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“Our marriage of convenience ended at six o’clock this morning.”

Gabe continued. “A limo will be by for you in two hours. You’ve got your tickets? Everything?”

Stefanie smiled. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I took care of myself before we met, and can do so again.”

Gabe sobered. “I realize that. But after a year of being your husband, I find I’m still in the habit.” He paused. “Then I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for everything, Stefanie. I’ll never forget you.”

After giving her a kiss on her petal-smooth cheek, Gabe left the study, aware of a haunting sense of loss. That was something he hadn’t expected….

To have and to hold…

Their marriage was meant to last—and they have the gold rings to prove it!

To love and to cherish…

But what happens when their promise to love, honor and cherish is put to the test?

From this day forward…

Emotions run high as husbands and wives discover how precious—and fragile—their wedding vows are…. Will true love keep them together—forever?

Marriages meant to last!

Look out in September for

The Marriage Test (#3669)

by Barbara McMahon

Husband for a Year
Rebecca Winters

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ONE

GABE stared at the serenely beautiful woman seated across the desk from him. For as long as he’d known her, people had commented that she was a new version of the legendary blond princess, Grace Kelly. He agreed there was a superficial likeness in looks and style.

Women envied her and always would.

Men envied him for having exclusive rights to her company. One day the whole world would admire her.

“Stefanie? As you’re well aware, our marriage of convenience ended at six o’clock this morning. There must have been times when you thought March 28 would never come around.”

She crossed one long, elegant leg over the other in a totally feminine gesture. “Let’s agree that both of us have been anxious for this day to arrive.”

He nodded. “Our annulment means you can go back to being Stefanie Dawson, this state’s most attractive and sought-after young socialite. Now that you’re free to get on with the rest of your life, men, young and old, will line up to win your heart. Some very lucky man is going to succeed.”

Her china-blue eyes smiled. “You think?”

His lips twitched. “I know. You’ll probably meet him before the year is out. Maybe even on your trip around the world. Are you packed and ready to go?”

“Yes.”

“A limo will be by for you in two hours. You’ve got your tickets? Everything?”

She smiled. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I took care of myself before we met, and shall do so again.”

He sobered. “I realize that. But after a year of being your husband, I find I’m still in the habit.”

“Once out of sight, out of mind.” Her glib response was oddly disturbing.

Shifting his weight he said, “For the record, you’ve fulfilled your end of the bargain far beyond my expectations. Your reward is in this envelope, but no financial compensation could ever be enough to express the depth of my gratitude for your sacrifice. I’ll always be indebted to you. If you want, we can go over the settlement now.”

“I don’t. When you give your word, I’ve learned you keep it.”

There was fire in her remark. Fire he hadn’t expected.

“Then I guess this is goodbye.” Pushing the leather chair away from the desk, he got to his feet and walked around to her. The enticing floral fragrance he associated with her filled his nostrils.

“Thank you for everything, Stefanie. You’re a remarkable woman who deserves all that life has to offer. There’s no one like you. I’ll never forget.”

After giving her a kiss on her petal-smooth cheek, he left the study, aware of a haunting sense of loss. That, too, was something he hadn’t expected…

Stefanie waited until she heard the front door close before running over to the window. The driver put Gabe’s suitcase in the trunk, but she kept her eyes on the tall, dark-haired male who was taking her heart with him. Exquisite pain smote her when he levered himself in the back seat without once turning his head for a final look of farewell.

A year ago today Gabe’s father, the powerful Senator Hershal Wainwright of Rhode Island, had gotten what he wanted—a new daughter-in-law—the one he’d handpicked to be Gabe’s wife. Two months after their marriage, the senator had gotten something else he wanted—reelection to a fifth term in the U.S. Senate.

Today, Gabriel Wainwright, the senator’s fourth and youngest son, the handsome, hands-down public favorite of all the Wainwright sons, the one with the most promise, brilliance, charisma and charm, the one whom people, including the senator, insisted would end up in the White House one day, got what he wanted—freedom from a temporary marriage which had served its purpose—freedom to leave the past behind and live according to the dictates of his own conscience.

