The Surrogate Husband Page 11

Bev must’ve noticed her not-so-thrilled expression, because she put a reassuring palm on Lucy’s shoulder as she passed her. “If you have faith in your husband, dear,” she said. “you’ll give it a chance. You do have faith in him, don’t you?”

  Something inside her told Lucy her aunt was aware something fishy was going on. Better to come clean than torture herself by facing her worst fear. She knew what she had to do.

  The charade was over.

  Heart racing, she sucked in a deep breath. “Aunt Bev, I have something to tell you.”

  Chapter Eight

  Before Lucy could utter a word of her confession, Bev teetered. Her face turned even paler than her usual sail-white complexion.

  Had she guessed the truth? Would that revelation do her in?

  Several people gasped. Jonathan, an EMT by trade, rushed to catch her before she collapsed. He sat her in a chair and took her pulse.

  Oh God!

  I’ve killed her.

  A heavy weight pressed on Lucy’s chest. “I’m so sorry, Aunt Bev.”

  After only a few seconds, Bev swatted Jonathan away. “Stop that. I’m fine. It’s just the heat and the excitement. I’m not used to these ghastly Florida temperatures.”

  Lucy glanced at the thermometer on the back wall of the inn, which read eighty-four degrees. Not particularly hot by local standards, but at least there was a reason for her aunt’s dizzy spell, other than Lucy letting her down.

  Jonathan poured her a glass of water and made her drink. “She’s fine. Happens a lot to people who aren’t used to the humidity and heat here. But I’ll have to insist that you cool off inside, at least for a little while.”

  Lucy felt a collective sigh of relief from her family. Her own was palpable. Not only had she gotten out of confessing, but she’d dodged the bullet of getting into the pool as well.

  As soon as Jonathan and Bev went into the house, Dex and her mother cornered Lucy.

  “You can’t tell her.” Her mom wiped a hand over her face, which was almost as ashen as Aunt Bev’s.

  “I’m not sure I agree with that,” Dex said. “What if she eventually learns the truth? She’ll be so upset with all of you, so hurt. And she’s such a sweet, generous lady.”

  Lucy folded her arms over her chest. “I don’t know. Maybe Mom’s right. For a moment there, I thought she’d figured us out, and it had caused her to have a stroke or something. ”

  Mom nodded. “She’s obviously too frail for a shock like that.”

  Lucy leaned against the outside wall and sighed. “This is killing me.”

  Her mother got right in Lucy’s face, so close she could feel her mom’s breath on her skin. “We can’t destroy a weak old woman’s dreams. We’ve taken it too far to back out now. Everyone here who knows you’re not really married has gone along with our story. Can you imagine how crushed she’d be if she found out we’d all lied to her?”

  Lucy could hardly suck in a breath. She gently pushed her mother back. There was no other choice but to continue their ruse. “Fine, fine. But I won’t get in that pool.”

  “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.” Her mother hooked Dex’s arm. “But I know in my heart that this big, strong man won’t let anything happen to you. He’s not anything like your dad, honey.”

  The mention of her father was the last thing she needed.

  In her mind, she heard his voice calling her a loser and a coward, telling her she’d never amount to anything.

  Her faced burned. She twisted away from the others.

  Aunt Bev came back outside, and Mrs. Swann set her up in a swing under the awning while Mr. Swann brought out an oscillating fan.

  Bev trained her narrowed gaze on Lucy again. “Did you have something you wanted to tell me before?”

  Uncomfortable heat spread through Lucy’s chest. “Um, no. Nothing.”

  Aunt Bev regarded her for several seconds before shrugging. “Are we ready for the next contest, then?”

  If Lucy didn’t get in the water, she’d be letting her father and her fears win. She glanced at Dex and he nodded.

  Just the reassurance she needed. Sucking in a breath for courage, she squared her shoulders. “Okay. I’ll do it.”

  Dex rushed over, lifted her into the air, and spun her around. “I’m so proud of you.” As he let her down, he caught her in a lip-lock, right there in front of the ones who thought they were married as well as those who knew they weren’t.

