Susan Crosby believes in the value of setting goals, but also in the magic of making wishes, which often do come true – as long as she works hard enough. Along life’s journey she’s done a lot of the usual things – married, had children, attended college a little later than the average co-ed and earned a BA in English. Then she dived off the deep end into a full-time writing career, a wish come true.

Susan enjoys writing about people who take a chance on love, sometimes against all odds. She loves warm, strong heroes and good-hearted, self-reliant heroines, and will always believe in happily ever after.

More can be learned about her at www.susancrosby.com.

To Gail Chasan with gratitude, for the long-time

support and enthusiasm, then and now.

Thank you for the wonderful opportunities.

And to Sandra Dark, my wordy friend, who proves the

statement, “Writers write.” You do it well.

Chapter One

David Falcon dragged his hands down his face as a woman took a seat across the desk from him.

“Well?” she asked.

“What’s to think about? I just interviewed my twelfth candidate in two days, and I finally realized I’m delusional to hope I can find someone who fits my needs.” He tipped his chair back to look at Denise Watson, the efficient, thirty-something director of At Your Service, a prestigious domestic-and-clerical-help agency nicknamed by many clients as “Wives for Hire.” They were seated in her interview room.

“If you have to compromise on something, what would it be?” Denise asked.

He’d been doing a lot of compromising lately—for three years, in fact. He wasn’t interested in more of the same. “I’m not giving up on the ideal yet. You’ve got other candidates, right?”

“One.”

“That’s all?”

“From my own staffing pool. As you pointed out, you have specific and complex needs. I’d be happy to advertise and screen them for you.”

“What are your thoughts about the one remaining?”

She set a folder on the desk in front of him and smiled. “I’ve learned not to second-guess the client.”

He half smiled in return. “Send her in, please.” He skimmed the woman’s résumé. Ten years’ experience as a domestic, seven in clerical jobs. He speculated on her age—midthirties to forty, maybe? There were too many questions he wasn’t allowed to ask legally, tying his hands, leaving him only intuition and guesswork about her age. He was twenty-nine. It was critical that she be older than him.

“Hello. I’m Valerie Sinclair,” came a quiet but level voice.

He looked up. The woman was either extraordinarily well preserved or had lied about her work experience. She didn’t look a day over twenty-five. She wore a dress and jacket that was way too formal and warm for a hot August day in Sacramento, as if trying to look older. And her hair, a rich, shiny color, like chestnuts, was bundled up in some kind of bun or whatever that style was called, but couldn’t take away from her young age. Her eyes were hazel and direct. No rings on her slender fingers; her nails were short, clean and unpolished.

“I’m David Falcon. Please, have a seat,” he said, wondering how she’d passed At Your Service’s background check. She had to have lied—

To hell with the law, he decided. If she could lie about her work experience, he could ask the questions he wanted to. “How old are you, Ms. Sinclair?”

She stiffened. “I’m twenty-six.”

“How is it you have seventeen years of work experience? You started working when you were nine?”

“Eight, actually. Not legally, of course, but my mother has been housekeeper for a family in Palm Springs since I was five. I was put to work early.”

“Doing what?”

“In the beginning, dusting and sweeping. New responsibilities were added as I could handle them.”

“Your mother allowed you to be used like that?”

“Used?” She smiled slightly. “Didn’t you do chores as a child? The family wasn’t in residence full-time. We lived on-site. It was my home.”

David didn’t know what to think. On the one hand it seemed that child labor laws were violated. On the other, her point was well taken—to a point. “Did you receive a salary?”

“An allowance from my mother, which increased as my responsibilities did. I don’t think it’s worth a lot of discussion, Mr. Falcon. My understanding is that you’re looking for someone to run your household and also be your administrative assistant. I listed the domestic work so that you would know I had a lot of experience in that field.”

David studied her. She was…soothing, he decided. Her feathers didn’t ruffle easily.

“May I ask the nature of your business?” she asked.

“My brother and I own Falcon Motorcars.”

“I’ve never heard of that make.”

“They’re custom-made. Our clients aren’t the average car buyers, so we don’t need to advertise. Most buyers are European, which is why I’ve been out of the country more than I’ve been home the past few years. Which is also why I’m looking for someone to take charge of things here, personally and professionally.”