Both men had gotten exactly what they wanted. Now it was Stefanie’s turn…

Her first order of business was to cancel the limo Gabe had requested for her. With that accomplished, she spent the rest of the day finalizing certain secret plans of her own.

At seven that evening, dressed in a champagne silk suit designed by her favorite French couturier Fabrice, she entered the Newport Yacht Club where her father was commodore.

Turning heads with every graceful step, she found the headwaiter. After asking him to hold dinner until she gave the signal, she breezed through to the private dining room where she’d invited her parents and Gabe’s to help celebrate their first wedding anniversary. As usual, the four of them were deep in conversation over political matters.

Since Senator Wainwright’s reelection, he’d been pushing for Stefanie’s father, who sat on the Federal Reserve Board, to consider accepting the appointment as Secretary of the Treasury, if it was offered. The former secretary had recently died, leaving a vacancy in the cabinet.

“Good evening, everyone.” She made her round of the table, accepting and giving compliments and kisses. Gabe’s father proffered an extra hug. He’d never made a secret of his feelings where she was concerned. Unfortunately, when he heard what she had to say, it would probably be his last demonstration of affection toward her.

After Stefanie reached her place, she remained standing.

“Before dinner is served, I have an important announcement to make.”

“Oh, darling!” her mother cried for happiness. By now both sets of parents were beaming. “Don’t you want to wait for your husband to finish parking the car before you give us your exciting news?”

If it weren’t so vital, Stefanie would never purposely hurt either family like this. They were so certain she was going to tell them a new little Wainwright was on the way.

“He’s not coming, Mother.”

Something in her tone sounded serious enough to erase their smiles. The festive air in the room evaporated.

She’d had all day to practice this speech, but there’d been no audience to listen to it. Now she was the focus of four pairs of eyes all regarding her with varying degrees of anxiety.

Forgive me, Gabe. What I’m about to do wasn’t part of your plan, but I love you too much to let you walk out of my life without a fight.

“As all of you know, seventeen months ago Gabe asked me out to dinner. When I came home, I was wearing his engagement ring. Five months later we were married. But I’ve never told any of you the details of that evening. Now it’s time to reveal them.”

“You sound so serious,” her mother wailed.

Stefanie swallowed hard, trying to tamp down the pain. “Please—just hear me out. All of you.”

Her father nodded. “We’re listening, sweetheart.”

“Thank you. After dinner was served, Gabe asked me a question. He said, ‘Is it true what Father says, that you hope to end up in the White House as First Lady one day?’”

She stared at Gabe’s father. “Your son’s question caught me off guard because I knew I’d never said such a thing to you or anyone else.”

The senator cleared his throat. “That was wishful thinking on the part of an old man who happens to love you very much, Stefanie,” he muttered.

His confession would have pleased her if it hadn’t done so much damage. “I had no idea. The thing is, I was so in love with Gabe, so overjoyed to be out with him, I teasingly blurted back, ‘Isn’t it every woman’s dream?’”

“Look, my dear—” the senator started to say, but she preempted him.

“Please allow me to continue. Gabe studied me thoughtfully, then said, ‘In that case I have a proposition for you.’ At that point I was confused because I thought he’d been leading up to a marriage proposal. But I couldn’t have been further from the truth.

“In a businesslike tone he confessed that he’d reached the place in his life where it was necessary to marry the right woman for a temporary period. His use of the word ‘temporary’ dashed my dreams.”

Their collective gasps resounded in the private dining room.

“While I sat there reeling in pain, he explained that this woman would have to be a high-profile person who, as his wife, could legitimately fill in for him in public from time to time while he was away undertaking certain activities he didn’t want anyone to know about.”

“What activities?” The senator had gotten his wild-eyed look.

“Let me finish.” She paused to catch her breath.

“G-Gabe said that, at a time when his father was making another bid for the senate and deserved to run a worry-free campaign, he knew marriage to me would fulfill his parents’ dream.”

“Surely they were his dreams, too!” his mother cried.

Stefanie loved her mother-in-law for that outburst, but she shook her head. “No. Then he spelled out the terms. He said that if I agreed to marry him, our marriage would last for one year, a-and be in name only. On March 28, it would be legally annulled.”

“That son of mine must have had some kind of breakdown!”