  When he set her on her feet, she glimpsed the pool and shuddered.

  I can do this.

  Dex squeezed her hand. “I promise you I won’t let you go.”

  She wished the nausea in her stomach would quit, but even if it didn’t she was going to do this. Hell, she loved living on the edge. All she had to do was pretend the pool was a new thrill ride. She spun the wedding band on her finger and waited as Mr. Swann attached ropes across the pool to create five lanes, one for each couple.

  Bev gave Logan a whistle and appointed him the official judge of the race.

  Lucy took Dex’s hand as they strode toward the deck, but her feet didn’t want to cooperate.

  “You’re going to be fine. Just hold on tight. I’m a strong swimmer,” he assured her. Yeah, he was obviously a strong everything. As she took in his broad shoulders and arms, roped with muscle, her fear waned. She’d wished for a long time that she could count on someone other than herself. Maybe Dex was that person. Her breath locked. There was no terror with the realization, only relief.

  Squeezing her hand, he whispered, “I’ll take care of you. We can do this.”

  He lowered himself into the pool, then nodded up at her. “Sit on the edge, and when it’s time, you’ll get straight onto me, piggyback style. You’re going to have to hold on because I’ll be using my arms to swim.”

  Despite all the water and humidity, her mouth was dry. She nodded mutely and made sure that silly veil was tightly pinned to her hair.

  Her mom threw her a kiss from the next lane. “You’ve got the best partner for this.”

  “Hey,” her husband protested.

  She laughed. “Aside from Jack.”

  Lucy tried to smile, but her skin felt stretched taut.

  Mrs. Swann brought Logan over, then cleared her throat and read from an index card. “The rules are, each couple must swim two laps, the length of the pool back and forth. The first team to complete the course wins as long as the bride hasn’t fallen off the groom’s back. If she does, the groom must go back to the spot where she fell off and start from there.”

  Logan held up his whistle. “I say when you go. When you hear the whistle.”

  The kid was so damn cute, Lucy had to chuckle, which released a little of the tension inside her. She sat on the side of the pool and let her feet dangle into the water.

  Her head started aching. Drawing her legs back, she hugged her knees to her chest.

  Dex rested his hand on her knee. “If you can’t do this, we won’t. It’s not that big a deal. We’ll just tell Bev no.”

  “Aren’t you going to play?” Logan frowned, and she knew she couldn’t let him down.

  No way was she going to let that little boy think she was a coward. She nodded with a million times more bravado than she possessed. “I am.” She motioned for Dex to turn his back to her, then she held on to his massive shoulders.

  Dex tucked her legs under his arms and pulled her onto his back.

  Her heart felt as if it would explode any moment, but she was in the water. She hooked her hands around his neck and offered up a little prayer.

  “Remember not to choke me, okay?” He hoisted her higher.

  “No promises.” But surprisingly, she wasn’t as scared as she’d have thought. And she knew without a shadow of a doubt that Dex was the reason.

  Logan went to the opposite end of the pool and stood beside Mrs. Swann. “On your mark, get wet.” He tried to wink at Lucy but closed both eyes. “Go.” He blew the whistle and they were off.


  She felt Dex’s muscles move and work under her, and his sheer power gave her a sense of comfort. Almost immediately, he pulled ahead. She tried to focus on watching the other swimmers as she kept her arms and legs locked in a death grip around Dex.

  Oh God, we’re in the deep end. If she fell off, she couldn’t stand up.

  Memories of the lake where she’d almost drowned filled her head. She got that feeling she couldn’t catch her breath, that she was going under.

  Gasping for air, she clawed at Dex’s skin. They were almost at the far end, the halfway point, but she didn’t think she could make it.

  “I’m going to be sick,” she shouted in his ear.

  “You are?” But he kept swimming. He made it to the edge.

  “I have to get out.” Her stomach heaved.

  “Grab the side,” he said.

  When she did, he twisted around then lifted her onto the deck. With a hand over her mouth, she raced toward a shed a few yards away. She went behind it and sank to her knees.

  Footsteps approached, fast. “Are you okay?”

