Janet glanced down at the ring Gage had placed on her finger that afternoon in the shopping mall. It was a cubic zirconia in a cheap setting, purchased for appearances’ sake. It meant nothing. Nothing at all.
So why couldn’t she stop holding her left hand out in front of her and staring at the stupid thing?
Why couldn’t she stop having so much fun with him?
After their run-in with the overzealous Amanda Jacobs, with whom they surrendered and agreed to a brief interview. They’d completely committed to the charade. Might as well go all in.
Afterward, they’d had lunch at a local pizza hangout. It had been the best darned pizza she had ever eaten. Then they’d played video games in an arcade as if they were tweenagers.
They had also had their photo taken in one of those booths with the cheesy black curtains. Janet had the snapshot—they were both sticking out their tongues—tucked into her front pocket.
In the picture, she looked totally unlike herself, a bit silly, carefree and girlish.
“Our official engagement photo,” Gage had said when he handed it to her, and she’d experienced this weird, sappy sensation in the pit of her stomach. A serious what-if? scenario started playing in her brain until rational voice quickly shut it down. She would not indulge those ridiculous fantasies.
“So this is what it’s like being engaged to Gage Gregory,” she murmured.
“Yes, I guess it is.”
They were walking toward their building, the afternoon almost gone, when they spied the contingency of reporters still camped out on the front stoop.
“They’re more persistent than flies,” Gage muttered.
“This is nuts.” She shook her head.
“Gotta face ’em sometime. You ready?”
She nodded. Hand in hand, they ran the gauntlet. Gage shielded her with his arm as they pushed their way through the throng. Once inside, the door firmly locked behind them, Janet turned to view the tumult through the window.
“Aren’t you glad we’re not really getting married? Can you imagine the actual wedding bedlam?”
“No,” she said in all honesty. “I can’t.”
Then through the mini-blinds she saw something on the street that struck terror into her heart. She plucked at Gage’s sleeve. “Oh, no, here comes my own bit of insanity.”
From a white sedan parked at the curb, Gracie and a smiling, round-faced man Janet didn’t know emerged carrying boxes. Blithely, they made their way toward the crowd.
The reporters fell upon Gracie and her companion like mosquitoes on beachgoers.
“We’ve got to stop her from talking. Once she gets wound up, she’ll never quit,” Janet said.
Determined to muzzle her mother before she could start in on her Baby Predicate spiel and Nadine’s amazing powers of prognostication, Janet flung open the door. “Mother, get in here. Quick!”
Gracie beamed at her. “Oh, my dear, isn’t this exciting? Everyone wants to ask me about you.”
The reporters were hurtling questions fast and furious. Janet dragged her mother and her male friend inside while Gage slammed the security door behind them. He hustled everyone toward the elevator and relieved Gracie of the heavy box in her arms.
“Janet, Gage,” Gracie said as the four of them entered Janet’s condo. “This is Sam Pinkerton.” She flashed the man beside her a smile.
Sam grinned back.
“How do you do, Dr. Hunter. It’s a great pleasure to meet you. You too, Dr. Gregory.” Sam set his box on the floor then shook their hands.
“And you are...?” Janet said, raising an eyebrow. She didn’t like the way Gracie kept glancing at the man. As if she couldn’t get enough of looking at him.
“Well, sweetie, it’s a surprising story.” Gracie blushed. “Sam and I used to know each other in high school, but his family moved away, and we lost touch. Imagine my surprise when I’m on social media last night, and lo-and-behold there was Sam with a private message for me. Turns out Sam’s a widower with three daughters. He took over his wife’s wedding planning business after she died. His oldest, Jenny, is due to deliver her first baby around Christmas.” She clapped her hands and finally took a breath. “Isn’t this fantastic?”
Sam was Gracie’s high school sweetheart? Her mother had said as little, but the fact that Sam couldn’t take his eyes off Gracie gave their secret away.
“We’ve brought along samples of his work.” Gracie showed the boxes with a flourish. “You wouldn’t believe the choices. You can have a Renaissance wedding where everyone comes in costume and speaks Old English. Or you can get married in a hot-air balloon over the ocean. Or you can tie the knot on a carousel in an amusement park.”
“Mother, I don’t mean to be rude to Mr. Pinkerton, but this isn’t the time or the place. We’re not getting married in 17th century England, nor in a hot-air balloon gondola on a ride at Six Flags.”
“I think in your enthusiasm you’ve overwhelmed the young people, Gracie,” Sam Pinkerton said. “Perhaps they need more time.”
“You’re right, Sam.” Gracie blushed prettily. “I do have a tendency to get carried away with a project.”
Understatement of the century.
