Just One Fake Date: A Contemporary Romance (Flatiron Five Fitness Book 1)

by Deborah Cooke

With horrid warning gaped wide,

  And I awoke and found me here,

  On the cold hill’s side.

  And this is why I sojourn here

  Alone and palely loitering,

  Though the sedge has wither’d from the lake,

  And no birds sing.

  When she’d listened three times, and remembered her mom’s advice, Shannyn knew exactly what she had to do.

  Ty deliberately arrived late for the rehearsal on Friday night, striding into the church when Katelyn and Jared were already at the altar. His mom glared at him, but being late was the best way to avoid her inevitable questions about Shannyn.

  He’d hoped that everyone would be too busy afterward, and excused himself rather than staying for the rehearsal dinner. No one was surprised when he said he had to work, although they did razz him a bit.

  He paced his hotel room, phone in his hand.

  Shannyn didn’t call.

  She wasn’t going to come. He’d given her the out she probably wanted and she was going to take it.

  Ty didn’t sleep well and couldn’t decide whether morning came too early or it had taken an eternity to show up. The only good news was that his mom would be really busy until the happy couple left the reception. By the time he danced with her, Ty hoped he’d have an answer.

  Or at least a good story to tell.

  The church looked great, decked out in pink and white flowers. Jared was nervous but happy. The other ushers teased him, but Ty was quiet. The first guests began to arrive and he helped with the seating, desperately needing something to do other than check his phone.

  When it chimed, he assumed his mom needed him to step up and do something last minute.

  “What do you need?” he said, answering without looking at it.

  “I don’t know which side of the church to sit on,” Shannyn said and the bottom fell out of Ty’s universe.

  “You’re here?” he whispered.

  “We have a deal,” she said, but there was a teasing undertone to her voice that made him hope for more.

  “Where are you?” Ty dropped the programs on a pew and headed for the door. The sunlight was bright after the shadows inside, especially as it reflected off the wide white stone steps in front of the church.

  “On final approach,” she said, then Ty heard a car backfire.

  He heard it through the phone and in real life too. He smiled when he saw a battered Land Rover coming down the street, leaving a haze of smoke behind it. Ty took the steps three at a time and reached the curb just as Aidan pulled in there. The Land Rover backfired again, choked and died.

  “See?” Aidan said to Shannyn, his tone triumphant. “I told you it would make it.”

  “Don’t get towed from a no parking zone on my account,” Shannyn said as Ty opened the door. She looked up at him, her manner suddenly shy. “Hi,” she said and blushed a little. “I just thought you should know that I haven’t loved Cole for a long long time.”

  Ty stared at her, hope making his chest tight.

  “There’s this other guy who stole my heart when I wasn’t looking,” she admitted. “I love surprising him but in the end, he surprised me. I just wanted to celebrate that realization with him last weekend, but I got it all wrong.”

  “I don’t think you got it that wrong.”

  “Is your offer still open?” That she could even wonder meant that Ty had work to do.

  “Always and forever.” He saw her eyes light and opened her door.

  Being Shannyn, of course, she didn’t just step out of the vehicle: she threw herself at him. Ty caught her close and spun her around , feeling her heart pound against his own. He put her down on the steps and stepped back to survey her. She looked fabulous, in a sleeveless dress that was somewhere between navy and purple. He could see her tattoos and the combination, with her silver jewelry and light make-up gave her that arty elegant look he so admired.

  “You’re taller,” he said, surprised.

  She laughed and held up one foot, showing off her shoes, which had high stilettos and red soles. “I thought it would be fun to be in the same zip code for a change,” she said, her eyes dancing with mischief.

  “So, I’m not the only one with plans.” Ty kissed her again. When he finally lifted his head, he put her down on the step above him and looked into her eyes. There was a suspicious glimmer of tears there, but she was a little flushed and looked much happier than she had. “I thought you wouldn’t come,” he admitted.

