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Make-Believe Husband
Linda Varner


Three Weddings and a FamilyOn the road to happily-ever-after, a long-lost family is found!MAKE BELIEVE MATRIMONY…They were married…and still almost complete strangers. Gabriel Dillard and Jessica Landers had struck a dry-eyed deal to wed in name only, for Gabe needed a wife to be eligible for a lucrative job and Jessica needed a daddy for her adorable little girl.OF LIFETIME OF HONEYMOON BLISS?But sharing such tiny quarters with all six feet of georgeous Gabe was making Jessica feel that their marriage would be anything but platonic. Especially when Gabe's friendly pecks turned into heart-stopping kisses, and Jessica could no longer deny the feelings he stirred in her…. Linda Varner has arrived! Here's her 20th Silhouette Romance for your enjoyment. Savor every romantic moment! 20th BOOK SILHOUETTE ROMANCE







Gabe tried to imagine life without Jessi, and couldn’t. She was that much a part of him now. (#ua3dd2964-fc3d-584c-9d75-b133cd931a79)Letter to Reader (#u862f651c-07f3-5435-88fa-0616dec3de1c)Title Page (#u69114350-10dc-5947-9610-72e97c1c364a)Dedication (#uba3cb792-0712-5908-b3ad-750c8fa033f4)LINDA VARNER (#u1e860422-f3a0-571c-8a93-25a38409da0c)Chapter One (#u5379d3d1-7071-5546-b92f-4c9732246861)Chapter Two (#u0baea706-67f8-563e-96f9-b5f0a6e3d5a2)Chapter Three (#uc5122c88-963a-5de9-9bd6-b85e79d51083)Chapter Four (#ueb9c1b04-2c26-58f7-83c8-40a1c85f4c8f)Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)


Gabe tried to imagine life without Jessi, and couldn’t. She was that much a part of him now.

“Ever thought about living in Washington?” Gabe’s question just asked itself, leaving him as startled as Jessi appeared to be when she glanced over her shoulder at him.

“You mean make our marriage legal?” Jessi sounded shocked.

“Surely the thought has crossed your mind.”

“Maybe,” Jessi murmured, confessing nothing.

“Admit it, Jessi,” Gabe said. “You’ve thought about what it would be like to be married to me, probably more than once.”

“And if I have?”

“What did you decide?”

“You’re a good man, Gabe. You appreciate the worth of family. I think you’d make a great husband.”

“Your husband?” Gabe couldn’t resist asking....


Dear Reader,

July brings you the fifth title of Silhouette Romance’s VIRGIN BRIDES promotion. This series is devoted to the beautiful metaphor of the traditional white wedding and the fairy-tale magic of innocence awakened to passionate love on the wedding night. In perennial favorite Sandra Steffen’s offering. The Bounty Hunter’s Bride, a rugged loner finds himself propositioned by the innocent beauty who’d nursed him to health in a remote mountain cabin. He resists her precious gift...but winds up her shotgun groom when her father and four brothers discover their hideaway!

Diana Whitney returns to the Romance lineup with One Man’s Promise, a wonderfully warmhearted story about a struggling FABULOUS FATHER and an adventurous single gal who are brought together by their love for his little girl and a shaggy mutt named Rags. And THE BRUBAKER BRIDES are back! In Cinderella’s Secret Baby, the third book of Carolyn Zane’s charming series, tycoon Mac Brubaker tracks down the poor but proud bride who’d left him the day after their whirlwind wedding, only to discover she’s about to give birth to the newest Brubaker heir....

Wanted: A Family Forever is confirmed bachelor Zach Robinson’s secret wish in this intensely emotional story by Anne Peters. But will marriage-jaded Monica Griffith and her little girl trust him with their hearts? Linda Vamer’s twentieth book for Silhouette is book two of THREE WEDDINGS AND A FAMILY When two go-getters learn they must marry to achieve their dreams, a wedding of convenience results in a Make-Believe Husband...and many sleepless nights! Finally, a loyal assistant agrees to be her boss’s Nine-to-Five Bride in Robin Wells’s sparkling new story, but of course this wife wants her new husband to be a permanent acquisition!

Enjoy each and every Silhouette Romance!

Regards,






Joan Marlow Golan

Senior Editor Silhouette Books

Please address questions and book requests to:

Silhouette Reader Service

U.S.: 3010 Walden Ave., P.O. Box 1325, Buffalo, NY 14269

Canadian: P.O. Box 609, Fort Erie, Ont. L2A 5X3




Make-Believe Husband

Linda Varner







www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


This book is dedicated to

Dr. Annette Meador and her wonderful nurses.

Thanks for keeping me writing!


LINDA VARNER

confesses she is a hopeless romantic. Nothing is more thrilling, she believes, than the battle of wits between a man and a woman who are meant for each other but just don’t know it yet! Linda enjoys writing romance and considers herself very lucky to have been both a RITA finalist and a third-place winner in the National Readers’ Choice Awards in 1993.

A full-time federal employee, Linda lives in Arkansas with her husband and their two children. She loves to hear from readers. Write to her at 813 Oak St., Suite 10A-277, Conway, AR 72032.


Chapter One

“Jessica Landers, do you take Gabriel Dillard to be your husband?”

“I do,” Jessi said, her gaze locked with that of her blue-eyed, brown-haired groom, a disconcertingly handsome male she’d met for the first time mere hours ago. Dressed in his suede jacket, denim jeans, and boots, he looked like one gorgeous hunk of mountain man. Jessi tried to picture herself cooking up some vittles for him over an open flame.

She couldn’t. Was that an omen?

“And do you, Gabriel, take Jessica to be your wife?”

“I do.”

His gaze swept Jessi from top to bottom and back up again, not missing a curve. Flustered by the appraisal, Jessi glanced away and instantly spied, of all things, the door.

Could she still escape?

Should she?

Unsure, she looked back at Dillard, who now stared at the octogenarian preacher who’d so graciously agreed to perform their Saturday-night wedding.

Desperate to affirm that she wasn’t making the biggest mistake in her thirty—almost thirty-one—years, Jessi stole the moment to study Dillard’s profile. Surely there were hints of character there, she thought, at once noting the telltale dimple in his cheek. Companion to the wicked twinkle in his eye, it promised a crooked sense of humor even as the set of his nose and chin promised bullheaded stubbornness.

“Are there rings?”

“Oh, um, yes,” Jessi replied, tugging from her thumb the ring she’d purchased for Dillard that afternoon. She wondered if her rugged groom had remembered to buy one, a worry proved needless when he immediately dug into an inside pocket of his jacket. Jessica guessed he’d bought a plain gold band like the one she’d purchased for him. Not knowing his personal tastes really had narrowed her choices.

“Exchange the rings, please.”

With hands that trembled as badly as the old reverend’s, Jessi slipped the circle of gold onto Dillard’s third finger, left hand. He then did the same to her, his large hands steady, his touch electric. Jessi didn’t give the marriage token so much as a glance, so rattled was she by that brief but disconcerting contact.

His good looks and blatant masculinity could prove damned distracting during their marriage of convenience, she realized with some dismay—just one of many reasons to get the hell out of Sacramento before it was too late.

Or was he really the problem? she then asked herself. In truth, weren’t three years’ worth of celibacy more to blame for tonight’s sweaty palms and hammering heart?

But of course, she reassured herself. These lonely days, even Frankenstein had sex appeal....

At that moment, the preacher murmured approval of their cooperation thus far, a sound that barely penetrated Jessi’s daze of indecision. “Now face one another and, in unison, repeat after me—with this ring I promise to be your partner....”

Jessi automatically echoed the words she’d agreed to mere hours ago, noting with much embarrassment how breathless she sounded now compared to Dillard’s resonant bass. No doubt the witnesses to tonight’s ceremony—Elaina Rivera of Rivera Employment Agency, and the preacher’s wife, name forgotten—could hear the tremor.

“I will respect, trust and care for you...”

“‘I will respect, trust and care for you...”’

