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New York City

D ING ! D ING ! D ING ! “ O RDER up!”

Despite the tantalizing aroma of zesty lasagna waiting to be served, Anthony Reeves cringed, and his teeth clicked as he clamped his mouth shut.

He hated the sound of that irritating bell whenever he was on this side of the kitchen and it wasn’t him ringing the bell.

Anthony had been hired here to cook, not wait on tables while filling in for a tardy waitress.

Where was Eileen Peterson this afternoon, and what excuse did she have for yet again being late?

This was getting old, and Anthony was fed up.

I should say something to Eileen about her tardiness, Anthony told himself.

But I don’t like to be mean, and she may have a legitimate excuse.

Besides, this is not my restaurant, so it’s up to my dad to keep things running smoothly and make sure the help is here on time.

I’m really surprised Pop hasn’t fired Eileen by now.

Maybe he’s softhearted toward her because she does a good job when she’s here waitressing.

Anthony frowned. Of course I do a good job when I’m cooking in the kitchen, and what thanks do I get?

Guess maybe my dad thinks my paycheck every week is all the appreciation I need.

Anthony glanced at the clock, and he focused on the problem of Eileen again.

She was an attractive young woman with russet, shoulder-length hair and expressive brown eyes.

But it wasn’t the young woman’s lovely features that made her a customer favorite here in his parents’ Italian restaurant.

Anthony figured it was a combination of things—Eileen’s attentiveness to their patrons’ needs, the pleasant smile on her face as she conversed with them, a good memory when it came to keeping track of the names of frequent customers, and the fact that she checked in regularly with those at her tables to see if they were satisfied with their meals.

Eileen had also been good about asking if the people she served needed a beverage refill.

There was no doubt about it: She was one of the best waitresses Anthony’s parents had ever hired to work here, and because of that, Eileen received better tips than anyone else on staff.

The young woman’s only downfall was being late more often than she should, which meant someone had to fill in for her.

So today, in addition to waiting on customers due to Eileen’s absence, Anthony was also stuck with clearing off tables, because the busboy who normally worked this shift had called in sick.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Anthony’s father rang the bell with more gusto this time.

Like a dutiful son, Anthony turned his head toward the kitchen and hollered, “I’m coming, Pop! I just need to clear off one more table!”

Anthony saw his petite, dark-haired mother step out from behind the serving area. “Don’t worry about it, Son. I’ll see that the couple sitting at the booth near the front window gets their lasagna right now.”

He nodded and winked. “Thanks, Mom.” If there was one parent Anthony could count on to look after him, it was his mother.

Whenever Pop became cranky or expected too much from Anthony, Mom was there to smooth the waters and fill in as needed.

She had always been a good mother, and Anthony felt grateful.

Some people weren’t so lucky. Pop wasn’t a bad parent, and he’d always worked plenty hard to provide for his family.

But he wasn’t a nurturing kind of man, and often expected more from his children than those who weren’t related to him.

While his mother took care of the customers awaiting their order, Anthony scooped up the dishes and silverware from another table and wiped the tabletop and benches clean. He hauled everything to the kitchen sink so that Sam, the dishwasher, could take care of the job he’d been hired to do.

Anthony had just stepped back into the dining room when their tardy waitress entered the restaurant with slow footsteps and drooping shoulders. “Where have you been?” he asked, approaching her. It was then he noticed Eileen’s disheveled appearance and tearstained cheeks.

Eileen sniffed, and as she dropped her gaze to the floor, her thick lashes swept across the lower rims of her eyes. “S–sorry I’m late. I had a rough m–morning.” Eileen’s chin trembled, and her voice cracked. “My life is over, Anthony. I’m toast.”

Feeling the need to offer the poor girl a bit of support, he gave her shoulder a few gentle taps. “Come on now. It can’t be all that bad.”

She looked up at him, and a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. “A lot you know.”

“You’re right, I don’t know. So let’s go in the break room, and you can tell me all about it.”

She glanced around the room with a panicked expression, and then her gaze went to the clock on the far wall. “I … I can’t. I’m already late for my shift, so—”

Anthony clasped her arm. “It’s all right.

My mom will cover for you—and me as well.

Mom’s good about that kind of thing, you know.

” He peered in his mother’s direction and was pleased when she nodded.

He was glad someone had a little compassion here.

