Rent-A-Dad Read online

  Instead, he’d been informed that his buyer had already decided on the particulars for the weekend. He supposed that included the modeling Lindsay had referred to, though it wasn’t mentioned in the letter he’d received. Ms. Bright’s only request had been that he bring a swimsuit. He’d packed both formal and informal clothing and hoped for the best. But now, as he stared at the baby smiling at him, he got an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

  At least this baby wasn’t crying.

  “You must be Melissa Bright,” he said.

  “Yes. Welcome to Wyoming.”

  He nodded, then stood there, waiting for her to direct him. After all, she was supposed to be in charge.

  “Do you have more luggage?” she asked, indicating his garment bag and grip.

  He raised his eyebrows. She expected a clotheshorse? “No, ma’am. I travel light.”

  She led the way out of the airport building to her car, a compact that didn’t have much leg room. He stowed his bags in the trunk, then moved to the passenger seat while Melissa settled the baby in a car seat in back.

  With a grimace, he drew his knees up close and fastened the seat belt.

  “Sorry you’re crowded,” she apologized as she slid behind the wheel. “I’d forgotten that you’re so tall.”

  It rankled a bit that she hadn’t remembered him when he’d been haunted by those sad eyes. With a frown, he realized they weren’t sad anymore. Her dark-brown gaze seemed to have dancing lights in it.

  “I remembered you as sad,” he said abruptly, then regretted his words.

  She shot him a startled look, then turned away, starting the car. “You won’t be uncomfortable long. It’s not far to the house.”

  She’d completely ignored his remark. Okay. Hoping for a little more room, he eased back against the seat. As a boy, he’d been tall for his age. He was used to being crowded. He’d used his height to his advantage, though, and still did. Women were attracted to tall men.

  The gurgling sound of the baby distracted him, and he asked, “Where’s your husband, and how does he feel about you buying a bachelor?”

  Again she seemed taken aback, but at least she answered this time. “He’s dead. And we were never married.”

  Now it was his turn to be shocked. “I’m sorry.” What else could he say?

  “Thanks.” Then she shot him a smile. “How was your flight?”

  She was obviously making an effort to be cheerful, but she’d chosen the wrong question. “Miserable. A young woman with a baby sat next to me. The baby cried the entire flight.”

  She skipped all the obvious comments. “You don’t like babies?”

  “I didn’t say that.”

  “It was in your voice.”

  He released a weary sigh. “Look, Melissa, how I feel about babies doesn’t make a hill-of-beans difference to our agreement. But if you’d been closed up in a plane with a screaming kid beside you, you might feel the same way.”

  “Mandy had colic the first three months. Well, actually almost four months. Do you know what that’s like, Mr. Hall? It’s like your airplane flight times one hundred.”

  He moaned, just the thought making his headache worse.

  “Are you ill?”

  “I’m fine,” he snapped. “As soon as we reach our destination, I’ll take something for this headache. In the morning, I’ll be perfectly recovered and ready for whatever you’ve planned for the next three days.”

  Another quick glance before she looked away. “Good.”

  “Exactly what have you planned?”

  “Um, nothing elaborate.”

  Had she changed her mind about the modeling? There went the tux he’d packed. At a little over six three, he couldn’t count on finding a rental that fit. “Could you be a little more specific?”

  “I could, but you might want to wait until after you’ve taken something for your headache.”

  He stared in fascination as the corner of her mouth turned up slightly.

  About to ask her what was so amusing, he stopped when she spoke first.

  “Are you familiar with Casper?”

  “Yeah. Growing up on the ranch, we boys competed for the privilege to come to the big city. We thought Casper was the most sophisticated place in the world.”

  She smiled. “I guess Chicago’s a little bigger and a lot more sophisticated, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah. Ever been there?”

  “No. I grew up in Casper. I’ve been to Denver a few times, and, of course, Cheyenne, but that’s about the extent of my travels.”

  “You could’ve spent a long weekend in Chicago if you wanted,” he reminded her. Then he would have been in control of the situation, something he preferred when it came to women.

  Mandy’s squeal reminded him of why that might’ve been a problem.

  “Just a minute, sweetie,” Melissa called over her shoulder. “Would you look for her pacifier? I think she may have thrown it down.”

  Russ gingerly turned in his seat as far as the seat belt allowed and looked at the baby. The pacifier was caught between her round tummy and the guardrail of the baby seat. Reaching back, he plucked it up, then stared at the baby as she gurgled and clapped her hands.

  “What do I do now?” he asked.

  “You found it? Just put it back in her mouth.”

  With a frown, he stretched a little more and offered the pacifier to the baby. Expecting to have to urge her to take the thing, he was surprised when she leaned forward, took the pacifier in her mouth and held it there with both hands.

  “She took it!”

  One eyebrow shot up over those warm brown eyes. “Of course she did.”

  Russ settled back into his seat, annoyed by her superior tones.

  “I haven’t been around babies much.”

  “Yes, I guessed that,” she said with a sigh. As if it mattered to her.

  Tough. If she’d wanted a man experienced with children, she shouldn’t have sought out a bachelor.

