The Favor Read online

“I don’t need his help,” Anna said through clenched teeth. “I can do it on my own.”

  If I don’t stand up to George now, when will I?

  “Bullshit. You do need help,” Taylor said. “You’re just too proud to admit it.”

  “But if I take his help, I’ll just be admitting that I’m afraid. The goal is to move past that fear, not give into it.”

  “Call Dr. Phil for that shit. Right now, you need to ensure that Louie stays with you. No matter the cost.”

  There was more knocking on the door.

  “I need my keys if I’m going to take that drive,” Clark said through the wood.

  “The solution might not be so bad. He’s a really good problem solver. Maybe a short-term relationship would get Louie out of George’s clutches once and for all. Maybe you’d get lucky for the first time in years.”

  “You two must be drinking the same Kool-Aid. How could marrying Clark not make things worse?”

  “Like I said, he’s a stand-up guy. He feels responsible for the custody motion. Let him help you.”

  “He doesn’t even know me and he wants to marry me. He’s crazy.”

  The knocking stopped and was replaced by yelling. “I can hear you, Anna,” Clark said. “The door isn’t that thick.”

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  “He’s at the door and he’s heard everything I’ve said,” Anna whispered into the phone. “Damn it.”

  “Let him in.”

  “I need my keys,” Clark bellowed from the other side of the door. “Can you at least hand them out the door?”

  So much for a quiet night with sushi and a movie on Netflix.

  “He’s left his keys in here.”

  “I’m hanging up now. Answer the door. Listen to what he has to say.”

  “Can’t I just hand him the keys through the old mail slot?”

  “Nope.” Taylor disconnected.

  Anna took a deep breath and tucked the phone back into her pocket. “I’m coming,” she called toward the door. “Hold your horses.”

  Clark looked totally calm, as if he hadn’t been banging on the door for the past five minutes. As if she hadn’t called him batshit crazy. Anna stepped back from the door and gestured for him to enter. Even though she didn’t intend to accept help from him or anyone else, he wasn’t going to give up until she heard him out.

  He walked to the coffee table, picked up the roses, opened the door, and tossed the flowers into the front yard.

  Turning to Anna, he smiled. “Can we just start over? Maybe start when I rang the doorbell the first time?”

  “Why not?” She threw up her hands. “Why not just embrace the weirdness?”

  Weirdness didn’t begin to cover what had happened in the last half hour, but it was the only word she could think of to describe it.

  “Good. Here’s the plan. You and I get married. We stay together until custody is decided. We’re probably looking at a few months at the outside. You and Louie move into the cabin with me. I’ll pay the rent on this place so you can cut your cleaning schedule back a bit and be home with Louie. I can add both of you to my health insurance. While we wait for custody to be settled, your landlord will have the time to get rid of the mold. It’s his responsibility anyway. For as long as we’re married, you put all the money you earn, plus any child support George pays you, in the bank. After everything is settled, we file for divorce.”

  The idea of a nest egg was very appealing, and so was the idea of getting rid of the mold. She’d love a clean start, but she didn’t want to be a leech. It wasn’t in her nature. “I could pay the utilities at your house.”

  She couldn’t believe she was actually discussing this cracked plan.

  Clark dismissed that suggestion with a wave. “I’m paying them already. Louie will be in the same school, and with the extra time in the afternoon, you can drive him over to visit his friends in the neighborhood. He’ll be out of school for the summer soon anyway. He can invite his friends over to spend the night. The cabin is only six miles out of town.”

  “Cabin?” Anna asked. It didn’t fit with her idea of architects.

  “Like a mechanic with a car that sputters? Or a house painter with weathered shutters? I’m the cliché, an architect living in a cabin. I have my dream home plans drawn, but I haven’t gotten around to breaking ground yet.”

  “Marriage is a big step.”

  A step I never want to take again.

  “A real marriage is a big step, but this isn’t that complicated. You need a legal marriage, not an emotional one. This is strictly business.”