“From this day, forever.”

Forever? Jessi’s heart stopped. The word was forth. She’d written it herself. Was the old man ad-libbing or just too blind to read? Confused, Jessi darted a glance at Dillard, who, for the first time that night, looked a little bemused himself.

“From this day forever....” the bespectacled reverend patiently prompted, obviously used to nervous brides and grooms who forgot their lines.

Jessi swallowed convulsively. Short of making a scene that might alert this man of God to their unusual circumstances—namely, the fact that there was no chance of a forever between them—she had no choice but to repeat the line. Clearly Dillard came to the same conclusion at the same instant, for in unison they made a vow that neither intended to keep.

“‘From this day forever....”’

The preacher smiled. “By the powers invested in me by the state of California this fifteenth day of October, I pronounce you man and wife.” As though this was his favorite part of the ceremony, he took off his glasses and beamed at Dillard. “You may kiss the bride.”

So here it was...the intimacy she’d dreaded ever since she’d first laid eyes on him that morning. The butterflies in Jessi’s stomach fluttered wildly, the culmination of a week’s worth of prevarication, no doubt. Determined not to embarrass herself and Dillard by recoiling, she squared her shoulders and stood her ground as her husband stepped forward. Instead of kissing her, however, he reached out, grabbed her right hand and pumped it vigorously up and down.

“This is great...perfect. Thanks a million.” The next instant, Dillard released her to shake hands with the startled man who’d just married them.

Immediately, Elaina rushed forward to offer congratulations and, no doubt, distract the preacher and his frowning wife. Jessi, feeling shockingly cheated by the unexpected handshake, barely noticed. There followed a lecture on filing the license at the courthouse on Monday to make everything legal, after which Dillard paid the preacher for services rendered. He then scooped up his cowboy hat from a pew and hustled Jessi and Elaina out of the tiny chapel, a picturesque structure in the heart of the busy city.

On a rush of night air came a momentary lift of spirits that was mostly due to relief. It was over. Done. She was well and truly married...at least for now. The bad of it was that she had a husband who made her damned nervous. The good was that a few weeks’ worth of high adventure in the form of a treasure hunt lay ahead, not to mention a hefty salary.

Since the good far outweighed the bad—the man had furnished ten references, after all—there was definitely a rainbow stretched across yesterday’s bleak horizon. And in the pot at the end of it waited more than enough money to pay back her student loans and put a down payment on a house.

Then she’d find a good location and start her own catering business or maybe open a neighbourhood café or something.

“Dinner is my treat,” Elaina announced when they paused under the overhang of the porch roof, adding, “That is, if you two don’t have other plans...?”

“Actually, I wasn’t sure how long all this would take, so I told my sitter I’d be late,” Jessi replied. Anna Kate, her four-year-old daughter, was home in their Highlands, California, apartment with the teenaged girl who kept her when Jessi worked nights—too often this past year. Since those two always had a ball together, neither would mind if Jessi and her new husband...Oh God...dined with the woman whose ingenuity had brought them together.

“Gabe?” Elaina, an innovative employment contractor of national reputation, had turned to the groom.

“No plans,” he said, finger combing his shaggy brown hair and then settling his hat just so on his head.

“Good. The two of you have a nine o’clock reservation at Chateau en Espagne right up the street, there.”

“You mean you’re not going, too?” Jessi blurted in a panic.

“No, dear,” Elaina said, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat. “You and Gabe may have memorized one another’s résumés and vital statistics, but you still need time alone to get better acquainted. Much is at stake here for all of us. I want everything to go off without a hitch when you meet August Taylor on Monday afternoon.”

“Actually,” Dillard drawled, “‘a hitch’ is exactly why we’re here tonight, isn’t it?”

“So it is,” Elaina agreed. Laughing, she reached for the marriage certificate he held and tucked it into her purse. “I’ll just take this, if you don’t mind. Promised I’d fax a copy to our employer tonight. I’ll give it back so you can make everything legal before you leave town Monday morning.”

Gabe shook his head slowly from side to side as though vastly amused by the whole situation. Jessi wished she could feel as lighthearted about everything. Unfortunately, reality had dawned and her rainbow dimmed correspondingly.

What on earth have I done?

“Now the restaurant is just a block south...see those twinkling lights there? They’re expecting you.” Elaina hugged Dillard hard, then stepped up to Jessi and did the same. “Relax, honey,” she whispered before releasing her. “This is only for three weeks, four tops. Think of the money and remember I personally checked for a criminal record. This man is so clean I was half tempted to marry him, myself. Unfortunately I can’t cook.”

Jessi nodded numbly. In seconds, she and Dillard stood alone.

“Shall we?” he asked, offering her his hand and a smile.

Swallowing hard, Jessi accepted both, and with fingers lightly laced, they headed down the path to the sidewalk. She felt awkward and uncomfortable, as though she’d worn shoes that didn’t match and was trying to keep everyone from noticing.

Undoubtedly this resulted from the fact that he was so easy on the eyes—something for which she’d not been prepared. It didn’t help that her companion didn’t appear the least bit perturbed about anything. And when he began to whistle the “Wedding March” under his breath, she stopped short and glared at him.

“Oh, Mr. Dillard, must you?” The sacrilege appalled her.

“Second thoughts?”

Jessi, who wanted to know the answer to that question herself, gave it serious consideration before replying. “Actually, I’m way past seconds and almost through thirds.”

“But I assumed you were okay with this.”

“I am...was...am.” She sighed. “I guess I just don’t know how to act around you.”

“If you promise to call me Gabe,” he said, “I’ll share my plan of action.”

So he wasn’t one hundred percent comfortable with this, either. Oddly enough, that made Jessi feel a little better.

“Okay...Gabe.”

He glanced back the way they’d come, and, with a grunt of confirmation, turned to lead her to a stone bench on the narrow lawn of the chapel. It lay in shadow, protected from the glow of the streetlight by an oak tree. Gabe motioned for her to sit, then did the same without releasing her hand.

“All you have to do is pretend that you and I have just landed the leads in the biggest, best adventure movie of the year. August Taylor is the producer, the director, the cameraman and the crew. Whenever he’s around, we’re a married couple in charge of an expedition trying to find lost treasure. I’m the hero, also known as the trusty guide. You’re the heroine, also known as the beautiful cook.”

Beautiful?

“The rest of the time, we can be ourselves—a search and rescue guide with big dreams and a...?” Obviously he waited for her to fill in the blank.

“Financially overextended chef with a dependent child.”

“Exactly. We’re co-workers who recognize that opportunities to earn this kind of money don’t come along except once in a lifetime and so we don’t mind signing an inconsequential partnership agreement—”

“The marriage license...?”

Gabe nodded. “—if that’s what it takes to make this happen. Now are you feeling better about the whole thing now?”

“Sort of, but—”

“You have other questions.” It was a statement of fact.

Jessi detected no impatience in his tone.

“Frankly, yes, a few other questions have popped into my head.”

“Ask them. We have fifteen minutes to spare.”

“Okay....” She took a deep breath and selected one of the many queries tumbling about unanswered in her head. “For one thing, I’m still a little confused about my role in all this. Why can’t August Taylor’s wife just make you guys some sandwiches or something when you get hungry? For that matter, why can’t you make your own? Anyone—including my four-year-old—can slap a slice of bologna between a couple of pieces of bread.”

“I’ve wondered about that myself,” Gabe admitted. “I mean, if more people were going to be involved—if a photographer or a bunch of technicians were tagging along—I could see the need for a cook, couldn’t you?”

“Of course, but that isn’t the case.”

“No, it isn’t.” He shrugged, for all appearances as bewildered by their employer’s eccentric demands as Jessi, if not as worried about them. “What was Elaina’s theory about all this? Assuming you discussed it with her...”

“So many times that she was beginning to get a little impatient with me.” Jessi gave him a rueful smile. “You know that old saying about looking a gift horse in the mouth...? Elaina knows that by heart—and by now, so do I.”

