by Lynn Cahoon
“You don’t have to, you know.”
“Lizzie’s mom said you make the mess, you clean the mess.” Barb chuckled. “My mom always said order Chinese.”
“I didn’t mean the dishes. You don’t have to sleep on the couch.” Hunter stood behind her, his and Kati’s plates in his hand.
A shiver ran up Barb’s spine. She could feel the heat of his body and was afraid to turn around. Afraid he’d kiss her if she did. Terrified she’d kiss him.
When he didn’t say anything else, she finally turned. He was back at the table. “I think it would be better … ”
“I have a guest room, you know.” He picked a piece of meat off the chicken platter. “This is good. I never can get the skin this crunchy.”
Barb took the mashed potatoes and scraped them into a plastic storage container. “Believe me, it took a lot of trial and error. I’m working my way through the Betty Crocker cookbook, one page at a time.”
“You’d never know it.” Hunter wiped the now empty table with a hot, soapy rag. “Kati and I appreciate dinner and all, but I can handle it from here.”
His eyes told a different story. Barb shrugged. “I guess I’m calling marital privilege then. I don’t want to drive up to Shawnee tonight so I’m staying over. Besides, we have some business to discuss tomorrow and I have to finish getting mom signed into Countryside.”
“I just don’t want you thinking I need you here or something.” Hunter’s voice faded. The man was almost asleep on his feet.
“Don’t worry, big man. I know you don’t need me.” Barb nodded to the hallway. “Now you go get in bed before you pass out and I have to cover you up with a blanket on the kitchen floor.”
Hunter grinned, but nodded. “I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
She turned the faucet on in the sink.
“Barb?”
Turning around she saw him leaning against the doorway.
“You okay?” She put her hand back on the faucet handle, ready to go help.
“I’m fine. I wanted to tell you thanks. Today, dinner, Kati, thanks for everything.” Hunter turned and disappeared down the hallway.
Barb shook her head and started rinsing dishes to put into the dishwasher, pretending for a moment that this was her kitchen and the man and child in the other room were her family.
Pretending until tomorrow.
Chapter 8
When Hunter shuffled into the kitchen to make coffee, he was surprised by three things. The coffee was already made. A basket of fresh baked banana nut muffins sat on the counter. And Barb Carico sat at the kitchen table in his old BSU tee shirt and jean shorts. The woman took his breath away whether she was dressed up and sporting those do-me pumps or in grubbies and barefoot. It didn’t matter. He knew he had it bad. The fact she could cook and Kati liked her just made everything worse.
He poured his coffee and slipped into a chair next to her. “Working?”
Barb leaned back in her chair, tossing her pen next to her laptop. “Dreaming.”
Hunter frowned. “You want to explain?”
Barb got up and refilled her cup. “Let’s just say my financial net worth isn’t where I need it to be to get the loan I need. The drop in the housing market has put a kink in my plans.”
“You buying or selling?” For the first time in days, Hunter’s head felt clear. He broke open the muffin he’d grabbed and spread butter on the still-warm insides.
“Neither. Just need to leverage some assets. Although I may be selling an upscale condo in San Francisco to pay mom’s deposit into the facility. You know anyone in the market?”
“If you sell, where would you live?” The muffin melted in his mouth. The woman was magic with food. Her brownies last night had rivaled the ones he purchased in the neighborhood bakery down the street.
Barb rolled her eyes. “I guess at my mom’s. I hate to sell her house until the market stabilizes. And, this will sound stupid, but what if she gets better? Better enough to come home and I’ve sold the house? She’d never forgive me.”
“Moving from the big city home would be quite a culture change.” Hunter knew about changing plans for family. Look at his new family friendly life. He’d never imagined he’d be a father figure so soon.
“I’ve been planning on moving home to be closer to Mom for a while. This situation just moves up my timetable.” Barb nodded at the muffins. “You like?”
“Amazing. You stay here much longer and Kati won’t be the only one putting on some weight.” He nodded toward her bedroom. “She still asleep?”