Janet could only stare, openmouthed. She’d never seen her mother curbed so easily. What was going on here?
Sam smiled. “Your wedding can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Obviously, with all the goings-on downstairs, you’re not in the mood to talk wedding arrangements right now. I’ll just leave my portfolio and you can look through it at your convenience.”
“Can’t we at least just show them the fabulous honeymoon suite at that resort in Australia?” Gracie asked.
“All in good time.” Sam touched her arm tenderly.
Janet noticed how similar they looked. Both short of stature, both with auburn hair and identical smiles. Like matching bookends.
Amazing.
What was the world coming to? Paparazzi chasing her in the park. Her father asking her to dinner. Her mother reunited with an old ...flame? And then there was Gage, who kept kissing her as if he really meant it.
Her world had skittered helter-skelter out of check, and she didn’t know how to regain control. It was all too much to absorb.
“Everybody,” she said. “Please. I need to be alone.”
During the freak show that followed the broadcasting of their “engagement,” work was Janet’s only salvation. She kept busy, offering to take on extra duties just to keep her mind occupied and her body out of the cramped office she shared with Gage.
On Monday, she had gone to dinner with her father, and then on to pick out invitations to the engagement party. She tried to work up the courage to tell her father the truth about the engagement, but for the first time in her life he’d spoken to her as an equal and she couldn’t find the right words.
On Tuesday, the crowd of reporters grew larger, eager for a glimpse of the woman who’d stolen Gage Gregory’s heart. She wore dark sunglasses, kept her head down, and repeatedly muttered “no comment” whenever someone thrust a microphone in her face. If this was fame, give her anonymity any old day. No wonder Gage bolted from Hollywood.
“Morning, Dr. Hunter,” Annie, the receptionist, greeted her on Wednesday morning when she stopped by the front desk to pick up her messages.
“Umm, thanks.”
“You’ve broken all the nurses’ hearts, dontcha know. Snapping up the sexiest bachelor doctor to ever these hallways.”
Yeah, well, tell them to dry their weeping eyes, he’ll be back on the market soon enough.
Why did that idea strike her as dismal? She didn’t want a proper engagement with Gage.
Did she?
Perish the thought, rational voice said.
Why? impish voice asked. Can you think of anyone more sumptuous to be engaged to?
She’d rather not be engaged to anyone, rational voice responded condescendingly. She’s a smart, independent doctor. She doesn’t need a man to complete her, you ninny.
Hey, there’s no reason to call me names just because she listens to you more than she does me.
Not lately she doesn’t.
Maybe that’s because she’s beginning to realize you 're no fun.
Janet shook her head to clear her mind of her internal warring factions and held out her palm to Annie. “Messages?”
“Oh, you’ve got a bucket load of them.” Annie reached under her desk and produced a fat manila envelope stuffed to bursting with scraps of paper.
“Are these messages all from patients?”
Annie shook her head. “Nope.”
“The media.” She sighed.
“Yep, and one message from your mother. She’s got a special tea she wants you to try. Apparently, it helps with fertility.”
Mother! For pity’s sake. “If she calls again, tell her I’m too busy to talk.”
“What about these others?”
Janet sighed. “I don’t want this media frenzy to affect our work. Only forward me information dealing with patient care.” She waved a hand at the pile. “You can throw the rest of those away.”
Annie dug in the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. “You mean you don’t want to give ET an interview?”
“No.”
“How ’bout People.”
“No, Annie.”
“I guess this proposition from Charlie Sheen is a no.”
“What! Give me that.” Janet snatched the message from the receptionist’s hand and stared at it. “Oh, for the love of Pete.”
She crumpled the paper and tossed it in the trash can. “Only give me information dealing with patient care. Got it?”
“Yes, ma’am. I mean, doctor.”
Shaking her head, Janet hurried down the hall for the safety of her office. She had no notion of what she was getting herself into when she’d pretended to be Gage’s fiancée. All she had wanted was to make her father proud of her, and what she had gotten was a three-ring circus without a ringmaster.
Engagement parties and engraved invitations. Fertility teas and batty wannabe grandmas. Paparazzi stalking her. If she wasn’t so worried, she would have to laugh.
The Ice Princess in demand as a pinup queen. Ludicrous.
And yet, a small fissure of pleasure careened through her. For the first time in her life she was in demand as something other than a doctor. Oddly enough, she felt feminine and wanted.
And it was all because of Gage.
On Thursday morning she arrived in the office to find Gage standing at the window and staring out at the parking lot.
She caught her breath at the sight of him and placed a hand to her stomach to still the butterflies dancing there. The morning light pouring through the half-open blinds silhouetted his broad shoulders.