“Not Gabe,” she whispered sadly. “For my cooperation, I would receive a generous financial settlement that would make me independently wealthy in my own right, and I would walk away as pure as the day I had entered the marriage. Furthermore I would be free to marry a man whose whole desire was to take me to the White House with him.”

While they sat there in frozen shock, she decided she’d better go on while she still could.

“As you know, today is March 28. Gabe’s been living for it.” Her voice shook. “Early this morning he left the house to embark on his new life, whatever that is. He won’t be coming back.”

The senator glowered at her. “If this is his idea of a joke, we’re not amused.”

“Neither am I,” she whispered in agony.

Gabe’s father’s eyes showed confusion, a rare sight. “What do you mean, not coming back? He has a law firm to run! Among other things, I’m throwing some new projects his way that will be vital to his future political career!”

She shook her head. “You haven’t been listening to me. For the past few months he’s been turning over his cases to other colleagues in the firm so he could leave without problem. When the time is right, he’ll contact you, but I presume that won’t be for a while.”

“Nonsense!”

Stefanie ignored the senator’s angry exclamation.

“In order not to embarrass either family, he prepared his office and house staff by telling them that because we’ve been in the spotlight so much since our marriage, he and I are going on a trip around the world which could last six months.”

Again the four people in the room stared at her in stunned disbelief.

“He explained about the trip in letters he sent to you,” she continued. “You’ll receive them in the mail tomorrow.” She cleared her throat. “If I had carried out his plans to the letter, I would be in Paris right now enjoying the first stop of my long holiday. But as you can see, I chose not to go because—”

“Enough!” Now it was her father who shoved himself away from the table and jumped to his feet. As he threw down his napkin, it caused his wineglass to topple. “A marriage in name only—I’ve never heard such rubbish in all my life! How dare Gabe do this to you! How dare he!”

She’d never seen him so angry. “Dad—please sit down. I’m not through.”

“What’s wrong with our son?” Gabe’s mother sounded on the verge of hysteria as she cried to her husband, pulling on his arm.

Stefanie’s mother shook her head in despair. “I can’t believe this has happened. I simply can’t believe it! Stefanie—aside from his despicable actions, whatever possessed you to say yes to such a cold-blooded proposition? Heavens, darling, you could have married any man you wanted!”

A tight band constricted Stefanie’s breathing. “I didn’t want any man, Mom. I wanted Gabe. When I was an adolescent, I developed a painful crush that never went away. After ten years of loving him, I would have married him for any reason,” her voice throbbed.

“Fool that I am, I’d convinced myself that once we lived together, he would tear up that wretched contract and make our marriage real. But I learned that you can’t force someone to fall in love with you. Since we’d made a contract, I didn’t dare try to dissuade him from his plans.”

“What plans?” The senator’s rage was starting to escalate out of control.

“I have no idea,” she answered honestly. “He’ll have to be the one to reveal them—when he’s ready.”

A ruddy color stained his cheeks. “Where is my son?”

“I don’t know yet, but I’m working on it.”

“You mean he’s really gone?” Gabe’s father still couldn’t comprehend it. For that matter, neither could Stefanie.

“Yes. But I—I hired a P.I. to follow him.”

“Thank God you had that much sense!” came the senator’s furious outburst.

Her father shook his head. “The idea of his marrying you to provide a smokescreen for secret activities is preposterous! What kind of a man would use a woman like that? Especially when she’s my precious daughter!”

Before everything exploded in her face, Stefanie needed to get this over with. “Don’t blame Gabe. I’m the one who said yes to his proposition. Think for a minute—

“He could have been selfish and disappeared right in the middle of the reelection campaign. It would have caused you untold grief and pain. But he didn’t do that. Instead he planned everything to ensure his actions would prevent any scandal.

“Don’t you see? No matter how hurt all of you are, no matter how this may look to you, Gabe’s the most honorable man I’ve ever known in my life.”

“Honorable?” her father blurted. “He took advantage of your vulnerability and broke your heart!”

“But he doesn’t know that, Dad.”

“What do you mean?”

“I—I never told him how I felt, not when I realized he wasn’t in love with me. Behind closed doors we lived totally separate lives. He believed I was happy with our arrangement.”

