The average home in the area ran about half a million. A good number of them were twice as much. She couldn’t imagine what the rent would be on a place like that. “You can look,” she said with a tone of disbelief, “but I doubt you’ll find something that works in this area. We don’t need a four-thousand-square-foot mansion with a five-car garage and an indoor pool.”
He shrugged, leading her down the sidewalk as though discussions of multimillion-dollar real estate transactions were nothing to him. “You don’t know that. I live in Manhattan. Real estate is at such a premium that some people live in apartments the size of a dorm room. The idea of a ridiculously large house—with private parking—sounds awesome to me. Why not? You might like having an indoor pool.”
“Get real, Tyler,” she said with a wry chuckle. “We may only live in this place for a month. Even if we stay longer, we need at most a three-bedroom house with a decent yard. Maybe a good-size kitchen so I can cook. And that’s only if we like the place enough to put in an offer to buy it. Right?”
“Right,” he said, looking thoughtfully off into the distance.
Amelia knew him well enough to know he wasn’t paying any mind to what she said. He’d pick whatever caught his fancy, regardless of price or practicality. All she knew was that if he picked a massive house, he’d better hire a housekeeper to go with it. It would be a full-time job keeping it clean, and she already had one of those.
They paused at an intersection, waiting for the light to change. “I’ll see what I can find. But like you, I’m not going to compromise, either. This isn’t just about finding a place to stay for a few weeks or months—it’s about finding a home where we can start our life together. It’s the house to which we’ll bring our child home from the hospital. It’s where he or she will take their first steps.”
Tyler had only known about this baby for an hour, but it didn’t matter. It was still an almost abstract idea in her mind, and yet he’d already revised his entire strategy to accommodate and care for his surprise family. He couldn’t just settle for a house to spend the next few weeks. He wanted a home for his family. He wanted to take care of her and their child. She didn’t understand how he could roll with the punches like that.
“You know, you don’t have to be so confident and positive about everything. You’re allowed to be upset and scared by the prospect of what’s happening. I threw a grenade at you and you’re just standing there holding it with a smile. I know that you don’t want to be tied down, and a family wasn’t on your radar. I’m freaking out. Tell me you’re freaking out, too, so I’ll feel better.”
Tyler turned to look at her with a frown. “What good would it do to get upset? Worrying just wastes valuable time. When I’m feeling uncertain, having a plan to go forward and executing it is the only thing that makes me feel better. No, a child wasn’t what I was expecting or wanting. Yes, a part of me wants to get in my car and disappear. But I won’t do that to our child. I have an obligation to step up and take responsibility for my actions, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make it work.”
It wasn’t a romantic declaration, but she’d asked for his honesty and gotten it. Having Tyler’s child wasn’t her plan, but she knew she would be hard-pressed to find a better father for her baby.
“You’re only thinking short-term, Ames, but I have no intention of us getting divorced in thirty days. Successful people plan for success, so I’m going to find the perfect house for us. We’ll rent until we’re sure we love it, and then we’ll see if we can convince the owner to sell it. It will be the place where you and I will raise our family.”
His words should’ve been reassuring, and yet she felt a cold chill run through her as the concept started to sink in. He wasn’t resigned to his obligation or even optimistic about their future together. He was treating this like a challenge to be overcome.
Until that moment, she hadn’t fully realized that she’d waved red in front of a bull. Laying down a thirty-day challenge to Mr. Overachiever wasn’t very smart if she didn’t want to be with him in the end. Whether or not his heart was in this, he would likely get his way, be it with the house, their child or their relationship.
She felt a sudden pressure against her chest; the air clamped down in her lungs. Suddenly, a thirty-day trial period had just changed to the rest of their lives.
What had she really agreed to?
* * *
“I’m serious about us making this work, Ames. Our baby deserves it,” Tyler said. Before he could elaborate, he noticed a bit of the color draining from her face. She was fair complexioned, but she was approaching the shade of a sheet of paper. “Are you okay?”
She grimaced a little but didn’t answer, making him wonder if she was battling morning sickness again. “Are you going to be sick?”
“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “Suddenly, I’m just a little tired. I didn’t sleep well this weekend and it was a big wedding with three entrée choices. I think it’s just catching up with me.”
He had witnessed two of his older sisters’ pregnancies, and their biggest complaint was always exhaustion. It started earlier than you’d expect. Taking her elbow, he led her to a bench around the corner.
Tyler sat her down on the wooden seat and crouched at her knee. He looked up at her, realizing for a moment that he was in the same position he’d been in when he’d proposed to her on a sidewalk along the Las Vegas Strip. The memory made him smile despite his concerns for her. He wasn’t sure what had made him remember their teenage pact that night, but it had seemed like the perfect remedy for her frown. In that moment, he would’ve done anything to cheer her up. He’d never dreamed that their adventure would ever go this far. He’d never even expected them to consummate the marriage, much less have a baby together. Would he have gone through with it if he’d known? That was a question with an irrelevant answer, unless someone had invented a time machine he didn’t know about. He returned his focus to her.
