Read Online Husband by the Hour by Susan Mallery - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susan Mallery
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each other. That's the best part of being together. Now, there'll be no more talk of staying at a hotel."
Hannah looked at each of their faces. They seemed genuinely glad to meet her and Nick. They'd welcomed them with open arms, no questions asked.
"You're very gracious," Nick said. "We'd love to stay at the apartment."
It took a couple of minutes for Sandy and Kyle to round up their children. Everyone walked them to the car. Hannah and Nick were to follow the minivan to their temporary home.
Louise hugged Hannah. "Thank you for coming back to me. I know you have a lot of questions about what happened all those years ago and what's happened since. I'll tell you everything I can." She blinked, then brushed away a tear that slipped down her cheek. "I'm so happy."
Emotions tightened Hannah's throat. She managed to whisper, "Me, too," then hugged the older woman back. Louise wasn't "Mom" yet, but a connection had been established. In time, it would become stronger.
Hannah found herself passed from person to person, hugged, kissed, squeezed and generally made to feel like a favorite rag doll. Nick got some attention of his own, with a few slaps on the back from the men.
She sank into the passenger seat, then waved as Travis shut the door. For a moment, there was only silence.
"Pretty amazing, huh?" Nick said and winked. "I especially like the hugging and kissing at the end."
"You would."
"And the one-bedroom apartment sounds really attractive."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Honey, you don't have to talk about it. After all, we're going to live in it."
----
Chapter 5
« ^ »
N ick waited for the minivan to pull out into the street. Hannah was quiet beside him. He was still shell-shocked from all that had happened in the past couple of hours. She must feel as if she'd been swept into another dimension.
"You did well," he said.
Hannah glanced at him. Despite the dark interior of the car and the fact that he couldn't read her expression, he knew what she was thinking. Should she go with the compliment or should she berate him for presuming to pass judgment on her performance? He suspected it was a battle of principles and exhaustion. Exhaustion won.
"Thanks," she murmured. "I still can't believe it. Brothers. I have four brothers."
"Cops, too. That makes the whole thing interesting."
The minivan backed out of the driveway and headed down the road. Nick followed. It was nearly
10:00 p.m.
and the residential streets were quiet.
" Interesting isn't the word I'd use," she said. "Do you know what will happen if they find out the truth?"
"No."
She sighed and sagged against the seat. "Me, neither, but I'm sure it won't be good. I should have thought this through better. I should have – oh, I don't know. Something. Maybe they won't find out."
"They won't. Not until you tell them. By then, they'll adore you so much, they won't mind that you fudged on a detail or two."
"We come from very different worlds. To you this might be fudging details, but where I'm from, and I suspect where they're from, too, lying about being married is more than a detail. I should have come clean from the beginning."
He was glad she hadn't. If Hannah hadn't needed a temporary husband, she wouldn't have hired him. Instead of sharing this time with her, he would have been trapped in some casino in Las Vegas .
Undercover work was a hell of a lot more difficult than most people realized. Every reference, every thought about a former life had to be suppressed. He was required to live, eat and breathe the job. Nick Archer wouldn't think twice about "fudging details." He had to remember that. He had to focus on who he was supposed to be and not what he wanted to be. But for a brief moment, less than a heartbeat, he wished he could just be himself.
"It's funny how the five of you look so much alike," he said.
"I agree. Wow. I sure wasn't expecting that. It's so odd to think I have brothers. They've been walking around for all these years
Hannah looked at each of their faces. They seemed genuinely glad to meet her and Nick. They'd welcomed them with open arms, no questions asked.
"You're very gracious," Nick said. "We'd love to stay at the apartment."
It took a couple of minutes for Sandy and Kyle to round up their children. Everyone walked them to the car. Hannah and Nick were to follow the minivan to their temporary home.
Louise hugged Hannah. "Thank you for coming back to me. I know you have a lot of questions about what happened all those years ago and what's happened since. I'll tell you everything I can." She blinked, then brushed away a tear that slipped down her cheek. "I'm so happy."
Emotions tightened Hannah's throat. She managed to whisper, "Me, too," then hugged the older woman back. Louise wasn't "Mom" yet, but a connection had been established. In time, it would become stronger.
Hannah found herself passed from person to person, hugged, kissed, squeezed and generally made to feel like a favorite rag doll. Nick got some attention of his own, with a few slaps on the back from the men.
She sank into the passenger seat, then waved as Travis shut the door. For a moment, there was only silence.
"Pretty amazing, huh?" Nick said and winked. "I especially like the hugging and kissing at the end."
"You would."
"And the one-bedroom apartment sounds really attractive."
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Honey, you don't have to talk about it. After all, we're going to live in it."
----
Chapter 5
« ^ »
N ick waited for the minivan to pull out into the street. Hannah was quiet beside him. He was still shell-shocked from all that had happened in the past couple of hours. She must feel as if she'd been swept into another dimension.
"You did well," he said.
Hannah glanced at him. Despite the dark interior of the car and the fact that he couldn't read her expression, he knew what she was thinking. Should she go with the compliment or should she berate him for presuming to pass judgment on her performance? He suspected it was a battle of principles and exhaustion. Exhaustion won.
"Thanks," she murmured. "I still can't believe it. Brothers. I have four brothers."
"Cops, too. That makes the whole thing interesting."
The minivan backed out of the driveway and headed down the road. Nick followed. It was nearly
10:00 p.m.
and the residential streets were quiet.
" Interesting isn't the word I'd use," she said. "Do you know what will happen if they find out the truth?"
"No."
She sighed and sagged against the seat. "Me, neither, but I'm sure it won't be good. I should have thought this through better. I should have – oh, I don't know. Something. Maybe they won't find out."
"They won't. Not until you tell them. By then, they'll adore you so much, they won't mind that you fudged on a detail or two."
"We come from very different worlds. To you this might be fudging details, but where I'm from, and I suspect where they're from, too, lying about being married is more than a detail. I should have come clean from the beginning."
He was glad she hadn't. If Hannah hadn't needed a temporary husband, she wouldn't have hired him. Instead of sharing this time with her, he would have been trapped in some casino in Las Vegas .
Undercover work was a hell of a lot more difficult than most people realized. Every reference, every thought about a former life had to be suppressed. He was required to live, eat and breathe the job. Nick Archer wouldn't think twice about "fudging details." He had to remember that. He had to focus on who he was supposed to be and not what he wanted to be. But for a brief moment, less than a heartbeat, he wished he could just be himself.
"It's funny how the five of you look so much alike," he said.
"I agree. Wow. I sure wasn't expecting that. It's so odd to think I have brothers. They've been walking around for all these years
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