“Denise said you want a live-in.”

A wife without the sex was what he wanted. Someone experienced, efficient and of a certain age. “That’s a requirement. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all.”

“Given the time difference between California and the continent, you might be awakened during the night to take care of business for me, or work until midnight, or get up at four.”

“I can do that.”

“How are your computer skills?”

“Denise tested me on five different programs. I assume the results are in my folder.”

He found the report and read it, letting her wait, testing her patience. She didn’t fidget. “Why did you leave your last job?”

“Sexual harassment.” She said it as easily as she might have said she’d gone to the grocery store.

He flattened his hands on top of the folder. “Did you file suit?”

Again that slight smile touched her lips. “I was accused of sexual harassment.”

David looked her over once more. Was that the reason for the buttoned-up outfit she wore? Beneath it was a slender, attractive body, he could tell. And maybe with her hair down and some makeup on, she would look sexy. She didn’t want to look sexy? “Were you guilty?”

“Quite the opposite.”

He let that information sink in. “He was harassing you?”

She nodded once, sharply, the only outward indication of how much the situation bothered her.

“Why didn’t you report him?”

“I did. That’s when he turned it around to me instead. Look, it’s dead and buried for me.”

“Is it? I would imagine it’s followed you and made it difficult to find a job,” he said, knowing how such things worked.

She hesitated, then gave a taut smile.

Pride. He understood it all too well. “Let me share my recent experiences,” he said. “My last housekeeper stole from me. My last four administrative assistants left because of pregnancy or child-care-related issues, each of them at just about the time they were fully trained. Frankly, I’d pretty much decided this time around to hire a woman beyond childbearing age. You don’t fit that qualification.”

Her stark disappointment flashed, but he couldn’t let that interfere with his decision-making process. “As much as I’d like to hire you—”

His cell phone rang. He would’ve ignored it, except it was his brother Noah, the only caller David couldn’t ignore. “Excuse me a moment,” he said, then left the room.

Valerie waited for David Falcon to shut the door before she closed her eyes. As much as I’d like to hire you. His mind was apparently made up. Her hands shook; her mouth went dry. She was at the end of her already short rope. If she didn’t get this job she didn’t know what she was going to do. She’d used every penny of her meager savings. Her credit card was maxed out. How could she convince him to hire her?

She was this close to being homeless, although a homeless shelter might be better than the apartment complex where she lived, in a part of town where drive-by shootings weren’t uncommon. This job would mean a steady income and a safe place to live. For her and—

“Sorry about that,” David said, returning. “As I started to say, as much as I’d like to hire you, given your job skills, I’m hesitant. I would need your assurance that you won’t be taking off to get married anytime soon. I need to know you’re not pregnant or intending to get pregnant anytime soon. I would be hiring you to take care of me—my house and my business—not a baby.”

Valerie clenched her hands. She still had a chance. Say the right thing. Say the right thing. “I’m not even dating anyone, so the issue of marriage is nonexistent. Which would also, therefore, mean no pregnancy or babies in sight. However, I do have a daughter, Hannah. She’s eight.” Valerie saw his eyes dull with disappointment. “She’s a quiet, obedient child, I promise you.”

She waited for lightning to strike her for the fib, then continued to plead her case. “My daughter doesn’t require the care that a baby does. You won’t even know she’s there.”

Valerie had her own reasons for not letting Hannah get close to him, anyway. “Just give me a chance to prove myself,” she said, trying not to beg.

He leaned back in his chair, his gaze never leaving hers. She didn’t look away, either. Please hire me. Please.

“Let’s try it for a month,” he said at last.

Emotions tumbled through the desert of what her life had become. She couldn’t even speak.

“I’ll pay your rent for where you’re living now so that you have a place to go back to if it doesn’t work out.”

She wouldn’t move back to that hellhole under any circumstances. She swallowed against the still roiling emotions. “It’s not necessary. I was going to look for a new place anyway.”

“All right. You’ll be living in a cottage behind the main house, and it’s fully furnished, including all the kitchen things. I’ll arrange for some movers and a storage unit for your belongings.”