Gabe grinned. “So she thinks you should quit worrying about how easy the job sounds?”

“I believe her words were ‘take the money and run.”’

“Great advice since I can’t answer that question, either. Now...any other concerns?” He sat on the edge of the bench, obviously ready to spring to his feet and head to the restaurant.

“Yes, as a matter of fact,” Jessi said, gently pushing his shoulder with her free hand to indicate that he might as well settle back and get comfortable again. With a soft sigh of resignation, he did just that. “I can’t get a handle on August Taylor. Why do you think a man like him would have this burning need to hunt for lost treasure that may not even exist? I mean, he’s already established himself as an archeologist and a writer. This just seems so...so undignified, not to mention a tad far-fetched.”

Absently, Gabe stroked Jessi’s hand, which he still held. She wondered if he’d forgotten it.

“You know that this expedition is the result of a book Taylor wrote on ghost towns, Native American myths and western folklore, don’t you?”

Jessi nodded, well aware, thanks to one of Elaina’s many briefings, that the archeologist-turned-journalist had already done enough research on the topics to produce a lavishly illustrated coffee-table book. “Yes, and I’ve wondered why the shift in focus. I mean, the chances of your really finding long lost treasure are probably slim to none.”

“If not less,” Gabe wryly agreed. “My own personal theory is that this impulsive quest has more to do with the poor reviews of the book and the stories in the latest tabloids than with any real desire to find gold or whatever.” Now he dropped her hand, but only so he could use his hands to place his next words, like a headline, in the sky. ‘“Is August Taylor All Washed Up?’”

“I read that. At the time I thought it was cruel.”

At once, Gabe arched an eyebrow at her as if questioning her reading tastes.

Jessi ignored him. “And now that I think about it, there was another headline, too, something about his wife, Shari, and her tennis coach.”

“An affair or two have been rumored, I believe. That’s a natural assumption, I expect. She’s quite young—less than half his age.”

“Which brings me to my third and last question—”

“Last?” He gazed longingly toward the restaurant.

“Last,” Jessi replied, biting back a smile. Clearly the way to this Washingtonian’s heart was through his stomach. That would be good news to a gourmet cook such as herself... if she were trying to win his heart, which she most definitely wasn’t. “Is Shari’s bad reputation the reason we had to get married? I mean, Elaina did make up that story about our living together for two years. Why the need for a wedding?”

“I figure one of two reasons—either Elaina’s a lousy liar or our mythical cohabitation wasn’t enough for him, and he wanted some hard evidence of commitment. Either way, it’s clear that he doesn’t trust his wife, probably the reason she’s being dragged along on this expedition, and, now that I think of it, maybe even the reason you are, too. He’s afraid she won’t behave herself around an unattached guide as dashing as me and wants you along to keep her occupied and act as chaperon.” He suddenly grinned again. “Or maybe we’re all wet on this thing. Maybe she doesn’t trust him, and it’s the shapely cook’s marital status, not the guide’s, that’s to blame for these mandatory nuptials—a sort of loop of suspicion.”

Jessi groaned and pressed her fingertips to her temples. “Oh please stop. You’re giving me a headache.”

“The point is moot anyway.... We’ve tied the knot.” For a heartbeat, he looked as if that knot might be part of a noose that now choked him. Then he gave her a half smile that could have meant anything. “You haven’t said how you like the ring.”

At a loss, Jessi frowned. “What ring?”

“The one on your finger. The one I bought for you today.”

“Oh, of course. I’m sorry.” For the first time, Jessi took a good look at her third finger, left hand. She saw a wide gold band as expected, but mounted on it was an exquisite, rectangular-cut amethyst. Stunned, she raised her gaze to Gabe. “I can’t believe you bought this.”

“I know a diamond is traditional, but when I saw that stone and realized it matched your eyes, I had to have it.”

“My God, Gabe. We’re only going to be married for a few weeks. What will you do with it after that?”

“What will you do with mine?” he countered, raising his left hand and spreading his fingers as if to remind her of the band she’d bought for him. It looked too plain now. Embarrassingly cheap.

“It doesn’t matter. It didn’t cost one fourth of what this one did.” Jessi eyed her ring, which sparkled even in the poor lighting. She’d never had anything so gorgeous—she already dreaded giving it back.

Gabe frowned, obviously picking up on her heartfelt distress. “I put it on my plastic, okay? A delayed payment plan that was part of some early Christmas promotion or something. The first charge won’t even come through until February, next year. I’ll return the ring long before that.”

“You think?”

“Sure, and if it doesn’t work out that way...what the heck?

Call it a birthday present—I know you have one coming up shortly—” he held up his hands to ward off her immediate protest ”—or consider it payment for putting up with my shenanigans. You’ll probably more than earn that ring before this is over, you know. Marriage to me—even this fake one—won’t be easy.”

Jessi opened her mouth to argue but never got the chance since Gabe touched his forefinger to her lips to halt the tumbling words.

“It’s done, Jessi. Can we just let it rest?”

“If that’s what you really want...”

“It’s what I want.”

She shrugged her shoulders in reluctant cooperation.

Visibly relieved, Gabe flashed that full-fledged, killer smile of his. “Good. Now can we please go eat the dinner Elaina graciously arranged for us? I’m so hungry, I’m weak.”

Weak, did he say?

Well, so was Jessi...but not with hunger.

It was the man who made her weak—every golden-tanned, muscled-and-toned, just-too-gorgeous inch of him. And when he reached out his hand to tug her to her feet, Jessi’s heart thumped hard once, then settled into an erratic rhythm she suspected might haunt her for the duration of their brief marriage.


Chapter Two

The European-style restaurant, replica of a medieval Spanish castle, was one that Jessi had read about in a gourmet cooking magazine. She knew it had a four-star rating and that the price of even the simplest fare would set her back a week’s salary, had she been footing the bill.

But she wasn’t. Elaina Rivera, whom August Taylor had first contacted two weeks ago about his special employment needs, was treating tonight. Not for the first time, Jessi wished Elaina were there. Chitchat wasn’t Jessi’s forte.

Luckily Gabe appeared to have the gift of gab, a fact proved several times during the moments following their being seated at a table for two located in a glassed-in balcony that overlooked the city. The waiter brought champagne, complimentary for newlyweds, and a menu. Although her jittery stomach murmured mild protest at the idea of food, Jessi perused the list of the culinary delights from which she could choose.

“I’m a little out of my league here,” Gabe said after a cursory glance at the elaborate menu. “Why don’t you order for both of us?”

Jessi did.

Once alone with Gabe again, she raised her stemmed glass. “To our, um, lucrative partnership.”

“I’ll certainly drink to that.” They sipped, set down their glasses and stared at one another. “Feeling better now?”

“Oh, I never felt bad, exactly. More nervous. I’ve been divorced for longer than three years now and once swore I’d never marry again unless I found the perfect man. That’s the only kind that might be worth another promise of forever to my way of thinking.”

Gabe winced. “I have to tell you that I’m far from perfect.”

“Since forever is not in question here—wedding vows or not—that really doesn’t matter,” Jessi told him, adding, “I wouldn’t mind hearing your faults, though. Just so I’m prepared.”

Gabe nodded at the sense of that. “For starters, I can be very intense. Though tonight I may sound flippant about our expedition, the moment we join August Taylor on Monday, I’ll be a different man.”

“Are you saying that you actually believe there’s a chance we’ll find buried treasure?”

“No. I’m saying I’m being paid a hell of a lot of money to keep an open mind. Besides, I’ve been a tracker and guide for too many years to think I’ve seen it all. You just never know what’s waiting around the next bend or over the next hill.”

Jessi sipped her champagne while she digested his words. “So you’re dedicated to duty, huh? Well, I’ve just enough experience with men who aren’t—my ex-husband, to name one—to consider that a plus instead of a minus. What are your other so-called character flaws?”

“I’m a grump before my morning coffee. I’m a slob around the house. I talk too much and listen too little... or so my ex always told me.”

