“I can’t wait, I just can’t wait. It’s going to be so, so fun. I can swim with the dolphins and find crabs and sea horses. Only I won’t let the crabs pinch me, I’ll scoop them up with a bucket. I might get a hermit crab. Yeah, and a sea dollar. Oh, and a starfish. And we can build a sand castle and put Daddy in a big, big hole. Only I’ll dig you out when you get hungry, so don’t worry.”
He laughed, and Jules turned her head to the river, mentally embracing the breeze as a comfort to her soul. Andi’s enthusiasm merely magnified her loneliness. This glorified nanny couldn’t afford a vacation.
“How about we put a lid on the beach plans and find something to eat.” Rhett let go of his daughter’s hand to cease her swinging. “I’m hungry now.”
By the time they’d eaten and loaded Andi in the car, the sun had dipped below the line of trees to the west. Andi’s exuberance took a toll, and as the vehicle merged onto Lloyd Expressway traffic, her head slid against the side of her booster. Her eyes fluttered closed, and her body melted in complete relaxation. Jules looked back at her, all rosy and sun-kissed, hair a curly mess about her head, full lips pursed in sleep. Her own mouth quirked. How many times had Hannah done the same exact thing?
She turned her attention to the front and settled in tired satisfaction. As much as she hated to break the quiet rumination of a day of bonding, she broached the subject that nagged her throughout the afternoon.
“About this beach thing. You know I can’t afford to go right now.”
Rhett inhaled. “You don’t have to pay a cent. I’ll take care of it.”
“No, Rhett.” She said firmly. “You’ve done enough buying and providing things. I can’t let you do it. You and Andi go and spend some time together. She’s obviously been looking forward to it for a while.”
His face swung to hers. “And how’s that going to look, Jules? I leave with Andi to go to Florida, and my new wife stays at home. By herself.”
Pain spiraled from her throat and radiated throughout her body, replacing the contented tiredness. She clenched her hands in her lap. Appearances. It was always about how everyone perceived them. She winked rapidly to disperse the moisture gathering in her eyes. Her teeth gritted. Yes, good. Anger would stop the tears.
“Look, we’ve got a unique relationship here. Who says we have to have this Leave it to Beaver kind of family? Why can’t I just stay home while you two take a vacation? Must we do everything for the sake of the neighbors?”
After her sharp words, silence reigned the car’s atmosphere. Her stiff shoulders ached as she kept her gaze on the passing scenery. She longed to leap from the car and scream in frustration. Instead she jutted her chin. He would not move her on this.
“You’ll break her heart, Jules. You’re her mother, now. She won’t understand.”
A sob formed in her stomach. How dare he use Andi? And talk down to her in that low, quiet voice. Her lip quivered, and the tears on her eyelashes threatened to spill. How dare he— She sniffed and closed her eyes. Andi would be crushed. She couldn’t deny it no matter how much she bulled up. When she got control of her voice, she answered.
“Fine. I’ll go. For Andi.”
* * *
Rhett’s two week work plan turned into three. He grunted as he leaned forward to study the blueprints. He was beginning to hate Chicago. What was the expression? When it rains it pours? Well, he was in a deluge. Building materials hadn’t arrived. Routine inspections failed. Co-workers unexpectedly absent. What next?
He dropped into the office chair, steepled his fingers, and stared out the trailer’s window. The landscapers buzzed about the front of the new construction, applying mulch around the newly planted bushes and plants. Well, at least the building would look finished even if it wasn’t.
He’d missed Andi’s last soccer game and that burned him. Thank God for Jules. The child had been ecstatic to relay how the whole team had gone to the bounce house and eaten pizza afterwards.
“None of the other moms jumped. But Jules did. She even went through the obstacle course.” Andi’s happy voice played again in his mind. He grinned, wishing he’d been there to see a grown woman play with the children. Not just any woman. Jules.
The chair creaked in protest as he leaned back and crossed his arms. If memory served him correctly, few dads had joined the fun last year. Except him. Too bad he’d missed it. Wrestling Andi and Jules in the bounce house sounded like pure heaven right now.
