Page 52 of The Work Wife

“Unless the pitcher from the Boston Red Sox is really here.” She smiled up at him and he realized for the first time how pretty she was. Maybe he’d never noticed because he’d never seen her smile before.

He would make an effort to give her more reasons to smile in the future.

Chapter 10

“Thank you for everything you did this past week, with my dad,” Jamie said as she and Wes walked out of the airport in Boston late Saturday morning. It was the same frigid hell she had left behind, but she felt warmer with Wes next to her. “He was so happy to be able to walk me down the aisle. I didn’t realize how much he wanted to do that.”

“You’re his princess,” Wes said, not even mocking her about it.

“Should we do it again for your mother?” she asked, knowing his father had died about six years ago. Weston rarely talked about his father. She only knew he’d died from a massive heart attack while out for his daily run. Weston always said it was the epitome of irony. As well as the reason why he lifted weights instead of running.

“No way. We’re not even going to tell her.”

“Ever?”

“No.”

“But surely you’ll be going to New York to visit her at some point. Maybe we could get married in every state.”

“No.”

“She can’t be that bad.” Compared to Jamie’s druggy of a mother, Mrs. Archer would have to be better.

“She’s always been . . . cold. Ben and I had a nanny and my mother rarely spent any time with us, unless we’d done something that made the family look bad. One time my parents were gone for three days before Ben and I realized they weren’t in the house.”

“Wow.”

“Back then I would have done anything to get her attention. Now, I realize it was better the other way. She’s constantly trying to get me to move back to New York. And it’s not because she wants to chat or take a walk. It’s all about perception with her. My leaving made it look like there was a falling-out in the family.” He rolled his eyes.

“Was there a falling-out?”

“Not exactly. It doesn’t matter now.”

She could tell that was all he was going to say about that. She backed off for now.

There would be plenty of time to get to know him better. And his family quirks. At least she hoped so. They’d agreed to stay married until it became uncomfortable. She could see how that might be a long time from now.

They were so well suited for each other. So far she actually enjoyed being married to him, and not just because of the trip. There were certain aspects of marriage they were not taking advantage of—namely sex—but that was okay.

“I’m parked over there. Where are you?” he asked, shrugging the strap of his bag higher on his shoulder.

“Over there.” She pointed in the opposite direction. Knowing what was happening now—the show was over, at least for now—they’d have to slip into character again on Monday, but for the rest of the weekend, they would go back to the single versions of themselves.

“I’ll walk you to your car.”

“It’s fine. It’s cold as hell. You don’t need to do that.”

“What? And make my wife drag that suitcase with the broken wheel through the parking lot? I don’t think so. And I’m going to get you a new suitcase.”

“You are not. This just broke as I was walking into the airport last week. I can afford my own suitcase.”

“I can’t tell. Is this an equality thing, a polite thing, or a stubborn thing? I’m just trying to be nice because you’re smaller than me physically. I don’t care that you have boobs. I’d offer for a guy if he was as wimpy as you are.”

“I’m not wimpy.”

“So stubborn, then?” He tilted his head, and she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Maybe a little. I know you’re not sexist.”