“Actually, no, she’s dressed and out in the back with Bella. I can’t believe how fast she bounced back from yesterday. I told her you needed to make the decision if she was going back to school tomorrow or not.” Barb sipped on her coffee. “She adores you.”
“I’m not quite sure about that, but we’re making progress. When she first got here, she didn’t say more than three words a day. And two of them were ‘thank you’ when I gave her anything.”
“Yeah, she did that with me yesterday. But we got past it.” Barb smiled. “She’s a good kid.”
“Thanks.” Hunter didn’t meet Barb’s gaze. “Look, about us … I have a proposition to make you.” The doorbell rang, interrupting Hunter. “We need to talk. Hold on and I’ll get rid of whoever this is.”
He walked to the front door and glanced out the side window. Groaning, he opened the door. “What do you want?”
“Now, is that any way to greet family?” Angel Monnet pushed past him into the large entryway. “Where’s my niece? I stopped by her school and they said she was sick?”
“Why were you at the school? If you want to see her, you can call me and we’ll set up a time.” Hunter shut the door; obviously inviting her in wasn’t necessary.
Angel sat her purse on the entry table. “So, your lawyer’s been busy, telling you our plans. You know Fred and I can give that little girl a real home. Not just an empty shell house like this.” Angel sniffed the air. “You made coffee. Yes, I’d love a cup.”
She marched to the kitchen, her stiletto heels clicking on the wood floor. Crap. He sprinted to get in front of her but he was too late.
“Oh, my. Who are you?” Angel’s voice was gleeful and Hunter could just hear the tearful testimony about how she’d found a woman, a harlot, in his house at eight in the morning.
Hunter went over to the table and put his hand on Barb’s back. “Barb, I’d like you to meet Angel Monnet, Kati’s aunt. Angel, this is my wife, Barb.”
He could feel her back muscles tighten as she heard his words.
“Wife?” Angel almost spit out the word. “When did you get a wife? Not that it will matter in the court case. Especially since she looks like you picked her up in one of those dive bars you like to frequent.”
Hunter saw Barb’s lips thin. Angel was in trouble. And he’d put his money on Barb in a fight between the two women.
“I’d say it’s nice to meet you Angel but my mama told me liars go to hell.” Barb stood up and put her arm around Hunter. “I’m sorry we weren’t dressed more to your standards but you did barge in on us unexpected and uninvited.”
Anger bubbled out in Angel’s demeanor and her inability to stand still. “I suppose you got married to look like a family?”
Barb shook her head. “I don’t know what kind of family you have, but where I come from, marriage is a sacred vow, not something entered into lightly, or for appearances sake. Did you marry your husband for his security or his money?”
“Why, you little … ” Angel took a step forward, but Hunter blocked her by stepping in front of Barb. Yes, he’d definitely take Barb in this fight any day.
“As you can see, we’re not ready for visitors. Kati’s been sick but she’s feeling better. If you’d like, you can meet her for ice cream after her riding lessons on Saturday. Your treat, obviously.”
Angel looked at Barb and Hunter. “This isn’t going to change anything.” She headed back to th
e entryway. “Tell Kati we’ll pick her up at four.”
“We’ll meet you at the Ice Cream Palace at three thirty,” Barb called back. When the door slammed, Barb turned to Hunter. “No way that woman is taking Kati anywhere. Who knows if you’d get her back?”
“You seemed to hold your own with her.” Hunter went to the window to watch Angel climb into her two-seat convertible. Nothing soccer mom about her. And Angel’s choice of vehicle confirmed his worse fears. They wanted Kati for the money. Of course, if he brought up the car during the trial, they’d weasel out of it somehow. Like her minivan had been in the shop and this was a loaner car.
Walking back into the kitchen, he sat down at the table and ran his hands through his hair. When he looked up, Barb was watching him. “I need a favor.”
Understanding filled Barb’s eyes. “So this is why we got married in Vegas? So you could have a trophy wife for the court case?”
