The Favor Page 5

  Then, he could move her into his house, give her the financial means to work less and be home with Louie after school. The landlord would have time to clean the mold out of the rental house, and Clark could put the two of them on his health insurance policy. She’d have everything she needed to meet Judge Rafferty’s conditions. And his conscience would be clear. Well, as far as Anna and Louie were concerned.

  Once custody was decided, he and Anna could go back to living separate lives.

  Maybe he should run this plan by Jake. His best friend always gave good advice. He dialed his cell but disconnected before Jake answered. The last thing he wanted to do was make Jake feel worse. Getting married was something he’d always wanted to do. He’d been on the hunt for the perfect girl since college, but since the accident, his self-confidence had been in the gutter, and he didn’t even try to date anymore.

  Clark’s parents would be no help. They were out of the country celebrating their fortieth anniversary with a trip to the Golden Buddha Beach Resort, an all-inclusive on some far-flung island. Even though they’d never made time for him or Taylor, they still liked to pull the strings. They’d never approve of him marrying a woman they hadn’t handpicked. Not to mention he wouldn’t value their advice in the first place.

  This decision is all me.

  And it was a huge one. One he should think through more carefully, but his attraction to Anna was messing with him, making his brain spin and toss like he was on some carnival ride. While he was normally able to compartmentalize his emotions in order to make a solid decision, in this case, his need to do the right thing was magnified by his attraction to Anna. With any other woman, the offer would be off the table. He’d pay his way through it and leave it at that, but she was different.

  Walking around the city, block after block, he tried to reason his way through it. Clark trusted himself to make solid decisions, and after thinking about it several different ways, this one was simple. Louie was better off with Anna than with his jackass of a father. The only way Anna could keep Louie was by drastically improving her circumstances.

  The only way to make everything work was by getting married.

  In a short period of time, they could meet all of Judge Rafferty’s conditions and get the custody dispute settled once and for all, and Clark, with his already-battered conscience, would be off the hook. At least on this issue.

  Whether it was weeks or months, it wasn’t long enough to make much difference in his life or Anna’s.

  The only thing left is to talk her into it.

  He smiled a little at the thought. There were lots of things he’d like to talk Anna into, and maybe if it was married to her, he could.

  …

  It was George’s weekend. He’d picked up Louie from school.

  Anna hated coming home to an empty house, but it was nice to have a break every other weekend. It gave her a chance to catch up on all the household chores she was too busy to do when Louie was home. Because she worked a lot, she spent every spare minute with her son. She wasn’t going to let precious time slip away while she was cleaning out the fridge or wiping down the baseboards. With the mold getting worse in both the kitchen and the spare bedroom, she planned to spend most of Saturday scrubbing, but tonight, she was just going to relax.

  Usually, every other Friday night, she and Taylor drove into Asheville for a cheap dinner and some window shopping, but Taylor had begged off after a long shift at the hospital. Anna was on her own and she’d decided to splurge.

  She wanted to be pissed that Clark had paid Willa’s retainer without discussing it with her first. It was presumptuous and high-handed.

  I made it crystal clear that I don’t want or need handouts.

  He should’ve asked, should’ve talked to her about it, but underneath her irritation, there was a sea of relief knowing that she had Willa on her side.

  Enough relief to justify a dinner that didn’t come from the microwave.

  Even though Franklyn was a small town, there was a sushi restaurant within walking distance of the house. Anna pulled her wallet from her purse and dug out the twenty she’d stashed behind her driver’s license. She tucked it into the front pocket of her jeans and grabbed her house keys. A nice walk in the evening breeze would be a great way to unwind.

  Just as she put her hand on the doorknob, someone rang the doorbell.

  Maybe Taylor had changed her mind and wanted to head into town after all.

  Anna swung the door open.

  Taylor wasn’t on the other side.

  Clark was. At least she thought it was him. There was huge bouquet of pink roses between them. The smell filled her nostrils, and she clamped her fingers of over her nose and stepped backward.

  “Anna?”

  The voice confirmed it. Deep and sexy. Redhawk’s voice. She tried to ignore the electric shiver that ran up her spine. In order to fight the attraction, she reminded herself she was supposed to be irritated at Clark for paying Willa before even calling her to discuss it. She pulled the twenty from her pocket and stuck it into the roses. “I intend to pay you back in full. Here’s my first payment.”

  “What?” He shook his head and looked confused.

  “You paid Willa. The handwriting gave you away.”

  “We’ll work that out later. If you want to pay me back, that’s cool, but we need to talk.” He tilted the massive bouquet to the side and pushed the twenty back toward Anna. “Can I come inside? These need to be put in water.”

  She shook her head and waved her hand. “I don’t want those. I hate roses. They indicate guilt with better precision than a lie detector test.” She poked the cellophane wrapper with her index finger. “I understand why you clocked George. You paid my retainer. You’ve done enough. More than enough.”

  Just the sight of the bouquet made her angry. The noxious flowers had always been George’s way of apologizing. Early in the marriage, when she’d been trying her best to make it work, he’d brought home roses every time he fucked up. It had felt like living in a funeral home. She knew it was irrational, but she couldn’t seem to control her reaction.