He was so unbelievably handsome. No wonder he attracted the attention of the paparazzi. What wasn’t to like? He’d even captured the heart and imagination of her father, and that was no easy feat.
She closed the door behind her and Gage turned to meet her gaze.
“Hi,” he murmured. “How you holding up amidst the craziness?”
“Me?” It touched her that he was concerned about her welfare. “What about you? I’m so sorry for all this.”
He shrugged casually, but his eyes looked weary. She had the strangest urge to wrap her arms around him. “There you go again, accepting responsibility for something that isn’t your fault.”
“Part of this is my fault.”
“It’s got nothing to do with you. I can’t escape my celebrity. No matter how hard I try.” He inhaled deeply. “I just want to be a good doctor, but this brouhaha gets in the way.”
“You’re an excellent doctor.”
“I got asked to do an interview on Howard Stern.” Gage changed the subject. “Can you believe that?”
“I can go you one better.” She flashed him a smile. “Charlie Sheen asked me out.”
“You’re pulling my leg,” he said. “You wouldn’t really go out with him. Would you?”
“Would that bother you?”
“I’m your fiancé,” he growled, but his eyes teased. “What do you think?”
Before she could respond to his question, Gage’s intercom buzzed. He leaned over the desk and flipped the switch. “Yes?”
“Gage, good morning.” Dr. Peter Jackson’s voice filtered over the speaker. “Is Dr. Hunter in there with you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Splendid. May I see you both in my office?”
“We’ll be right there.” Gage switched the intercom off.
“We’re in trouble,” she said.
“Hey, slow down. Don’t jump to conclusions. Maybe he just wants to congratulate us on our impending nuptials.”
“Yeah, and maybe there really is a Santa Claus, Virginia. I think he’s ticked off about the persistent mob in the parking lot.”
Gage took her hand. “No point speculating. Let’s go find out.”
They found Peter lounging in his leather chair. He gave them a tight smile when they walked through the door. He motioned them to two chairs positioned in front of his desk.
“Have a seat.”
They sat.
“I think it’s wonderful that you two have found love with each other,” Peter said. “But I hope your relationship isn’t going to cause a problem for the clinic, or that you’ll have any problems working as a team.”
“No, sir,” Janet said. “Our relationship won’t affect our work.”
Gage knew fibbing to Peter was killing her. Letting her father believe they were engaged was one thing, but perpetuating the masquerade with their boss was taking its toll. He understood her conflict. On the one hand Janet was a scrupulously honest woman with the highest moral standards, but she was still a little girl, willing to do anything possible to gain her father’s love and attention, even if it mean violating her own values.
“That’s good to hear.” Dr. Jackson steepled his fingers and leaned forward. “However, I’m afraid the media chaos is already creating a disturbance. Our patients are finding it difficult getting past those reporters.”
“The media circus is entirely my fault,” Gage apologized. “If it wasn’t for my past celebrity, they wouldn’t be the least bit interested in my marriage plans.”
Marriage plans.
It felt weird to think of himself as a groom again. Except he wasn’t getting married. He was simply helping a friend in need.
Like Pauline?
No, not like Pauline, this was different.
How was it different?
This was Janet.
And?
You ’re not really marrying her.
“I think you two should take a few days off until this blows over,” Dr. Jackson said.
“What?” Janet’s voice rose and her brow furrowed.
“For the good of our patients.”
“But what about our practice?” Gage asked.
Dr. Jackson waved a hand. “Not to worry. Phil and I will take calls for you this weekend. He pulled a key from his drawer and tossed it across the desk to Gage. “I have a houseboat on Lake Travis. It’s at your disposal. Take the rest of the week off starting now. Consider it an early wedding present.”
“Sir, this is far too generous; we can’t accept.” Gage pushed the key back to his boss, not because he didn’t relish the thought of spending a long weekend alone on the lake with Janet, but because he did.
“My reasons are purely selfish.” Peter nudged the key back in his direction. “Getting you two out of town is in the best interest of the clinic. I won’t take no for an answer. The houseboat is being stocked with food and supplies as I speak. Have a good time.”
Gage took a deep breath. Here it was all over again. Running from the media, playing silly hide-and-seek games. All the things he thought he’d escaped. It wasn’t fair to put Janet under this kind of pressure. She didn’t deserve to be hounded away from the one thing she loved above all else—her job.
He glanced over at her. Her knuckles were bone-white from gripping the chair arms. Obviously, she didn’t want to do this either.
“Really, Dr. Jackson, we can’t accept,” Gage said.
“I’m sorry, Gage, Janet,” their boss replied. “I’m not able to give you the option. To protect the clinic and your careers, you’ve got to get out of town until things cool off. I really must insist.”