A cottage? Their own space? “My apartment came furnished. I have very little to transport.” She and Hannah had moved so many times, they had the routine down pat.

“You’re making this very easy, Ms. Sinclair.”

“Valerie. It’s my job to make your life easy.”

“If you can pull that off, you’re a miracle worker.”

He stood; she did, as well. Apparently when he made up his mind, that was that.

“How soon can you start?” he asked.

“Where is your house?”

“In Chance City, close to Grass Valley and Nevada City. Are you familiar with the area?”

“Not much. I know it’s a Mother Lode location from the gold rush era.”

“Right. It’s beautiful country, but the house itself is a little isolated.”

“Isolation doesn’t bother me.” They would be about an hour north of Sacramento. Clean air, and stars at night. Trees. Their own cottage. “I can be there tonight.”

“I’ll send someone to help.”

“I can manage, thanks.” She smiled, hopefully diverting him from becoming insistent on helping her. She really didn’t want anyone associated with him to see where she lived.

The tiredness in his face smoothed out—his very handsome face, she finally realized, admiring his tall, athletic body.

“Whatever expenses you incur in moving out, I’ll pay. Just let me know how much.”

“Thank you.”

“And if everything works out, I’ll buy out your contract from At Your Service. Falcon Motorcars would become your employer, so you’d have benefits.”

Benefits. Valerie wished he would leave so that she could sit down. An internal earthquake had her trembling. She was surprised he couldn’t see it.

She’d been without health insurance for the year that she hadn’t been able to find permanent work. “Feel free to start putting through the new-employee paperwork,” she said.

“You’re very sure that things are going to work out.”

“Three things you’ll learn about me, Mr. Falcon. I’m competent, I’m reliable and I’m loyal. I also know I have to prove myself.”

“You can call me David.” He pulled a large envelope from his briefcase and handed it to her. “You’ll find a map to the house inside this envelope, and some general instructions. A few forms you need to fill out. A key to the cottage, in case I’m not there when you arrive.” He gestured toward the door. “I’ll walk you out.”

“I think we both probably have to talk to Denise.”

“Right. I’ll go first.” He shook her hand. “See you later.”

“Thank you for the opportunity,” she said. Now go away.

He walked out the door.

She sank into the chair, her knees giving out. He stuck his head back around the corner. “You like dogs?”

“Yes.” She tried to stand.

“Don’t get up,” he said, eyeing her intently. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. My foot got caught in the chair leg.”

He waited a couple of beats. “Is your daughter good with dogs?”

“She loves them, but she’s never had one of her own.”

“I have a great old-lady dog. I’ve had to foster her with my brother and his four kids because I’ve been gone so much. She looks at me with accusing eyes every time I leave their house without her. I’d like to bring her home.”

“By all means.”

He slapped the doorjamb and nodded. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

He disappeared, but she held herself together, in case he surprised her by returning—

“One more thing,” he said, again appearing in the doorway. “Can your daughter swim?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I have a pool. I don’t want to have to worry about her.”

“She’ll abide by the rules.”

“Okay.” Then he was off again.

She stared into space. He had no idea what having this job meant to her. None. She didn’t care if she had to work 24/7. Didn’t care if she lost sleep or weight or her mind. Well, maybe she would care if she lost her mind.

It was a good job, out of the city, working for a man Denise assured her was decent and successful. He’d have to sign a contract, the same as Valerie would, spelling out the details of the business arrangement, including that there would be no sexual contact between employer and employee. She could live with that.

All she wanted was to provide for her daughter.

Finally she could do that.

Chapter Two

“Over there, Mom.” Hannah pointed straight ahead. “See the mailbox? That’s the address. But where’s the house?”

Valerie braked, slowing, then came to a stop next to the mailbox. Ahead she spotted a break in the abundance of trees and shrubs and assumed it was a driveway. She nosed the car down the gravel road, past a small forest of wild oaks, fragrant pines and stately cedars. Then she came upon a wide firebreak clearing and an amazing house, all glass and logs and rocks, reaching toward the sky, the stark edges softened by clouds, the windows reflecting treetops.

