The Great Baby Caper Read Online Free Page B

“You know, I
don’t know. Money, most likely. Anyway, M. Billingham is about to retire from
active leadership in the firm. In fact, I’ve just learned that he’s about to
select his successor.”
    “Really? Might you be in line for
the post?”
    She laughed. “Yes, if I can ‘bag
my kill.’”
    He grimaced. “I beg your pardon?”
    “You see, M. Billingham is . . .
well, something of an eccentric. He has ordered a scavenger hunt in order to
select his successor.”
    He gave an incredulous laugh. “A
scavenger hunt? Why, how peculiar.”
    “My thought exactly, but
unfortunately, my boss is certifiable, a madman with a long history of bizarre
practical jokes. To make a long story short, he simply refuses to listen to
reason. He has ordered me and three male colleagues out on the streets here, to
hunt up whatever ‘items’ his demented mind has managed to conjure up. The first
man—or woman, in this case—to successfully complete his mission wins the
promotion.”
    “Well, I’ll be deuced. What
exactly did this old imbecile ask you to do?”
    “That’s where you have to promise
not to laugh.”
    He solemnly crossed his heart. “On
my honor.”
    She sighed. “I’ve been ordered to
find the most eligible bachelor in the French Quarter willing to marry me . . .
by morning.”
    His reaction was predictably
extreme. First he choked on his drink. Then he burst out laughing.
    “You promised!” Courtney accused,
though with good humor.
    Still half choking, half laughing,
he pulled off his glasses and wiped away tears. “Sorry! But, great Scot, you
cannot possibly be serious. Your boss is trying to force you to wed a
stranger? Why, that’s the most outlandish scheme I’ve ever heard of.”
    “Tell me about it.”
    He glanced up at her then, and
Courtney struggled not to gasp as she found herself staring into the stranger’s
brilliant blue eyes, eyes that were so much more vibrant than she’d first
thought. Excitement and a second spark of recognition swept over her. It seemed
downright criminal that any man could be so handsome. And still he seemed
hauntingly familiar to her. Had she met or seen him somewhere before?
    “Miss?” he asked, regarding her
with concern. “Are you all right?”
    Courtney felt herself blushing in
stark contrast to her usually self-possessed nature. “Oh, it’s nothing. It’s
just that—well, you have such vivid eyes.”
    He wagged a finger at her. “If I
didn’t know better, I’d swear you were flirting with me.”
    Courtney smiled. Unexpectedly, she
found she was having a lot of fun with this stranger. “Could be. But that
doesn’t solve my dilemma, does it?”
    “No, it doesn’t. And just how were
you planning to solve it?”
    She bit her lip. “Well, I guess I
need to find someone—a man, that is—to help me.”
    “Ah, yes,” he murmured drolly, “a
male of the species. They do sometimes come in handy, I suppose.”
    Liking him more by the moment, she
gathered her courage. “Will you do it?”
    “ Me ?” He appeared
astonished.
    She nodded solemnly.
    He leaned closer, eyeing her
almost raptly, his seductive scent filling her lungs. “Do you mean, will I
marry you?”
    His question was so wry and
disarming that she choked out a laugh. “No, no, silly, I mean, would you be
willing to pose as my fiancé, just for a little while, so I can—”
    “Bag your promotion?” he politely
supplied.
    “Well, yes. You’re pretty quick on
the uptake, aren’t you?”
    “I suppose I am. So you’re just
enlisting me in a sort of—acting assignment?”
    “Precisely. Well put.”
    “But are you sure our pretending
will be enough?”
    Although his words sparked a stab
of doubt, she squared her shoulders with bravado. “Sure, why not? After all,
the old man is crazy, and has a short attention span. As long as I show up with
a warm male body, I’m sure everything will be fine. So . . . will you do it?
Will you help me out?”
    He scowled over this for a