His 1-800 Wife Read Online Free
Author: Shirley Hailstock
Tags: novella, romance, Valentine's Day, contemporary, wedding, wife, husband, romance, fiction, consultant, PR firm, heartwarming, beach read, vacation companion, Shirley Hailstock, African American, Washington DC,
it, Catherine. You learned well. Now, what's the plan?"
Catherine swallowed. He already knew about her owning the number, she might as well tell him the rest of it. "I'm so tired of both my sister and my mother harping on my marital status that I knew I'd either have to leave Rhode Island or get married. So I decided to get married."
"Both drastic measures," Jarrod interjected. "But you shouldn't need a machine to find a husband." His gaze rolled over her from head to foot, taking in the shortness of her dress. Catherine accepted his gaze, although it made her uncomfortable and slightly warm, as if he'd opened an oven and the heat blew over her.
"I don't want a permanent husband. It's not like I can walk up to a man and ask him to marry me."
Catherine's voice trailed off. She sat forward, staring at Jarrod. Suddenly she thought of something. Another plan. And she had Audrey to thank for it. There was a man she could walk up to and ask him to marry her—Jarrod. Her 1-800 plan was good. Marrying Jarrod was even better. She inched to the edge of the bench, her feet stopping the gentle swing. She stared directly at him. They knew each other. They would both understand all the rules going in, and they could each satisfy a parent with the same plan.
It was perfect
Maybe.
"Catherine, what are you thinking? I don't like that look."
"Jarrod, will you marry me?" She blurted it out, not giving herself time to think it over.
"What!" He sat back suddenly, rocking the swing.
Her hand flashed out to brace herself. Then Catherine leaned forward. "It's a perfect plan."
"No, it's not. I'm not looking to get married, no matter how many women my mother parades in front of me."
"That's what makes it perfect," she countered and inched closer. She lowered her voice. "If we get married, we'll get them off our backs, and in six months, a year at the most, we can get divorced."
"Catherine, I've been gone for five years. No one is going to believe a marriage between us. We've always been at each other's throat. How can we suddenly be in love?"
Catherine smiled. "We've never been at each other's throat. It's all been good, clean fun." She paused. "Isn't that what you told everyone?"
He looked exasperated. Catherine didn't wait for an answer. "Everyone knows the line between love and hate is no wider than a thread. They'll all pat themselves on the back and say they knew all those fights were just to disguise our being in love."
"Not everyone," Jarrod said almost to himself, but Catherine heard the doubtful words.
"Jarrod, you can act as if you're in love with me." She moved closer to him. He inched back.
His hesitation was only slight. "Catherine, it isn't a matter of acting. It's deceit."
"And of course you've never deceived anyone." She lowered her head and raised her eyes, staring at him sarcastically. Then she stood up and caught hold of the support beam. The unit rocked.
"Cathy." He shortened her name. She never let anyone do that, but when Jarrod said it she felt as if he caressed the syllables. "What I did were harmless jokes. This could really hurt someone."
She hadn't thought his jokes were harmless. She'd cried herself to sleep many nights, embarrassed beyond her ability to comprehend.
"No one gets hurt, Jarrod. We get married and six months later happily divorced. No one will know about the deceptionbut us. When it's over, we'll both be friends and never have to have our parents bother us again. We'll be free to do whatever we want."
"What happens when we get divorced? What will they say then?"
"They'll say they only gave us six months in the first place." Catherine knew this was a good plan. It would make life so much easier. "Jarrod, we already know each other. We won't have to learn each other's habits or pretend anything except being in love, and that only in front of an audience. When we're alone we can just be friends." She took his hands the way he'd held hers. "We can do this."
Jarrod was hesitating.
Catherine swallowed. He already knew about her owning the number, she might as well tell him the rest of it. "I'm so tired of both my sister and my mother harping on my marital status that I knew I'd either have to leave Rhode Island or get married. So I decided to get married."
"Both drastic measures," Jarrod interjected. "But you shouldn't need a machine to find a husband." His gaze rolled over her from head to foot, taking in the shortness of her dress. Catherine accepted his gaze, although it made her uncomfortable and slightly warm, as if he'd opened an oven and the heat blew over her.
"I don't want a permanent husband. It's not like I can walk up to a man and ask him to marry me."
Catherine's voice trailed off. She sat forward, staring at Jarrod. Suddenly she thought of something. Another plan. And she had Audrey to thank for it. There was a man she could walk up to and ask him to marry her—Jarrod. Her 1-800 plan was good. Marrying Jarrod was even better. She inched to the edge of the bench, her feet stopping the gentle swing. She stared directly at him. They knew each other. They would both understand all the rules going in, and they could each satisfy a parent with the same plan.
It was perfect
Maybe.
"Catherine, what are you thinking? I don't like that look."
"Jarrod, will you marry me?" She blurted it out, not giving herself time to think it over.
"What!" He sat back suddenly, rocking the swing.
Her hand flashed out to brace herself. Then Catherine leaned forward. "It's a perfect plan."
"No, it's not. I'm not looking to get married, no matter how many women my mother parades in front of me."
"That's what makes it perfect," she countered and inched closer. She lowered her voice. "If we get married, we'll get them off our backs, and in six months, a year at the most, we can get divorced."
"Catherine, I've been gone for five years. No one is going to believe a marriage between us. We've always been at each other's throat. How can we suddenly be in love?"
Catherine smiled. "We've never been at each other's throat. It's all been good, clean fun." She paused. "Isn't that what you told everyone?"
He looked exasperated. Catherine didn't wait for an answer. "Everyone knows the line between love and hate is no wider than a thread. They'll all pat themselves on the back and say they knew all those fights were just to disguise our being in love."
"Not everyone," Jarrod said almost to himself, but Catherine heard the doubtful words.
"Jarrod, you can act as if you're in love with me." She moved closer to him. He inched back.
His hesitation was only slight. "Catherine, it isn't a matter of acting. It's deceit."
"And of course you've never deceived anyone." She lowered her head and raised her eyes, staring at him sarcastically. Then she stood up and caught hold of the support beam. The unit rocked.
"Cathy." He shortened her name. She never let anyone do that, but when Jarrod said it she felt as if he caressed the syllables. "What I did were harmless jokes. This could really hurt someone."
She hadn't thought his jokes were harmless. She'd cried herself to sleep many nights, embarrassed beyond her ability to comprehend.
"No one gets hurt, Jarrod. We get married and six months later happily divorced. No one will know about the deceptionbut us. When it's over, we'll both be friends and never have to have our parents bother us again. We'll be free to do whatever we want."
"What happens when we get divorced? What will they say then?"
"They'll say they only gave us six months in the first place." Catherine knew this was a good plan. It would make life so much easier. "Jarrod, we already know each other. We won't have to learn each other's habits or pretend anything except being in love, and that only in front of an audience. When we're alone we can just be friends." She took his hands the way he'd held hers. "We can do this."
Jarrod was hesitating.
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