Wife on Approval

by Leigh Michaels

  "Sounds like wishful thinking to me." With relief, Paige noted that they'd turned the final corner and her house was just a few yards away.

  "But this is the kind of thing Rent-A-Wife does all the time, right?"

  "No, it's not," Paige said hastily. "We do not babysit."

  "What about Saturday night?"

  "That was a special arrangement. A favor for my partner, not for you. There's a lot of difference between transporting a kid from school to soccer practice and taking care of one all day. I have a job, too, Austin. In fact, I have a lot of jobs."

  "But you can't deny that your day is a lot more flexible than mine is right now."

  "And that's exactly why you need a long-term solution."

  "I'm working on it, all right?" Austin sounded frustrated. "I'm just trying to buy a little time so I can figure something out."

  Jennifer's small hand stole into Paige's. "There's a kitty up there under the bushes," she confided.

  "Besides," Austin said, "she likes you."

  Paige surveyed the shadows under the spreading juniper bushes in front of her bungalow, but what she was really seeing was the stacks of paper on Austin's desk and the prim and frosty secretary just outside his door-and the face of the child who stood by her side, her to-the-bone chill forgotten for the moment simply because she had caught a glimpse of a stray cat

  Paige sighed. "I'll see you in the morning. At the apartment? Or shall I pick her up at the office?"

  Austin smiled. There was relief in his face, and gratitude, and something more, as well-something that hit Paige with the force of a thousand volts.

  She hadn't forgotten how devastatingly effective his charm could be, but she'd convinced herself she was long past succumbing to its effects. He'd lost that power over her the day he'd told her he was leaving.

  Or at least that was what she had believed.

  Now, however, Paige was dizzy and almost breathless. As if, she thought, she'd put one foot down on a very slippery slope, and she could feel herself starting to slide.

  Only it was too late to back away.

  The atrium lobby at Tanner Electronics looked different. The lights overhead seemed brighter somehow, almost glaring against the glass panels. At first Paige thought the change was simply because she'd never been there so early in the morning, before the weak winter sun gained enough altitude to produce adequate light to compete with the artificial glow.

  Then she saw the ropes blocking off a good third of the atrium, channeling traffic from the front doors to a big new circular desk which stood precisely in the center of the lobby. As she paused to stare, a uniformed security guard came up to her. "Excuse me, miss. I'll need you to sign in at the desk and show some identification. Are you an employee or a visitor?"

  Stunned, Paige complied. Finally, with a brand-new neon-green visitor's badge clipped to the breast pocket of her navy camel hair blazer, she made it to the executive wing.

  Austin was already at his desk, and Jennifer was sprawled on her stomach on the carpet with a book open in front of her, waving her sneakered feet in the air, when Paige came in.

  "It took you a long time," Jennifer accused.

  "Don't push your luck, Jen," Austin recommended. He tossed down his fountain pen and stood.

  "It's not my fault if I'm late," Paige said. "Blame the idiot who insists everybody in the building have a new fashion accessory." She flicked a finger against the badge.

  "What's so bad about them?"

  "How would you know? I don't see you wearing one." Paige's eyes narrowed. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"

  Silently, Austin picked up his sports jacket from the back of a chair and displayed his badge.

  "At least yours looks decent," Paige grumbled. "I bet mine will glow in the dark."

  "Point taken. Maybe we can find a different color that will still make visitors stand out without being quite so loud."

  "Oh, that's a minor detail. As long as you're noting objections, how about this one? Do you have any idea how many times I come into this building in the average week? If I have to stand in fine to be approved every time-"

  "Once the security people start recognizing faces, things will move a lot faster. And maybe we can create a sort of permanent visitors' identification system to speed things up."

  "I am humbly grateful. Come on, Jennifer, let's get out of here so your daddy can get to work." She helped the child gather up her backpack. It wasn't particularly heavy, she noted, but it was stuffed so full that the zipper was straining. Jennifer must have brought along all her favorite things. "And so I can turn this badge in and stop feeling like a billboard," she added, with a sideways look at Austin.

