Newlywed Games

by Mary Davis

  This little charade was turning costly. On many fronts.

  “Your dog missed you,” Mom said. “I think she would like her daddy to be around more.”

  “Mother!” Meghann spoke to her mother’s back as she hurried up the porch steps. Meghann felt the heat rush to her face. Daddy? Reluctantly, she turned to see Mr. Halloway’s reaction. His head was ducked down and she could swear the man was doing his best to hide a smile. Well, at least somebody could smile about all this. She was too mortified to comment and simply unlocked the door in silence.

  “I like him,” her mother whispered so only Meghann could hear, then stepped over the threshold. “I couldn’t have chosen a better son-in-law myself.”

  Meghann rolled her eyes. Good heavens. How on earth was she going to keep her mother from making such comments with Mr. Halloway around? She had to get rid of him before her mother totally embarrassed him. And her. He had been a good sport to go along with this charade so far, but she couldn’t expect him to do it indefinitely.

  Not that you’d want him to…right?

  Of course not! The last thing she needed was Bruce Halloway in her home, acting like he cared about her, smiling at her like she meant something to him.…

  Liar. You love it.

  Pressing her lips together, Meghann went inside. The small bedroom and dinky bathroom were off of the cozy living room. From any one spot the whole interior could be viewed. The furnishings were by Goodwill, garage sales, and curbside rejects. With a little paint everything matched, more or less. Some red and yellow fabric to cover what couldn’t be painted finished off the cheerful decor.

  Bruce came in behind them, hauling the luggage. “Where do you want these?”

  “My mom’s suitcases go in the bedroom.” Meghann crossed the room and opened the bedroom door. Thankfully she had made her bed this morning. Bruce took the bags in and did a quick surveillance of the room.

  “I can’t take your room, honey. Where will the two of you sleep?”

  As far from each other as possible.

  “I’ll be fine on the couch,” her mother finished.

  “Mom, you will not sleep on the couch. It’s not very comfortable, and you need your rest. Doctor’s orders.” Besides, sharing a bedroom with Bruce Halloway was definitely out of the question! This little charade could only go so far, for heaven’s sake.

  Her mom opened her mouth to protest but was stopped by Bruce’s voice directly behind Meghann. “We insist you take the bedroom. We won’t take no for an answer.” When Bruce said we the first time, he put his hands on her shoulders; with the second he had given her shoulders a gentle squeeze. His touch sent a little ripple through her.

  As quickly as the dog had obeyed, so had her mother. Did he always get his way? She knew she worked extra hard to complete any tasks he gave her, as many others at the hotel did. He had merely to suggest something needed to be done and people fell over each other to do it, some making real ninnies of themselves. He was just the kind of guy people wanted to please.

  But how far would Meghann go to please him?

  Later that evening, Meghann grew tired of her suppose-to-be protector lapping up every bit of attention Bruce Halloway gave her. “Come on, Lucky. It’s time for you to go outside for a while.” She patted her hip and headed for the door.

  Lucky jumped up and trotted two feet toward the door, then turned back to Bruce and gave a little whine.

  Oh, brother. Now her dog was asking his permission!

  Bruce looked up from where he sat in an overstuffed chair, his briefcase open on the floor before him. “Go on, Lucky,” he said, pointing toward the door.

  Meghann went out with Lucky to check her food and water. Lucky raced around the yard, then stopped by her owner and nudged her hand.

  Meghann knelt down and scratched the dog behind the ears with both hands. “Some watchdog you are. A stranger comes in the yard, and you beg for his attention. Are you trying to impress him? Flirting perhaps?” She sighed. “Or is it because you’ve heard me talk so much about Mr. Halloway that you feel like you already know him?”

  She settled back on the grass, shaking her head. “I have really gotten myself into a pickle. Who would have thought one little lie could become so complicated?”