“Awesome,” Hannah said reverently. “We’re gonna live here?”

Valerie was no less awed. She’d expected a nice house, but not one that should be profiled in Architectural Digest. “Remember we won’t be living in the house but in a cottage on the property.”

No one came out of the house to greet or question them, so Valerie continued on, following a gently curving path around the house, discovering several buildings—a four-car garage, what looked to be a stable and the building referred to as the cottage.

The word cottage had conjured up visions in Valerie’s mind of rosebushes and wood shingles. Instead the structure was a smaller version of the main house, except with cedar-plank siding instead of logs, but with the same large windows, and more space than she and Hannah had ever lived in.

“There’s the pool!” Hannah exclaimed, scrambling to unbuckle her seat belt and flinging the car door open. “And a hot tub. Mom, it’s got a hot tub. We get to use it, too, right?”

She was out of the car and running toward a free-form pool that seemed carved out of the landscape, with a small, rock waterfall at one end that spilled into both the pool and hot tub.

Gravel crunched under Valerie’s feet as she followed Hannah, reaching a flagstone path that branched into others heading toward the cottage, the main house, and through a wild, obviously untended garden to the pool. Lack of interest in gardening, she wondered, or his intent? He must be able to afford a gardener.

Valerie reached her daughter, who’d crouched beside the pool, dipped her hand into it then flicked a few refreshing drops at Valerie. “Can we go swimming, Mom? I’m sooo hot.”

They’d spent the afternoon packing their belongings and cleaning their apartment in the 101-degree Sacramento weather, squeezing everything into their small car. They both needed a cool swim before unpacking and settling in. And the man of the house didn’t appear to be home.

“Pleeease,” Hannah begged, tugging on Valerie’s hand.

“How fast can you find your bathing suit?”

“I put it in the last grocery bag we loaded.” She grinned, obviously pleased at her planning ahead. “Yours, too. I swiped it from your suitcase as soon as you said there was a pool.”

“Have I told you lately how smart you are?” Valerie hooked an arm around her daughter as they returned to the car.

“Just every day.”

They grabbed the bag from the car then headed to the cottage to change. A note was taped to the front door: “Welcome. I expect to be home by 7:30. I’ll bring dinner. We’ll meet later to discuss your specific duties. DF”

It was only six o’clock, so they had plenty of time, provided she could drag Hannah out of the pool at some point.

“Way cool!” Hannah declared as they stepped inside the cottage.

Valerie wondered why David called it a cottage when it was really more of a guesthouse. A large great room, dining area and kitchen comprised the visible living space, while in the back were two bedrooms with a shared bath between. The modern furnishings looked brand-new and perfectly suited to the structure, not exactly “cabin” decor but dark greens, reds and browns, with some wrought-iron pieces and trim, and a stone fireplace.

She’d never lived in anything like it.

“Which bedroom do you want?” she asked her daughter, her words trailing off as Hannah raced into one of the rooms and slammed the door shut.

“Hurry, Mom,” she shouted through the wood.

Valerie took a moment to enjoy the bedroom that would now be hers. The pine furnishings included a rustic four-poster, queen-size bed and an armoire that housed a television, drop-leaf desk and six-drawer dresser. The comforter was red-and-green striped. Overall, it was a streamlined, masculine look, but that didn’t really surprise her. David Falcon was all male.

“I’m ready!”

“Almost done,” Valerie called out as she peeled off her sweaty, sticky clothes and tugged on her bathing suit, a black one-piece as old as Hannah. Valerie found a linen closet inside the bathroom and grabbed two pool towels. On her way out she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Her suit sagged a little, as much from old elastic as the fact she’d lost weight in the past year, leaving her, according to her mother, skin and bones. She didn’t think she looked that bad, but maybe the new situation—especially the lack of worrying about life in general—would bring back her lost curves, or at least what there’d been of them to begin with.

She would be happy here. She could feel it. She and Hannah would have a place they could call home. They wouldn’t have to triple-lock their door. They could sleep with windows open.

“Mo-om!”

Valerie hurried out of the bathroom, grabbed Hannah’s hand and ran to the pool, jumping straight in. They touched bottom then shoved themselves up through the bubbles, still holding hands, laughing as they broke the surface.