The door to his left screeched open and Cal Moser stepped in, his yellow hardhat leading the way as he jostled his big body through the small opening. Once in, he stood and stretched before he slid into a chair across the room. He pulled the helmet from his head and tossed it to the floor.
“Hiding?”
Rhett harrumphed. “Wouldn’t you?”
Cal grinned. “You betcha. But we should be out of the woods now. The last truck just arrived and actually has the building materials that were ordered.”
“Great. Best news I’ve heard all day.”
Cal leaned over, opened a small refrigerator, and pulled out a water bottle. “Want one?”
“Nope. Sounds like I need to get moving. Structural inspection ought to be finished by now.” Rhett stood.
“Calm your ponies just a minute. Have a seat.”
Rhett complied.
“I know you work for my brother, but I hoped there’d be away to persuade you to stay. I’ve never known a man to put in this many hours with hardly a complaint. It’s a rarity, I assure you.”
Rhett grinned. Cal was so like his brother with his dark hair and hulking stature. His laid-back demeanor made it easy to work with him. But he couldn’t even entertain the notion of uprooting Andi when she’d just gotten settled.
“Sorry, sir. I can’t possibly think about relocating everyone at this point. I appreciate your confidence in me, but I’m ready to return to normal working hours and spend some time with my family.”
Cal grinned, his wooly mustache stretching above his teeth. “Oh, yes. The wife. I nearly forgot. Remember how you swore off marriage not so long ago?” He stood and took a lengthy swig of water. “She must be some kind of woman to snag you.”
Rhett’s gaze drifted back out the window to the view of the landscapers. But it wasn’t them he saw. Instead, her smiling face, wild strawberry-blond hair bouncing about, her tiger’s eyes dancing in glee, invaded his thoughts. A strong yearning to be home, to talk with her, to be in her presence hit like an insect on a windshield.
“Yes,” he muttered. “She’s some kind of woman.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Jules stepped out of the jeep and glanced around. She’d dropped Andi at Goldie’s this morning for a play date, and without her, she felt like a three-wheeled wagon. Funny how attached she’d become to having the Andi with her. She shook her head and headed to the bank’s glass doors. The new carpet smell filled her nose as Jules bellied up to a marble-countered window. The woman at the computer smiled.
“Good morning. How may I help you?”
“Yes, I need some cash.” Jules slid the check across the surface.
The clerk picked it up and did a double-take. “You’re Mrs. Carsen? Mrs. Rhett Carsen?”
Jules blinked and stuttered. “Yes.”
The clerk’s eyes cut to the draft in her hand and then returned to narrow at her. Jules’ hackles rose. Now what?
“So you’re the one that snagged him.”
Jules’ mouth pulled a tight smile. “I guess so.”
The teller perused her face. “Well, how nice.”
Jules tamped down a sigh. From the woman’s tone she meant just the opposite of “nice.” She dropped her eyes to catch the name on the nametag. Melanie Cannon. Huh. Didn’t ring a bell, and Rhett hadn’t mentioned her. Her eyes raked the lady’s face while she punched on the computer. Dark hair, somewhat attractive, although the big bangs were a little out of date and she wore too much make-up. Perhaps an old girlfriend? A shiver of revulsion s
urged through Jules at the thought of another woman dating Rhett. The woman turned to her and opened a drawer.
“Could I see some I.D?”
Jules’ mouth parted. Shouldn’t she have asked for that before cashing the check? She fumbled in her purse.
“Here.”
The woman studied it and flicked her eyes back to her. “You an out-of-towner?”
Jules’ brows descended, and she pointed to the driver’s license in the teller’s hand. “Uh, no. I live here.”
She gave a short laugh. “No, I mean before. Before you married Rhett?”
“Oh.” She had to know this? Was it the bank’s policy or just personal interest? Jules’ face stiffened. “Yes.”
“So where did you come from?”
Really? A sigh worked its way up Jules’ chest. “Nashville.”
One of the woman’s dark eyebrows elevated. “Nashville, huh? How’d you meet Rhett?”
Jules swallowed and checked her watch. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I’m a little pressed for time.”