  Jennifer skipped down the hall beside her, swinging the backpack. "What are we going to do today?"

  "Nothing too exciting, I'm afraid. Dishes, for one thing. Drop off a bag of laundry at the dry cleaner's. Stop at the newspaper office to buy a back issue. Pick up a fur coat at the storage place and take it to the owner's house...."

  Jennifer's eyes, she noted, were starting to glaze. Paige laughed. "At least it will be more fun than sitting in your dad's office drawing circles. You can help me plan a Christmas party, too."

  "I like parties," Jennifer said. "Once I went to a birthday party, and-"

  Her chatter kept up as they walked all the way through the building to the balcony above the atrium, where Paige stopped dead. What about her plans to hold a Christmas banquet for Tanner's entire work force in that lobby? A brand-new and enormous security station carved out of the exact center of the room was hardly the kind of focal point she'd had in mind.

  "Back to the drawing board," she muttered, and retreated to the cafeteria to commandeer a booth so she could start revising plans.

  She was still at it an hour later when Sabrina, wearing a neon-green badge that matched Paige's, came in for a cup of coffee. "What are you doing here?" Sabrina asked. "Isn't it my day to satisfy the whims of Tanner employees? Not that the job couldn't keep two of us busy." She stirred sweetener into her coffee. "Hi, babe, why aren't you in school?"

  "I'm not a babe," said the child with dignity.

  "Long story," Paige muttered.

  "You mean she's with you? I figured she'd just slipped away from her father to pick up some of the cafeteria's exquisite cuisine."

  Paige made a point of shuffling through her papers.

  "Don't want to talk about it?" Sabrina asked. "Okay. Guess what my mother's done this time."

  "I don't think I want to know," Paige said honestly.

  "I've started getting response cards from people I didn't invite to the wedding, telling me how pleased they are to be able to come."

  "She's been calling them up?"

  "Oh, nothing so crass. She had an extra set of invitations engraved, and she's been helpfully sending them to people I had, according to her, overlooked."

  "Will they all fit in the church?"

  "Are you kidding? I was having trouble enough before she started. Besides, don't you think that's beside the point, Paige?"

  "Maybe. But she is your mother, after all."

  "And she's being abominable."

  "That's just part of her nature, Sabrina. As trying as it is, if you want to have your mother be a part of your life-"

  "I know, I know. I'm just not sure, sometimes, that I do. My entire existence was a lot more peaceful when my parents were still disowning me." Her face brightened. "I know what will make me feel better. Caleb's going out of town for a couple of days. He says it's business, but-"

  "I don't blame him for leaving," Paige said. "He probably wants to get out of range till the employees adjust to the shock of the new security system. I just hope he's not counting on them getting over it anytime soon."

  "Actually, I think he's grabbing at any chance that comes along to avoid my mother until the wedding. Anyway, he's leaving at noon, so let's have a slumber party tonight at my condo. It'll be the last chance before my wedding for you and Cassie and me to e
at junk food and act like teenagers and-"

  Jennifer said, "I want to come to the party."

  "You'll be home with your daddy," Paige said.

  "Actually," Sabrina mused, "she won't. That's why I thought of the idea in the first place-because Caleb's taking Jake and Austin with him, so Cassie will be at loose ends with her husband gone. And Jennifer... I wonder what Austin does plan to do with Jennifer." She looked at Paige with a frown. "Honey?"

  So that's why Jennifer's backpack looked as if she'd stuffed her entire wardrobe into it, Paige thought. Because she had.

  "Honey?" Sabrina repeated. "Why are you suddenly staring at me as if your face is frozen?"

  CHAPTER SIX

  AUSTIN knew from the instant that Paige burst into his office that he was as good as dead. In fact, he knew it even before that, the moment he heard her talking to his secretary on the other side of the closed door.

  He raised his voice a little to try to drown her out. "The main objectives of the trip, gentlemen-"

  Tanner's other two top executives exchanged a glance. "Sounds like one of your ex-girlfriends out there, Caleb," Jake Abbott murmured. "Haven't you got rid of the bimbo contingent yet?"