  “Your refuge looks strong, but since it is made of lies…the enemy will come like a flood to sweep it away.…”

  The words struck home and Meghann blinked against sudden tears. What had she done? How could she have talked herself into this mess? Whatever made her think that lying could bring about any good?

  Lord, I’m in so deep here. What can I do?

  The Lab’s ears perked up as she looked past Meghann and bound away, sending her sprawling.

  “Sit. Stay.” There was no mistaking the deep, lulling voice. And here she was in a dress, sitting in the grass. Bruce was at her side in a heartbeat. When he reached over to help, she noticed how strong and masculine his hand felt as it swallowed hers. Bruce pulled her to her feet, then walked her over to the towering elm tree in the middle of the still brown-yellow yard.

  “How do you get her to obey so quickly?” This was good, a delay from a more serious matter they needed to discuss. She couldn’t put it off forever, but for now she would take the reprieve.

  “When a dog jumps up most people say down, which is the command to get a dog to lie down. You said off, which is the correct command, so I assumed you had taken her to obedience school.”

  “How come when I ask her to do something she ignores me?”

  A smile tugged at his mouth. “Your answer, my dear, is in your question.”

  Her heart quickened at his endearment, but she clamped down on the pleasure sweeping through her. He probably calls lots of women ‘dear.’ It’s probably only a friendly, casual gesture that means nothing at all to him. If she could only convince her pounding heart of that, maybe she could remember to breathe. “It is?”

  “You ask, ever so sweetly, I might add. Lucky is not ignoring you; she is simply answering you with a definite no. Like a child, she must be told what to do, firm but kind.”

  He gave the dog a few commands in demonstration, and then coached Meghann to do the same until Lucky obeyed her almost as quickly as him. “They say 80 percent of training a dog is training the owner.”

  “How do you know so much? Do you have a dog too or something?” She realized how little she knew about this man.

  “Or something.” He smiled and hesitated a moment. “I once dated a dog trainer. She wouldn’t go out with me until I learned the basics.”

  “Oh.” She looked down, not meaning to pry, but wondered if he always got what he wanted. From what she had seen, he did.

  “Hey, don’t look so bothered. It was a long time ago.” He stepped closer, taking her hand in his, their fingers laced together.

  “W-what are you doing?” Emotions swept over her at the intimate connection, at the way their hands seemed to fit together so perfectly. Swallowing hard, struggling to get control of her jumping pulse, she backed away—right against the mighty elm trunk.

  With an easy smile Bruce rested his forearm on a low branch beside her, boxing her in. Did he sense her impulse to flee? “Meghann.” His voice was low, deep…and about as beguiling as anything she’d ever heard.

  Oh, help!

  He tugged on her hand gently. “We need to talk.”

  She knew that. But for the life of her, she couldn’t respond. It wasn’t what she had to say that was unsettling her. As a matter of fact, she couldn’t really remember what they needed to talk about! No, it was how close they were—the warmth of his hand on hers, the sweetness of his breath fanning her cheek—that was sending her senses spinning.

  She made a lame effort to free her hand. It was a token tug, just enough to show protest but not enough to succeed. How long she had waited and wished for this kind of interaction with him. But this was just all too strange—too sudden and unexpected. Besides, they weren’t alone. Her mother was here.<
br />
  Her mother and Bruce. Under the same roof!

  Jennifer, what have you gotten me into?

  No, not Jennifer. Meg was honest enough to admit she’d done this to herself. But what she didn’t know was how one dealt with a situation like this. How did one cope? How could she calm her racing heart? She never planned to have her mother and a fake husband to deal with. Her mother was going to be hard enough. Actually she never planned any of this, it all sort of happened. First the nurse, then her mother and Jennifer, and now Bruce was tangled up in her deception. Where would it all end? It certainly couldn’t get any more complicated than this.

  Lord, help me cope with this bizarre situation.