Her mother shook her head. “How could he be so blind?”

“Because I never disabused him of the assumption he made about my wanting a husband who would end up in the Oval Office! Mom—he has no idea he’s the only man I’ll ever love. That’s why I’m not taking the world tour he planned for me.

“As soon as I find out his destination, then I’ll act on that knowledge and go after him with a proposition of my own!”

The senator shot out of his chair. He stopped pacing the floor long enough to blurt, “This is your fault, Stefanie. You should have told me the truth about your marriage months ago so I could have prevented this tragedy from happening. Whatever you have to do, I want him home by the end of the week where he belongs!”

“You don’t want him back as much as I do,” she said, standing her ground. “But it’s not going to be easy. Gabe’s no longer my husband. When he said goodbye this morning, he meant it to be forever. He trusted me…

“What I’m about to do could backfire in ways I don’t even want to contemplate. In fact the thought of facing him terrifies me. But it’s a risk I have to take—” She struggled for breath. “B-because life isn’t worth living without him.”

The senator stood there with his jaw clenched. For the first time since she’d known him, he was powerless to do anything.

But he wouldn’t stay helpless for long. As she knew only too well, his tentacles reached many places. When he wanted something, he was virtually unstoppable. More than ever she understood why Gabe would have reached a total impasse with his father a long time ago. A shiver ran down her spine.

“I’m going to need everyone’s help,” she continued. “For the time being you’ll have to pretend to go along with Gabe’s and my story about our trip. Will you do that for us?”

Her father’s eyes had grown bleak. “If you’re determined about this, it doesn’t look like we have any other choice.”

“Thank you, Dad. I promise to stay in touch with all of you. Now if you’ll excuse me—”

“No, Stefanie!” Her mother knocked over her chair getting up from the table. “You can’t leave yet, darling!”

“I have to go, Mom. The limo is waiting. I told the P.I. to phone me at nine. I want to be home when the call comes through. It may take several days, even longer, before I know exactly where Gabe went. Then I can make my plans. In the meantime, I’m counting on you to pretend everything’s fine. That’s what Gabe wanted.”

The senator pinned her with a withering gaze, the kind he used for intimidating people he didn’t like. He didn’t like her anymore. In placing her loyalty to Gabe above his father, she’d dropped from favor.

It was very sad because there were qualities about him she’d grown to love by virtue of his being her father-in-law. He’d also done a great deal of humanitarian good in the world.

“I’m expecting you to bring my son to his senses, Stefanie.” Though he didn’t add the words “or else,” his warning was unmistakable.

Gabe’s father was afraid. So was she…

Blowing everyone a kiss, she hurried through the club and out the front doors to the limo which was waiting for her.

“Drive me to the Oyster Inn, please. I’m meeting friends there. They’ll take me home later.”

“Very good, Mrs. Wainwright.”

As soon as they reached the popular restaurant in downtown Newport, the chauffeur helped her out, then drove off. Left to her own devices, Stefanie walked to the end of the street and rounded the corner.

Earlier in the day she’d paid cash for a used car, which sat parked at the curb. Her new cell phone was packed in one of the suitcases she’d stashed in the trunk. After retrieving it, plus a wig with short black curls styled like a Gypsy’s, she climbed in behind the wheel of the small blue compact.

With her shoulder-length hair worn up, she could easily slip on the wig. Once it was in place she started the engine, anxious to put as many miles between her and Newport as possible.

The senator might still be at the club with his wife and her parents, but she had no doubts he’d already excused himself long enough to order a surveillance team to set up a watch outside the fabulous Nantucket shingle house Gabe had given her for a wedding present.

Before long there would be a tap on her home phone. Gabe’s father would have her every move scrutinized until she led him to his son.

While she’d been married to Gabe, she’d learned a lot about the senator that hadn’t been apparent when she’d first gone to work for his reelection campaign two years earlier.

Senator Wainwright was a dynasty builder. His sons were his possessions. His word, law. Though he adored his children, he would consider it unconscionable for one of them to defect from the family. Especially Gabe, whom he privately favored.

What his youngest son had done today was tantamount to high treason. Unthinkable. Unforgivable. She’d seen it in his father’s eyes. He would stop at nothing to bring Gabe back to the fold, even if it meant spying on Stefanie in her own home.