  "They're not all that easy to get rid of," Caleb said. "But my guess is that's no bimbo. In fact, if I didn't know better, I'd say it sounds like-"

  The office door burst open; Paige stood on the threshold and glared. "Dammit, Austin!"

  "-Paige," Caleb finished casually. "What a pleasure." But the surprise in his face, Austin thought, belied his airy tone.

  Austin stole a look at Jake, who was rubbing his chin and looking at the carpet as if he couldn't decide whether to be amused or dismayed.

  Obviously, Austin thought, neither of them was used to seeing Paige in full fury. What a distinction it is, he told himself wryly, to be the only one to bring out that side of her.

  "I gather you got my message," Austin said.

  Paige dug her fists into her hips. "If you mean, has the grapevine got to me yet with the word that you're leaving town, yes!"

  "You know," Jake murmured, "this scene has some familiar overtones. I seem to remember Cassie having the same sort of-"

  The interruption seemed to steady her. Paige shot a look at Jake and made an obvious effort to pull herself together. "I'm sorry to intrude on your discussion," she said, sounding nothing of the sort. "But when I heard the news about this business trip, I was naturally somewhat concerned about-"

  Caleb nodded wisely. "She was somewhat concerned," he told Jake.

  "Of course she was," Jake agreed.

  Austin saw the gathering fire in Paige's eyes and hastily intervened. "Thanks for trying to help, guys, but if you wouldn't mind..."

  "Mind getting out while we still can?" Caleb asked. "Not at all. Believe me." He was already on his feet as he spoke.

  The door closed behind the two of them, and silence descended on the office. Austin gestured invitingly toward the chairs that Jake and Caleb had occupied. Paige ignored the suggestion and continued to stand in the middle of the office, eyes narrowed, watching him.

  Finally she said quietly, "It occurs to me all of a sudden that I may have just made a complete fool of myself. I stormed in here assuming that you intend to dump your responsibilities on me. But if you've already arranged for Jennifer's care while you're gone, I owe you an apology."

  Apart from the nasty crack about responsibilities, he thought, she sounded calm-almost friendly. Too bad that can't last.

  He leaned on his desk for a little extra support as he bit the bullet. "Actually, no, I hadn't finalized any plans for Jennifer. I was hoping that you-"

  "You were hoping?'" Paige's voice had started to rise again. "Let me tell you, Austin, you have an incredible nerve! Expecting me to be on call for you, without even asking-"

  "I didn't assume anything," Austin said hastily. "I tried to ask, Paige. I left a message for you to call me. And I'm really sorry you heard about this from someone else first."

  "I'll just bet you are." Her voice dripped sarcasm. "You left a message for me? Why? I was right here in the building, dammit!"

  "How should I know that?" he asked, trying to keep his tone reasonable.

  "Your precious security gangsters could have told you. Isn't that the whole point, that they know where every warm body is at any given moment? I figured they'd hooked the badges to a satellite locator!"

  "You said you were anxious to get rid of the badge, so I assumed you'd already gone. I didn't even call downstairs to ask."

  She frowned a little. "Then where did you leave a message?"

  "With your mother."

  "You told my mother that you want me to look after your kid while you go out of town? I'll bet that left her speechless."

  "I didn't give her the details. I just asked for you to call. I suppose she sabotaged me by losing the message."

  "She knows better than to do that. But it's no wonder she didn't pass it on right away-she's not likely to think I was dying to hear from you. So what are the details?"

  The level tone of her voice didn't deceive him. He wasn't out of the woods yet.

  He moved around the end of his desk and perched on the corner. "The trip came up very suddenly. Just this morning, in fact. We were discussing the problems Tanner's facing-"

  "It seems a bit odd," Paige mused, "if it's such a new idea, that Sabrina already knows all about it."

  "Not really. She happened to pop her head in a few minutes ago, just as Caleb suggested that we make a fast tour of Tanner's facilities and visit a couple of major clients."

