Daddy By Design? & Her Perfect Wife by Cheryl Anne Porter

Author:Cheryl Anne Porter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-09-09T04:00:00+00:00

2

MELINDA TOLD HERSELF to close her mouth and disregard what was going on inside her head: a lot of jumping up and down, yelling about the cavalry coming.

“I need a wife,” she echoed finally. “You’re not serious, are you?”

“Serious as an IRS audit,” the woman across from her said, with that half smile still in place. “You need one of those fifties-television wives, right? The kind nobody really wants to be anymore? Someone who keeps house and takes care of your personal life while you’re out becoming a doctor.”

“And you know the man for the job.”

“Since third grade.”

Well, shoot—it was tempting. A simple, efficient solution to a whole bunch of problems. Melinda raised her hand, got the waiter’s attention, pointed to the short, businesslike drink on a nearby table, then touched the tabletop in front of her.

“How much does he charge?” she asked as the waiter flicked his order pad in the air and scurried away.

Sherry grinned. “The man I’m talking about will work for marriage. And health insurance.”

“Huh?”

“He’s really a stockbroker with a case of job burnout, not a housekeeper,” Sherry explained. “He wants some time off to study for his financial planner’s exam, but he needs to stay insured while he’s not working. Plus he thinks that a guy quitting to get married will make a statement about gender inequality or something.”

“Oh,” Melinda said, regretfully discarding what was really a brilliant way to slide out of dealing with all that daily domestic drone stuff that was ruining her life. “He’s crazy. Well, never—”

“I’ll admit I thought the same thing when he first brought up the idea, but now…” Sherry looked thoughtful, the odd little smile returning. “Now I think it’s the perfect solution for you both.”

Melinda prodded her chicken slab. Had they both lost their minds? She couldn’t marry somebody she’d never met. Could she? No, she should drop the whole crazy subject and get back to the hospital. Back to reality. She had ten charts to work up before Bowen came in for evening rounds. “What if I’m already involved with somebody?”

“You’re not,” Sherry replied knowingly. “Your aunt Gertrude told me all about you, except the criminal lawn bit.”

The waiter brought Melinda’s drink. She took a healthy sip. “Just how well do you know my aunt?” she asked.

“She’s been a client of mine for almost ten years.”

Ten years? Aunt Gertrude didn’t go to the same hair-dresser twice. She must really trust Sherry Downe and her judgment.

So maybe it wasn’t such a crazy idea. “And this guy who wants to be a wife. You’ve known him since third grade?”

“Yep,” Sherry said. “You couldn’t do better than Jack Halloran. He’s smart, responsible, trustworthy—and a natural-born caretaker.”

Jack Halloran. He had a name. It made the whole idea more real somehow, but… “If he’s so wonderful, why doesn’t he have someone already lined up to marry?”

“Because Jack’s not interested in true romance—or any other kind,” Sherry declared in a tone too positive to doubt.

“Is he gay?” Melinda asked, taking another sip of whatever she’d ordered.

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