“Can I get you anything? A bottle of water? Or do you need something to eat? There’s a convenience store across the street. I can bring you anything you want.”
“Stop fussing,” Amelia said, although her eyes were pinched tightly shut as she spoke. “I’m fine. I just need a minute.”
“Are you sure I—”
“I’m pregnant, not helpless, Tyler. I just needed a little break from walking around.”
Tyler ignored her, jogging across the street to the store and returning with an ice-cold bottle of water. He pressed it into her hand.
Amelia sighed but twisted off the cap to take a sip anyway. “Are you going to be like this for the next eight months? ’Cause I don’t think I can take you hovering over me all the time. It reminds me too much of my dad.”
“Hey, now,” Tyler argued in an offended tone. “There’s a big difference between trying to take care of you because I want to and doing it because I think you’re incapable of taking care of yourself. I’m not your father. And you’re not your mother.”
Visiting Amelia’s home when they were kids had been an eye-opening experience. In Tyler’s home, everyone pitched in. Both his parents worked. The older kids helped take care of the younger ones. The boys and the girls all did their share, equally. That was the only way they could get by, day to day.
Then he went to Amelia’s house and watched with surprise the way Principal Kennedy fawned over and protectively guarded his wife and daughters. He treated them as though they were delicate and helpless, a perception Amelia’s mother worked hard to create. She was fragile and often ill with headaches or other ailments, although Amelia insisted there was nothing actually wrong with her. It didn’t matter. Amelia’s father took care of everything. He made all the decisions, earned all the money. He hired a cleaning woman to come a few days a week and relieve her mother of that burden. The two Kennedy girls were expected to do nothing but be pretty an
d shop, just like their mother.
It had made Amelia crazy growing up. She was far from helpless and fragile—she had a spine of steel. She was smart and independent, but her father never gave her enough credit for anything she did. He expected her to marry well and carry on the way her mother had.
And he supposed she had done that, even if she hadn’t meant to. Tyler was successful. His business in gemstones and antiquities was amazingly lucrative. The markup on diamonds was insane. A quick trip to his suppliers in India or Belgium would set him up easily with a stash of high-quality stones at an amazing price. On any given day, he could have a quarter of a million dollars in precious gems tucked into his lapel pocket. If Amelia wanted to quit her job, he could take care of her and their child for the rest of their lives.
But he knew she would never allow that. He wouldn’t even suggest such a thing for fear of bodily harm. She wasn’t her mother. Not even close. “You might not like it,” he continued, “but I’ve got a vested interest in your welfare. For one thing, I haven’t had a chance to get a life-insurance policy on my wife yet.” He grinned wide and was pleased to see her reluctantly smile and roll her eyes at his joke.
“And for another,” he said, getting to his feet and sitting beside her on the bench, “that’s our kid you’re hauling around in there. It’s my job to make sure both of you have everything you need to stay happy, healthy and safe. You can complain all you want and it won’t make any difference.”
Amelia searched his face for a moment, looking for something he didn’t understand. Then she nodded and placed her hand over his, squeezing gently. “Thank you for that. I’m sorry for being difficult today. I feel as though my whole life has been hijacked and shifted off course. I’ve gotten used to being on my own and taking care of myself. It may take a while for me to adjust to anything else. But I do appreciate it. You. No matter what happens between us, I know you’ll be a good father.”
Tyler watched a bright red lock of hair slip from its clip and curl around the curve of her heart-shaped face. The peachy tones of her skin had returned, beckoning him to reach out and caress her velvet-soft cheek, pushing the hair behind her ear. Today, he would do it because he could.
He reached out to her, letting his knuckles softly graze across her cheekbone as they swept the errant curl away from her face. The pale peach of her skin was replaced with a rosy pink as her cheeks flushed. Her dark eyes watched him, but she didn’t pull away from his touch.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he said.
“Really?” she said, her voice betraying the disbelief that reflected in her eyes.
“Absolutely. You’ve got the most beautiful hair I’ve ever seen. It’s like liquid fire.”
“Tyler,” she began, hesitating, “I know I can be difficult in a relationship, and you know that better than anyone. Part of me has begun to wonder if I’ll ever...” Her gaze dropped into her lap. “Do you really think you can fall in love with me in thirty days?”
Tyler didn’t want to lie to Amelia, but he knew he had to. If he told her that he had no intention of ever falling in love with her—or anyone, for that matter—it would all be over. If he wanted to succeed for their child’s sake, he had to play along and keep those dark secrets inside. He couldn’t let his own doubts spill over and taint Amelia with his negativity.
As it was, he was stunned by her fears. How could a woman so smart, so beautiful, so talented have any doubt that a man could love her? At least, a man capable of opening himself up to loving someone?
“Are you kidding me? You are incredible in a hundred different ways. Your cooking is the best thing I’ve ever tasted. You tell better dirty jokes than any guy I’ve met. You’re strong of will and spirit. You care so deeply for others that I don’t know how you don’t get your heart crushed every day. You amaze me in a new way every time I’m with you.”