  She turned into a side street, a quiet, residential area with small, neatly kept homes. When she pulled into the third driveway and stopped the car, he didn’t move.

  “What are we doing?”

  “This is where Mandy and I live, Russ.”

  “I’m spending the weekend here?”

  “Yes. Sorry if you were hoping for something more exotic.”

  “Look, I’m happy to cover the expenses of the weekend. I’ll be glad to pay for a hotel if you—”

  “No, thank you,” she said before he could finish, her tone crisp. “If you can’t handle staying here, you’re welcome to go to a hotel, but it will be inconvenient for what I have in mind.”

  “I didn’t mean to offend you but—that’s what I need to know. What do you have in mind?”

  She looked away. “Let’s get you comfortable first, then we’ll talk about the weekend.”

  This stalling was making him uneasy. Which didn’t help his headache. But her request wasn’t unreasonable. Hell, some people might even say it was kind. The way his head was throbbing, he shouldn’t complain.

  He gathered his luggage from the trunk as she released the baby from her car seat. Then he followed the two of them to the front door. She juggled the baby and the keys with practiced ease and swung open the door.

  Following her in, he discovered a casual living room that shouted the word home. Two comfortable flowered couches made an L-shape in front of the fireplace. Over to the side was a large green leather chair with an ottoman in front of it, picking up the green on the couches.

  He almost made a beeline for the chair, then caught himself. He couldn’t settle in for a rest, as his head pleaded. He wasn’t at home. Instead, he was a guest and had to behave politely.

  She must have been a
mind reader.

  “Why don’t you put your luggage down and sit over there,” she said, waving to the green chair. “I’ll find some Tylenol and put dinner on the table. You’ll feel better after you’ve eaten.”

  He didn’t hesitate this time. Throwing his bags on the end of the nearest sofa, he sank down into the soft leather, closing his eyes and sighing in pleasure.

  * * *

  MELISSA STARED at the large male practically passed out in her living room. She remembered when she’d first seen him. It had been a terrible time in her life. She’d been pregnant with her dead fiancé’s child, mourning Greg and confused about everything.

  She’d chosen Russ because he would benefit her company. But she’d also found him surprisingly appealing. It was only because he was dressed as a cowboy, she told herself. After all, she was living in Wyoming.

  But many months had passed before she’d decided what to do with the sexy bachelor. Late one night, rocking her colicky baby, her eyelids drooping shut, she decided his best use would be to give her a complete night’s rest. To let her sleep in at least one morning. She’d already paid for him, after all.

  Looking at him now, she shook her head in self-derision. This wasn’t going to work. Anyone with a brain the size of a pea could see that.

  He didn’t like babies.

  And, much to her surprise, he was sexy enough to arouse emotions in her that she thought she’d buried with her fiancé. With effort, she jerked her gaze away from his long, lean body.

  Curiously, she wondered if her idea of turning Russ into a nursemaid had been her way of dealing with a sexy man in her life for three whole days. She stared at him again. Somehow, the image of Russ with a bottle in one hand and a diaper in the other didn’t diminish his sexiness one little bit.

  Cuddling Mandy against her with a sigh, she headed for the kitchen. She’d done most of the preparations for dinner earlier in the afternoon. She’d figured he should have a good meal before she told him about her plans.

  “In you go, sweetie,” she said as she settled Mandy in her high chair. She put a teething biscuit on the tray to appease the baby while she finished dinner.

  A few minutes later, she set some Tylenol beside Russ’s plate before she called him to dinner.

  He joined her in the small dining room, the perpetual frown he’d worn since his arrival eased somewhat.

  “This looks good,” he said politely.

  “Thank you.” It should. She’d cooked a pot roast, the prime beef nestled in a ring of carrots and potatoes, along with a tossed salad and green beans. Hot rolls were wrapped in a blue napkin in a woven basket, and a home-baked apple pie sat on the kitchen counter.

  He waited until she was seated before he joined her. Then he asked, touching the bottle of pain reliever, “May I?”

  Such excessive consideration surprised her.

  “Yes, of course.”

  Half an hour later, after her guest had consumed his last bite of apple pie, he leaned back in his seat.

  “Melissa, that was a wonderful dinner. But I’m beginning to feel like a condemned man enjoying his last meal. I think it’s time you told me exactly what it is you have in mind.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  RUSS FELT THE TENSION rise in him again as his hostess stared across the table, her brown eyes wide. When she still said nothing, he urged, “Melissa?”

  “Yes, well...” She paused, nibbling on her full bottom lip, and an unexpected surge of desire hit him.

  He caught himself glaring at the woman. What was wrong with her? He’d offered a fun-filled weekend and she’d rejected it, bringing him to her home instead. She wasn’t supposed to be so appealing. According to Lindsay, she’d bought him for business purposes.

  She cleared her throat. “I think maybe I’ve made a mistake.”

  “A mistake?” he parroted. “I don’t understand.”

  “Um, well, when I purchased you—I mean, your weekend, I did so because you would be perfect publicity for my company. I have a greeting card company. But then, later, when—when—never mind. It won’t work. I’ll take you to a hotel for tonight, and tomorrow you can return to Chicago.”

