Perfectly Ms. Matched(31)

“Linda never knew about the woman I was living with. She was in and out before my ex got back from getting her hair done. But Linda knows who you are and that we were engaged before. She’s even seen pictures of you, so I think she’ll buy it.”

“Wait. How has she seen pictures of me?”

“I still have some. At my mom’s house.” And in a box in his closet in San Diego, but she didn’t need to know that.

“It’ll be hard to convince Linda we’re a couple without touching each other.”

“Obviously. So we’ll call a truce on the touching just for the day. You might be doing Ryan a huge favor, Jo.”

“Dammit, Chad. Why did you have to add Ryan to the mix? I’ll think about it. Good night.” She hung up.

He smiled and tossed his phone on the nightstand. She’d do it for Ryan.



Jo shivered in her down jacket as she waited on her front porch for Ryan and Chad to pick her up. The November wind bit right through the jeans tucked into her boots. Chad had just texted her, warning that Linda had showed up unexpectedly to ride along with them to the ranch. And they’d be there in a few minutes, to pick up his beautiful fiancée.

So the charade would soon begin. Her stomach hurt a little when she thought about how hard acting like Chad’s fiancée all day was going to be, but she’d do it for Ryan.

When Chad’s big truck with its dark, tinted windows lumbered up her drive, she drew a deep breath for courage and high-tailed it to the driveway.

After Chad stopped, she lifted the door handle to hop into the passenger side, but Linda was already there. “Oh, hi. I’m Jo. I’ll just sit in back with Ryan.” Why Linda wouldn’t want to sit next to Ryan after not seeing him for months made no sense.

The blonde former Miss Alabama beauty queen smirked. “Linda. Chad’s wife.”

Wife? It was tempting to add that Jo was the one who still owned Chad’s heart, but that’d be a bad idea. Wouldn’t it?

Instead, she held up her left hand and waggled her fingers. “Clearly you meant ex-wife. He’s all mine now.”

Linda’s eyes narrowed. “Not until you say I do, he’s not.”

Chad cleared his throat while Jo refused to back down from Linda’s death-ray stare. He said, “Let me get that door for you, babe.” He started to get out.

“No worries. It’s freezing, and you walk too slow these days. But thanks.” She shut Linda’s door and opened the one in the rear. “Good morning, Ryan.”

She climbed in and then leaned over the front seat and kissed Chad’s cheek. “Morning, babe.” She nipped his earlobe to remind him to behave. Not because it used to drive him wild. Or because he smelled really nice. Or because she loved the way he’d do anything for Ryan.

Ryan’s head popped up, his attention torn from his video game, with a puzzled look on his face. Probably because of the babe remarks. “Hi, Jo.”

While Jo buckled in, Chad laid his arm on the seat and backed out. “I called my mom this morning. She’s looking forward to all the company today.”

He stared into her eyes. Hopefully, he was trying to silently communicate that he’d taken care of warning his mom about their scheme. “Can’t wait for chili and corn bread.”

Linda grunted. “Is that what we’re having? Your mom knows I don’t eat carbs, Chad.” She leaned forward and looked up at the darkening sky through the front windshield. “We’re still planning to be back by three, before the snow starts, right, baby? My p-l-a-n-e leaves at six.”

Chad’s shoulders stiffened as he merged onto the highway. “We’ll be back in plenty of time.”

So that coward Linda hadn’t told her poor kid she was only staying for the day.

But Jo was glad they were going to be back that early, because Shelby had just called to tell her she had another date later. A guy named Chase. He was a Realtor, and Shelby had known him for years. He’d needed a last-minute date for a friend’s art exhibit. Maybe he’d be a better fit than Scott had been.

As silence settled over them in the car, awkward took on a new meaning. Chad met her gaze in the mirror. “Have you heard back on the bids for the restaurant yet?”

“I’m expecting them early next week. I hope they come in close to budget. It’s going to be tight.”

“Randy will treat you fair. He knows he has me to deal with if he doesn’t. I’d be happy to go over the bids with you when they come in.” He smiled in the reflection.

Normally, she would have told Chad she could do it without his help, but he was an architect after all, so she tamped back her independent streak. Besides, it was what a fiancée would do. “I’d like that. Thanks.”