Melanie Cannon’s nostrils tightened, and her lips pursed. “Sure.”
At last she began to count out the twenties until she’d finished the whole amount. She slid the money into a white envelope and handed it to Jules with her I.D.
“Thank you.” Jules gave a hesitant smile.
“You have a nice day, now.” The woman’s puckered face wished a whole different scenario, and Jules spun on her heel and hurried out.
Yeesh. Some kind of history there. But it didn’t matter. This trip to Florida weighed heavy on her mind. She had to get back and take advantage of her time alone to pack. Rhett would return on Friday, and they’d fly out early Saturday morning. That left only one day to gather all their stuff.
Once home, she threw the last of the laundry into the dryer and sped back upstairs to her room to finish packing. Beach towels, robe, bath essentials. She pulled her dresser drawer open and her two piece bathing suit greeted her at the top of the pile of clothing. Oh, my. That was a no-go. She fumbled beneath and extracted her brown one piece and stuffed into the suitcase.
Jules sighed. A beautiful beach, a charming daughter, a gorgeous husband, and a big, fat, fake marriage. Weariness settled on her from putting on the happy family, false face. This trip could stretch pretty long. But they wouldn’t have to pretend to be a perfect couple. She nibbled her lip. Yet she’d be living in close quarters with him all day, every day.
For crying out loud. Didn’t she do that already? An ache radiated through her, and she flopped on her bedside. She yearned for her marriage to be a real one. Glancing over at the open drawer, she contemplated the two-piece. It would certainly strike up a conversation. Not necessarily in platonic way. He had been rather transfixed that day near the pool.
She covered her face with her hands. Good grief, she smacked of some spring-break hussy on her twenty-first birthday. She was a grown woman, for goodness sake. Start behaving like one. She rose and shut the drawer with a firm hand. Face facts. He married you to take care of Andi. Period. Tears bit her eyes. How she wished she could close her heart as easily as she’d closed the drawer.
She rumbled downstairs to the laundry room, wiping moisture from her face as she went. The buzzer on the dryer sounded, and she yanked the door open. The warmth of the fresh clothing enveloped her wounded heart. Why had she entered into this marriage? What on earth had she hoped to accomplish? Was it enough to be near to him each day, change his sheets, and cook his meals?
She plopped the armload of clothes on the counter near the window, and his favorite worn Indiana University t-shirt stuck out from the bundle. Her hands reached for it and pulled it to her face. She inhaled. It still had his scent. With a sob she slid it on and she ran her fingers down the faded material. Oh, God, how am I ever going to get through the next two weeks?
* * *
Jules let out a stream of air as she turned her attention to the clouds passing outside the small window of the plane. In the seat next to her, Andi sang along with her favorite Christian artist, clutching her father’s MP3 player. Jules didn’t even want to know how much this trip was costing Rhett. Or maybe she should contemplate it to take her mind off the dull ache in her heart. Why couldn’t she just look forward to a couple weeks at the beach? Anyone else would be thrilled by such an opportunity.
Despicable love, that’s why. It wasn’t enough to just be with them. She wanted Rhett to adore her as much as she loved him. She bit her lip hard to stem the tears. Drat, they were ever close to spilling over lately. Be content. Be content with what you have, ninny. She stuck her ear bud cord into the armrest jack and turned up the volume. Time to change the subject. The lame airplane movie might do the trick.
At the airport, Jules clutched at Andi and scurried into the aisle to keep from losing Rhett as they exited the plane. After a wait, they collected their luggage and walked through the huge building with its three-story high ceilings and moving sidewalks.
“Let’s have a race, Daddy.” Andi squealed as she ran ahead and leaped on one of the travellators. “You walk beside me, and we’ll see who wins.”
Rhett grinned at her and hurried to catch up, towing the mountain of suitcases behind. Jules closed her eyes and turned her head to the wall of windows. Why did she suddenly feel so shut out? She blinked away the dampness and slid sunglasses on her face. Great. She’d been reduced to a weirdo who wore sunglasses inside a building.
Rhett rented a mid-size car, and they maneuvered their way through the lot to find it. He held up the clicker and opened the door. “Ah, here we go.”
