Fatal Deception Read Free

chairs and holding glasses of pink lemonade, Shelby clapped her hands and let out another giddy squeal. “It’s so good to see you! I’m thrilled you came by. The dress should be in any time. Unfortunately, we caught Vera in the height of the spring wedding season.”
    “Actually, we’re not here about the dress, even though we appreciate your help in replacing it,” Nick said, glancing at Sam. “We have a bit of an ulterior motive.”
    “What’s that?” Shelby asked.
    “We’re hoping you might know someone who’d be interested in a job.”
    “What kind of job?”
    “Basically, we need someone to run our lives.” He explained about Scotty coming to stay with them, how they were hoping to adopt him and how they needed someone to see to the day-to-day details. “Do you know anyone who might fit the bill?”
    By the time he finished speaking, Shelby had tears running down her face.
    Alarmed, Sam looked at him and then at her. “Shelby, what is it?”
    “I’m so sorry.” Shelby tried frantically to deal with the tears. “I’m a mess lately. It’s the hormones. They’re making me into a wreck. And the business. I’m trying to figure out what to do, and then here you come and you’re looking for—”
    “We’re looking for you,” Sam said, “or someone exactly like you who is ruthlessly organized.”
    “And can handle her,” Nick said, pointing a thumb at Sam.
    As Sam scowled at her husband, Shelby laughed through her tears. “I should explain. I’ve been trying to have a baby. I know it might seem crazy, but I’m forty-two, and I’m tired of waiting for Mr. Right to show up. I really want a baby, you know?”
    Nick reached for Sam’s hand and squeezed. “Yes, we know.” Thinking of the baby they’d lost in February was like reopening a still-raw wound.
    “I see happy couples through the most wonderful day of their lives, wishing all the time that one of those happy days might be mine. Before you dropped by, I was sitting here by myself, mired in paperwork, weeping all over the place as I wondered how much longer I can do this. I was going to have to either give up on the baby dream or give up the business, because I can’t continue to work with happy people while I’m crying my eyes out all the time.”
    Sam sat up a little straighter. “Does that mean you might—”
    “It would be an honor and a privilege to work with you both—and to help take care of your Scotty, who is absolutely adorable.”
    “Really?” Nick said. “What about your business?”
    Shelby shrugged as if it were no big deal to step away from a successful business. “I have people who could run it for me. I’d keep half an eye on it from a distance.”
    “Are you sure about this?” Sam asked.
    “Your visit here today was the sign I’ve been waiting for. I need a change, and working with you again would be wonderful. As long as you won’t be put out by some occasional tears.”
    “Not at all,” Nick said.
    Sam nodded in agreement. “How soon could you start?”
    “How about a week from Monday?”
    “Wow, that’d be great,” Nick said. “That’s the day after Scotty gets here.”
    “I’ll have to deal with the weekend weddings I’ve already committed to for a few months. I hope that’s okay.”
    “Of course,” Sam said, still not fully sold on this plan of Nick’s, which had fallen into place rather easily. She also wasn’t sure how she felt about being around another fertility-challenged woman when she’d had her own difficulties in that area. “One thing I should mention is the uniform.”
    Nick looked at Sam. “What uniform? We never talked about that.”
    Forcing a blank look, Sam said, “Absolutely no pink allowed. I’m afraid this is a deal breaker for me.”
    Nick and Shelby laughed, as Sam expected them to.
    “I can’t believe this has happened,” Shelby said with another squeal. “It’s like an answer to a prayer.”
    “For us too,” Nick said as Sam’s phone