His Pretend Wife. Lisette Belisle

      “Tell me about it,” he said dryly. “It’s all over the newspapers. A reporter dug up Jack’s prison record. He’s not going to be happy about that.”

      Abby gasped. “So everyone knows?”

      “You’re off the hook. Everyone here knows better than to believe everything they read. They assumed the reporter messed up the part about you and Jack being married.”

      “Well, that’s one less thing to worry about.”

      “That doesn’t clear everything up. Do you know what you’re doing?”

      She laughed, admitting shakily, “No.”

      Drew didn’t sound amused. “Abby, I’m not going to tell you what to do with your life. I care about you. Jack is my friend, so is Seth. Someone’s bound to get hurt.”

      “Seth will understand.” He always did.

      “Well, you’d better get your story straight because he’s on his way. He intends to bring you back with him.” Drew changed the subject. “By the way, Olivia sends her love. You missed our New Year’s announcement—we’re having a baby.”

      Abby could hear the emotion in his voice. Drew’s good news emphasized the emptiness in her own life. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you both.”

      “Yes, it’s pretty great.”

      The conversation ended on that lighter note.

      After hanging up, Abby dialed room service and ordered a newspaper. Fifteen minutes later, a hotel steward delivered her meal with a newspaper folded on the tray. After tipping him generously, Abby ignored the food and reached for the paper.

      Splashed across the front page, the eye-catching headline said it all—Dramatic Air Rescue.

      The reporter had romanticized the event—a devoted young wife going to her husband’s rescue. They were identified simply as Jack and Abby Slade.

      Abby sighed.

      So much for keeping a lid on it!