“You’re divorced? Somehow I missed that little detail.”

“That’s because it wasn’t on my fact sheet. I didn’t think it would make any difference to anyone. I’ve been single ten years now.”

“Any children?”

“No, thank goodness.”

Jessi frowned. “You don’t like them?” August Taylor had graciously agreed to let Anna Kate go along on the expedition, probably because it would be little more than an extended camping trip for the women. If Gabe didn’t like children, their “home life” might be less than ideal and a source of stress for Jessi’s daughter.

“I love kids, and I think they’re the innocent victims of any divorce. I’m personally glad I didn’t father any because my ex-wife would almost certainly have gotten custody, thanks to my gypsy lifestyle at the time and in the ten years since. All that’s going to change now, of course.”

“In what way?”

“Elaina didn’t share my motives for agreeing to this expedition?”

“Actually, I never asked. I assumed you must have creditors breathing down your neck, just as I do.”

“No past expenditures, just future ones. First, the purchase of some acres on the Snake River in Washington. They now belong to a friend named Jerry Clark who has a canoe rental, café and sporting goods store on them. When he told me he was ready to retire, I scraped together enough earnest money for him to hold the land. What I get from August plus a loan from the bank will cinch the deal and put me in business. As for the second expenditure, well, it’s of a whole different nature so I can’t really predict how much money I’ll need. God only knows what it costs to adopt and raise a kid these days.”

“You’re going to adopt a child?”

“I’m going to try. He’s my nephew. Son of my adopted sister, who was shot during a convenience store robbery three months ago in L.A.”

“Oh, Gabe, I’m so sorry,” Jessi murmured, noting how a flush stained his cheeks and how his eyes brimmed. Clearly this was a wound that had not healed. “How old is the boy?”

“Ten.”

“And where is he now?”

“In foster care. Kids his age aren’t in high demand adoption-wise. Most folks want babies.”

“And his father?”

“Long gone just like my real one.” Gabe gave Jessi a wry smile. “All I know about my mother is that she gave me up when I was born because my father wouldn’t marry her. I was one of two kids adopted by a military man and his wife. He died when I was ten and Geena, er, my adopted sister, was four. My new mom, who apparently hadn’t wanted to adopt children in the first place, remarried six months later and pretty much ignored Geena and me. I hated the guy and wanted to leave then, but I couldn’t afford it, of course, until I turned eighteen, when I got a job as dispatcher for a rescue team in the Cascades. One of the guys proved to be a strong father figure. He really put me on the right track.”

“Jerry Clark?”

Gabe nodded and smiled. “You’re very quick. I’d better remember that.” He turned the glass around and around in his fingers. “I just wish there’d been a role model around for Geena. Unfortunately, there wasn’t, so when she turned sixteen, she ran off with some guy who promised her the moon, but gave her nothing more than a hard time and a son. She finally found the guts to leave him, but her life went downhill from there.

“I sent her money when I could,” he continued. “She wouldn’t let me help any other way.” His voice sounded oddly bereft of emotion at this point, almost as if he were numb on the subject. “But no one is going to stop me from making a home for her son Ryder as soon as possible. Meanwhile I have to be content with a weekly phone call and one visit per month since he’s still in L.A., which is too far away from my place in Washington for anything more.”

“You think a judge will give you custody?”

Gabe’s eyes flashed, revealing the stubborn side she had heretofore only suspected. “I’m all the family that kid has, I’m willing, and soon I’ll be settled down with a viable business. Why the hell wouldn’t I get custody?”

Jessi could think of several reasons right away, not the least of which would be their own annulment. She said nothing, however.

Gabe smirked just a little when she didn’t speak, obviously assuming he’d made his point. “Now that we’ve settled that, I believe it’s your turn to confess, Jessi Dillard.”

Startled by his use of her new name—a cold reminder that this wasn’t just dinner with an interesting stranger—Jessi could only stammer, “I—I don’t have anything to confess.”

At that moment, the waiter walked up with a tray of hors d’oeuvres. Grateful for the diversion, Jessi selected for both of them again and then thanked the man, who left them alone again too soon.

“These, um, look scrumptious,” she murmured. “Try one.”

Gabe glanced from Jessi to the appetizer she offered, then back to Jessi again. He arched an eyebrow at her. “As my wife, you stand to inherit if I die of food poisoning, don’t you?”

Jessi actually laughed and marveled that she could respond so easily to his teasing in her present state of nervousness. Clearly what she still didn’t know about this man’s character might fill the pages of a book, yet the one trait she was sure of, his sense of humor, almost put her at ease.

Almost.

“Shall I be the royal taster?” With a hand that still wasn’t steady, Jessi picked up one of the artful delicacies and took a bite, savoring the pungent spices.

“Good?” Gabe asked.

“Divine.”

“I’m a meat and potatoes man myself.”

“Are you telling me that’s all I’m going to be able to cook on this trip?”

“August Taylor is your boss, not me. I expect he and his missus are used to fancy fare.”

“It’s actually remarkably easy to get used to.” Jessi reached over to pick up one of Gabe’s hors d’oeuvres. She raised it to his mouth, which he dutifully opened. Slowly, looking as if he might be sampling baked rattlesnake, Gabe chewed.

Almost instantly, his powder-blue eyes lit up. “This is excellent.”

“You thought I’d lie to you?”

“That could be one of the character flaws you don’t need to confess.”

“It could be, but it isn’t,” Jessi retorted, the next moment belatedly registering the enormity of tonight’s transgression. At once the doubts stuffed in the back of her mind the past week exploded to the forefront with a vengeance, leaving her anxious and confused. “Or maybe I should say it wasn’t.” She frowned and pushed her plate away, having suddenly lost all desire to eat. “God, I hate lying. And I can’t believe that I let greed get the best of my scruples. Normally, I’m honest to a fault.”

“You’re only human, and greed is a very human emotion. Why, I’ll bet the problems of ninety-nine percent of the men and women who populate the prisons of this nation are rooted in that. Unfortunately, they got caught in the process of satisfying it.”

“And what happens if we get caught?”

Gabe sat in silence, his dark brows knitted in a frown. “August Taylor tosses us into a rattlesnake pit and rolls a stone across the entrance?”

“This isn’t funny, it’s wrong...very wrong. We’re part of a scam. We’re deceiving this man for his money.”

“Lighten up. All we’ve done is pretend we were lovers before we married. That’s an insignificant deceit when you consider that he’s going to have the best damn guide in the country, not to mention a gourmet cook, at his beck and call for however long it takes.”

Jessi shrugged away the rationalization. “A lie is a lie is a lie.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’ve felt awful about this whole marriage thing all day, and at this moment I don’t think I can go through with it.”

Gabe’s jaw dropped. “You can’t be serious.”

“As war.” Jessi hesitated only a second longer before doing what she knew in her heart of hearts had to be done: tugging off the ring and handing it to him.

“Just a damn minute!” Gabe caught her wrist with his free hand and stared at her in total disbelief, clearly as astonished as Jessi that she could change her mind at this late date. “Have you forgotten how much money is at stake here?”

“How could I? That’s what got me into this mess in the first place.” Jessi shook her head, honestly regretful to be throwing a monkey wrench into his big plans, but knowing she had no choice. “I’m so sorry. I thought I could do this... I mean I really did. But how can I possibly face that man day in and day out, knowing that I’ve lied about something that matters so much to him—”

“For God’s sake, would you just listen—”

She held up her free hand to halt his words. “No, Gabe. It’s no use arguing. I can’t go through with it, and that’s that.”

“That is not that, Jessi. My future with Ryder hangs in the balance here. You can’t possibly back out now.”

“You’re wrong. Now is exactly the time to do this—before things go one step further.” She sagged under the weight of his stare. “Look...I’m really sorry about Ryder, but I believe you’ll find a way to get him and maybe even that land you want. As for Elaina...I’ll talk to her myself. I’ll take full responsibility for everything.”