  He raised their intertwined hands with a little squeeze. “I hope you don’t mind—” he looked from their hands back to her face—“Your mom may see us. If it were my mother, she would peek out more than once. I’m assuming we want to give the illusion of a happy couple? Unless we are having troubles. But then if you went to all the trouble to fabricate a marriage, it should be a happy one, and your husband would, of course, be perfect. I will do my best to fulfill that role—” he dipped his head in a token bow—“and keep up the image of a happily married couple. Any objections so far?”

  His mischievous smile told her he was teasing, and she could feel her face flush. The only objection she had was that it wasn’t real.

  “So, tell me how I came to be the son-in-law of that charming woman inside?” He raised his eyebrows. “Unless you know another Bruce Halloway who looks just like me? I assume I am the Bruce Halloway you told your mother about.”

  He was definitely the one. Meghann could feel her cheeks heat more, if that was possible. If only she could sink into the ground and hide…just how red had her face become? She couldn’t be any more embarrassed and so took a deep breath and began. “When I was ten my father died.”

  The smile faded from Bruce’s face, and she saw earnest regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” His sincerity loosened some of the knots in her nervous stomach. Compassion was something she could use right now. And understanding…a lot of understanding.

  “Mom never remarried. There was insurance money for us to live on but not enough. We always managed to get by, though. We were a real team.” She smiled remembering all the ways she and her mother had scraped along, making ends meet. They’d been each other’s world for a lot of years. “I loved being at home, but the time came when I needed to leave, to be on my own. Understandably, it really bothered my mom to have me move away. We were close and still are. She kept pestering me about who I was dating and when I was going to settle down and get married. So I…” She cleared her throat, shifting, afraid to meet his gaze. “I finally had had it with her questions and the fifth degree every time I called, so I made something up to appease her.”

  His dark brows arched slightly. “Something?”

  “Yes, well, I told her I was dating someone.”

  The brows rose another fraction. “Someone?”

  This really was too much! Bad enough to have to tell him all this, but the way he was watching her, with that teasing gleam in his eyes.…She perched her free hand on her hip and shifted from one foot to another, feeling uncomfortably like a child caught in a prank.

  “Fine. You. I told her I was dating you. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to use you or lie about it, but she sounded so worried and I’d just reached the end of my rope. I saw you every day at work and…well…your name just came out. But it was just to put her mind at rest! She’s really lonely without me around, and she’s so worried I’ll be alone.” Meghann was horrified to hear the quaver in her voice. She was not going to cry! “I just want to make her happy.”

  The nonjudgmental look in his eyes put her at ease a little as she went on. “I was about to tell her that we—I mean, that my pretend boyfriend and I were breaking up when she suddenly became ill, and this nurse overheard something I said to the doctor and completely misunderstood.” She shook her head. “There she was, congratulating me in front of my mom on my recent marriage. Mom was so happy; her eyes were alight with hope…it was the first spark of energy I’d seen in her. So I let her believe it—just for a little while until she was stronger, then I’d tell her the truth. I figured it wasn’t hurting anyone, and it was actually helping her, so I let it go on.”

  She couldn’t stand the tenderness she saw in his eyes, or the slight smile on his generous lips, so she looked down at her feet, hurrying to finish her explanation.

  “I know I should have told her the truth, if not before then certainly when we met at the airport. But I’m just so afraid.…” This last admission came out on a hoarse whisper, and Meghann fell silent, struggling with the tears that wanted to overcome her.

  “Afraid?”

  At his gentle prodding, she looked up and met his gaze. “I don’t want to lose her. I’m afraid if I confess now the shock will be too much for her; she may even relapse. She may seem strong, but she’s not. Not really. I can see how tired and frail she is beneath that smiling image she puts out.” An errant tear finally escaped, and Bruce caressed it away as she drew in a shuddering breath. “I didn’t see the harm in continuing. It’s already helped her so much. I never thought for one minute you would get caught up in this.”

  He started to speak, but she held up her hand, hurrying on. “But don’t worry; I have a plan. Tomorrow you can get called away on another business trip and simply don’t return. Mom’s happy just having met you.”

