One-week Wife

Felicity Farnsworth stopped her Toyota Highlander just outside the entrance to Rosedale Farms and took a deep breath to calm her jittery nerves. She dreaded her upcoming encounter with Reed Kelly. But she'd put the meeting off long enough. Now, even if she'd wanted to, she could no longer do so. Not since Madeline Newhouse had insisted her daughter Portia's wedding photos simplyhadto be taken at Rosedale.Felicity was a wedding planner, the owner of Weddings By Felicity, the most successful event-planning business in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Her weddings were all spectacular, and the Newhouse wedding promised to be the most spectacular of all, for Portia was the adored only daughter of Alex Newhouse, the famous actor. And he had decreed that no expense should be spared when it came to his beautiful daughter's wedding.So if Madeline wanted Portia's wedding photos taken at Rosedale, Felicity had to make that happen. Otherwise, she would be risking her hard-won success. And forfeiting the chance to be recommended by Madeline to her wide circle of free-spending friends.Felicity took another deep, steadying breath, released the brake and drove slowly through the arched portal leading into Rosedale. Yet no matter how she cautioned herself to remain calm, her heartbeat picked up speed the closer she got to the main building, which housed Reed's office.Reed.Felicity hadn't seen him since her best friend Emma Dearborn had broken her engagement to him, throwing him over for Garrett Keating. How was Reed taking the breakup? Was he devastated? Maybe he wouldn't want to see Felicity or anyone else associated with Emma. Maybe he hatedallthe Debs who were in Emma's close circle of friends. If he did, Felicity certainly wouldn't blame him.Yet as uneasy as she was about seeing Reed, Felicity couldn't deny an underlying flicker of excitement. It was so ironic that the only man to interest her since her miserable ex of a husband had betrayed her and robbed her blind was Reed. That interest had sparked while Felicity was planning his wedding to Emma, and no matter how Felicity had fought it, telling herself Reed was off-limits, it had refused to go away.But Reed was no longer her best friend's fiance. In fact, Reed was now available.No, I'm not going there. Not, not, not...After her divorce, Felicity had made a promise to herself. She'd vowed to spend her time and energy rebuilding her life and her fortune. Period. Because obviously she had rotten judgment when it came to men. What she'd thought was love on her ex's part had been opportunism, nothing more. He'd used her, and Felicity had no intention of ever being used again.So no matter how attracted to him you are, put sexy, available Reed Kelly out of your mind and stay focused on your goals -- goals that donotinclude marriage or any other kind of permanent commitment to a man.Arriving at the main building, Felicity pulled in and parked. Then she briskly climbed out of her truck, put on her game face and walked up the three shallow concrete steps into Reed's domain."Oh, hi, Ms. Farnsworth."Felicity smiled at the pretty young girl who sat working at a computer in Reed's office. She recognized her as one of his nieces, but wasn't sure which one she was. "Hi. Is Reed around?"The girl -- who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen -- nodded. "He's out back in the stables. Want me to go get him?""No, that's okay. I'll walk back there." Felicity preferred to see Reed alone. Especially if his reaction to her visit was anywhere close to what she feared.Heading back to the stables, Felicity was grateful that the walkway was paved. The last thing she wanted was to ruin her Jimmy Choo mules, which had eaten up a big chunk of her disposable income last month. Shoes were Felicity's big weakness -- some might even say her obsession. Currently she owned more than eighty pairs, and she still kept buyingKay, Patricia is the author of 'One-week Wife ', published 2006 under ISBN 9780373767373 and ISBN 0373767374.