The Christmas Wife (3 page)

“Don’t worry about it,” he said as he followed her and
Hattie into the apartment.

“It was an accident,” Hattie said.  “I didn’t mean to drop
my sweet and sour sauce on his leg.”

She sat down on the floor and pushed the small car with the
bright green racing stripes across the floor as Claire said, “Hattie, honey,
why don’t you play with that in the bedroom?”

“Why?”

“Because I need to speak with Mr. Stone about grown-up
stuff.”

“Oh.”  Hattie stood as Deacon sat down on the couch.  He
flinched in surprise when she climbed on to the couch beside him and kissed him
on the cheek.  “Thank you for taking me to McDonalds, Mr. Stone.”

“You’re welcome, Hattie.”

She wandered into the bedroom and shut the door as Claire
clasped her hands in front of her torso.  “Can I get you a drink?”

“No thank you,” he said politely. 

She sat down on the couch beside him, perching on the edge
of it and picking at the duct tape on the arm.  “What did you want to speak to
me about?”

He studied the stain on his pants.  It had been crowded and
loud at the McDonalds and Hattie had kept up a steady stream of chatter while
they ate.  There had been no opportunity to talk to her mother about his
proposal.  His stomach was churning and he wondered if it was from the fast
food or his sudden nerves.

Claire watched as Deacon brushed at the stain on his pants. 
He had looked completely out of place at the fast food restaurant, his
expensive dark suit standing out like a beacon against the jeans and t-shirts
of the other adults.  She had barely been able to hold in her nervous giggles
when, at Hattie’s insistence, he had wedged his large body into the booth next
to hers.  Annoyance had flashed across his face when Hattie had dumped her entire
container of sweet and sour sauce in his lap but, to his credit, he had hidden
it from her with a stiff smile.

He was a handsome man, she thought.  His dark hair and light
green eyes were a nice combination and he had broad shoulders and a narrow
waist.  He had a home gym, she’d seen it, and he looked like the kind of guy
who worked out every day.  She pulled her t-shirt away from her stomach.  She
was naturally on the slender side but after having Hattie, her flat stomach was
a thing of the past. 

Muffin tops are sexy
, she told herself stubbornly, as
Mr. Stone leaned forward.

“Ms. Brooks, I need a wife.”

Her mouth dropped open and she stared wide-eyed at him. 
“I’m sorry?”

“I need a wife and you,” he glanced around the apartment,
“need a place to live and money.  I’ll give you a hundred grand to live in my
home and be my wife for a month.”

“I – what?”  She stood and backed away before glancing
nervously at the door.  The man was obviously a complete nut job, and she
wondered if she could lock herself in the bedroom with Hattie and call the
police before he broke down the door.

“Please, just listen to me,” he said quietly.  “My company
is Stone Toys and I’m the CEO.”

“I know,” she said.

“What you don’t know is that my grandmother owns the
controlling shares of the company.  She’s also a traditionalist and, frankly, a
bit mad, and last year she gave me an ultimatum.”

“An ultimatum,” she repeated.

“Yes.  I need to be married by the first day of December or
she’ll sell the shares to my cousin and he’ll take control of the company.”

“Are you kidding me?”  She asked.

“I wish I was.  My grandmother believes that a man who runs
a toy company should be married with a family.  She believes, despite how well
the company has done under my leadership, it ultimately will fail with a single
man at the helm.  She believes that our customers won’t trust a man without a
family, without children, to understand what their children want in toys.”

Claire stared blankly at him and he smiled grimly.  “She
really is a bit mad.”

“So,” Claire sank down into the couch cushions, “she told
you this last year and you’ve waited until less than a week before the deadline
to find a wife?”

“I believed I could convince her that it was a ridiculous
idea,” he said.  “I was wrong.  And now I need a wife.”

“Why not just let her sell the shares to your cousin?  It’s
still in the family.”

“My cousin is ill-equipped to deal with the company, believe
me,” he said.  “But he’s married with two children and in my grandmother’s eyes
that makes him ideal.”

“Why only a month?”  She asked abruptly.

“My grandmother promised that if I was still married by
January first of next year, she would sell the shares to me.  Once I’ve
acquired the shares, we can quietly divorce and you and your daughter will be a
hundred grand richer.”

She sat silently and he shifted a little closer.  “What I’m
offering you is nothing short of a miracle.  I know you lost your job and I saw
the eviction notice on the counter.  You have to be out of this dump by
Monday.  Where are you going to go?  If you accept my deal, you and Hattie will
have a safe place to live and by January first, you’ll never have to worry
about money again.”