  "And when the boss suggests something, you jump."

  "In this case," Austin said coolly, "I'm the boss. That doesn't mean I don't listen to advice. Under these circumstances, I think it's a wise move, because going right now may prevent months of problems down the line."

  "Don't waste your breath trying to convince me. I already know that once you've made up your mind, it would take two archangels and a heavenly chorus to change it."

  Austin decided, wrong though she was, that it would be prudent not to argue the point just now. "I'll be gone a couple of days, three at the top end."

  "And you need someone to look after Jennifer," she mused.

  "I'd expect to pay for the services, of course."

  "Is money always the first thing you think of, Austin? What if I say no?"

  He took a deep breath, and let it out very slowly. "I don't know what I'll do," he admitted.

  The silence stretched out. She moved, finally, but only to walk across the room to the window and stand staring out toward the distant blue haze of the Rocky Mountains. "Just out of curiosity, Austin, back when you were deciding to dispense with a nanny, how did you plan to handle this kind of thing? Or didn't you anticipate ever having to leave town again?"

  "You know," Austin said, "your mother's style of sarcasm doesn't fit very well on you." He watched with satisfaction as her face flushed pink. "The academy's got a boarding program, so when I enrolled Jennifer I arranged for her to stay there anytime I had to travel. But I didn't anticipate the heat going off at the school."

  Paige nodded. "They're probably scrambling to find warm beds for the boarders they've already got, not taking on more. Well, I'm glad to have that clear. It makes me feel a little better to know that you're merely unlucky, not terminally irresponsible."

  It was now or never, he thought. He slid off the edge of his desk and quietly crossed the room to join her at the window. She didn't look at him, but he knew she was aware of his closeness because he saw her body tighten as if she was ready to defend herself. “Will you do it, Paige? You're the only person Jennifer really knows in this whole city. The only one she doesn't see as a stranger."

  He saw her shoulders sag for a moment, as if she was taking on the weight of the world, and he knew he'd won. Then she turned to face him, and he realized that won wasn't the right word at all.

  "I'm not interested in your money," she said.

&
nbsp; "I can afford to pay you, Paige. And I know your time is valuable."

  "Besides, if you write a check, then you wouldn't owe me any favors-isn't that what you mean? Anyway, I didn't say you wouldn't have to pay, Austin. I just don't want cash."

  Warily, he said, "Then what do you have in mind?" She hesitated and looked out the window once more. "I want you to make peace with my mother."

  How on earth did she expect him to pacify Eileen? The dragon on wheels hadn't had a good word-or even a neutral one-to say about him since the day he'd met her. Austin said slowly, “If you mean you want me to go groveling to tell her I was wrong-"

  "I want you to do whatever it takes." She smiled almost grimly. "Oh, don't worry-I don't expect you to end up as best friends. And you don't need to fret about my ulterior motives, either, because I don't have any."

  He hadn't even gotten that far. "I guess I just don't see why it matters."

  "Don't you? Just a few minutes ago, you assumed that I hadn't gotten your message because Mother had suppressed it. Sabotage was the first thing that came to your mind."

  "For good reason," Austin said dryly.

  "I admit she's capable. She probably wouldn't lose the message altogether, but she might conveniently let it slip her mind for a while. That's what I'm talking about. If you're going to be in Denver, and if Rent-A-Wife continues to work with Tanner's employees, then from time to time there's going to be contact between the two of you. I'd just like not to be stuck in the middle of a war."

  "So you want me to arrange a cease-fire," Austin said. "I can try, Paige, but I can't promise it'll happen overnight. And I can't speak for Eileen. She may want nothing to do with me."

  "Then you'll just have to exercise your celebrated charm, won't you?" Paige didn't look at him, and her voice was as distant as the hazy blue Rockies. "Take it or leave it."

  "I’ll take it."

  He thought for a moment she hadn't heard him, but finally she said, "Jennifer and I were in the cafeteria, working on plans for the Christmas party. Do you want me to bring her back up here to say goodbye?"