  “But I need to take care of things on my own,” she said. “Without help from a man.”

  Clark shook his head. “Men aren’t the problem. George is the problem. Let me right the wrong.”

  It still sounded crazy, but the more he talked, the more she saw his point. He wasn’t talking about happily ever after. “In name only?” She wondered if that included conjugal rights and half hoped it did.

  If we’re living as man and wife, why not have a little fun in the process? Who would know the difference?

  “We don’t even know each other. I’m not looking for long term, and I don’t think you are either. It’s just a way to make sure Louie stays where he belongs.” He looked her in the eye, and she tried to ignore the fluttery feeling deep in the pit of her stomach. His eyes were so earnest and so brilliantly green.

  Even though she didn’t know him very well, she was beginning to trust Clark, just a little, but that was more than she could say for any man since George. Maybe it was his resemblance to her best friend, or maybe it was the way he’d immediately tried to take responsibility and make things right. Whatever it was, the idea was growing on her. She could do anything for a few months, and a lighter schedule that allowed her to spend more time with her son would be a dream come true.

  But the reality slammed in to her.

  “I’ll spend all my savings filing for divorce,” Anna muttered. That should have occurred to her before she let her hopes inch up a little. “It always comes down to money I don’t have.”

  “I’ll pay for the legal stuff. Neither of us will contest it, and there’ll be no custody issue. Should be a lot simpler than the last one.”

  “Divorce is the best part of a marriage. It was so freeing the last time. It might be worth another try.”

  “I’m trying to make this right, Anna. In the only way I know.”

  She didn’t know what to say. The fact he was willing to do this, for her and her child, with no strings attached, touched her heart. No one had ever offered her anything without an agenda. With her ex, she’d only gotten her grocery allowance if she’d been willing to have sex with him anytime he wanted. With her parents, they’d only done nice things for her when other people were watching. She didn’t understand his selflessness.

  “But it’s too much.”

  “The only thing I ask is you give me your word that during the divorce you won’t try and take the cabin or half of my assets or future earnings. I want everything to be out in the open. Business arrangements are always better when all the details are spelled out clearly.”

  Anna nodded. “I’ll be happy to sign a prenup.”

  He waved away the suggestion. “That’s not necessary. Your word is more than enough.”

  She’d never met anyone so trusting, so filled with a sense of right and wrong.

  Where were the men like this when I married for real?

  She pulled herself back. Anna knew better than to offer a man, any man, her trust again. It was imperative that she see this for what it was: an arrangement.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.” Clark’s deep voice was barely above a whisper.

  Anna clasped her hands together and looked at her nails, all different lengths. The cuticles were cracked. Her skin was dry and weathered, making her hands look at least ten years older than the rest of her.

  What was she teaching Louie? She was working fifty hours a week,
barely scraping by every month, worrying about every penny. What kind of life was she living?

  Could a few months with Clark make it any worse?

  I’ll have Louie. For good. As soon as that’s settled, I’ll never have to fear that sorry bastard again.

  She looked up and met his eyes. “For the record, I think you’re bonkers. But if you’re sure you want to offer me this deal, I’d be a fool not to take it.”

  “It would make me feel a lot better about what happened at the party.”

  “Then let’s set the date. Think we have time to send out invitations?”

  Clark laughed. “Church or county courthouse?”

  Anna thought about it for a minute. “A church wedding will look more authentic.”

  “Should we turn the planning over to Taylor?”

  “That sounds like a great idea.” Taylor was the queen of Pinterest. For no apparent reason, she had at least ten boards dedicated to weddings. “Only no—”

  “Roses,” he said, finishing her sentence. “Lesson learned. Before we set the date”—he rose from his seat and pulled a small box from his pocket—“I got this just in case.” He moved closer to Anna and opened the box. “The lady in Bright’s Jewelers said all women like pearls.”