Her hand grasped at the base of her throat before she
dropped it back into her lap. 

“Obviously I don’t have much time.  We’d have to be married
on Monday which means I’ll need to pull a few strings tomorrow to get a
marriage license.  I would need your decision by early tomorrow morning at the
latest.  I realize that doesn’t give you a lot of time to decide but – “

“I’ll do it,” she said abruptly.

He jerked in surprise.  “You will?”

“Yes.”

“Just like that?  You don’t even know me.” 

She stared impatiently at him.  “Do you want a wife or not?”

“Well, yes, but frankly I didn’t expect you to agree so
quickly,” he said.

She sighed loudly.  “Why wouldn’t I?  You’re right – I have
no job, no money and after Monday, no place to live.  I have a seven year old
daughter to take care of and living out of my car isn’t exactly taking care of
her.  Do you have children, Mr. Stone?”

“No,” he said.

“Then you have no idea the desperation you feel when you
can’t provide for your own child.  You’re judging me,” she held her hand up
when he started to protest, “you are and I get why you are but I honestly don’t
care.  The money you’re offering means I’ll never have to wonder again how I’m
going to feed Hattie.”

“You’ll need to sign a confidentiality agreement as well as
a pre-nup.  No one, and I mean no one, can know that this marriage is fake.  Is
that clear, Ms. Brooks?”

“Yes.”

“If you tell someone the contract between us will be null
and void.  You won’t get a dime.”

“I understand.  I won’t tell anyone.”

“My grandmother must believe that our marriage is real and
that we’re in love.  If she doesn’t - if she believes that we’re deceiving her
- she won’t sell me the shares.”

“I’m a good actress,” she said.

“What about Hattie?”  He suddenly asked.

“What about her?”

“Won’t she wonder why her mother is marrying a man she just
met?”

“She’s young.  She’ll believe me when I say we’re in love.”

She suddenly hesitated, her cheeks going a bright red, “Um,
this marriage is on paper only, right?  There won’t be any, uh…”

She trailed off and he said impatiently, “Any what, Ms.
Brooks?”

“Bedroom stuff,” she said.

Now it was his turn for his mouth to drop open and her blush
deepened.

“No, Ms. Brooks.  You’ll have your own bedroom to sleep in,
and there will be no sexual relations required,” he said quickly.

“Sexual relations?”  A nervous giggle slipped out and he
frowned at her.  She pressed her lips together as he continued.

“Obviously, however, there will have to be some physical touching. 
My grandmother expects us to be in love and with that comes a requirement for
certain displays of affection.  Nothing too strenuous – just some hand holding
and the occasional hug or kiss in front of her and others.”

“Right,” she said softly.

He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled
out a brown envelope.  “I had the paperwork drawn up earlier today in
anticipation that you would agree to my proposal.  Take it to your lawyer in
the morning and have them go over it with you.  If they have any questions, my
lawyer’s business card is in the envelope.”

“Right,” she repeated.  “My lawyer.”

“Do you have a lawyer, Ms. Brooks?”

“Oh, of course.  Doesn’t everyone?”  She said sarcastically.

“Sarcasm is not an attractive feature, Ms. Brooks.”

“I’ll try to tone it down once we’re married,” she said.

“Read over the proposal.  If you have any questions or
concerns, call my lawyer and he’ll explain it to you.  If you change your mind,
please notify me immediately.  My card is in the envelope as well.”

“I won’t change my mind,” she said softly. 

He nodded and stood, glancing around the apartment, before
saying, “I’ll need your final answer by eight tomorrow.  Once you’ve signed the
proposal, the prenuptial contract, and confidentiality agreement, I’ll expect
you and Hattie to move into my home by Saturday at the latest.”

“I can’t pack up my apartment in less than twenty-four
hours,” she protested.  “I don’t have a lot of stuff but I’ll need until at
least Sunday to – “

“I’ll have movers put your stuff in storage on Saturday,” he
said.  “You won’t need anything but your clothes and personal items.  We’ll
need most of Saturday and Sunday to learn about each other’s personal lives,
and likes and dislikes, in order to convince my grandmother we’re in love.  We’ll
be married Monday afternoon at city hall.  Do you have someone to act as a
witness for you?”

“Yes.”  She could only imagine the look on Ellen’s face when
she told her she was marrying the millionaire toymaker.

