. They’d only been married five days. Even thinking about it made her embarrassed. It was a foolish episode from her past.

  “How long have you been divorced?” he asked.

  “About two months.”

  “Two months? You mean all this past year you were living with your husband?”

  She sighed. “Why are you taking this so hard? You’re acting like I’ve cheated on you. No, I wasn’t living with my husband. We’ve been separated about four years. I just never bothered filing for divorce and neither did he. Until recently.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing I want to discuss with you. The important point is that when the detective found me, I was still married. The letter from Louise—that’s my biological mother—mentioned that she wanted to meet my husband.”

  “Why didn’t you tell her the truth when you talked to her on the phone?”

  The car glided over the paved highway. Hannah turned to her right and pretended interest in the billboards. “Well, one reason was that she said that she wanted us to get together while there was still time. I’m afraid she’s very ill. I didn’t want to upset her. She’s an old woman. That’s why I hired you. We show up together. I’m the long-lost daughter, you’re my husband. We act pleasant. In a couple of days you get a business call and return to Southport Beach. When I’m sure she can handle it, I’ll tell her the truth.”

  “Sounds pretty flaky to me.”

  “I don’t recall asking your opinion.”

  “Hey, don’t worry, babe. I’m not going to charge you extra for it. I’ve run plenty of scams in my time.”

  “I’m sure you have.”

  He winked. “Some of them have been legitimate.”

  “Want to give me a percentage?”

  “Not really. The trick is to keep them as close to real as possible. You should have brought the ex with you. It would have been a lot easier.”

  “He wasn’t available right now.”

  “Traveling on business?”

  She wondered what Nick would say if she told him about Shawn. She could already hear the teasing remarks. Better to walk on broken glass and eat poisoned dung beetles for breakfast.

  “You might say that.”

  “I might. What would you say?”

  She sucked in a breath. “Shawn is working right now.”

  “Oh. Shawn. Let me guess. Some Ivy League type with three numbers after his name and a pedigree longer than the grand champion at a dog show.”

  She bit on her lower lip to keep from laughing. Please, God, never let Nick find out the truth. “Sort of.”

  Nick stewed over that for a while. She watched the mile markers zip by. Ten minutes later, he said, “You never finished answering my question. Why didn’t you tell your mother the truth when you talked to her on the phone?”

  She crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest. “I haven’t actually spoken with her on the phone. We’ve been writing letters.”

  “Why? Wouldn’t it be easier to pick up the phone and call?”

  “No, it wouldn’t.”

  She half turned in the seat, facing away from him as much as the seat belt would allow. He couldn’t understand her mixed emotions about what was happening. His life was so different from hers. Nick was one of those people who was blessed. He had good looks, charm, wit, a sharp mind. It was unfortunate he’d chosen to use his talents the way he had. If he’d been honest, he could have gone far.

  It was different for her. She had to worry about things. She wasn’t gifted. People thought she was so calm and composed, but she felt like a poster she’d once seen of a swan. Above the surface, the bird seemed to be gliding along, but underneath the water, where no one could see, its feet were working like crazy to keep up the facade.

  From the time she’d lost her parents and been dumped in her first foster home, she realized that no one wanted her around. She couldn’t remember the number of times she’d been told the state wasn’t paying enough for the family to keep her for long. She’d lost track of the number of houses, apartments, schools she’d been in.

  For a while, she’d wanted to fit in, to belong. She’d really tried. But her attempts hadn’t been enough, or she’d done it the wrong way, because no one had noticed. Eventually, she stopped trying. Sometimes the people were nice enough, but she learned early on not to depend on anyone but herself. It was better not to care. Nothing ever lasted. Even when it seemed things were working out, she was always sent somewhere else.

  She felt his hand on top of hers. She pushed him away.

  “Hannah, honey, I know you’re scared. But it’s going to be okay.”

  “I’m not scared and you don’t know it’s going to be okay.”

  “Sure I do. I’m here. I’m going to make it work. You’ll see.”

  She sniffed and ignored him. Cheap talk from someone used to buying whatever he wanted. Actually, she didn’t know that about Nick; she was only assuming. But it was probably true.

  Instead of taking the broad hint, he once again put his hand on top of hers and squeezed gently. The comfort meant a lot to her, even though she didn’t want to tell him. It would be too much like giving in. She was convinced that if she gave in—even a little—she would suffer for the rest of her life. So she held back. Resisted. Didn’t say anything. She didn’t trust Nick. She wasn’t even sure she liked him.

  But when he nudged her, she turned her hand over and let him lace his fingers through hers.

  Chapter Three

  Nick checked the rearview mirror. There was no one behind them but truckers and no one was going the speed limit. He touched a button on the cruise control panel, then glanced at Hannah. She was leaning against the passenger door, her head resting on the window. She’d been asleep for most of the morning.

