Fake Summer Wife

I blinked hard, not sure what she was trying

to say.

“Or of course, if she’s busy with her own hobbies,” Jessica continued, “she could simply take both your money, and her father’s money, and shop and travel as much as she wants.”

She flashed me an exaggerated wink. “Honestly, I really do admire the girl.” Jessica reached out to hand me a pink and white business card. “Could you please give that to Claudia? I would just love to take her out to lunch. I need to know her secrets, not just how to lock down a wealthy man so fast, but also how she manages to make everyone like her instantly. Tell her she can pick the restaurant.”

Jessica slipped on a pair of oversized sunglasses, then started the engine and drove away.

Stomping into the house, I made myself a quick dinner while trying to figure out what the hell Jessica had been talking about.

Through our mini conversations about her family, Claudia had mentioned that she wasn’t very close with her mother, and her father had left when she was young. Was he rich? Why would Jessica think that I even knew the guy? And what did she mean about when her father became Mayor?

After catching up on some paperwork, I grabbed my phone to text Claudia that I was on the way. As I saw her name in my contacts, it finally clicked.

Claudia Lorimer. Pierce Lorimer was running for Mayor.

An avalanche of recollections tumbled around my mind at once. I had joked about Claudia being related to him when I had seen the promo poster at the beach, but she’d changed the subject immediately instead of laughing with me.

She didn’t want to go meet the potential new Mayor at the hospital opening. I hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, just that my poor sweetheart needed to get off her feet.

Could it actually be that she was avoiding her Dad because she didn’t want a scene, or to be seen with him? Why was Claudia ashamed to be associated with him? My heart sank as I considered another possibility – that maybe her father had been cruel to her and her mother, and she never wanted to see him again. I really hoped that wasn’t the case.

Dammit. I could see why Jessica would think it was some sort of calculated move on my part to marry the daughter of a man who might be coming into power in the city where I did business.

Even though I personally thought that alliances like that usually ranged from sketchy to downright criminal, it was the way her mind always worked.

The only way to find out the truth was to speak to Claudia.

I walked into Ray’s Diner just as Claudia and Scotty were locking up. He was shoving her playfully in the arm as she pretended to steal the keys, but stopped the second I approached.

“Is my girl being a naughty troublemaker again?” I asked him. “If so, I’m here to help keep her in line.”

He smiled as soon as he realized I wasn’t threatened by their work friendship. “She’s a constant source of both amusement and annoyance,” he said with a huff.

“You desperately need both,” Claudia said with a laugh. “Scotty, this is Vaughan.”

We shook hands, then I said, “Have a good night.”

He waved goodbye, and I helped her into the truck. “Thank you so much for coming to get me,” she said.

“No problem. It’ll give us a chance to talk about the bizarre conversation I had a few hours ago.”

She looked puzzled, but I didn’t want to have this chat while driving. I waited until we were parked in front of her building to turn to her.

I quickly ran through Jessica appearing at my house, and her assumption that either Claudia married me to forge a powerful connection between my company and her father, or that I married Claudia in order to get in her father’s good graces.

The more I spoke, the paler Claudia became. I took her hands, kissing the back of each of them. “I’m not angry,” I said gently. “I don’t give a damn what Jessica thinks. I just want to know the truth.”

Claudia’s eyes were swimming with tears.

“Please don’t cry, baby. I’m just confused why you wouldn’t tell me.”

She stared out the window as if trying to get her bearings, giving me time to think of something truly horrific.

“Claudia, you didn’t think this was a temporary relationship, did you? Did you keep this from me because you didn’t think I’d ever find out? That we’d be together for that short a time?”

Staring into those beautiful blue eyes as tears began to stream down her cheeks, I suddenly felt lost.