“Good.  I’ll speak with you tomorrow at eight.  Good night,
Ms. Brooks.”

“Good night, Mr. Stone.”

He paused at the door.  “One more thing, Ms. Brooks.  You
don’t have a criminal record or a history of alcohol or drug abuse, do you?”

“Nope.  I’m clean as a whistle,” she said.

“Excellent.  Good night.”

“You’re getting married.”  Ellen stared at Claire over her
cup of coffee.

“Yes.”

“To the toymaker.”

“Yes.”

“On Monday.”

“Yes.”

“What the hell, Claire?”  Ellen said.

“What?”

Ellen reached out and tapped her on the forehead.  “Have you
gone insane?”

“No, of course not.”

“Wha – I mean – how?”

“I told you, Ellen.  We’ve been secretly dating for a nearly
a year.  We didn’t say anything because I was worried that Edith would fire me
for dating a client.  Now that I don’t have a job, we figured why hide it
anymore.”

“So, you got fired because you broke one of his statues, and
now you’re getting married,” Ellen said.

She shrugged.  “He asked me to marry him last night and I
said yes.”

“What’s going on, Claire?  What aren’t you telling me?” 
Ellen asked.

“There’s nothing going on, Ellen,” Claire said.  “I thought
you would be happy for me and Hattie.”

“I am, I just – I can’t believe you dated him for a year and
didn’t tell me.  I’m your best friend!”

“I’m sorry, I should have told you,” Claire said
apologetically.  “I wish I had but after a while I was just so used to keeping
it a secret that it seemed kind of weird to suddenly tell you.”

“Why are you getting married so quickly?”

“Why wait?  I love him and he loves me.  I was about to get
evicted anyway and I don’t have a job.  It’s the perfect time.”

“Yeah, but, you could just live with him,” Ellen said.

“I told you – his grandmother is a bit of a traditionalist. 
She’ll have a bird if she finds out we’re living in sin.”

Ellen sat back on the couch.  “Something isn’t right about
this, Claire.”

Claire laughed.  “Honey, please can you just be happy for
me?  I’ve finally found a great guy and I don’t have to worry about money
anymore.”

“I am happy for you, I just – “

“Ellen!”  Hattie came skipping out of the bedroom.  “Did
mama tell you I’m moving to the toymaker’s house?”

“She did, honey.”  Ellen kissed her head as Hattie climbed
into her lap.

“I’ve already packed my stuff.  Mama says we’re moving in
tomorrow, and on Monday I have to stand there with flowers while she marries
Mr. Stone.”

“Mr. Stone?”  Ellen raised her eyebrows at Claire.

“Hattie hasn’t known him for very long either,” she said.

“Why not?”

“Because I didn’t want to introduce her until I knew for
certain that he was the one.”

“Are you sure I can’t wear my jeans and Hulk t-shirt on
Monday, mama?”  Hattie asked.

“No, honey.  You’re going to wear a dress.”

“I hate dresses,” Hattie grumbled.  “They’re dumb.”

“It’s only for a little while,” Claire said.  “Besides, it
won’t kill you to wear a dress for once.”

“It might,” Hattie replied.

Ellen glanced at her phone.  “I have to get to work.”

“Can you stand up with me on Monday, Ellen?  Please?” 
Claire said.  “I know it’s just at city hall but it won’t feel right if you’re
not there with me.”

“Of course, I will.  I wouldn’t miss it for the world,”
Ellen said.  She took Claire’s hand and squeezed it gently.  “Honey, are you
sure about this?  Absolutely sure?”

“I am,” Claire said firmly.  “I love him, Ellen.”

“Okay.  Well, I guess I’ll see you Monday.”

“I’ll call you on Sunday, okay?”  Claire said.

“Sure.”  Ellen smiled and kissed Hattie goodbye before
leaving.

As soon as the door closed behind her, the smile dropped
from Claire’s face and she ran a shaky hand over her forehead.  Lying to Ellen
had been awful and she felt sick to her stomach over it.

“Mama?  What’s wrong?”  Hattie asked.

“Nothing, honey.  Come on, let’s finish packing up our
stuff.  The movers will be here first thing in the morning and we need to be
out of their way.”

* * *

“Well, what do you think, Hattie?”  There was a weird
trickle of apprehension in his belly as Deacon stared at the little girl.

She turned in a circle, staring at the pink walls of the
bedroom, the princess bed sheets and quilt, the canopy over the bed with the
sheer curtains surrounding it and the collection of dolls and stuffed animals.