  Bruce was silent for a moment, and she wondered what he was thinking. Probably that she was a scatterbrained nitwit.

  “I can play the doting husband and son-in-law for a while,” he finally said. “How long is your mother staying?”

  What? Did she hear him right? He actually wanted to continue to go along with this farce? Her fantasy image of him would, of course, play along…the imaginary Bruce would sweep her into his arms and make everything right…even propose to her for real. But this was the real person. He wouldn’t be able to or want to play along as long as her mother was to be here. “A month.” He would change his mind now. That was okay. She was touched by his offer anyway.

  “Oh, a whole month.” His voice had a thoughtful tone to it. He was quiet for a few moments, probably trying to figure a way to get out of it. She would let him off the hook.

  “I think I could arrange that.”

  She blinked several times. Had he really said what she thought he’d said or was she just imagining it? “You…you can’t be serious.”

  “Sure, why not?” He shrugged his shoulders.

  Why would be a better question. “Why would you do this for me?” Bruce hesitated and glanced away. When he looked back at her, he seemed to be choosing his words with great care.

  “I have a mother, too,” he said simply.

  Duh. “Don’t we all.”

  He smiled. “What I’m saying is that I understand how much pressure a mother can put on a child to get married and settle down.”

  Meghann frowned. This just didn’t make sense. He should be running for the door, frantic to get out of this mess. “I’m sorry if your mother is as pushy as mine, but that doesn’t—”

  “Look, Meg.” He released her hand and took a step back. “I’m doing this for reasons I’d rather not say right now.” He ran a weary hand down his face. “Let’s leave it at that.”

  A multitude of questions assaulted her as she stood there, staring at him. Why would a man like Bruce Halloway possibly want to go along with her idiotic farce? And why didn’t he want to tell her his reasons?

  Maybe he’s in some kind of trouble. What do you really know about the man, anyway? Or maybe he’s setting you up…creating an IOU to cash in later?

  She dismissed the cynical thoughts. Bruce wasn’t like that. She was sure of it. Then why…?

  There’s always the remote possibility that he harbors some feelings for you.

  Her eyes widened a fraction. That possibility, remote or not, sparked hop
e in her.

  His hand reclaiming hers jarred her out of her thoughts. “Now suppose you fill me in on our meeting and courtship. I want every last detail.”

  She swallowed hard, remembering all she’d told her mother.…Had she actually thought her humiliation was complete? How silly of her.

  It was just beginning.

  Four

  “MOM, YOU NEED TO GET QUALITY REST. YOU CAN’T GET IT on the couch. This thing is not comfortable.” Meghann’s mom still hadn’t gone to bed, and it was getting late. She knew her mother had to be tired from her flight and needed rest.

  “But where will you two sleep? It makes more sense for me to be out here.”

  No, nothing about this made sense.

  “It will be a bit crowded with all three of us on it,” Bruce said, standing beside Meghann with his arm hooked around her waist.

  “I meant you two should have your bed.” Mom glared at Bruce with a don’t-get-smart-with-me-young-man look.

  “No. We’ve already made up our minds. We’ve got first dibs. It’s up to you whether or not you take the bed, but if you don’t, you’ll have to scout out your own floor space.”

  Her mother threw up her hands. “You win, but I don’t have to be happy about it.”

  Bruce smiled at the older Livingston woman then leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. “We’ll figure out something better tomorrow. I promise.”

  Yeah, like you taking a sudden extended business trip! Meghann smiled at the thought.

  “I’m going to hold you to that promise.” With that, her mother disappeared into the bedroom and shut the door.

  Meghann quickly turned away to make up the couch before he turned around.

  “Does this fold out?” His whisper was right behind her.

  She unfolded one of the blankets that had been piled on the chair. What was he thinking about all of this? “No.” She hoped he didn’t notice the slight quiver in her voice.