A Wife by Accident by Victoria Ashe Page A

a very kind, stable, religious local couple there who can’t have children of their own. They would love nothing more than to move in and run the place. They remind me so much of Mr. and Mrs. Bellmark that it’s scary. I have the money to put those kids through school, all the way to their doctorates if they want. Mr. Bellmark used to take us all every Sunday to this old church down the road. I can pay to keep a pastor there and repair the building when it’s necessary. I—”
    “Ok already. You’ve won me over.” Hayely was afraid she’d have to put her hand over his mouth to cut him off. She laughed brightly.
    Gary stood quickly and Hayely rose to stand beside him. He’d said more in the last five minutes with Hayely than he had to all the women in his past combined. And it felt wonderful.
    She judged his mood with a glance. “I’m glad you feel better.” She looked up at him, her shining eyes explaining silently that his elation was contagious. She was genuinely happy simply because he was.
    Gary caught his breath as he looked at her for much longer than ever intended. He bent and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead, wanting to linger and not quite daring.
    “Must be a friendly office you’ve got.” Hayely blushed in spite of her efforts to sound collected.
    “I got carried away.” He quickly walked toward the door. “You’re easy to get carried away with, Mrs. Tarleton.”
    “Knock off the ‘Mrs. Tarleton’ bit, will you?” she teased. “You know, I think a real wife would be your undoing. And that would be a good thing.”
    Gary closed her door tightly behind him as he left her room and then forced his feet to move forward until the urge to kiss her had passed.
    •
    Charlie grinned as he lounged lazily on the back porch swing. The photographer had positioned Gary and Hayely in front of a fountain for the next round of pictures. He’d lost count of how many rolls of film she’d already gone through.
    “No, it doesn’t look right from here. I think they should sit closer. Hold hands maybe.” Charlie pretended not to catch the sinister glare Gary gave him when the lady with the fancy camera wasn’t looking. He chuckled to himself when she suggested the couple do exactly as Charlie had suggested.
    “And wouldn’t it be great,” he called out, “to get one of them kissing. It would be so romantic.”
    But from watching Gary and Hayely , no one would suspect they weren’t looking at a real husband and wife. They certainly had their act down to a fine scientific study of romance. Each time Gary looked down into Hayely’s eyes, the two seemed to get stuck there until the photographer laughed and bent them into a new pose.
    And then there was the unique fact that Hayely’s bare knee seemed to draw Gary’s rough hand to it like a magnet of sorts. Sometimes Hayely would place her own hand over his and fidget with his wedding band while it rested on her leg. Did either of them notice what they were doing? Charlie wondered.
    “And that does it,” the photographer finished. “I can have these developed by the end of the week if that works for you.”
    “Fine. Thank you.” Gary said in typically gruff fashion, then nodded for Charlie to see the woman to her car. Hayely gave Gary an exasperated look as if he’d been horrible somehow. “What? Don’t know her, don’t care to chat with her any more than I need to.”
    “You could at least put a full sentence together for the woman. She did come here on really, really short notice after all. Not to mention on her day off.”
    Gary shot Hayely a sidelong glance. “Going to keep me civilized are you, Mrs. Tarleton?”
    “Mr. Tarleton, I don’t think it’s possible.” Hayely laughed out loud, the sound of it mixing with the bubbling water in the fountain behind them. “Besides, I thought you were going to quit calling me that.”
    When she awoke that morning, she’d wondered if things might be tense between her and Gary. She worried if he