But she had the element of surprise on her side. By the time he realized she’d outsmarted him, she would be over state lines and impossible to trace.

The call she’d been waiting for came at 9:00 p.m. exactly. Her heart hammered as she clicked on and said hello.

“Ms. Dawson?”

“Yes, Wes! What news do you have for me?”

“Your ex-husband flew to Providence by shuttle, then left the airport in a half-ton pickup truck with Montana license plates.”

Montana?

She’d thought he might have been planning to fly overseas in a private jet. “W-was there someone with him?” Please don’t tell me it was a woman.

“Not at first.”

Oh, no.

“But before he left the city, he stopped off at a very fancy military academy to pick up a boy and a woman.”

She let out a gasp of surprise. “Did you get a good look at them?”

“Yes. I’d say the boy is fourteen or fifteen years old, fairly tall for his age. On the lean side, dark-haired. The brunette woman looked anywhere from her mid-thirties to mid-forties. Attractive.”

Dear God— Could the boy be Gabe’s son? Was that the great secret he’d been keeping from everyone? If so, was the woman his mother? Was Gabe taking them away? Did he love her?

Stefanie was in so much pain, she could hardly breathe.

“Ms. Dawson?”

“Y-yes?”

“Okay. I was just checking to make sure you were still on the line. Stan and I have tailed them to Erie, Pennsylvania, where they’ve pulled into a motel parking lot. I’m assuming they’ll stay here for the night.”

Gabe was in Erie? That meant he’d been driving nonstop since he’d picked up his passengers. It was one thing to fear that he might have been seeing another women throughout their marriage. But the knowledge that he was actually with her at a motel right now almost destroyed Stefanie.

“Stan is going to relieve me so I can get some sleep in the back of the van. You’ve got his cell phone number. Call him whenever you want an update.”

“Thank you. I—I will,” she murmured, her voice shaking with fear that Gabe had been in love with the woman all these years. Someone his family wouldn’t have liked?

If that was the case, then it was no wonder he’d never broken the terms of that wretched contract he’d made with Stefanie. He’d had no desire to make love to her when the mother of his son was out there waiting for him to be free.

Stefanie stifled her moan, not knowing what to think. “Please—don’t lose sight of him,” she begged. “Right now I’m in my car following you.”

“We’ve never lost a target yet.”

“Whatever you do, don’t let him see you! You have to understand he doesn’t want to be found.”

“I’m aware of that. At this point you’re going to have to trust us to get the job done. We always do.”

She bit her lip. “I pray you’re right. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“You already have. I promise he won’t get away from us.”

“Then I guess I can’t ask for more than that.” Stefanie clicked off, terrified something could still go wrong and she’d never see Gabe again.

Another hour and her eyelids started to droop. At the next sign for lodgings she pulled off the freeway and drove to a Cozy Inn for the night. Once settled, she climbed into bed and made another phone call. Gabe was still at the same motel. With her…

After thanking Stan for the information, she buried her face in the pillow. It was wet by the time she fell into oblivion.

“This is going to be so cool, Gabe.”

“You think?”

Gabe smiled as he eyed the fifteen-year-old seated in the cab of his truck. Every time he’d visited with Clay Talbot in the past, the troubled boy Gabe had influenced the court to send to the tightly enforced military academy rather than a state correctional facility, he had grown on him a little more.

“Yeah. I can’t believe we’re almost there.”

“You realize this is only an experiment.”

“I know.”

“You’ve been released to my custody. If you don’t obey the rules, my hands will be tied and the court will send you back to the academy.”

“I hated that place. It might as well have been a prison.”

“Take my word for it, the academy doesn’t come close to the real thing.”

After a long silence, “I swear I’m not going to get into trouble again.”

“I hope not, Clay. It would disappoint me and break your mom’s heart. But more importantly, you would be letting yourself down.”

The boy nodded his dark head.

At least there’d been some side benefits to this trip. For one thing, Clay and his mom had been able to share some precious time together before he’d dropped her off at the airport in Chicago for the flight back to Providence.