  “Don’t start underestimating yourself now.” She poked him in the arm and Ty winced. Her eyes narrowed a little. “You’re pretty persuasive, Tyler McKay.”

  “And you, Shannyn Hawke, are full of surprises.”

  She touched his arm again, watching him closely. “What did you do?”

  “I took a chance and got a tattoo to celebrate finding a little yin for my yang,” he admitted, loving how delighted she was.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m not telling.”

  “I want to see.”

  “You’ll have to wait.”

  “I stink at waiting.”

  “Oh well.” Ty laughed at her outrage, then bent to kiss her again.

  Aidan cleared his throat. “There’s the small matter of luggage, my lady,” he said, proving that his British accent needed as much work as his Robin Williams’ impression.

  Ty fished his car keys out of his pocket. He cast them in Aidan’s direction, then bent to capture Shannyn’s lips beneath his own. She locked her arms around his neck and kissed him back, as passionate and welcoming as in his best dreams.

  She was here. She had come.

  And she didn’t love Cole anymore.

  He heard Aidan use the remote to unlock the car, an excellent way to locate it, but didn’t pay much attention as Aidan strode away, swinging Shannyn’s overnight bag.

  When he lifted his head, he was sure there was only one thing missing in his world. “Marry me?” he asked and Shannyn laughed.

  “Yes!”

  Ty caught her close again, feeling lucky and thinking. “You’re concocting a plan,” she accused as he saw Aidan returning.

  “Guilty as charged. What if we go to Harte’s Harbor next weekend to visit your mom? I’d love to meet her, and maybe we can talk about booking the church there for the wedding.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Of course, you want to get married there. If your mom doesn’t mind helping, we should be able to set it up from here.”

  “She’ll love it!” Shannyn gripped his lapels, her manner intent. “We could pick the date now and get it all settled before your mom runs out of weddings to organize.”

  “That’s an excellent plan,” Ty agreed. Aidan tossed him his car keys and they shook hands, Shannyn sharing the news with him. He congratulated them both, then the church bells started to ring. Ty led Shannyn back inside, escorting her to the pew where his sisters were sitting, thinking she was the most radiant woman in the church.

  And she would be his wife.

  Shannyn didn’t think it was possible to be happier than she was. Her heart was racing when Tyler led her into the church and seated her with his family, and she felt like she was walking on air. Her luck really had changed with Tyler in her life, and the sky was the limit. Derek and Paige greeted her with enthusiasm and she managed to ask Derek about fixing up the garage before the service started. Lauren was welcoming and introduced her to Stephanie and Anthony. Katelyn and Jared waved from further down the pew. She felt surrounded by a new family and excited about the future.

  When they left the church and the couple returned for pictures, Shannyn called her mom to share the news. She could tell that Tyler and her mom were going to get along perfectly—her mom was excited that they were coming to visit and immediately ready to make plans for the wedding.

  “Just immediate family and friends, Mom. Tyler is tired of big weddings.”

  “I’ll call Mark tonight and check on the availability o
f the church,” her mom said. Of course, there was only one church in Harte’s Harbor. “And we can book the church hall for the reception. If a buffet is fancy enough for you, the ladies of the church will cater it.”

  “Of course, it’s fancy enough. That would be great, Mom.”

  “It will be nice. They’re very good. And I’ll get started on your dress.”

  “Mom!

  “I couldn’t make you one before, but this time is different. Let it be my gift to you.”

  Shannyn smiled as her mom began to review possible dates. She and Tyler began texting about the arrangements and she was surprised by how quickly everything came together.

  As if it was meant to be.

  Shannyn thought it probably was. She also sent a message to Kirsten who answered even though she was on her honeymoon and asked her to be her maid of honor. Shannyn suspected that half of the wedding guests heard Kirsten’s enthusiastic agreement.

  By the time Tyler’s duties as groomsman were completed, the entire day was almost arranged. Shannyn confirmed the details with him as they danced, and they made a plan for renovating the house. Lisa and Mrs. P. hadn’t moved yet, but they could start on the kitchen as well as the garage, then do the second floor afterward.

