When Lightning Strikes Read Online Free PDF

there—”
    “The wife would have to be someone we trust,” she conceded,
“someone who has no appetite for fame and no interest in pursuing the Hollywood
crowd.”
    “Someone who appears dutiful and devoted,” he added.
    He was starting to see the potential, which ignited a flame of
excitement in Gail. What she was picturing could work, even for someone as far
gone as Simon. “The public will eat it up. Who doesn’t enjoy a good love
story—especially one in which beauty tames the beast?”
    He hesitated as if tempted, but ultimately shook his head. “No.
What’re we thinking? That’s crazy. Even if we could find the ideal lady, Simon
would never agree to this. He’s had enough of women—er, marriage. That ex-wife
of his ran his heart through a meat grinder.”
    Gail propped her hands on her hips. “And he didn’t do the same
to her?”
    “Maybe he did. But he never used their son as a weapon against
her, like she’s doing to him. He hasn’t been able to see Ty for weeks. And
there’s a lot more you don’t know, because Simon refuses to make her look bad.
He’s taking full responsibility for the breakup of the marriage, even though
she’s no gem.”
    “I’m glad to hear you think her actions are reprehensible, since destroying someone’s business doesn’t seem to
bother your conscience. At least you have your limits.”
    He made a face at her. “You asked for what I did. You left
Simon in the lurch, then compounded the problem by opening your big mouth.”
    “He showed up at his ex-wife’s drunk and tried to bust into her
house!”
    “Because he wanted to see his son!”
    “And accomplished just the opposite. Now she has a restraining
order against him.”
    “What she’s doing hurts Ty as much as Simon. Ty has to be
wondering where the hell his daddy is, and that tears Simon up. Anyway, Simon’s
ex isn’t the one who’s paying my bill, so I’ll let someone else worry about
what’s best for her.”
    “Right now no one is paying your
bill,” Gail reminded him. “If you want Simon back, you’re going to have to make
him an offer, show him a way out of the mess he’s in.”
    “And you think a fake marriage is the ticket?” Suspicion
entered his eyes. “Or are you setting me up for failure?”
    Gail spread her hands wide. At this point, she wanted them all
to regain their footing, even Ian, so they could move on. “I’m not setting you
up. To prove it, I’ll handle all the PR for this myself, free of charge.”
    “Which includes…”
    “I’ll get the information into the hands of key people,
position it as one of the best-kept secrets in town that Simon has a new love
interest. Everyone will be salivating to learn who the lucky girl is. Meanwhile,
you can find the best candidate. Once that happens, I’ll sell the exclusive to People, and he can use those funds to pay her if
he wants.” Satisfied that she’d come up with the perfect fix, she raised her
hands palms up. “Or Chelsea could take my idea and run with it.”
    “No way,” he said, shaking his head. “Why would Pierce Mattie
be willing to get involved in this, to put their reputation on the line?”
    “The money? Or the challenge—”
    “No way. They’d never go along with it.” He cracked his
knuckles.
    “Then I’ll do it, like I said.”
    “That’s better. But how am I supposed to find an innocent woman
in the circles Simon’s been hanging out with lately? He’s so afraid he’ll
actually be tempted to trust someone he’s sworn off all women except the most
jaded and easy. You’re the only one he knows who—” His head jerked up. “That’s
it!”
    Gail wasn’t sure why, but she took a step back. “What’s
it?”
    “ You’ll be his wife. That way even
Chelsea won’t have to know. It’ll stay between us. The three of us.”
    “You’re not serious....”
    “Of course I am. It’s got to be someone he knows or people will
see this as the ruse it is. Besides, you owe us, and you need the