“No.” He wouldn’t have Barb thinking this had been planned from the beginning. “I didn’t know Angel and her husband had even filed for custody until we got back. Ask my lawyer, he’ll tell you.”
Barb cocked her head and considered him. “As I see it, you need my services as your wife slash stand-in mother to Kati until that witch goes away.”
“That’s about the size of it.” Hunter leaned forward and took her hand. “Look, I know it’s an inconvenience. And I know I said I’d take care of this when we got back. But Kati can’t go live with Cruella. She just can’t. I’ll do anything.”
Barb’s eyes darted to the notebook she’d been writing in when he came into the room. “I need something too. But that’s all this is, a business arrangement. No extras like what happened Sunday night.”
“I promise. Although I may have to kiss you in front of other people. And touch you.” Hunter thought about slipping his arm around her waist. God, even now, just the thought made him hot. But he could curb his libido to save Kati. The kid had been through enough.
“You don’t know what I’m asking for yet. It might be a deal breaker.” Barb waited for his answer, but Hunter remained quiet. “I need you to put up the money for Mom’s deposit into Countryside. I’ll pay you back every penny out of the estate. And if that doesn’t cover it, you’ll get monthly checks from me until the debt is paid.”
“I’ll have my accountant send a check this morning. Give me the details.” Hunter broke open another muffin.
“That’s all you’re going to ask? Where to send the money?”
“No, actually, I was going to ask you if you need some money to go shopping for clothes. Kati wasn’t too happy the last time I took her. I thought the outfits were cute. You must be running out of clothes too since your closet is in California and you’re stuck here.” He pulled out his wallet and threw a card at her. “I’ll set up a household account with your name on it so you can play the part of Mrs. Martin.”
“I haven’t said yes yet.” Barb didn’t reach for the credit card on the table.
Hunter got up and kissed her on the top of her head. “Yes, you did. Saturday night in front of God and Elvis. That’s binding, you know.”
He walked out of the kitchen. “I’m going into the office and getting Jesse’s sponsorship papers finished up. It’s the least I can do for the new Mrs. Martin.”
“Stop calling me that,” Barb called after him.
Hunter chuckled as he walked down the hall to his bedroom. Having Barb here for the next few weeks would be fun. And being married should put him even with the Monnets, at least in the court’s eyes.
Getting married in Vegas was the best mistake he’d ever made.
• • •
Barb fingered the credit card Hunter had left. She did need some clothes. She’d had to resort to grabbing something of his out of the dryer this morning just so she’d have a clean shirt to wear with her shorts. She did have a clean sundress in her suitcase, but no way would she look like Betty Freaking Crocker making muffins in his kitchen when he woke up.
But Kati was off school for the day and they were heading out for a shopping day. Kati was in for a treat. Lorraine Carico may not have been a great mom in the kitchen, but the woman could shop. And Barb had learned a lot about fashion and accessories under her mom’s guidance.
Barb shut down the computer, wrote down the Countryside administrator’s name and phone number on a piece of paper for Hunter, grabbed the credit card, and went in search of Kati.
Two hours later, Kati looked like she wished she’d gone to school. Barb smiled and aimed the pair to her favorite restaurant in the mall, Cheesecake Heaven. “Let’s grab some lunch. Then we’ll stop by the car and drop this stuff off before we hit the last few stores.”
“I don’t need any more clothes.” Kati’s voice was a perfect whine. “All I do is go to school anyway, why do I need anything else?”
“You need new boots and some riding gear. I saw what you had in your closet. And those boots look like they were made for fashion cowgirl Barbie, not a real rider.” Barb shook her head. “Who bought you those?”
“Aunt Angel.” Kati struggled with the bags she carried.
Barb reached over her and took the slipping bag filled with the cute jeans and tees they’d found in the preteen store. Who knew shopping with a seven-year-old could be so much fun? Now if the kid would wear the stuff. “Figures. I met your aunt today. I don’t think she’s ever been on a horse.”