He popped the trunk and loaded the suitcases while Andi twirled, pink flowered sunglasses perched on her pert nose. Jules wiped sweat from her forehead. The runways in the horizon quivered with the heat. “I’ll just be glad to get in the air-conditioning.”
Even to her own ears she sounded like a whiner. She inhaled. Make this work, Jules. Stop being a pathetic loser.
* * *
They settled into the interior which radiated more heat than the sun’s surface. Rhett started the vehicle and familiarized himself with the dashboard. He shot a glance at his companion in the passenger’s seat. He’d detected a note of irritation in Jules’ voice, and he wondered if she was still angry about being forced to come on this trip.
He eased the car into gear after everyone fastened their seat belts and checked Andi in the mirror, who sat tall in the built-in booster. “And we’re off to the beach.”
Andi clapped her hands. “Oh, Daddy. I just can’t wait. Can we go as soon as we see it?”
He chuckled. “Well, first I have to find the house, and we’ll have to unpack.”
Andi crossed her arms and scowled at him in the mirror. “Unpack? That’ll take thousands of years.”
Humor tugged at the corner of his lips. “Thousands of seconds, perhaps. Maybe we’ll make a quick cruise of the beach and worry about it a little later.”
Andi bounced in her seat. “With Goldie?”
Man, the child pressed to new heights with each question. “No, Goldie and her family won’t arrive until next week.”
He flicked on the radio and found a Christian station. One of Andi’s favorites grabbed her attention, and she sang and swayed to the music. Rhett turned his concentration to his quiet companion. “Looking forward to some beach time?”
“Uh-huh.”
Not exactly the enthusiastic reply he expected. “You do like the beach, right?”
She snorted. “A little late to be asking me, isn’t it?”
He gripped the steering wheel. This could quickly turn into a long two weeks. Maybe he needed to stop and purchase her favorite drink to sweeten the attitude. “I suppose.”
Her head swung his way. “Do you know a Melanie Cannon?”
Blast. Where had she come up with that name? “Yes, I do.”
Jules’ arms crossed. “Is she an old girlfriend?”
Rhett’s brows descended, and he snuck a glimpse of h
er. “Definitely not. Why? Where’d you hear about her?”
“At the bank.”
Ah. That explained a lot. “I see.”
Jules flicked her hand. “So she just works at the bank. That’s it?”
He sighed. “Not exactly. One of the soccer dads tried to get us together at one time.”
Jules’ toe tapped. “And?”
He grinned and shot her a glance. “And nothing.”
“So why didn’t you marry her instead of me?”
He inhaled and checked the map on the screen to his right. Perhaps if he inserted a little truth liberally sprinkled with humor. “No one chooses a slow and agonizing death, Jules.”
The tapping stopped, and she turned her head to the passenger window. Oh, this was going to be fun. Jules in a mood for two weeks. Hmmm. Though her strutting around in a bathing suit could take off the edge. He scratched under his chin before signaling a left turn. He had to admit he’d daydreamed about her numerous times throughout the last couple of weeks and felt like a bottom-feeder to even entertain such thoughts.
Yet, what was so wrong with visualizing one’s wife in a swimsuit? Logic surfaced. Because she’s not really your wife. She’s a roommate, Carsen, remember? His eyes flicked to the expanse of her tanned leg below her jean mini-skirt. He gripped the steering wheel as he waited for the light to change, and his gaze shifted to the silver ring on his left hand. Roommate, yes, but also his wife.
Andi bellowed along with the song on the radio, and a smile tugged at his cheek. He’d do anything to make this a successful vacation. He owed Andi that. His gaze flicked again to Jules’ slender legs, her feet encased in strappy beaded sandals, toes polished a hot pink. But there was no good sense ignoring the obvious benefits, and he’d be blind not to notice his wife was beautiful and tantalizing.
The computer-generated voice pulled him from his thoughts. “You have arrived at your destination.”
The palm trees parted, and Andi squealed as they pulled into the drive of the yellow three story beach house with two white balconies around the top levels “Look. It’s the ocean.”
Reviving Jules Page 20