Amelia listened to him speak with silent tears welling in her eyes. He couldn’t bear to see her cry, ever. He opened his arms to her and pulled her tight against his chest. She rested her head against his shoulder, allowing him to press a kiss into the silky strands of her hair.
“I didn’t want to make you cry, but you need to know how important you are. I measure every woman I date against the bar you’ve set, and each of them has fallen miserably short. You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. You need to think like a winner and erase all those doubts. Then you need to ask yourself, how could I not fall in love with you?”
When he finished speaking, she sat back and looked up at him. She studied his face with a curious expression that wrinkled her delicate nose.
He didn’t know what she was thinking, but he was hyperaware of how close she was. The scent of her body lotion perfumed the air with tropical flowers. He breathed it into his lungs and held it there, remembering that scent from their night together. The muscles in his neck tensed as the memories rushed into his mind and flooded his veins. It would be so easy to touch her. Kiss her. And he wanted to, first date be damned.
As though she’d read his mind, Amelia reached up and rested her palm against his cheek. Then she leaned into him. She closed the gap slowly, her eyes focused on his until their lips touched and their eyes closed. Her mouth was soft and hesitant against his own. He tried not to push too hard or too fast, applying just enough pressure, but letting her take the lead this first time.
It was hard. The sweet, gentle kiss was enough to start a hum of electricity traveling through his body. Tyler wanted to tug her against him and drink her in. He wanted to caress her silken tongue with his own and press his fingertips into her ample flesh. But he knew she was testing the waters. If he pushed too hard, he would lose valuable time trying to coax her back to this place.
She finally pulled away and he reluctantly let her go. Tyler opened his eyes to find her looking up at him with a dreamy smile curling her lips. She took a deep breath and sat back, tugging down at her tunic. “I’ve, uh...” She stumbled over her words. “I’ve really got to get back to work.”
“Okay.”
Tyler swallowed hard, trying to suppress the heated need she’d built up inside him. His every muscle was tense, his fingertips tingling with the need to touch her. It would have to wait. But not for too much longer. She’d kissed him. That was an important first step on the road to success.
He stood and stepped back, helping her get up from the bench. They walked to his rental car and made their way back to the wedding facility she owned with her friends. Once there, he parked the car and came around to open the door for her. Amelia got out but didn’t get far. Before she could escape, he leaned in, pressing a palm against the car and blocking her exit.
“So I’ll let you know when the real estate agent finds us a place and I can arrange the movers to pack your apartment. In the meantime, can I take you out to dinner tomorrow night?”
She looked up at him with surprise in her dark eyes. “So soon?”
Tyler had to laugh at her. She really had no idea what she’d done. His beautiful wife was a smart woman, but the terms of their agreement weren’t the most intelligent choice she could’ve made. He had been willing to take their romance slow, but she’d cranked up the dial on the intensity when she’d set her time limit.
He leaned in to her, pinning her with his intense gaze. “You’ve given us thirty days to fall in love, Amelia. Do you really think I’m going to let a single day go by without seeing you? Touching you? Hearing the melodic sound of your voice?”
Her gaze dropped to the pavement to avoid his eyes, her teeth nervously chewing at her bottom lip. “I understand that,” she argued, “but I have a job to do. So do you. You know I pretty much spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday in a kitchen. I can’t run off on a date with you every night.”
He understood that. They both had responsibilities. He just wasn’t going to let her use them as an excuse. She�
��d agreed to a test run of their relationship, but he knew this would be a battle to the finish. She wouldn’t give in easily, and neither would he. “That’s fine. That’s why we’ll spend our nights together at our new place. And during the day, I may very well be by your side, too.”
“What?” Her nose wrinkled in confusion. “In the kitchen with me? At work?”
Tyler nodded. “Whenever I can, I’m going to be where you are, Amelia. If you’re baking a cake, I’m going to be washing the pans. If you’re dicing vegetables, I’ll be peeling carrots and taking out the trash. You insisted I be present, not zipping around the world, so for the next thirty days, I’m your shadow. You only get a reprieve today while I make all the necessary arrangements.”
Her mouth dropped open and her auburn eyebrows knit together, but she didn’t say anything. She hadn’t thought this through, and the consequences would come back to haunt her. She’d be begging him to take a business trip before too long.
“Don’t you have a job to do? Aren’t there precious gems to be sold? Diamonds to be cut?”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “I have plenty of work, I assure you. But I have a flexible schedule and employees that can handle some things. I can conduct business where and when I want to. That’s the beauty of what I do. Right now, I’m more interested in focusing all my attention on you. So again,” he pressed, “dinner tomorrow night?”
Amelia drew her mouth closed and nodded. “Okay. About seven?”
Seven was perfect. That was his lucky number—an omen of his success on the horizon. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and stepped back to give her some room. “It’s a date.”
Four
“She’s ba-a-a-ck!”
Amelia winced the moment she crossed the threshold into the lobby and heard Gretchen announce her arrival. She’d been hoping they would have clients in this morning. If someone was booking a wedding with Natalie or taking a tour, her friends couldn’t fuss over her. No such luck.
Thirty Days to Win His Wife Page 5