“It’s very pink,” she said finally.

“I had my designer and her crew working all day yesterday to
get it finished,” Deacon said to Claire.

“It’s beautiful,” she smiled at him before touching Hattie’s
shoulder.

“Hattie, what do you say to Deacon?”

“Thank you, Mr. Stone,” she said dutifully. 

She set her small suitcase, it was covered in faded and
peeling stickers of the Hulk, on the bed and sat down.  She bounced a little
before touching the stuffed purple unicorn resting against the pillow.

“You have your own bathroom.”  Deacon pointed to the door to
the far right.  “And our bedroom is just at the end of the hallway.”

“Okay,” Hattie said slowly.  “What if I get scared in the
night?  I used to sleep with mama.”

“You’re a big girl now, Hattie.  Remember we talked about
how you would be sleeping in your own bed?”  Claire said.

“I remember,” she said.  “But I still might get scared.”

Claire gave Deacon a nervous look.  If Hattie came looking
for her in the middle of the night and she wasn’t in Deacon’s room with him,
the little girl would start asking questions.

“If you get scared just call for me and I’ll come to your
room, okay?”  She said.

“Okay.”

“Why don’t you unpack your clothes while your mom unpacks
her stuff in our room,” Deacon suggested.  “Then we’ll have some lunch.”

“McDonalds?”  Hattie said hopefully.

“No.  I have a personal chef.  Her name is Mrs. Crane and
she’s cooking us some lunch right now.”

“Oh.”  Hattie unzipped her suitcase as Claire bent and
kissed her forehead.

“I’ll just be down the hall, honey.”

She followed Deacon down the hall to a set of double doors
at the end of it. 

“This is my room,” he said. 

“Yes, I know,” she said.  “I’ve cleaned it, remember?”

“Right.”

He opened the doors and she followed him into the room.  It
was huge with a fireplace on one wall and French doors on another.  They opened
to a covered patio that had a hot tub.  A king size bed with a mahogany
headboard dominated the room.

“It’s probably best if you leave your clothes in the master
closet and some toiletries in the bathroom,” he said.  “I wouldn’t be surprised
if at some point my grandmother or my cousin sneak up here just to see if your
stuff is in my room.”

“Where will I be sleeping?”  She asked.

“In the guest room just to the left of my room,” he
replied.  “Again, it’s imperative that no one knows you’re sleeping in there. 
Not the maid or Mrs. Crane, not Hattie, and definitely not my grandmother.”

“Yeah, I got it,” she said as she left his bedroom and
opened the door to the left.  It was a nice enough room, she had dusted and
changed the bed sheets once a month and often wondered if anyone actually ever
stayed in the room.  “I’ll make sure not to leave any evidence behind.”

He cleared his throat.  “I’ve arranged for a nanny to come
in and entertain Hattie this afternoon after lunch.  I thought we could use the
time to get to know each other.”

“That sounds good,” she said. 

They stood awkwardly in the guest room for a moment before
he cleared his throat again.  “I have a few work related items to take care
of.  I’ll be in my office until lunch, just let me know if you need anything. 
I’ve cleared space in the closet for your clothes.”

“Thank you.”  She smiled briefly at him and he nodded before
walking away.

She returned to his bedroom and carried her suitcase into
the master closet.  He had cleared an entire side of it and she grinned to
herself.  Her few clothes were going to look ridiculous in all that space. 

She hung her clothes and carried her toiletries into the
bathroom.  She eyed the large tub with envy.  She had often daydreamed about
taking a bath in it and she wondered if she could sneak one in while Deacon was
at work.  And maybe have a soak in the hot tub while she was at it.  She did,
after all, live here now. 

She set her toiletries bag on the counter and stared at
herself in the mirror.  She lived here now.  The reality of it sunk in and she
suddenly didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.  She had an entire month where
she wouldn’t once have to worry about having enough money to feed Hattie, or
pay her bills. 

A month?  Girl, in a month you’ll never have to worry
about money again.  You can rent an apartment in a safe part of the city, buy a
car that isn’t about two seconds from dying, and finally give Hattie the life
she deserves.  Hell, the life you deserve. 

She smiled happily to herself.  She would go back to school,
not to finish her arts degree – her dream of being an actress was long over –
but she could do something in business, marketing maybe, and find herself a
real job with actual benefits.  She’d never have to clean someone else’s toilet
again.  All she had to do was pretend for a month to be Mrs. Deacon Stone.