  “We really need to talk.” There were dark circles under his eyes.

  “You’re not going away until I say yes, are you?”

  “Nope. I’m pretty determined.”

  She stepped back from the door, and he walked past her into the living room. “Have a seat.”

  He smelled delicious, his cologne spicy and warm. Clark looked even better in the dark-green polo and tight Levi’s than he had in the Redhawk costume. The jeans were nice, faded in all the right places. On the other hand, the spandex costume had shown a lot more detail, and that certainly had its advantages. Either way, he was an incredibly attractive man, and she half wished she’d let Taylor set her up with him when she’d begged.

  He sat on the corner of the sofa, and she sat across the room on the edge of a battered wingback chair. Her attraction to him made her uncomfortable. Instead of meeting his eyes, she looked at the carpet and focused on the stain she’d been forgetting to clean since the birthday party. If she just pretended to listen and refused to meet his gaze, he’d be out the door in only a few minutes and she could go get sushi. Anna concentrated on the rhythmic tick of the clock on the mantle. Tick, tick, tick.

  “I spoke with Judge Rafferty,” Clark said.

  Anna jerked her head up and met his eyes. “You what?” Taylor had always said he was meddlesome, but she’d never really believed it. She’d always thought he just played the part of big brother, but apparently, it extended to people he barely knew. “You barely even know me.”

  “I wanted to ensure we keep full custody of Louie.”

  “‘We?’ Louie is my kid, my responsibility.” She shook her head. “That’s none of your business.”

  Clark tilted his head upward. “I’m only trying to help.”

  “But it’s overreaching. Don’t you understand that? This is my life, my kid. My mess. I need to sort it out. Not you.
I’ve learned to do things on my own, and I like it that way.”

  “That may be.” Clark’s expression didn’t change. It was as if he didn’t even understand why sticking his nose where it didn’t belong was a problem. “You should listen to me.” His eyes softened and he bit his bottom lip. “I have a solution.”

  Not only did she want him to butt out, she didn’t want to be attracted to someone who was making her so damn aggravated. He was confusing her, jamming all her circuits, and inspiring too many emotions at once.

  “If you don’t listen to me, you’ll lose Louie. Simple as that.”

  …

  Anna’s face changed immediately.

  “Ready to listen?” Clark asked.

  She slumped into her chair and nodded. “Ready.”

  “I talked to Judge Rafferty yesterday. He’s already decided he’s going to give custody to George.”

  Anna shook her head. “The system is so backward. It’s just not fair. I’ve done everything I can to protect my son. It’s not that I want to keep him from his father. It’s that I want him to grow into a man who is kind and respectful to women. I don’t want him to be like George.”

  “I agree. Louie needs to be with you.”

  “So how do I make sure he does?”

  “Rafferty has some conditions. First of all, you have to take care of the mold in the house.”

  Anna wrinkled her brow. “How does he know about that?”

  “George claims he has a report to prove it.”

  “That son of a bitch. It’s a lie. No one has been in the house to check. I noticed it in the kitchen and I was going to take care of it, but I just haven’t—”

  “He also wants you to get health insurance and be in a position to spend more time with Louie.”

  “I’m going to lose my son.” Her voice was high pitched and panicked. “I can’t afford either option.”

  “There’s a way to take care of all of the judge’s conditions. We could get married.”

  Her eyes went wide, and she tilted her head to one side. “We what?”

  “Rafferty will dismiss the motion if you and I are together.”

  She rose from the chair and began pacing the threadbare carpet. “That’s insane. Crazy. We don’t even know each other.”

  “The judge thinks we do.”

  “Why would he think that?” Anna stopped walking and stared at Clark.

  “I might have told him we’ve been seeing each other and it’s become quite serious.”

  Anna’s jaw dropped. “You lied to the judge?

  “He won’t know the difference. No one in town will. It’s not like I get out all that much.”

  “Is this some kind of joke?”

  “Not at all. It’s a serious proposition. Proposal. Whatever.”

  “Let me get this straight, you want to marry me, a woman you barely know, so I can keep my son?”

  “Precisely.”

  “Why?” She stopped the pacing and stared at him. “What on earth would make you do that?”

  He rose and walked toward her. “I caused your ex-husband to file the motion, and I want to make this right. Louie needs to be with you.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “I always take responsibility for my actions.”

  Tears welled in the corners of her eyes. “But that’s too much. Way too much.”

  Her lips were inches from his. Her breath tickled his cheek. The urge to protect her, comfort her, and make the tears stop, rose all the way from his stomach into the back of his throat in a wave.

  The only thing he could do was kiss her.

  Her lips were as soft as he’d imagined. Sweet, tender. She tasted warm, like peppermints, and a wave of heat flooded him. He wrapped his fingers in her curls and pulled her closer. Chemistry crackled between them, and he hoped the kiss wouldn’t end. Anna locked her fingers behind his neck and nibbled on his bottom lip making goose bumps pop out on his forearms.

  Anna pulled away and looked up at him. Her eyes, now dry, were wide. “I didn’t—”

  “Just think, if you marry me, we could do that once a day.” He locked his hands at the small of her back.