Gabe abruptly released her wrist and sat back in his chair, his expression now cool. “Fine, then. Do what you must. But you might want to get yourself a good lawyer before you make any calls to Elaina.”

“Why would I need a lawyer? Technically, our marriage license isn’t legal until it’s filed.”

“The license may not be, but Elaina’s agency contract sure as hell is.”

“That was just a formality,” Jessi replied, waving away his foolish concerns. “All it said was that she’d get a percentage of whatever salary I earned, which would only be fair.”

“Did you read the small print?”

Jessi bristled. “I read the whole thing.”

“Then you recall that you promised to pay that percentage whether or not you held up your end of the employment bargain.”

“No....”

“Oh yes. I believe that particular clause was in the middle of the thing, surrounded by several whereas-es and wherefores.”

Slowly Jessi raised her gaze to Gabe, who grimaced an apology, though the fault was clearly her own. “I don’t have that kind of money.”

“Neither do I, so why don’t we just go on as planned? In time you’ll get used to the lie.”

“Never.”

He digested that, his face solemn and thoughtful. “Maybe if we found an alternative solution to your moral dilemma...”

“There is one?”

“Yes. Admittedly it is a bit radical given the length of our acquaintance, but no more than this marriage of ours. And, thanks to that marriage, it would be both morally and legally acceptable.”

Jessi frowned, a little leery of his double talk. “Just what does this solution entail?”

“Consummation.”

“Excuse me?”

“Sex. You and me. Tonight. So what if we have our sequence of events a little reversed? At least we’ll be experienced lovers when we look ol’ August in the eye Monday. That beats the heck out of inexperienced liars, don’t you think?”

“Get real.” The nerve of the man to think she’d sleep with the likes of him! Never mind her earlier admiration for his good looks. He did not light her fire. And the only reason she now grabbed her wine glass and gulped down the chilled liquid was to keep from punching him out.

“I take it that’s a no.”

Jessi glared at him over the rim of her glass. “That’s a ‘don’t even think about it.’”

He accepted rejection with an easy shrug. “I’d be less than normal if I never thought about it. You are one classy lady—the kind that gets a man’s attention and keeps it,”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this to me. Why, it’s sexual harassment, that’s what it is.”

“We’re married, for crying out loud!”

“In name only, remember? As far as I’m concerned, this is a business partnership, nothing more. I don’t want to hear about your fantasies.”

“Hmm, well, I’d love to hear about yours...but I won’t press for details beyond asking what it is about me that makes my solution to your dilemma unacceptable.”

Jessi’s jaw dropped. “I don’t love you.”

Gabe considered that. “So you’re an old-fashioned girl, huh?”

“You’re damn right, mister...only I prefer to call it traditional. Sex is not something I take lightly. And I’d never sleep with some man just because I found him attractive.”

“Are you saying you find me attractive?”

Well hell. “N-no.”

“Then you’re saying you don’t find me attractive.”

“No.”

He huffed his impatience. “Do you or do you not find me the least bit attractive?”

“What an ego!” Jessi exclaimed, slapping her hand down on the table. “What difference does it make when I already told you I have no intentions of consummating this fictional marriage?”

“I just like to know where I stand, that’s all. Is that too much to ask?”

“Frankly, yes.”

“Oh, come on, Jessi. You said you’re always honest. Be honest with me now. Is there anything that you like about me...anything at all?”

Jessi, who could easily think of thousands of things, fumbled for an answer that wouldn’t further encourage this pointless, embarrassing conversation. “You have a nice smile.”

“That’s all?”

“And pretty blue eyes.”

“Nothing else?”

“You love your nephew.”

He sighed. “Well, that’s a start, I guess.”

A start? “No, that’s the finish. Now I don’t want to hear another word about this, okay? Work relations will be strained, if not impossible, if you’re constantly coming on to me.”

“Work relations? Does that mean you’ve changed your mind about wanting to back out?”

“No. I still want to back out. As I now see it, however, I really have no choice but to go through with this thing. If I don’t, I’ll not only have to find a way to pay my creditors, I’ll have to find a way to pay Elaina, too.” She sighed. “The fact is, I need August Taylor’s money, and I need it bad.”

“So do I, and speaking of which...you do realize you’re going to have to waste some of your hard-earned cash on an annulment...?”

Jessi frowned. “Actually, I figured we’d split the costs of that.”

“And so we will, if there are any.”

“What do you mean ‘if there are any’? No legal proceeding is cheap, Gabe.” She gave him a hopeful smile. “Unless you have a lawyer friend...?”

“No lawyer friend, just an idea.”

“Oh no,” Jessi groaned. “Another one?”

Gabe glared at her, clearly affronted.

“Sorry,” she murmured, instantly contrite. “What’s your idea?”

“We forget about filing the license on Monday. If there’s no legal marriage, then there’s no need for an annulment.”

Jessi caught her breath at the simplicity, the sheer perfection of his idea. “And if there’s not another split on your record, then your chances of getting Ryder are that much better....” She spoke to herself more than to Gabe, so the impact of her words caught her by surprise.

“My God....” Her new husband paled and stared at her, his eyes huge with shock. “Would you believe this is the first time I’d even thought about how our break up might affect the adoption proceedings?”

“But if we never file, there will be no annulment because in the eyes of the law, there has been no marriage.” They exchanged a long, speculative look during which neither said a word. Then Gabe held out his left hand, palm upward. In it lay the ring.

Jessi stared at it for a moment without moving. To accept the ring meant she accepted the terms of their partnership, and the deceit that went with it, once and for all. What do I do...what do I do...?

“Please? For Ryder’s sake?” The words were whisper-soft and shimmied down her spine.

Jessi sucked in a fortifying breath and reached for the ring, only to find her wrist captured in his right hand again. With a smile that could only be called tender, he slipped the bejeweled band back on her finger.

The amethyst caught the light and flashed a rainbow on the wine glass. The colors were as brilliant and bold as ever, blinding her to consequences once again.


Chapter Three

Gabe Dillard couldn’t remember when he’d seen a more colorful autumn. The brilliantly golden aspen trees lining the dirt path down which he now drove contrasted sharply to a gray California sky. God, how he wished Ryder were along to share the joy.

Gabe shifted his gaze from the asphalt to Jessi’s petite daughter, Anna Kate, who sat between the two of them on the seat of his four-wheel drive truck. He took note of the child’s attire—faded denim overalls, bright purple T-shirt, polka-dotted sneakers—and smiled to himself. With her mother’s violet eyes and a riotous mass of long, copper-colored hair, Anna Kate appeared custom made for eyelet and patent leather. Oddly enough, she’d proved to be a tomboy to the nth degree, a fact discovered Sunday, when they spent the day together to get to know one another.

Anna Kate had accepted him easily, thank God, and called him “Daddy G”—a name of her creation. But in spite of their smooth sailing so far, he half wished the red-haired charmer hadn’t come along on the trip. Children were so very honest. She could easily jeopardize their charade.

But Jessi had sworn that Anna Kate was special, a natural actress who adored pretending. It helped that the child had apparently begged for a new daddy for ages. And though Jessi had made it plain to her daughter that Gabe was nothing more than a daddy-on-loan who would one day be gone again, he couldn’t help but wonder about the impact their parting a few weeks from now would have on her.

Other things bothered him, too, not the least of which was involving an innocent child in their deception. But what else could he do except come clean with August, a risk he wasn’t prepared or willing to take? As he’d told Jessi, their lie was a harmless one necessitated by August’s apparent midlife crisis and, perhaps, his autocratic ways. The flamboyant archeologist and author had been in the limelight for twenty-five years, so he was used to people hopping when he snapped “Frog!” Only in the past twelve months had his popularity begun to slide, the reason, Gabe believed, for this desperate, top-secret, possibly ridiculous expedition.

A splash of bright blue paint on the side of a tree in a valley below alerted Gabe that he’d almost reached the turnoff leading to the location of their three o’clock rendezvous with Taylor. He caught a glimpse of the two camper trailers he’d rented, along with the boxes filled full of everything else that could possibly be needed for an expedition of this type.