  Glancing over her shoulder, she found Dex, soaking wet, concern etching lines around his eyes.

  Thankfully, her insides decided to behave. She got up. “Better now.”

  He pulled her into the crook of his arm, and they headed toward the pool.

  “I’m proud of you.”

  She stared up at him. “Why? I made you lose the race.”

  He shook his head. “But you prevailed. You got into the water.” He held her tighter. “You faced a huge obstacle and met it head-on. That’s damn impressive.”

  The whistle blew over and over. Lucy glanced at the deck and saw Jonathan and Elena holding Logan in their arms. They appeared so happy together. “I guess my cousin and his wife won the race.”

  “You won, too.” He stopped and faced her. “You’re quite a woman.”

  There were those smoky eyes. They got her every time. But she couldn’t get too used to this.

  For her sake and for Dex’s. “Let’s go grab a towel.” Reluctantly, she extricated herself from him and ripped the veil off her head.

  Thanks to Dex, she felt like a champ. She wasn’t ready to take a leisurely swim or go sailing, but she had conquered something she never thought she would. He picked her up and gave her a kiss that left her lips numb and her heart pounding.

  Her dad had been perfectly content to let her drown in order to teach her a lesson. Yet Dex had supported her, he’d been there for her, every step of the way.

  All the emotions welling up inside her made her lungs constrict.

  No, it wasn’t Dex’s presence, it was conquering the pool that felt so good. Sure, he’d helped her through, but the tingly, bubbly feeling had not a thing to do with him. Not a thing.

  …

  Dex stripped off his swim trunks, then hung them on a hook in their room. Tying a towel around his waist, he sat on the fainting couch waiting for Lucy to undress. His chest swelled with pride. More than when she’d told him how she’d clobbered a would-be mugger instead of handing him her purse.

  He feasted his eyes on her long legs and her curvy hips as she peeled off her shorts, leaving her in just her tiny black bikini. His towel grew decidedly tighter in the crotch area.

  “Why are you staring at me?” she asked.

  He draped his arm over the back of the sofa. “Do you remember when you told me you were fiercely independent?”

  She gave him a half nod.

  “Well today, you showed me you’re fierce in other ways. That took major guts, what you did.”

  Tears clung to her lashes, but she shrugged off the praise. “I couldn’t have done it without you.”

  The vulnerability in the way her voice broke, and how her hands trembled, was something he’d never noticed before, and he couldn’t deny that he found it beyond attractive, endearing, even.

  Something buzzed nearby.

  Lucy picked up his cell from the dresser. “Sounds like you have voicemail.” She handed him the phone.

  Before he could retrieve the messages, it rang again. What the hell? He grabbed a pair of shorts, yanked them on, then answered. “This is Dex.”

  “Hi Dex, my name’s Pauline. My grandmother is friends with yours. I think they know each other from church. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to get together sometime?” The woman had the squeakiest voice he’d ever heard.

  He held the phone away from his ear.

  “Normally I don’t go in for fix-ups,” she said. “but my astrologer told me now is the perfect time to meet someone.” She went on and on, but he wasn’t paying attention, not while he had the best scenery in the whole damn world in Lucy.

  Who was watching him out of the corner of her eye. She moved uncharacteristically slowly as she pulled out a bra and matching pair of hot-pink satin panties with tiny black bows, then disappeared into the closet to change. She emerged a moment later in the underwear.

  Heaven help him. How was he supposed to think about the conversation on his phone, or any other woman for that matter?

  Lucy squirted some kind of white cream into her hands, then took her sweet time rubbing it over her legs. She pumped out more lotion, smoothing it on her abdomen and over her breasts.

  He licked his lips, hungry for another taste of her. Yeah, she was definitely doing this on purpose.

  “Dex?” the woman on the phone said. “Are you still there?”

  “Hmm? Yes, I’m here.” But he had no idea what she’d said. All he could concentrate on was Lucy as she wiggled her gorgeous backside into a short pink skirt, then pulled a tank top on.