  Shannyn floated to the ladies’ room when Grandma Trixie demanded that Tyler dance the Macarena with her.

  The ladies’ room had a restroom first, with chairs and mirrors. A double doorway opened into the tiled space beyond with stalls, sinks and more mirrors. It was decorated in silver and charcoal grey and was quite elegant. Shannyn passed another woman on her way through the carpeted outer room and they nodded at each other. She heard the outer door close when she entered the tiled space and found Tyler’s sister Stephanie there alone.

  She looked as if she’d been crying, and they couldn’t have been happy tears. She was dabbing at her mascara even as her tears flowed. Shannyn pretended not to notice, but just said hello. When she came back out of the stall, Stephanie was still there. Shannyn chose a sink further down and washed her hands. She wished she could help, although they didn’t know each other well yet.

  “We’ve hardly spoken to each other,” Stephanie said, obviously making an effort to be polite.

  “No, we haven’t, but weddings are so busy. This is a big one, too.” Shannyn touched up her lipstick, giving the other woman time to speak if she wanted to.

  Stephanie took a deep breath. “It was really brave of you to let my mom know that you don’t want kids,” she said, all in a rush. When Shannyn glanced at her, Stephanie bit her lip and her tears started to flow again.

  Shannyn suddenly had a very definite idea what was wrong. “Well, it was easier than admitting that I can’t have them,” she said quietly

  Stephanie looked at her with surprise.

  “It’s true. But whenever I tell people the truth, they want to make suggestions and that just makes it so much worse.” Shannyn smiled a little. “I suspect Tyler came honestly by his desire to fix things, so it seemed simpler to say I didn’t want kids.”

  Stephanie smiled a little. “He does. My mom...”

  “Your mom is happy, and she wants all of you to be happy, too. It only makes sense that she wants each of you to have all the things that give her joy.”

  “That’s a really kind way of looking at it.”

  “I don’t think she’s unkind. I think she loves you all very much.”

  Stephanie blinked rapidly then looked at Shannyn. “You really can’t have kids?”

  Shannyn exhaled. It never got easier to talk about it, even for a good cause. “My ex and I tried for our entire marriage. We went for fertility counseling and the whole works. Well, except surrogates.” She didn’t talk about those two lost babies. She just couldn’t. Her throat was already tight. “The thing was that we ended up forgetting why we were together in the first place.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. I wouldn’t have been able to fall in love with Tyler if I was still married to Cole.”

  “You really love him.”

  Shannyn nodded, still amazed by the power of the love she felt for Tyler. “It’s not just anyone who could convince me to give marriage another try.”

  “He’s pretty stubborn.”

  “It works just fine because I am, too.” Shannyn took a step closer. “But here’s the thing. My mom never had kids: my brother and I are adopted. And my dad died when Aidan and I were both little.”

  “Oh, that’s sad.”

  “It is, but my mom isn’t a sad person. She believes in celebrating every good thing that comes to you. She savors everything, appreciates it, and makes it last as long as she can. She never takes anything for granted, and that was the lesson I forgot with Cole.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I was so fixed on the idea of a child that I forgot to take care of my marriage. I’m not sure if I could have saved our partnership alone, or if he would have met me halfway, but we were happy when we got married and we lost that along the way. We forgot to appreciate what we already had, and so we lost it, chasing something else. When we didn’t end up with a child, there was nothing else left.”

  “That’s really sad.” Stephanie took a shaking breath and averted her gaze, her voice softening. “I had a miscarriage the week before last.”

  “Did you go to the doctor and have everything checked?”

  She nodded. “Just one of those things, they said, like it was no big deal.” She frowned and shook her head. “We weren’t even trying. We’d talked about trying after I finished grad school, but we haven’t been as diligent about birth control.”

  “It’s nice to be spontaneous,” Shannyn said. “Intimate.”