Pop was certainly short on patience. Meanwhile, things in the kitchen were heating up, and Pop was still dinging that infernal bell.

Quickly, Anthony led Eileen to the other room, before his father could say anything inappropriate to either of them. Of course, Anthony figured if Pop were to sound off, it most likely would have been directed at him.

When Eileen took a seat at the small table where employees often sat to eat their meals during breaks, Anthony pulled up a chair beside her. “Now, what happened this morning that brought you to work late and in tears?”

She reached into her denim jacket pocket for a tissue, dabbed the tears beneath her eyes, and blew her nose. “I … I’m pregnant, and when I told Jeff that he’s the father of my unborn child, he called me a liar and fired me on the spot.”

Anthony blinked in succession. “The guy whose kids you’ve been taking care of in the evenings while their mother is pulling night duty at some nursing home?”

“Yeah, but it’s not a nursing home. Jeff’s wife, Penny, is a certified nurse, and she works the night shift at one of the hospitals in the area.

” Eileen paused a minute, drew in a quick breath, and blew it out with a whoosh .

“I used to just stay until Ronnie and Andrea were tucked into bed, but for the last couple of months I’ve been staying longer. ”

“As in overnight—till their mother came home?”

“Uh-huh. There was an attraction between me and Jeff, and even though I fought it, we drew closer. When he declared his love for me, one thing led to another and then …” Eileen’s voice trailed off.

She couldn’t help noticing the defined muscles in Anthony’s cheekbones tighten as his blue eyes flashed with what she assumed was anger.

“Didn’t you have the good sense to realize that the jerk was just playing the ‘I love you’ card in order to get what he wanted?” Anthony waved one hand about, as if to emphasize what he’d said. “Oh, and I’m guessing the guy probably promised that he would leave his wife and marry you.”

She moved her head slowly up and down. “He did—until I told him I was pregnant, at which point he denied we’d ever had an affair.”

“You could get a paternity test to prove that he’s the baby’s father.”

This time she shook her head. “He ordered me out of his house and said if I ever came back or tried to prove that he’d fathered my child, he would call the police.”

“And you believed him?”

“Yes, I was scared. And the truth is, I didn’t want to hurt Jeff’s wife with a scandal.

” Eileen drew her fingers into the palms of her hands until the nails dug into her skin.

“I can’t make it on just what I earn here at the restaurant.

If I even still have a job, that is. I wouldn’t be surprised if your dad fired me for being late again.

” Her last word ended on a sob, and she had to catch her breath before going on.

“As much as I dread the thought of it, there’s only one thing left for me to do. ”

“What’s that?”

“I have to go back to my hometown and plead with my parents to take me in.” Every muscle in Eileen’s slender body quivered. “The only thing is, once they find out that I’m pregnant but not married, they—at least my father—will throw me out.”

Anthony’s long fingers slid though his thick crop of dark, curly hair as he stared at Eileen with an intense gaze. “But if you had a husband, they’d be okay with that, right?”

“Well, most likely, but—”

He smacked his hands together, causing Eileen to nearly jump out of her chair. “So there’s your answer.”

She jerked her head back. “What answer?”

“You need a husband.”

“Yeah, right! Should I take out an ad in the newspaper, asking someone to volunteer to marry me?” She pursed her lips. “That’s a brilliant idea, Anthony. Yeah, a really great one, all right.”

He leaned closer to her and said firmly, “Hear me out on this suggestion before you say anything negative, okay?”

“Go right ahead.”

“I have a two-week vacation coming up, beginning next week, and I can use those days to help you.”

Her auburn brows lifted slightly. “How will that help me?”

“I will pretend to be your husband, and at the end of two weeks, we’ll have a big fight, at which time I shall announce that I made a mistake marrying you, am moving back to the city, and will be getting a divorce.

” Anthony patted her shoulder, as if for emphasis.

Or was it in sympathy of her plight? “Your folks will think I’m a horrible person, of course, but their sympathies will be toward you and the unborn baby.

” He snapped his fingers. “So there you go, Eileen Peterson—end of problem.”

She drummed her knuckles along the tabletop, mulling over Anthony’s very generous but preposterous offer. She couldn’t believe that a man she’d only known a few months would even make such a crazy suggestion.

What should I do? Eileen asked herself. Should I take Anthony up on his unexpected offer or try to find some other solution to my problem?