  He should have been pleased. To his surprise, he wasn’t. “I keep my promises, Melissa. You paid a lot for this weekend. Are you going to ask for your money back?”

  “Of course not! I would never do that to Lindsay.”

  “You and Lindsay are friends?”

  “Yes. I understand you know each other well.”

  “I grew up at the ranch. It was my home for fourteen years. Lindsay’s a bit younger, but of course we’re friends.”

  Though his hostess smiled, her attention was directed to her baby daughter, who was chewing contentedly on a teething biscuit.

  Melissa turned to look at him again. “Lindsay’s great. And the auction was a complete success.”

  “Yes, it was. So what did you have in mind for me?” he asked, not willing to let her escape.

  She sent him a winsome smile, one that lit up her brown eyes and showed off her white, even teeth. “It was a silly idea. Perhaps you’d like to stay the weekend in Casper, look up old friends, spend some time out at the ranch?”

  “That sounds pleasant,” he assured her, more determined than ever to find out what she’d planned. “Unfortunately, the weekend isn’t supposed to please me. Lindsay said you wanted me to do some modeling.”

  “Yes, but I came up with another idea, and I can assure you, Mr. Hall, what I planned wouldn’t please you at all.” Her smile widened. “It was a crazy idea, one that came to me one night about two in the morning when I was trying to get Mandy to sleep.”

  “Two in the morning? She keeps late hours.”

  “You don’t know the half of it,” Melissa muttered.

  “So what occurred to you at two in the morning?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “A Mother’s Day present.”

  Mother’s Day wasn’t a special day for him. His own mother had abandoned him. As long as Mrs. Duncan, Lindsay’s mother, had been alive, he’d sent her flowers or a gift. But it wasn’t his favorite holiday.

  “You mean a special night out? I have no problem with that. Casper has some good restaurants. We could—”

  “No.” She stopped him, still smiling. “I don’t want to go out.”

  Frustration was building, along with his headache. “Look, Melissa, I’m trying to be patient, but I’m beginning to feel like I’m back on that plane, trapped beside a screaming kid. Could you just tell me what you wanted?”

  Melissa drew a deep breath and gave him an honest answer. “I wanted you to be me...at least for one morning.”

  She almost burst out laughing at the dumbfounded expression on his face. “It’s all right. I realize I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  “I don’t even understand what you mean.”

  No, he wouldn’t. No one would until they’d been given total responsibility for a baby with little support. “I don’t have relatives here. I have a great-aunt in Denver. She’s eighty-two. That’s the extent of my family. My fiancé died a week before our wedding when I was already pregnant. It’s just me and Mandy now.”

  He was watching her, still frowning. “And?”

  “I love her to death, but she’s up at six every morning.” She sighed. “She sometimes doesn’t even sleep through the night. I have my own company, which involves a lot of work. I haven’t had enough sleep since she was born. At two in the morning, the thought of having someone else take over, even for one morning, and let me sleep in...” She almost groaned out loud. “That’s what I thought of.” She smiled wearily at him, knowing what he was going to say.

  It was a stupid idea.

  When he said nothing, she dared glance up at him. And almost burst into laught
er again. “I know. You don’t have to say it,” she assured him. And as much as she’d like some help, she was relieved by the shocked expression on his face. Somehow, facing the real live man, rather than a distant memory, made her idea impossible. He was too...too good-looking to be a baby-sitter.

  “You were going to turn your baby over to a complete stranger? A bachelor with no experience?”

  “No! No, I was going to stay here with you, show you the routine, be here for Mandy. But I was going to sleep late...just one morning. Mother’s Day. Sleep until I woke up, and just lie there, maybe have breakfast in bed.” She sighed at the thought.

  Dead silence followed.

  Again she looked at her guest. The stunned expression was gone, replaced by a speculative stare that snapped her from her longings.

  “I told you it was ridiculous. So, do you want to go back to Chicago tomorrow or spend the weekend visiting with friends?”

  “Where am I supposed to sleep?”

  His question threw her. “I beg your pardon?”

  “I assume I’m supposed to stay here with you and Mandy, right? Otherwise I wouldn’t be here when she woke up. Do you have a bedroom for me?”

  She gulped. He was considering her idea? “Yes! Yes, you will—would sleep in the master bedroom. I have it all ready. But I can take you to a hotel. I’ll pay for it, of course, since—”

  He stood up and headed toward the living room, where he’d left his luggage. “I’ll get my bags.”

  Her hope deflated. He was going to leave.

  “Of course,” she said. She wiped Mandy’s sticky fingers and face and lifted her from the high chair. “Does it matter which hotel? I’ll call and—”

  He reappeared in the kitchen doorway. “I’m staying here.”

  * * *

  RUSS WATCHED THE various emotions that flickered across her face. Melissa had a very expressive face, one that drew a man in even when he had no intentions of responding. He’d watched her as she’d talked of her plan. A simple plan, really. Not asking for much. Just to sleep in one morning.