  Inside, nestled in blood-red velvet, was a ring. In the center was a large creamy pearl, flanked on both sides by small sapphires channel set into the white gold band. It was breathtaking, like something a mermaid would wear. “It’s beautiful.”

  “I hope it fits.”

  Anna slid it onto her finger. “Perfectly.” When she looked into his bright-green eyes, she remembered the feel of his lips on hers and wanted to kiss him again, but her shyness won out. “I love it,” she said.

  “It’s yours. No matter what.”

  Chapter Eight

  Anna never imagined she’d be wearing white and walking down the aisle again.

  At least this time, she’d planned her escape before taking the plunge. Nothing made a wedding day more tolerable than a preplanned divorce.

  She looked in the mirror and frowned. In the week since Clark’s proposal, she’d flipped back and forth several times, totally unsure if she was doing the right thing. She’d wished a dozen times she’d opted for the courthouse ceremony, but in her heart, the church seemed like the right place.

  They had to make this marriage look as real as possible.

  Regardless of how she felt, marrying Clark was the only thing she could do. In only a few minutes, she’d be Mrs. Clark Wainwright. For better or worse.

  In the week since Clark’s proposal, Taylor had taken care of everything.

  She’d rented a small country chapel just outside of Franklyn. While most venues were booked on every spring and summer Saturday until doomsday, Fridays were open. The second Friday in May, today, was their wedding day.

  The church was a tiny, rural chapel with only room to seat fifteen or twenty people, but it was charming and rustic. Nestled in bright silver buckets, Taylor had arranged bright-blue hydrangeas and placed them by the front door and throughout the chapel. She’d hired a violinist from the local college.

  It was going to be the perfect low-key wedding. Anna’s dream wedding. If it were real.

  An old rhyme her grandmother used to say played in her head. Marry in May, rue the day. It was just a superstition, and Anna forced herself to stop repeating it over and over.

  At least there would only be a few people to witness the event. Clark’s parents were out of the country. Anna’s weren’t invited. The guest list included Taylor, the maid of honor, and Clark’s best friend, Jake, who would serve as the best man. The pastor and the violinist bumped the count up to four.

  Louie was with her next-door neighbor, Mrs. Rosemiller.

  From the start, Clark had wanted to include him, but Anna felt differently. The kid had already had enough disappointment in his life, and while this would be a big transition for him, she wanted it to be as easy as possible, and she didn’t want to ramp up his expectations by having him at the wedding.

  It would be too much to explain.

  After all, it was a business deal. An arrangement. Clark felt horrible for what he’d caused and he needed to make amends. Anna needed help making sure her son stayed with her.

  I’ll think of it as a vacation, a little break from reality.

  The deal was clear: get married and live together until the custody issue was settled. During that time, she could save a little money, spend some time with Louie, and the landlord could clean up the house. Six months, at the outside.

  Anna checked her hair and makeup one last time. She didn’t know why she was worried about how she looked. It wasn’t a real marriage, and she hadn’t hired a photographer. The only photos would be on smartphones. No reception was planned. She frowned into the mirror. She should be relieved they were keeping things low key, and she already had an exit plan. But something about the church, the dress, the cozy country chapel made her wish it were real.

  Shit. The faux romance is getting to me. Ridiculous.

  She should’ve chosen the magistrate. She had no business in a church marrying a man she barely knew, much less loved, but that might have raised some red flags, and in order for this plan to work, it had to look legitimate.

  There was a knock at the door. “Ready for me to help you get into the dress?” Taylor asked.

  Anna opened the door. “I’m ready.”

  Taylor stepped inside and handed her a beautiful bouquet. A mixture of flowers, every color of the rainbow, wrapped in a wide purple ribbon. “Clark sent these. He wanted me to tell you there are no roses. He checked.”

  Anna hadn’t ordered a bouquet. She’d thought about it but it seemed frivolous. Flowers seemed to convey emotion in a complicated way she couldn’t put into words.