August had been camped at the site since the day before. He and Gabe had been in constant contact via the man’s cellular phone, just one of the modern-day miracles that made it possible to conduct business from anywhere. There were other conveniences, too, including bathrooms, all-terrain vehicles that would save them miles of walking, a stove so they could cook indoors in the wildest of woods and even a battery-powered television. They also had a propane-fueled refrigerator.

So much for roughing it, Gabe thought, glancing beyond the valley to the colorful cliffs of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Was there treasure in them thar hills? In his heart of hearts, he didn’t think so. But if, by some strange chance, there were, he’d find it. He was a damn good explorer who’d made a name for himself in this state years ago, the reason Elaina was told about him when she contacted the California Game and Fish Agency for a top-notch guide to lead this treasure hunt. Gabe didn’t know how she’d found Jessi, but her choice of chief cook and bottle washer suited him.

Yeah...suited him just fine.

The ground dipped sharply and so did the truck, nearly jerking the steering wheel out of Gabe’s hand. Then the vehicle lurched to the right, badly jarring its occupants.

“You okay?” Gabe asked Anna Kate.

She nodded, looking for all the world as if bumpy truck rides and treasure hunts were everyday occurrences for her. Bemused, Gabe stole a glance at Anna Kate’s mother, who peered out her window and into the woods.

Jessi didn’t look nearly so at ease, a sure sign she still had doubts about her well-paid position of cook and glorified baby-sitter for August Taylor’s pampered wife. On top of that, Gabe guessed this whole great outdoors thing must be somewhat stressful for her. She was, by vocation, a woman used to the more genteel things in life—catered luncheons, afternoon teas, formal banquets. She appeared uncomfortable in the sweater, jeans and tennis shoes she wore. But even dressed in such, there was no doubt of her good breeding.

He hadn’t lied Saturday night when predicting he’d probably wish again for a consummation of their wedding vows. The woman had fascinated him from the moment they met. Just the thought of kissing her, touching her set him on fire, the reason he’d opted for a handshake at the wedding. A kiss at that point or any other would be disaster—a shock to his libido—that would surely have resulted in a shift of his attention from one kind of treasure to another, namely Jessi.

Thank God, she’d rejected that foolish, impromptu Plan A. Gabe knew without a doubt that if Jessi had welcomed him into her bed Saturday night, they’d still be there today. She was that kind of woman. And a man with as many plans as Gabe just didn’t have time for the distraction.

“Who’s that?” Anna Kate asked, a question that brought Gabe back to the here and now.

Slowing the truck, waving to the man in question, Gabe nodded. “That’s Mr. Taylor, our boss. Looks like a big ol’ bear, doesn’t he?”

Anna Kate giggled. Jessi groaned, no doubt wanting to throttle Gabe for encouraging his stepdaughter’s imagination. But to Gabe’s way of thinking, August did have some physical characteristics a child might connect with a forest-dwelling creature.

Tall—a good half foot over six feet—with a shock of raven hair and a full, gray-streaked beard, the man was unforgettable to say the least. Dressed as he was today in camouflage from his Aussie-styled hat to custom-made hiking boots, August blended in beautifully with the woods. Next to him was his wife, Shari. A former model, she stood tall enough to be a perfect physical mate for August.

The truck lurched to a halt at the edge of the clearing where the man and woman worked. August immediately strode over to them, waiting until Gabe killed the engine and stepped out of the vehicle, then thrust out his right hand.

“How was your trip?”

“Great,” Gabe said, trying not to groan with pain from August’s bone-crushing handshake. He ducked to look back in the car.

“Out, ladies. I want you to meet the boss.”

Anna Kate tossed off her safety belt, scrambled across the leather seat and stood on the driver’s side, arms outstretched to Gabe. He assisted her to the ground via an overhead swing that made her squeal and laugh. By the time he set Anna Kate on her feet, all smiles and blush, Jessi had joined them.

Introductions were quick and casual. Since Jessi didn’t wince when August shook her hand, Gabe could only assume the man had a gentler touch where the fairer sex was concerned.

And Jessi, with her peachy skin and auburn hair, was certainly that.

At that moment, Shari joined them. Although tagged as a witch with a capital W by the tabloids and scoop television, she smiled with delight at Anna Kate, who smiled right back and struck up a conversation about her ash blond hair.

Watching how easily Shari related to Anna Kate and then to Jessi, Gabe guessed the woman had gotten a burnap from the media as had so many other celebrities in the past. No doubt jealousy was the motive. She was a beauty—statuesque, shapely, striking.

Most men’s fantasy.

Not his, however. Statuesque equated to too tall; shapely, to too thin; and striking, to too perfect. He preferred women who were shorter and fuller, like Jessi, who was nonetheless petite. As for Shari’s beauty...while he couldn’t deny her classic good looks, he found himself thinking that a light sprinkling of freckles across her nose would do wonders for her face.

Just look what they did for Jessi’s.

“We need to talk privately before you brief us on travel plans and daily routine,” August said.

“Sure.” Gabe followed his boss to his camper trailer. Larger of necessity than the RV Gabe and Jessi would inhabit, it boasted office space furnished to August’s specific needs. There was also a small darkroom for developing any photographs they might take. August, of course, intended to man the camera himself, and when he wanted to be in the shot, Gabe would. Since no one else was going on the search except the two women and Anna Kate, Gabe suspected each of them soon would discover hidden talents of their own.

When they stepped into the trailer, August motioned for Gabe to sit. Gabe chose the tiny couch and settled in, waiting to hear whatever August had to say. He wasn’t worried. So far, he and his boss seemed to be on the same wavelength, and he’d done everything required of him and more when planning this expedition.

“Shari thinks I owe you an apology.”

Gabe arched an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

August nodded and looked away. “She wasn’t very happy with me when she found out I insisted that you and Jessi get married. She told me I should mind my own business.”

“I see.”

“I guess I’m telling you this a little late. Elaina did fax the license Saturday night.”

“So she said.”

“I don’t want us to get started on the wrong foot. Normally, I’m not so...persistent or interfering. I, um, just thought it would be better for all concerned. Privacy will be minimal at times...but that wouldn’t have mattered, would it? You two have been living together for...how long?”

Gabe went blank. “Long enough to know Jessi’s the one for me,” he blurted, adding, “Don’t worry about the wedding. You just expedited the inevitable and probably did us both a big favor. It’s a commitment we might never have gotten around to.”

“I doubt that. Any fool could see that you two are devoted to each other. And if I’d met her earlier, I’d never have demanded a wedding.”

At once, Gabe wondered if now might not be the perfect time to tell August the truth. It seemed that the man might accept it. They could rent another motor home for Jessi and Anna Kate. Everyone would be happy...except, he abruptly realized, himself. Now that he’d gotten used to the idea of sharing a roof with Jessi and her daughter, he wasn’t particularly eager to let go of it. All that was missing was Ryder, who’d complete the picture of a perfect family.

“You just seemed a bit too footloose when we first talked,” August continued. “On the prowl, if you will.”

That’s because I was, Gabe thought.

“And I was worried that...well—” Abruptly, he ended the sentence with a shrug of apology, leaving Gabe to guess at his meaning.

“There’s nothing to worry about now. We’re good and married.” And would stay that way—at least for a while—since Gabe had no intentions of sharing the details of this little tête-à-tête with his new wife.

August nodded and stood, no doubt indicating an end to their talk. Gabe did the same and moved toward the door, where, on impulse, he paused and looked back.

“I probably shouldn’t say this....” Gabe hesitated, suddenly consumed by second thoughts about the wisdom of advising this man, or any other, on his love life. God knows, he was in no position.

“I prefer honesty.”

“I think you worry too much. Your wife seems very nice and very much in love with you.” August said nothing, and Gabe guessed he’d overstepped his bounds. Muttering “I’ll get the women together for our meeting,” Gabe quickly left the trailer.