This is what freedom feels like—cool and clean.…

She ignored the hot tears pressing at her eyes. She wouldn’t do anything to mess up this incredible situation, would make sure that Hannah understood what her boundaries were. Valerie would make herself completely indispensable to Mr. David Falcon. He would find no fault with her work or behavior. She would be a consummate professional, do nothing remotely improper.…

For the next half hour she and Hannah played and romped and floated. They turned on the jets in the hot tub and climbed in, just because they could, letting the heat seep into their bodies, then getting out and doing cannonballs into the cooler pool. Valerie planted her hands on the pool edge to push herself out as Hannah grabbed her ankles, trying to tug her back in. They were laughing and taunting each other.

The stretched-out straps of Valerie’s bathing suit slipped a little. She pulled free of her daughter’s grip. Breathless, she shoved herself up and almost out of the pool…and came face-to-face with a huge golden retriever—and her boss standing right behind.

* * *

So. The buttoned-up Valerie Sinclair did have a body—a very nice body—beneath all that fabric, David thought, studiously avoiding watching her directly as she jammed her straps back into place and hurried over to a chair to grab a towel, covering herself, apologizing the whole time.

“Hi, I’m David Falcon,” he said to the worried-looking little girl clinging to the side of the pool.

“I’m Hannah. What’s your dog’s name?”

“This is Belle.” Belle looked up at him at hearing her name, her tongue hanging out the side of her mouth in a goofy dog smile. She’d become like a puppy again since he’d loaded her in his car. “She’ll swim with you, if you want.”

“Really?”

“She won’t go in on her own, but if you slap the water and call her name, she’ll dive right in. Don’t call her near you, because she’s strong and her claws can hurt. Just let her swim around on her own. She’ll climb up the stairs when she’s done.”

“Cool!” Hannah patted the water. “C’mere, Belle. Come on, girl.”

With one last happy look at David she jumped in, thus apparently forgiving him for her years of exile at Noah’s. She was too old to be having to put up with all those children, even Noah’s sedate children. But having one child around, this eight-year-old Hannah, would be good for her, especially when David was out of town. Belle needed company, and someone to care about, follow around and curl up with.

“I’m sorry,” Valerie said again, coming up beside David, watching the dog and the girl swim in circles.

“For what?”

“Not being ready for work when you arrived. I thought we had more time.”

“I didn’t expect you to work tonight.” He finally eyed her directly, all wrapped up in a towel that matched her hazel eyes, her wet hair dripping down her back. He’d been right about her looking younger with her hair down. “Your daughter is a miniature of you.”

“I can’t tell you how excited she is to be here. The cottage is beautiful.”

Belle followed a giggling Hannah across the pool, then headed for the stairs. The dog didn’t climb out but stood, resting.

“Are you all settled in?”

“We haven’t even unloaded the car yet.”

He considered taking a swim himself, but decided to wait until later. He figured Valerie would keep a strict employer/employee relationship with him, which would include making sure her daughter didn’t get in his way.

Which was fine with him. David had nothing against kids, he just didn’t know how to relate to them, even his nieces and nephews. He particularly didn’t want to get attached to an employee’s child. She had to be separate from the working relationship as much as possible.

“I picked up a pizza,” he said to Valerie. “Come up to the house when you’re ready and we’ll reheat it. We’ll talk business afterward.”

“Both of us?”

“Your daughter needs to eat, too, right?”

“I can take her a plate.”

“We’ll make an exception for tonight.”

Valerie nodded. He walked away, sensing her relief. He knew, given her background of false accusations of sexual harassment, that she would be more wary than most, more aware of potential impropriety. He respected that. He wanted a long-term, employer/employee relationship with her. He would be just as careful as she.

He got partway down the path when he heard the thunder of Belle’s paws pounding the flagstone behind him, getting closer. He turned. She bounded to a halt and shook the pool water from her fur, head to tail, drenching him.

Hannah shrieked with laughter then clamped a hand over her mouth. Valerie stood frozen, awaiting his response. He hunkered down and wrapped his arms around his great old dog, getting himself wetter in the process, glad to have her home.