  Clark had been thoughtful enough to send her a wedding bouquet. Her heart squeezed. Too bad they’d met under such awful circumstances. Too bad she’d shut Taylor down every time she’d tried to introduce them. Now it was too late. They were entering into a business-only agreement. Despite the trappings, this wedding was for Louie. Period.

  Taylor unzipped the dress and gestured to Anna who walked to the full-length mirror in the corner of the suite. Taylor took the dress off its hanger. “It’s so beautiful. I can’t believe you found it on such a great sale.”

  It was a vintage dress Anna had found at the local thrift store. While Clark had been generous and insisted on paying for everything, she hadn’t been willing to ask him for money to buy a dress.

  A white silk gown, tea length, with a lace over jacket and a bright-blue belt around the waist. It was the best of the 1950s. Anna had felt like Audrey Hepburn when she’d tried it on in the store. Thankfully, the dress was cut for a woman quite a bit shorter than Miss Hepburn and it fit Anna like it was made for her. For less than fifty dollars, she had the dress she would’ve chosen if money had been no object. She had even been able to buy a pair of killer shoes to match without feeling guilty.

  Taylor zipped up the dress and adjusted the shoulders. “You look amazing.”

  Anna smiled at herself in the mirror.

  “So, the dress is the something old and the shoes are the something new.”

  “The belt is something blue,” Anna added.

  “And this,” Taylor said, pulling something from her purse, “is the something borrowed.” She handed Anna a beautiful silver hair clasp. “My mother gave it to me for my eighteenth birthday. She wore it in her wedding to my dad. I thought it would look beautiful with your hair and the dress.”

  Tears welled up in Anna’s eyes. “It’s so beautiful. I’d love to wear it.”

  Anna took the cheap clasp from the Dollar Tree out of her hair and replaced it with Taylor’s. With most of her hair caught in a loose ponytail at the base of her neck, she allowed a few curls to wiggle loose and touch her shoulders.

  “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, still looking into the mirror. “It’s
almost time.”

  Standing behind Anna, Taylor placed her hands on Anna’s shoulders. “It’s going to be just fine. I promise you. My brother can be nosy and meddlesome, but he’s a good man. I’m glad you’re letting him help you.”

  Anna nodded. “It feels like the right thing.”

  “It is. Who knows? You might even have a little bit of fun.” Taylor gave her an exaggerated, lewd wink. “Now, remember, make the kiss count. The pastor has no idea this isn’t on the up and up.”

  Anna took a deep breath. Kissing Clark wouldn’t exactly be a problem. “I’ll give it my best.”

  “See you later, sis.”

  …

  Anna looked radiant. For the first time in Clark’s life, “beautiful” was too small of a word. She was vibrant, beaming. Everything a woman should be on her wedding day.

  The dress was perfect. Classy, feminine, and tailored to bring attention to her figure. There was nothing fussy about it, no ruffles or bows or shimmery things to take the attention off Anna’s perfect hourglass shape.

  It reminded him of an old black-and-white movie his mother used to watch, Roman Holiday. He smiled at the memory. Even though his mother was mostly his father’s puppet, he did have good memories of spending time with her when his father was out of town. She’d let him crawl into bed with her and watch movies. They’d loved watching Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck fall in love surrounded by the grandeur of Rome.

  “She’s a stunner, Duck,” Jake whispered. “Are you sure you don’t want to marry her for real?”

  “Shhh,” he whispered in answer. He didn’t want anything to ruin this moment. He wanted to remember it exactly as it was. This was very likely his one and only chance at being a bridegroom, and even if it wasn’t the fairy tale, it was powerful. With the marked exception of Jake, all his other friends were married. Some already had kids.

  Clark had always been a fixer. Since the moment Taylor was born, he’d been driven to protect her from the rejection he felt from his parents. After the accident, he felt it was his responsibility to look after Jake. And now, he was getting married as a way to take responsibility for his actions.

  What it would feel like to know the beautiful woman walking down the aisle toward me was going to be beside me every day for the rest of my life?