The hostess seated them in a booth large enough for them and their packages. After they’d ordered iced tea and lemonade, Barb leaned back and sighed. “My mom was an amazing shopper. Every year before school started, she’d take me and Lizzie to Boise for the weekend. We went to every store in town — or at least it felt that way.”
“Is your mom dead?”
The bluntness of the question floored Barb. “No, honey, she’s alive. She’s just losing her memory. I’m putting her into an assisted living center next week. Do you know what that is?”
“An old folks home? Gramps says he’d rather die than be put into one of those things.”
Barb smiled. She’d met the older Mr. Martin and he was a long way away from needing any kind of care, unless he found a new wife to coddle him. Barb was sure he wouldn’t mind that. “Your grandfather doesn’t have the same disease as my mom does.”
“So she’s not just old?”
“It’s called Alzheimer’s. Sometimes young people get it too. They don’t know why some people get the disease and others don’t.”
“If we visit her, I won’t get the germs, right?” Kati studied her menu.
“It’s not contagious. So, no, you wouldn’t get the germs.” Barb ordered fish and chips and was surprised when Kati ordered the same. “You want some nachos to snack on?”
Kati nodded and the waitress grinned. “I’ll be right back with those.”
Barb watched the little girl drinking her lemonade. “Would you like to meet my mother? I don’t know if she’d remember you after the first time, but we can try.”
Kati nodded. “I’d like that. Both my grammas were dead before I was born so I never had a grandmother.”
Barb jolted every time Kati used the word dead. Not passed, not in heaven. Just flat out dead. The kid had a few issues, that was certain. But maybe her matter of fact attitude was a better way to deal with the loss of her parents than just pretending.
Growing up with the motherless Sullivan boys in Shawnee, Barb knew kids built up defenses. Jesse had been the one as a kid to make up stories on where his mom was and why she wasn’t with them. When he’d found out about the witness protection program, the kid had been convinced that was why Angie had left them. She’d witnessed something horrible and had been swept away to testify and live her life away from her two sons. James never crushed his younger brother’s dreams, not once, at least where their mother was concerned.
And Jesse had been right in a way, their mother had returned, although it wasn’t until years later. James was still working on incorp
orating Angie back into his life.
But Kati’s folks weren’t living the dream in Vegas or in witness protection. They were dead. And Kati was dealing with it the best she could. Barb wondered if Hunter had considered counseling.
“Aunt Angel and my mom never rode horses. Aunt Angel’s afraid of them. But she said if I come live with her, I could still visit the stables to ride.”
“Do you want to live with your aunt?” Barb asked, unsure she wanted to hear the answer. She could already tell that losing Kati would break Hunter’s heart.
“She says that Uncle Hunter is giving up his life for me and I shouldn’t be selfish.”
The waitress brought their nachos and Barb waited for the girl to leave before responding. Besides, telling Kati her aunt was a scheming, money hungry liar probably wasn’t the best response. She picked up a chip filled with sour cream, salsa, and cheese, and took a bite.
Kati mirrored her. “I love these things.”
Kati took a second chip. It was good to see the kid eat. Barb took a deep breath and dived into the conversation. “Your uncle loves you and he’s not the type of man to do anything he doesn’t want to do.” Except stay married to me, Barb added silently. “So don’t think about what’s good for Hunter. Where do you want to live?”
Kati’s eyes filled with tears, a reaction Barb hadn’t counted on. Crap, maybe she did want to go live with Angel and the family. Having kids around to play with wouldn’t be a bad life. Barb’s words didn’t even convince herself.
Finally, Kati spoke. “I want to live with Uncle Hunter.”
Barb patted the little girl’s hand. “Then I’m going to do everything I can to make that happen.”
They sat without talking for a while, both focusing on the nachos in the middle of the table. When that plate was empty, the waitress brought their fish and chips.
Kati poured ketchup on her plate for her French fries. “So, do you ride?”
Barb laughed, and used a fry as a pointer. “You’re looking at the Shawnee Rodeo Queen from my freshman and senior year of high school. First runner-up the other two years when they gave it to Lizzie.”