  He slipped a tape of classical music into the cassette player and kept the sound low. She didn’t stir. He was glad. She obviously needed her rest. The shadows under her eyes weren’t all from her hangover. No doubt the stress and worry about meeting her birth mother for the first time had kept her up nights.

  Her color was better now, her breathing steady. Of course, her color wasn’t quite as high as it had been when he’d kissed her.

  He grinned at the memory. Kissing Hannah Pace was something he should have done a long time ago. Not only for the pleasure it had given him, but because it had left her speechless.

  Oh, he’d thought about it. He couldn’t be around Hannah for more than five minutes without thinking about kissing her and touching her. She was the kind of woman who lent herself to wicked thoughts—at least in his mind.

  He’d wondered if she would resist the kiss and the heat it generated. Passion could be disconcerting if one was used to constantly being in control. He suspected Hannah prided herself on being in control. But she hadn’t resisted or pretended not to respond. Even if
he hadn’t felt the clinging sweetness of her mouth, her fire-filled eyes and uneven breathing had given her away. Yup, kissing Hannah had been a great idea. He’d imagined it would be terrific, and the real thing had been better than any fantasy. He couldn’t wait to do it a second time.

  He checked on her again, but she was silent and still asleep. Was she dreaming? Was she worrying about what was going to happen? Did she regret her confession?

  Hannah had been married. He thought he’d figured her out, but that piece of information had stunned him. Married. He swore under his breath. Why hadn’t he known?

  “Why does it matter?” he asked himself softly, then decided he didn’t want to know the answer.

  Married. To whom? Not a cop. She wouldn’t have been able to keep that quiet. He would have heard about it—some kind of hint would have surfaced in the past year. He knew all about gossip at a police station. Everyone knew everyone else’s business.

  Who would Hannah have married and then divorced? A successful businessman with shady dealings? He grimaced. Hannah wasn’t the type to get involved with a criminal. That’s one of the things he liked best about her—her-principles. Of course, those high standards meant she wasn’t likely to give him the time of day.

  He thought about the assignment he’d been working on. All the hours being alone, the danger, the tension. It was about to end. Just a few more days, maybe a couple of weeks.

  He wondered what Hannah would say if he told her the truth. Would she like him more? Respect him? It didn’t matter. Until the assignment was over, until the bad guys were in jail, he wasn’t telling anyone anything. He wasn’t going to risk all that time and effort. He wanted those guys caught.

  So Hannah would continue to think he was a criminal and he would let her. Probably best for both of them.

  An airline pilot with a girlfriend at every stop? Nick shook his head. He didn’t like that scenario, either. He didn’t want her ex-husband to have abused her, or cheated on her, or done anything illegal. But if the ex was so perfect, why had they divorced?

  His stomach rumbled, reminding him it had been a long time since breakfast. He glanced at the billboards on either side of the multilane freeway, then took the next exit to a fast-food restaurant. He pulled in behind a battered pickup truck with two live caged chickens and a goat tied in the back. He glanced at Hannah. She stirred and blinked sleepily.

  She had the best-behaved hair of anyone he knew. At the station she wore it in a bun at the back of her head. No matter what time he went by, whether it was the first five minutes of her shift or the last, every hair was in place. He’d never seen a strand sneak out to drift against her cheek or her neck.

  Today she wore a thick braid down her back. Despite fighting a hangover and sleeping for the better part of four hours, she was perfectly groomed. He couldn’t help wondering what she would look like all mussed up. Preferably naked, with her hair loose and her eyes heavy with passion.

  The stirring in his groin made him shift uncomfortably. Think about something else, he ordered himself.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  She glanced around. “No, but I should probably eat. Just a hamburger and soda, please.”

  “Sure.” He pulled up to the microphone and placed their order.

  “I’ve been asleep,” she said. “You should have woken me.”

  “Why?”

  “So I could spell you on the driving.”

  “I like to drive.”

  She leaned back in her seat. “Not surprising. It’s a control thing. Men like to drive because it makes them feel in control.”

  “You learn that in Psych 101?”

  “Are you denying it’s true?”

  “Nope. Just wondering where you got so smart.”

  One corner of her pretty mouth turned up slightly. “I figured it out all by myself.”

  “You can drive this afternoon.” He wouldn’t mind driving the whole way north, but as they got closer to Glenwood, she would get nervous. Driving would help distract her.

  They collected their food and headed back on the road. Hannah handed him his burger and drink as he asked for it. He’d eaten in the car before, without help, but he liked her being attentive to him. Male vanity, he thought, grinning. She would probably slug him if she ever discovered what he was thinking.

  They passed a sign showing the distances to San Jose, Sacramento and the state line. He reached for his burger. She snatched it back.