Being an alcoholic, it was as far as she could travel without wanting a drink. Gabe had made it clear there would be no alcohol during the trip. He’d challenged her to handle it long enough to connect with the son she hadn’t seen in months. Though she’d been unable to make it all the way to Montana, Clay seemed okay with it.

As for Gabe, he’d had an opportunity to get inside Clay’s head. Enough time to establish a tentative rapport with the teen who’d been born of affluent parents who didn’t know the first thing about child rearing.

Unfortunately the death of Clay’s father to cancer two years earlier had turned his world upside down. Unable to deal with his own pain, let alone that of his grieving alcoholic mother, he’d gotten into trouble with other kids from wealthy Providence homes who could afford drugs and were indiscriminately vandalizing their exclusive neighborhoods for the fun of it.

In desperation, Clay’s mother had finally retained Gabe to defend her son in court. But sending the boy to military school had only been a stopgap. Now that Gabe was free to live his destiny, hopefully Clay would receive the emotional and psychological help he desperately needed.

As they continued driving through old snow, a familiar road sign showed up on the right.

Welcome To Marion, Montana. You’re In God’s Country Now.

Gabe had passed it dozens of times over the last year. It meant their long drive across the U.S. was about to come to an end.

Before this trip he’d always flown to Glacier Park International Airport where his foreman, Mack Whittaker, waited to take him back to the ranch in the station wagon.

Not this time.

It didn’t take a prophet to know that all hell had broken loose now that both families had received the letters Gabe had posted. Even though he’d told his parents he had gone abroad, there was still a chance his father would try and find him. Gabe had chosen to come by truck in order not to leave a trail.

In a couple of months he would write another set of letters explaining that he and Stefanie had gone their separate ways.

Thankfully she’d flown to Paris a few hours after he’d left the house and was enjoying herself with good friends as planned.

Now that she’d been given her freedom, she was entitled to be with any man she chose. To Gabe’s chagrin, he found he loathed the idea. Her image, her husky voice, had refused to leave his mind or senses.

He supposed she would haunt him for a long time to come. You didn’t live for a year in the same house with a wife like Stefanie and hope to walk away from her totally unaffected.

On the other hand, he hadn’t realized how deeply she’d gotten beneath his skin. The drive through a lot of rain and some snow flurries would have been torture if he’d had to be alone with his thoughts.

He figured it would probably take hearing that Stefanie was going to marry someone else’s favorite son headed for the White House to douse the sparks Gabe had determined not to acknowledge, let alone allow to catch fire.

His face formed a grimace before he gunned the accelerator. Twenty minutes later he glimpsed something in the twilight that broke his torturous train of thought.

Larch Tree Boys’ Ranch.

When Gabe saw the newly erected sign at the gate, he let out a satisfied sigh and slowed down. Mack must have pulled some strings to make sure it had been put up in time to coincide with Gabe’s arrival.

A special welcome home present.

The best one he could have received to chase away feelings that were better left to die.

When he and the Realtor from Kalispell had flown over this property eighteen months ago, everything about the ranch had felt right to him. Seventy-five thousand acres of lush green meadows dotted with cattle and statuesque pines.

In the early-morning sunlight he’d glimpsed a ribbon of blue teeming with trout as it danced against a dense green forest backdrop. A couple of rustic log cabins nestled here and there in a fertile valley surrounded by snow-capped mountains completed a picture that spoke straight to Gabe’s restless soul.

Always before, his needs, aspirations and desires had been fragmented, eluding him like some flirtatious breeze he couldn’t follow. Then he’d seen the ranch and suddenly everything had crystallized for him.

It was here he would put down roots.

The ranch was the one special spot on earth that called to him, and heaven knew he and his family had seen and traveled more of mother earth than most people.

“This is it?” Clay cried out excitedly.

“Yes. We’re home.”

But with Stefanie no longer in the picture, the word had a hollow ring. That was a reality Gabe was going to have to live with.

Shifting gears, he drove the truck onto his private property. Though it was early spring, the place looked like winter had still gotten in a few final licks.

“How come you didn’t name the ranch after you?”

“The larch trees were here first, not the Wainwrights. Now I hope you’re hungry because I can promise that Marva will have her famous homemade chili waiting for us.”