  “Exactly. I was keeping track of my cycle, but not really closely, and then I missed my period. I kind of freaked out because I thought it was too soon, but then Anthony was excited and I started to be, too. We were planning where we’d put the crib and picking out names, and he was helping me eat exactly right. It was really sweet and then...”

  “How far along were you?”

  “Three months. I was going to tell Mom this weekend.” She blinked quickly as her tears rose again. “But I can’t tell her this. I just can’t.”

  Shannyn nodded, then put a hand on Stephanie’s shoulder. The other woman gripped her fingers. “A lot of women have miscarriages and even stillbirths. Your mom might have, too. She might understand perfectly what you’re feeling.”

  “Maybe. I don’t know. Maybe the next time I come home, when it’s less raw. Or maybe if I conceive again, I’ll tell her. I don’t know. I just want to cry and cry right now.”

  “Part of that’s hormones, you know.”

  Stephanie looked down at the floor. “I feel like it’s my fault.”

  “I doubt it was. It’s common enough that I think it just happens.” Shannyn reached out and touched Stephanie’s wedding ring. “You know, we all want everything. We all want all the good stuff and that’s okay. It’s ambition. Maybe it’s even hope.”

  “Maybe it’s just greed,” Stephanie said, smiling for the first time.

  “Maybe. But I’m going to guess that you love Anthony.”

  “Oh my God, yes.”

  “And so you’ve already got more than a lot of people. You’re young, healthy and married to the man you love, who also loves you. He’s got a good job. You’re going to school. Your family is nearby and they’re all healthy. You’re already pretty lucky.”

  Stephanie nodded, her manner thoughtful. “You’re right.”

  “So, don’t drop what you have while you reach for something else. I made that mistake, so don’t make it, too.” Shannyn knew she’d almost made it again and could have lost Tyler.

  “Okay. That’s good advice. Thank you, Shannyn.” Stephanie gave her a hug. She was tall, if not as tall as Tyler, and Shannyn couldn’t help but noticing the difference in their heights.

  “I’m definitely the shrimp in this crowd,” she said with
a smile.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” Stephanie said. “I see how happy Tyler is with you, and I’m so glad.”

  “Me, too.”

  “Mom will come around. You’ll see.”

  Shannyn hoped so. They hugged again and Shannyn stepped back. “I’d better go before they decide we’re plotting something nefarious in here.”

  Stephanie’s smile was brighter this time. “I’ll be just a minute.”

  They hugged again and Shannyn dried her own tears as she left Stephanie alone. To her surprise, when she rounded the corner to the outer room, Colleen was standing there silently. She must have come in at the same time the other woman had left. She’d obviously listened to the conversation, because she looked like she was fighting tears of her own. Colleen’s throat worked, then she mouthed the words ‘thank you.’ She reached out a hand and Shannnyn took it, giving her fingers a squeeze so that Stephanie wouldn’t be able to see her move.

  Colleen’s gaze clung to hers for a long moment, and Shannyn knew then that everything would be just fine with her new mother-in-law. They squeezed each other’s hands, then Shannyn continued to the outer door. She glanced back to see Colleen took the step to talk to her daughter.

  Ty was watching for her and Shannyn walked straight to him and into his arms, closing her eyes as he folded her against his chest. “Everything okay?” he asked with concern.

  “I think it’s just fine,” she said, her words husky.

  “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” he whispered.

  “I have no idea. Probably not.” She took a deep breath of his cologne and slid her hands under his jacket and across his back. “You never think dirty.”

  He chuckled. “I often think dirty. I just don’t tell you about it.”

  “You should.”

  “Careful what you wish for.”

  Shannyn tipped her head back to survey him. “You don’t scare me, McKay.”

  He smiled down at her. “I know. That’s part of your appeal, Hawke.”

  “So, what were you thinking?”

  “Let’s go home tonight instead of staying here.”

  “What are you calling home? Your place or mine?”