A glance around the clearing revealed that Jessi, Anna Kate, and Shari were coming out of the trailer that would be the Dillard home for a while. Gabe perused Jessi’s expression, trying to decide how she felt about the place. She looked pleased, he thought, a sure indication that the three-room house on wheels would do. As for Anna Kate, she leapt from the bottom step to the dirt, landing flat-footed, then dashed to the Taylors’ motor home and entered it uninvited.

Clearly flustered, Jessi started after her, but stopped when Gabe waved her away. August might as well get used to having the kid around. Short of tying Anna Kate to a tree, Jessi wouldn’t be able to contain her daughter’s natural curiosity and four-year-old energy without making everyone miserable.

Almost immediately, August came out of the trailer, Anna Kate in his arms. She rubbed his bushy beard and laughed. Gabe could’ve sworn he saw a smile tugging at the corners of the man’s mouth and noted that Shari’s jaw dropped at the sight, leaving him to wonder if the couple knew each other at all. Clearly, Shari hadn’t expected August to like Anna Kate, though it was at her insistence, at least according to Elaina, that she was allowed to come along. Was there a hidden agenda? Life—or marriage—lessons to be learned?

Probably, Gabe decided, and August might not be the only student. These next weeks playing husband to Jessi and daddy to Anna Kate would undoubtedly be a learning experience for him, too—preparation for Ryder. And his impulsive decision to maintain his and Jessi’s deceit would be one he surely rued when all was said and done.

“Everyone ready to be briefed?” Gabe asked to get the attention of his companions.

Immediately, they gravitated in his direction and sat wherever they could—Gabe on the lowered tailgate of his truck, now accessible since the hatchback of the camper top had been raised; Anna Kate on a stump, and Shari and Jessi sharing a fallen log. August chose to lean against a tall pine tree.

“As you probably know, we’re going to cover a lot of ground in the next three to four weeks. August, here, has done his homework the past several months, researching countless north and southwest lost treasure legends. Based on the information he’s gathered, I’ve mapped out our expedition, and I can tell you that we’ve got ten locations to explore in a very short time, so we’ve got our work cut out for us.”

Jessi and Shari exchanged a glance at that point, making Gabe wonder what they’d been talking about since they met. Belatedly, it occurred to him that Shari could have told Jessi that she’d scolded her husband for demanding a wedding. If so, Jessi might have spilled the truth—women were notorious for that in his opinion—a disconcerting possibility he’d somehow have to confirm or disprove without showing his own hand. How else would he know where he stood?

“Do these locations have names?” Jessi asked.

Gabe realized he had better concentrate on the matter at hand instead of worrying about what she might or might not know.

“Actually, most of them are nothing more than dots on a map, if that,” Gabe replied. “And most are in the middle of nowhere, just like this.”

“Will there be any dangerous wildlife to worry about?” Jessi stole a glance at her daughter, almost as if having second—or was it fourth by now?—thoughts.

“I’ll answer that one, Gabe,” August interjected as though reading those thoughts. “There’s always a risk of encountering wildlife, and some of it could be dangerous. Campsites have been carefully selected with safety in mind, however. I wouldn’t risk any of you ladies.”

“Any reason why we’re starting this treasure hunt here in these mountains?” Shari asked, confirming Gabe’s suspicion that she was just along for the ride and knew little about the actual game plan.

“Yes. My most promising lead comes from the journal of a gold miner, one Silas McHenry. His great-grandniece let me reprint passages of it for my book. I have one here I’d like to share.” August took a piece of paper out of his shirt pocket, unfolded it and read:

“ ‘November 13, 1849. John thinks someone is watching us from the mountains, waiting for the right moment to take advantage of our good luck. He won’t even close his eyes at night for fear we’ll be murdered in our beds. I told him that cave we found up on Panther Ridge would make a good hiding place for our treasures.’”

“Treasures?” Shari asked. “Plural?”

“That’s right,” August answered with a nod.

“Odd way to put it,” Jessi murmured.

Her expressive eyes, window to her thoughts, sparkled with speculation and curiosity. Gabe grinned, glad to note that her reservations about this little trip had apparently been forgotten... at least for the moment.

“Not if the men, who were certainly partners, split whatever gold they found each day.” August bent down and picked up a rock, examined it, then gave it a toss into the trees. “Silas McHenry, according to his great-grandniece and only living descendant, was a young journalist from Philadelphia. When he heard about the California gold rush, he decided to try his luck and filled up the pages of several journals in the process. Unfortunately, that luck ran out in these very mountains when whoever was watching him and his partner apparently decided to attack...or that’s the theory. No one knows exactly what happened, of course, but apparently all that was ever found of the two miners were these journals.”

“I can’t believe no one’s tried to find their gold before now,” Shari murmured. “Especially since you reprinted this in your book.”

“Who says they haven’t?” August retorted.

“You mean there’ve been other searches for this cave?”

“Lots, I expect,” August said with a nod. “At least two big ones that were documented, and both ended in disaster.”

Jessi frowned. “Exactly what kind of disaster?”

August hesitated a heartbeat before answering. “The men looking for the treasure never returned from the mountains.”

“You’re kidding, right?” Shari’s eyes were round as cupcakes.

August just shook his head. “Don’t you remember in my book?”

Shari thought for a moment, then her jaw dropped. “Oh, God...the one called The McHenry Curse’?”

“Yes, but there’s nothing to worry about,” August said. “If anything really happened to those other treasure hunters it’s because of bad planning and not any curse. I’ve hired the best guide in the country, and he’s got the situation well in hand.” August nodded to Gabe. “And on that note, I think I’ll turn the floor—er, ground—back over to him.”

Great, Gabe thought, highly aware of the accusing stares of the two women, now focused on him. “Thanks, boss. There are, um, just the four of us—well, five, counting Miss Priss, here.” Gabe managed a grin for Anna Kate, who promptly stuck out her tongue at him and lightened the moment for everyone. “Obviously we’re each going to have to be Jacks-and Jills-of-all-trades. Besides guiding, I’ll be in charge of maintaining supplies, keeping the vehicles fueled, and first aid, plus whatever else needs to be done to keep August free to do his thing. Jessi is in charge of cooking. Shari, I understand you’re going to act as August’s secretary...?” Somehow he couldn’t picture her at a keyboard, typing up her husband’s notes.

“B.A. in Business, UCLA,” she replied, as if on cue. She grinned, clearly enjoying the shock that must be as evident on his face as it was on Jessi’s. “I was discovered—” she drew quotation marks in the air with the first two fingers of both hands “—in a beauty pageant, my last year there.”

“Really?” Jessi murmured.

“Really,” Shari confirmed, adding, “And I’m going to do more than just type August’s notes. I intend to help Jessi around camp.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Jessi hastily interjected.

“Oh, I don’t mind. It’ll be fun-probably because I never get to do much at home. We have a live-in housekeeper.” She shot an accusing glance at her husband, who looked away.

Gabe wondered if they did not always agree on her role in the marriage.

Gabe noted Jessi’s thoughtful expression and wondered if she were thinking what he was thinking—clearly all was not well between Shari and August, exactly as Gabe and Jessi had already decided. But he wasn’t being paid to wonder about his boss’s personal life, just to do his bidding.

“What about me?” Anna Kate piped up just then. “What’s my job?”

“To keep us smiling,” Gabe told her, reaching over to tweak her uptilted nose.

Anna Kate pushed his hand away and pouted. “But I wanna really help.”

“You can be in charge of gathering wood for the campfire,” August told her.

The child’s eyes rounded with delight. “We’re gonna have a campfire?”

“Bingo! If you do your job.”

“Oh, I will. I will.” She hopped off her perch. “I’ll find the biggest, bestest wood ever...starting now!”