  “Is this a bad time? I can call you later if it’s better, or you can call me. Maybe we can meet for coffee on Sunday. Or brunch. There’s a great little bakery near my apartment.”

  He cleared his throat. “Actually, I’m out of town for the weekend. Can I give you a buzz next week?”

  Lucy glared at him for a split second, so fast he wasn’t sure he’d seen correctly. She lifted an eyebrow then stalked out of the room, closing the door a little too hard as she did.

  “Sure, that would be great,” Pauline said.

  He hung up, then shut off the phone and tossed it into his open suitcase. Poking his head out into the hallway, he thought he glimpsed a flash of tan skin and pink hair disappear through a doorway at the far end of the hall.

  When he got there he realized it wasn’t a guest room, but rather a stairwell. Following the narrow steps up to a turret, then through another door, he spotted Lucy outside on the roof deck.

  She sat on the ledge of the building, dangling her legs over the side.

  His heart skipped a beat as he joined her on the deck. If she leaned too far to the left or right, she could easily slip off the building and fall three stories.

  Thoughts of Caroline barged into his head, of losing her, the helplessness and the pain. He sat next to Lucy, ready to grab onto her at any moment. “You okay?”

  “Fine.” Her tone was clipped and cool.

  Could she be jealous? But why would she be? She was just as opposed to them having any sort of relationship as he was. Maybe she was merely processing the emotions she’d had to deal with over the course of the day. Still, why did she have to teeter on the edge of the building?

  She stretched her arms over her head. “So that was one of your grandma’s fix-ups for you, huh?”

  He resisted the urge to grab her and pull her onto the roof. Reckless behavior on Lucy’s part shouldn’t bother him. He had no claim on her, she wasn’t his, as Caroline had been. Yet, all he could think about was what would happen if she went over the edge. And he couldn’t save her.

  He had to get her back inside the building. “Think you could help me pick out clothes for tonight?”

  She shrugged. “Let’s see what you brought.” Kicking her legs inside the ledge, she set her feet on the deck, giving him a too-fast glimpse of pink lace at the juncture of her thighs. Standing, she straightened her skirt, then
strode through the doorway.

  Dex drew a relieved breath as he followed her back to their room.

  She went into the closet and began putting together outfits for him. This polo shirt with those khakis, that T with those Bermuda shorts. Didn’t matter as long as she was now safe.

  Moving behind him, she stood on her tiptoes and held a blue striped shirt up to him and stared at him in the mirror. “This one,” she said.

  He took in the reflection of the two of them together. Him looking ready for a round of golf, and Lucy, who appeared as if she were dressed for a night of clubbing in South Beach. It felt surreal to see the rock-and-roll girl acting like a wife.

  “Do you think Bev believes that we’re married?” he asked. “You know your aunt better than I do, but I’d swear I saw doubt in her eyes more than once.”

  “Let’s pray you were wrong, but I’ve sensed the same thing.” Lines creased Lucy’s forehead as she stared at their reflection.

  He stepped behind her and massaged her shoulders. “I still think you should consider coming clean at some point.”

  She twisted out of his reach and faced him. “This isn’t some math problem with a formula that makes it all come out perfect in the end. We don’t have that kind of control over real life situations. And you don’t get to make that decision here. This is my family, not yours. You don’t get to lord over us.”

  Lord over us? Whoa. He held up his hands in surrender. “Fine, whatever you say.”

  She dropped her shoulders and headed to the vanity. “No, I’m sorry. You’re doing my mom and me a favor. That was uncalled for. It’s a little stressful, all the pretending, and the wondering if my aunt believes us.”

  “I hope it’s not all bad.”

  Glancing over her shoulder at him, she gave him a sultry grin. “What do you think?”

  His pulse spiked. “I think I can’t wait for these parties to be over tonight so I can get you back up here and have my way with you.”

  He took her silence as a good sign.

  As soon as she’d finished with her makeup, they went downstairs and found most of the family in the parlor having drinks.

  “There they are,” Lucy’s mother said. “Lucy, I was just telling Trisha and Patrice about the time you and your sister dressed up as characters from that TV show you two hated. What was it called?”