“Easy-peasy,” she said.

“What’s easy-peasy, mama?”  Hattie asked.

The little girl was standing behind her with her favourite
truck under her arm. 

“You!”  Claire grinned at her before picking her up and
placing loud kisses all over her face.  “You’re an easy-peasy girl!”

Hattie giggled and kissed Claire on the mouth.  “Mama, are
you happy?”

“Yes, baby, I am,” Claire said.  It was the first time in
years that she didn’t have to lie to the little girl.  “Are you?”

“Sure.”  Hattie glanced at the open door.  “But I don’t like
the colour of my new room.  And the dolls and stuffed animals are creepy.”

“I know, baby.  But I am very proud of you for thanking
Deacon so nicely.”

“Why did he paint it pink and put so much girl stuff in it?” 
Hattie asked.  “I don’t like that stuff.”

“Well, he didn’t know that and he was trying to do something
nice for you.”

“Can I paint it green instead?  Like the Hulk?”

“Well,” Claire hesitated.  There was no point in asking
Deacon if she could repaint Hattie’s room but she couldn’t very well tell
Hattie that.  “Why don’t you give it a while?  Maybe it’ll grow on you.  It
might hurt Deacon’s feelings if you ask to change the room right away.”

“Okay,” Hattie sighed.  “I’m hungry, mama.”

“Let’s go down to the kitchen.  It’s almost lunch and I’ll
introduce you to Mrs. Crane.”

“Do you know her, mama?”

“I do,” Claire said.  “I met her a few times when I was
cleaning.”

* * *

“Claire!” 

A short, plump woman with graying hair and a white apron
covering her shirt and jeans, hurried forward.

“Hello, Martha.  How are you?”

“I’m good,” the woman hesitated before giving Claire a brief
hug.  “Congratulations!”

“Thank you,” Claire said.

“I’ll admit I was really surprised when Mr. Stone told me
Friday night that you were getting married.  I had no idea you were even in a
relationship.”

“No one did,” Claire grinned at her.  “We kept it a secret
because I wasn’t sure what the cleaning service would say about me dating a
client.  I needed my job, you know?”

“I do know,” Martha replied.  “I’m so happy for Mr. Stone. 
He won’t admit it, but he’s lonely living in this big house by himself.”

“Why are you here today, Martha?”  Claire asked curiously. 
“I didn’t think you worked on the weekends.”

“Normally I don’t but I offered to stop in and make lunch
today.  Mostly so I could congratulate you and meet your Hattie,” Martha said.

Martha crouched down and held her hand out.  “Hello,
Hattie.  My name is Mrs. Crane.”

“Hello, Mrs. Crane,” Hattie said politely before shaking her
hand.

“My, you’re as pretty as your mama said you were,” Martha
said. 

“Thank you.  I like the colour of your hair,” Hattie
replied.

Martha laughed and patted at the graying strands.  “Thank
you, sweetheart.  Now,” she stood up and turned toward the counter.  “I’ve
already set the table in the formal dining room and I’m just about to start
dishing out the food.  Claire, I hope you like sushi.”

“I love it,” Claire said.

“Oh good,” Martha replied.  “It’s Mr. Stone’s favourite and
I make it quite often.  Why, he even sent me on a few courses specifically to
learn how to make it.  It took me a while to get the hang of it, but I’m pretty
good now.”

“Mrs. Crane, I don’t like sushi,” Hattie said anxiously.

“You’ve never had sushi, Hattie.  You have to at least try
it before you can say you don’t like it,” Claire said.

“I’m not eating raw fish,” Hattie backed up, alarm crossing
her face.  “I won’t, mama.  You can’t make me.”

“Oh sweetheart, don’t you worry.  I know a thing or two about
kids and I’ve got a special surprise for you,” Martha said.

“You do?”  Hattie said.

“Yes.” Martha smiled at her.  “A little bird told me that
you like chicken nuggets.”

“I do like chicken nuggets,” Hattie said excitedly.

“Well, you run off to the dining room with your mom and I’ll
bring in your surprise,” Martha said.

Hattie grabbed Claire’s hand and began to yank her from the
kitchen.  “C’mon, mama!”

Claire mouthed the word ‘thank you’ to Martha and followed
Hattie out of the kitchen.

* * *

“It’s rude to read at the table.”

“Hattie, hush,” Claire said.

“What?”  Hattie popped a nugget into her mouth and chewed
noisily.  “You said I’m not allowed to read my books at the table because it’s
rude.”