“Whoa!” Gabe exclaimed, capturing her by the suspenders. “There’s a rule you have to memorize before you start wandering. A rule everyone has to memorize.” He looked at each of the females in turn, ascertaining that he had their undivided attention. “Never go out of sight of the trailers unless I’m along. Never. We’re going to be camping in some pretty wild country. I don’t want to end up hunting for you instead of the treasure.” He focused his gaze on Anna Kate. “Now raise your left hand—no, honey, the other one—and repeat after me—I will never, ever leave camp without telling someone...”

Anna Kate rocked back on her heels and recited the words, solemn as he’d ever seen her or probably ever would again. “‘I will never, ever leave camp without telling someone...’”

Gabe nodded approval. “And I’ll never go so far that I can’t see the trailers.”

“‘And I’ll never’...‘I’ll never’...I forgot...”

“Go so far that I can’t see the trailers.”

“Go so I can’t see the trailers.”

“That’ll do.” He ruffled her curls, which felt silky soft to his work-roughened hand. “As for daily routine, I really can’t predict that beyond saying three meals a day would be nice, but may not always be necessary as August and I will most likely be away from camp during the day.” He scanned the faces of his audience. “Any questions?” Everyone shook their heads. “Well, that’s it I guess.” He turned to Anna Kate. “Why don’t I go with you to collect wood this first time so you’ll know what kind bums best?”

“I can do it myself.”

“Yeah, well there’s a cliff to the east and I don’t want you falling off it.”

Anna Kate rolled her eyes and sighed. “Okay, Daddy G,” she murmured, holding out her hand to him. Together, they walked into the trees immediately surrounding the clearing, where they began to search the leaf-strewn forest floor for fallen limbs.

“Cute kid,” Shari murmured to Jessi. “Wish I had one.”

“That should be easy enough to arrange,” Jessi teased, glancing at August, who ambled back to his motor home.

“Not as easy as you’d think.” Shari gave her a wan smile. “He thinks he’s too old.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“So I’ve told him. He doesn’t believe me. That’s the reason I pressed him to let your daughter come along, of course. I thought she’d be good for him. I hope you don’t mind the ulterior motive.”

“I’m just glad he agreed.”

There was a moment’s silence, then Shari stood. “Guess we’d better get started unloading those boxes. It’ll be dark soon.”

“I really don’t expect you to help,” Jessi said, standing. “I’m sure you have more important things to do.”

“Like what? Do my nails?” Shari shook her head. “I realize you’re being paid to cook and baby-sit me—” she smiled, clearly picking up on Jessi’s surprise at that blunt interpretation of their situation “—but I was really hoping we could be friends.”

“I’d like that a lot,” Jessi said, and meant it.

“Then let me do what any friend would do—help you. And in return, you can help me.”

“I’m afraid I’m not much of a typist.”

Shari laughed. “Oh, I didn’t mean that. I want to learn to cook something besides scrambled eggs and toast, which is my one and only specialty. Would you teach me?”

“Gladly,” Jessi told her, impulsively adding a hug to seal the bargain. When she released the slender beauty, she discovered that Shari’s eyes brimmed with tears. Dismayed, Jessi blurted, “What’s wrong?”

“Everything, but it’s going to get better. I just know it” She glanced off into the woods, where Gabe and Anna Kate still walked, arms now loaded with logs. “You’re so lucky, Jessi.”

Jessi followed her gaze and noted how very natural Anna Kate and Gabe looked together. She realized with a start that she must indeed seem lucky. Handsome husband. Darling daughter. From all appearances, she had it all.

But appearances could be deceiving, the reason her gut knotted with something very akin to regret. No handsome husband...at least not in the forever sense. She closed her eyes, for just a second letting her mind wander at will. Not surprisingly, visions of Gabe filled her head. She saw the twinkle in his eyes, those dashing dimples, that sexy smile. And there was more to her fantasy, more of him than that—characteristics, in truth, unseen; characteristics that her imagination supplied with shocking ease.

“Jessi?”

Broad bare shoulders and powerful arms. Great pecs. Narrow waist. Nicely rounded hips and muscled thighs. Her arms ached to pull him close. Her fingers itched to explore. She imagined herself in the double bed in their RV, felt the mattress dip as Gabe slipped between cool cotton sheets to stretch out beside her.

Had she ever felt such pure sexual excitement before? Jessi knew she hadn’t. Les, her ex-husband, was a selfish lover. It hadn’t helped that she’d been inexperienced in such matters. She knew the score now, however—knew that she had a right to receive as much pleasure as she gave.

“Oh, Jes-si....”

Gabe, she suspected, would be good in bed. A thoughtful lover who’d make sex the thrill it should be. Too bad she’d never get the chance to see if their reality could live up to her fantasy.

“Earth to Jessi! Please come in.”

With a start, Jessi realized that a laughing Shari was trying to get her attention.

“Oh, gosh, I’m sorry. I was a million miles away.”

“A million miles,” Shari teased. “Or—” she glanced at Gabe—“twenty yards?”

Blushing, flustered, Jessi dared not reply.

“It’s a shame you two didn’t have time for a honeymoon,” the blonde then murmured as if reading her companion’s X-rated thoughts. “There won’t be any privacy in that RV of yours.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” Jessi quickly replied. “We don’t need privacy. We’ve been together for, um, years now. The newness has worn off.”

“I don’t believe it.”

Jessi’s heart stopped. “Excuse me?”

“I don’t believe the newness has worn off. Why, the looks that man gives you could melt steel.” She smiled. “And one of these nights in the not-so-distant future, I’m going to invite Anna Kate to a sleepover that will give the two of you the privacy you deserve.”

“Oh please don’t,” Jessi blurted, horrified at the thought of such temptation. “I mean, Anna Kate can be such a handful.”

“We’ll have a great time,” Shari assured her, smiling wickedly when she added, “And so, I’ll bet, will the two of you.”


Chapter Four

It wasn’t easy to put Shari’s prediction out of her head, but Jessi did exactly that for the rest of that Monday by focusing on her new job as cook. She chose to prepare her first meal on the stove inside the spacious RV she would call home for a while, even though there were other cooking choices, namely an open campfire and a portable barbecue rig. Jessi served dinner indoors that night, too, instead of in the camp dining room, which was really just a centrally located tent with netting sides to keep out insects.

Her hearty tomato-and-beef stew was a big hit with everyone, in particular the men, who helped themselves to seconds and then thirds, complimenting her with every bowl. After the meal, the five of them went outside and, since it was a beautiful night, sat around a campfire that resulted from Anna Kate’s meticulous wood gathering.

The child sat as close to Gabe as she could sit while they all relaxed and talked, but he didn’t seem to mind. Jessi herself sat clear across the campfire from the two of them, with August and Shari to her immediate left. She relished the absence of city noises and marveled at how many other sounds—foreign sounds—filled the air around them.

The buzzes, of course, could be credited to insects, Jessi decided, and the chirps to birds that hadn’t turned in for the night. The tree frogs and cicadas she recognized, too, but what was that weird-sounding yowl? A cat of some kind? A wolf?

Suddenly a little spooked—a feeling not alleviated when she realized Gabe actually had a hunting rifle within reach—Jessi wondered if Anna Kate were frightened by the wild sounds. The child was so young and had never been out of the city. At that moment Anna Kate crawled right into Gabe’s lap, a certain indication she might be a little nervous about their wilderness surroundings, too.

“Tell me a real scary story, Daddy G,” she demanded, grabbing a handful of his shirt and pulling him down so that the tip of his nose was barely an inch from hers.

Jessi wanted to laugh. So much for fear in the under-five set.

Gabe considered her request for a moment, his questioning gaze on Jessi, who shook her head slightly to discourage him. “Will you settle for a tall tale instead?” he finally asked, gently disentangling his shirt from Anna Kate’s grip.

The child nodded eagerly.

“Okay.” Gabe sat in silence for another half second, then nodded to himself as if he’d made a mental selection. “Actually,” he began, “the story I’m about to tell you is said to be true. Maybe it is, maybe not. I really don’t know, so we’ll call it a tall tale.”




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