  “Just once? Sounds like a bum deal. Are you open to twice?”

  “It would be a sacrifice, but I might consider it.”

  Anna shot a look at the fly of his jeans. “Sacrifice, huh? At least one of you disagrees.”

  “You’re terrible,” he said, but he couldn’t hide his grin. Maybe a temporary marriage to Anna would be more fun than he thought. “So, you want to set a date now or do you need some time to look at your calendar?”

  Chapter Seven

  Clark was serious. Even though the kiss had been pretty fantastic, she wasn’t willing to base a marriage on one smooch no matter how much it made her toes tingle.

  It’s ridiculous. Like something out of a movie or a book. Crazy with a capital C.

  “I need a minute. I… It’s too—”

  “I know. It’s a lot. I’ll go for a drive.” He walked to the door. “I just want to do the right thing for you and your son.”

  “Why is Louie so important to you?”

  He turned slowly. “I caused this mess. I want to fix it.”

  Anna wasn’t buying it. There were a dozen ways he could help her without a marriage certificate. “It’s more than that. At the very least, I need an explanation.”

  He exhaled slowly. “I can’t bear the thought of him growing up with that bastard.”

  It still wasn’t making sense, and before the discussion went any further, Anna intended to get to the bottom of Clark’s motivations. “Why do you care so much?”

  He leaned on the front door and rubbed his jaw. “I was Louie. Not exactly. My parents stayed together and we always had money, but they never noticed me, they never paid attention to me except to criticize me. I know how that hurts. Louie is a great kid. He deserves a great childhood.”

  Taylor never talked much about their parents. She’d always been close to Clark, and Anna never thought to dig any deeper. “I try my best.”

  He took a couple of steps toward her. “I know how much you love him, and that’s why he needs to stay with you. He needs that deep affection more than he needs money and things. My dad criticized everything I did, everything I felt. When I heard George speak to you that way, it did something to me. ”

  “It’s just the way he is.”

  “I get that, but those scars can be really deep ones, and Louie deserves better.”

  Anna’s heart squeezed. “I really appreciate what you’re trying to do.”

  “Think about it. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Hey,” she said, following him to the door. “In order to consider your offer, I’m going to need that second kiss guaranteed in writing.”

  Clark raised one eyebrow. “Got a pen?”

  As soon as he closed the door behind him, Anna pulled her phone from her back pocket and dialed Taylor. The line rang three times before Taylor answered. “Hello?”

  “Your brother is certifiable,” Anna said. “Absolutely batshit crazy.”

  Taylor laughed. Like it was no big deal. “What else is new?”

  “I’m serious,” Anna said. “It’s not funny. He came over here with an armful of roses. He proposed marriage.” She still couldn’t believe it herself. “And he kissed me.”

  “He kissed you?” Taylor laughed even harder. “I’m sorry. I really am,” she said before she broke into another round of giggles.

  Anna was becoming more and more irritated by the second. “Stop laughing. This is serious!”

  “It is serious. Really. It is.” She heard the smile in Taylor’s voice.

  “Did you know about his little plan?”

  “No. I would’ve told you, Anna. Surely you know that.” Taylor started laughing again. “I knew he might help with the medical and legal bills, but I had no idea about the rest.”

  “What is so damn funny?” Anna demanded.

  “It’s just that this is
so like Clark. He can’t help himself.”

  The doorbell rang. Anna ignored it.

  “Obviously. He’s been meddling in my life since the moment he stepped through the door. All I wanted was a man dressed up as Redhawk. I didn’t expect to get a savior for forty bucks plus costume rental.”

  “He’s trying to help. Since the accident with Jake, he feels guilty about everything. He feels really shitty he caused George to go after you. He can’t help it. He’s a fixer. It’s always been his nature.”

  “I handle my own problems. I don’t need him, or any other man, to help me.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Don’t let your trust issues and all the things that have happened in your past cloud your thinking. Not all men are shits.”

  “They could have fooled me.” Taylor was always trying to get her to work on her trust issues, but she wasn’t ready so she changed the subject. “He mentioned that he never felt like your parents noticed him.”

  “They were too busy with dinner parties and golf at the club. They’re self-absorbed, egotistical. It’s just who they are. My dad can be a really critical jerk, and he was much harder on Clark than he was on me.”

  “Clark seems really hurt about it.”

  “He took it more seriously than I did, probably because I always had him. Even though he’s only a few years older, he’s always looked after me like I was his kid.”

  His drive to make sure Louie didn’t end up with George was beginning to make sense.

  “He shouldn’t have hit the asshole, but it was just a matter of time. You and I both know that. Maybe Clark was the final straw, but if it weren’t him, George would’ve found something else.” After the party, she’d blamed Clark, but in her head, she knew he was trying to get custody of Louie just to save face. It was just another battle in a long war.

  The doorbell rang again. Damn and blast.

  “He’s persistent. I’ll give him that,” Anna said.

  “Why don’t you just listen to his offer? Clark may interfere too much, but he’s a stand-up guy, totally different from George or your father. Just talk to him. I’m positive he can help. You know he always helps me out of scrapes.”