So much for impeccable behavior, Valerie thought with a sigh as she and Hannah walked to the cottage a few minutes later. He’d caught her in her bathing suit, totally goofing off, acting like a kid. How embarrassing. Not an auspicious start to their business relationship at all.

“Belle’s a neat dog,” Hannah said. “I never knew dogs liked to swim. I mean, I know they can, because there’s even a name for it, right? The dog paddle? But I didn’t know they would just jump in and swim around.”

“Just don’t get too attached. She’s his dog, not yours.”

“But he’s gone a lot. You said so. She’ll be staying with us, won’t she? She can’t stay in that big ol’ house by herself. She’d be sooo lonely.”

Hannah’s eyes pleaded with Valerie, who tried not to laugh. Right. Belle would be lonely.

Valerie and Hannah unloaded the car, then showered and dressed for their first dinner with the boss. The evening temperature was perfect as they took the path to the house and climbed the back stairs. Through a window Valerie saw a kitchen and was glad she would be working in a space with such a spectacular view, not only of the pool but the tree-studded hills.

She knocked on the kitchen door. After a minute she knocked again. Finally she turned the handle and leaned inside. “Hello?”

“Be right there. Make yourself at home,” David called, the words muffled by distance.

“Wow. Our old apartment would fit in here,” Hannah said, looking around at the kitchen and breakfast nook.

The stainless steel appliances made it contemporary, but there was a rustic feel, too, in the pine cabinets and autumn-toned granite countertops. Not a curtain in sight, either, nor any plants. Nothing to soften the streamlined feel of the place, the home of someone who didn’t really live there, but used it as a base camp.

David breezed into the room. He’d changed from slacks and a dress shirt to jeans and a T-shirt, and was barefoot. Belle trailed him. Valerie wondered how old David was. Thirty?

“Settled in?” he asked.

“Almost. We haven’t put everything away, but it’s all in the house,” Valerie answered, keeping a hand on Hannah’s shoulder so that she wouldn’t run to Belle, who wagged her tail in greeting.

“The stove’s preheated,” David said. “Shouldn’t take too long. I hope you like pepperoni.” He slid a large pizza into the oven. “How about a tour while it heats.”

“That would be great.”

The inside of the house was as stunning as the outside. It was a man’s home, but a classy one, the environment clearly of someone who liked art and color, who had style. Maybe a decorator should get credit, but David would have had to approve everything purchased, so he must’ve had a hand in the final result in some way.

On the first floor was a living room with a stone fireplace, a family room holding a woodstove that piped heat into the rest of the house, a large dining room with a table and chairs for twelve, an office and a powder room. Upstairs were four bedrooms, two baths and the master suite, with its enormous bed and spectacular view, the same as in the kitchen, of the pool and mountains, even the cottage. Heavy green drapes framed the windows. She wondered how often he shut them.

She wondered, too, how often he had company. Female company. He was an attractive and successful man. Did he have a regular girlfriend?

“It’s an incredible home,” she said to him, having given up on keeping Hannah by her side. She and Belle had teamed up, following at their own pace. “Although a lot of house for one person.”

“I spend much of my life in airplanes and hotel rooms. I need a place to spread out.”

“How long have you lived here?”

“Had it built five years ago.”

They headed out the bedroom door and downstairs. Valerie motioned to Hannah, who played on the landing with Belle, tossing the dog’s rag doll, then throwing it again after Belle brought it back.

“How much are you gone?” she asked.

“At least half the month. My oldest brother, Noah, and I have owned the business for eleven years. We used to share the overseas work, but Noah’s wife died three years ago, and now he has their four children to take care of.” They reached the bottom of the staircase, which faced a wall of family photos. He pointed to a photo of a man and woman with four children. “He’s needed to be with them, I understand that, so I’ve been doing all the traveling. But someday I hope we can split the work again. I’m also trying to figure out ways to do less overseas and more here in the States.”

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The Bachelor's Stand-In Wife

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The Bachelor’s
Stand-In Wife

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The Bachelor's Stand-In Wife

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The Bachelor’s Stand-In Wife

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The Bachelor’s
Stand-In Wife