  “How fast have you been driving?” she demanded. “Were you speeding?”

  “A little.”

  “More than a little. How fast were you going?”

  “I’m not going to tell you.” His voice was teasing. “Besides, this car was built for the open road. How could I resist?”

  “You didn’t even try.”

  “I try all the time with you, honey, and it doesn’t do me a damn bit of good.”

  Her eyes widened, but she didn’t speak. When he reached for his hamburger, she handed it to him, then faced front as if determined to ignore his presence.

  He liked teasing her. He figured if he kept at it long enough, she would eventually lighten up. She had to. No one could be so uptight all the time. She might even find out he wasn’t such a bad guy.

  Perversely, he wanted her to like him for himself. He laughed silently. What a load of bull. If Hannah, or any woman, actually started to care about him, he would run so fast in the opposite direction, he would get road burn on his feet. Even if the thought of settling down tempted him on occasion, he preferred to travel light. If he was honest with himself, part of Hannah’s appeal was that she was unreachable. She would never see him as anything but lowlife scum.

  He finished his burger and took another drink of soda. “Tell me more about your life,” he said.

  She collected their trash, transferring it all to one bag, then wiped her hands on a napkin. “It’s really none of your business.”

  “You have to give me some personal information. I am going to be pretending to be your husband.”

  “You already know enough.”

  She made him work for every point. God, he adored her. “I know about the divorce, but that’s not information you want spread around, right?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Be serious, Nick. You’re supposed to be my first and only husband. You know I was adopted, that I’m a cop. What else is there?”

  “How about some information about your childhood? Your adoptive parents. Anything about them?”

  She stared out the window. “I was too young to remember much. I don’t want to talk about them.”

  “Okay. School. Your favorite subject.”

  “I don’t remember. I don’t think I had one. When I was moved around to different foster homes, I also had to change schools. I don’t think this is necessary. It’s not as if Louise is going to have a quiz after dinner and want you to recite details from my past.”

  He knew some of her crankiness came from nerves, but the rest of it was because they were treading close to dangerous territory. He knew all about the child welfare system. Some kids got lucky. Others, like Hannah, got passed around from place to place. He knew about growing up lonely and scared, too. He’d had one parent at home—his father. At times, he thought it would have been better if the old man had just kicked him out and let him make his own way.

  Hannah twisted her hands together. Nick wanted to reach out to her, but sensed she wasn’t in any mood to accept comfort. She was prickly, but the shell had to be hard to protect a soft heart. While the thought of her actually caring about him was terrifying, he could easily be concerned about her. It was safe because there wasn’t a chance of it becoming real.

  “You grew up in Los Angeles?” he asked.

  “Orange County.”

  “College?”

  “Yes, I went.”

  He smiled. “What did you major in?”

  “Nick, none of this is important.” She crossed and uncrossed her legs.


  With a flash of insight, Nick figured it out. Hannah regretted confessing as much as she had to him. She wasn’t used to sharing her life with anyone, let alone a man like him. She was afraid he would use the information against her. He wished he could reassure her, but doubted she would believe him. Besides, what was he supposed to say?

  “I’m twenty-seven,” she said. “A communications officer with the Southport Beach Police Department. I have brown hair and brown eyes. I think that’s more than enough personal stuff, don’t you?”

  “Yeah. And I want to thank you for that revealing glance into your private life. We’re going to be a completely believable couple.”

  She stared at him, wide-eyed. “Of course we will be. All you have to do is follow my lead. I’m a trained police officer. I know how to handle difficult situations. You’re a professional con artist, used to thinking on your feet. This is going to be simple. The easiest scam you’ve ever pulled.”

  He knew what he was pretending to be. Her assumptions about him proved that his cover had been successful. Still, the remarks stung. As he concentrated on the road, he told himself he was getting too old for this line of work. When the job was finished, he was going to have to rethink his life.

  * * *

  Welcome To Glenwood.

  Hannah stared at the sign and wondered if she was going to throw up. Her stomach, which had calmed down considerably in the afternoon, started acting up again. This time, it wasn’t from the aftereffects of alcohol. It was nerves… and fear.

  Nick pulled to the side of the road and turned off the engine. “What do you want to do? Find a hotel or find your mother?”

  Her throat closed. She couldn’t speak. Worse, she couldn’t think. She opened her mouth. “I…” She drew in a breath and tried again. “The drive should have taken longer.”

  He brushed a finger against the side of her cheek. “I know. Sorry.”

  She shook her head. “It’s not your fault.” She’d had a turn at the wheel and discovered that his luxury car did make it amazingly easy to speed. “Give me a minute here. I’m not sure what to do.” Her voice trembled. What had she been thinking when she decided to come up here? This was all a mistake.