Wife for a Day by Patti Berg Read Free Book Online Page B

brother, Jack Remington, and his wife-to-be, Arabella Fleming.”
    Peter was nothing but grace and charm. He was tall, slim, with slicked-back black hair that made him look more like a Latin lover than an Australian polo player. He had a heart-stopping smile, drop-dead gorgeous blue eyes, but his palm felt warm and damp when he took hold of Sam’s, and her mama had always told her to beware of sweaty palms. She triedpulling away, but before he let her go, he squeezed her fingers and smiled one of those “we’ll talk later” smiles she’d seen one too many times in Hollywood.
    â€œIt’s a pleasure to have the two of you join us,” Peter said. “Lauren has talked of nothing else all day.”
    â€œWe wouldn’t have missed tonight for the world,” Sam said, slipping her hand around Jack’s arm, looking at him with all the love she could muster.
    â€œMother said something similar,” Lauren said. “Of course, she followed that statement with a but and told me she’d met an English lord who’s to-die-for and they were going to spend the weekend at his country estate.” Lauren laughed softly. “Actually, I’m rather glad she’s not here. The lilies would have clashed with her gown, the champagne wouldn’t have been the right year, and my dress, well, she’d tell me I should have gotten it in Milan instead of Paris because everyone, I mean everyone , is buying in Milan this season.”
    Jack laughed, the sound echoing around the room. Peter was restrained, typical of most everyone else at the party. He smiled, but the light Sam would have expected to see sparkling in the eyes of a man in love wasn’t there.
    â€œWhat about Dad?” Jack asked. “He’s notgoing to make an appearance, is he?”
    â€œAre you kidding? In Palm Beach? He’s worse than you, Jack. I doubt he’ll ever leave Santa Fe. If the two of you would talk more than once or twice a year, you’d know he’s got two or three girlfriends to keep happy and, in Dad’s words, that’s a full-time job.”
    Sam listened to Jack and Lauren talking about family and friends, about Pastor Mike, Jack’s ranch manager and the minister who’d officiated at all of Lauren’s weddings. Finally, Jack brought up the subject of Beau. She could feel the muscles tightening in his arm when he mentioned his son, but his words weren’t strained. They were filled with a mixture of warmth, concern, and uncertainty.
    Unconsciously, she found herself moving a little closer to his side, keeping her arm linked with his, and liking the feel of his fingers as they drew slow, lazy circles on the back of her hand.
    And Lauren—without doing anything special—had made Sam feel like she belonged inside the big, fancy mansion. More importantly, she made her feel like she was a part of her family.
    Belonging had never felt so good. Too bad it had to end.
    Â 
    The ballroom was crowded. Suddenly Jack knew how a mustang must feel when herded into the confines of a holding corral after spending a lifetime roaming wild and free on the plains. He never had enjoyed this life. The only thing that made him stay at the party now was the look of happiness he’d seen on Lauren’s face when he’d introduced her to his fiancée —Arabella Fleming—and the obvious delight the two women had found in each other’s company for nearly two hours.
    On top of that, being there gave him the perfect opportunity to keep a watchful eye on Peter Leighton. The polo player had an innate charm. Either that, or he was as good an actor as the redheaded seamstress, who was doing a perfect job pretending to be Arabella.
    She was lovely. Exquisite. The hotel beauty salon had done its job well. The circles below her eyes had been expertly camouflaged with makeup. Her red hair had been piled on top her head, but a few spiraling strands hung about her face