by Jillian Dodd
She takes a drink of tequila, closes her eyes, leans back, and says with a sigh, “Thank you, Carter.”
A few moments later, she’s asleep.
With her head on my shoulder.
A little bridal freak out.
Vale
I got a little reprieve on the flight, but as we drive the hour from the airport to my family’s farm, I get more questions from Carter, most of them about the wedding.
I finally just start flashing him my sister’s Pinterest board, full of wedding details. I figure it might bore him to death, but I should know better. Carter is a details guy.
“Why are you going home again if you’re so miserable?” he asks.
“Because I love my sister. And I’m the maid of honor. I haven’t been around as much as I should have been, and she’s always looked up to me. When she called to tell me she got engaged, she told me she was happy, but was worried she’d end up like our sisters. I handled that conversation well. I’ve been trying since then to find a date to the wedding. I’ll be honest, I basically called every guy I knew. They all said no. And because of it, although I know it’s terrible of me, I actually considered not showing up—to cancel on my baby sister at the last minute.”
“What changed your mind?”
“She called me again late last night, really upset. It wasn’t a little bridal freak-out. This was about her future. Well, really, about AJ’s future. His father is basically forcing him to not take on an agent. He says it’s ridiculous to pay an agent when his uncle is an attorney who can look over any contract he needs and will only charge him his standard hourly rate. I need you to take care of AJ somehow so that my little sister is taken care of. If that all even makes sense.”
He reaches out and softly squeezes my hand. It’s hard for me not to react to his comforting gesture.
“So, you’re not just in this for yourself?”
“Not entirely. And it’s the real reason we need to pretend to be engaged. If we are, it would make you family too. My parents want my sister to come home. They think AJ playing professional football is a pipe dream. That he will get hurt and won’t be able to support her kind of thing. I think it’s more that they want her back home.
“Sounds crazy, but it was a big deal that she even went to college. It took guts for her to stand up to my parents. It’s like they are stuck in a ’50s time warp as far as a woman’s role is concerned.
“I’m proud of all my sisters, but she and I are the most alike. She’s beautiful too, Carter. Way prettier than I am. And smart. So smart. She’s graduating with honors in May. AJ graduated in December. They wanted to get married now, so after her graduation they would be able to focus on getting settled wherever he ends up getting drafted.”
“You know, you could have just told me that. I would have agreed to this crazy scheme a lot faster.”
“Yeah, I know,” I say with a grim smile. “But I needed to know where we stood first.”
CHAPTER THREE
No pressure.
Vale
“Hold on a minute.” Carter looks at me before looking out the car window again. “Did I just see your family’s name on that bank?”
I want to slump down in my seat and cover my eyes. “Yes, you did.”
“Is that your family? The Martins? A pretty common name after all.”
“Nope. It refers to my family.”
“Your family owns the bank?”
His jaw is almost on the floor at this point, and I have to wonder why. It isn’t like his family hasn’t done well for themselves.
“Yes, they do.”
“They. Not we?”
“I don’t consider myself part of it.”
“Wait. The feed store has your name on it too.” He glances back over his shoulder as we pass.
“Yes. And the car dealership, the farm equipment dealership, the grocery store …”
“You led me to believe you were from a farming family.”
“I am. Only my father didn’t want to stop at farming.”
“Evidently. I need to change my expectations.” He glances my way. “Anything else I need to know?”
“Other than the fact that my family owns half the town and they expected me to stick around and help work at one of their many businesses?”
“I’ve got you. You have nothing to worry about.”
And for a second, I can almost believe him. Carter can make anything happen. He’s magic.
I mean, he managed to make me consider settling down, which was something I’d never expected. It was always what I’d thought I didn’t want.
So, maybe he can get me through this long weekend.
Yet as soon as we cross through town and I start noticing little landmarks signaling the last few miles before reaching the farm, I start tapping my foot nervously.
He notices. “You okay?”
“I’ve walked runways all over the world. I’ve walked red carpets. I’ve visited places I never dreamed I’d step foot in.” I laugh a little at myself. “Why am I so freaked out about coming home?”
“It’s been a long time. It’s only natural.”
I point down a dirt road jutting off to the right. “That leads to the fishing hole. I had a lot of fun down there as a kid. We all did.”
“You fished?”
I laugh. “There are other things to do at a fishing hole besides fish. It was where we’d hang out at night. Party. Drink. That kind of thing.”
“You’ll have to show it to me while we’re here,” he says, and it kills me. There’s a flirty tone in his voice. One my whole body reacts to.
We were always good together—no, better than good. The best sex I’d ever had—no doubt about it. When you threw the feelings I had for him into the mix, it elevated things even more.
Now, I have to somehow put that behind me while still pretending we’re deeply, madly in love. But it’s fake love.
He told me himself—I’m not the girl for him.
I clear my throat, pointing farther down the road. “My brother, Blake, once broke his leg after jumping out of that hayloft.”
“He’s the troublemaker, right? I remember you telling me a story about him once. Compared him to my youngest brother, Cash.”
“He was as a kid, for sure. And he probably hasn’t changed his ways much. But to my dad? He’s the golden child. The only boy. If he wasn’t so charming and lovable, I might hate him. But it’s impossible.”
“What about the rest of the family?” Carter asks.
“There’s my oldest sister, Brooke. She’s married to Jake, who runs the car dealership, and they have four-year-old Sophie, who is the flower girl in the wedding. Second is Raine. She’s married to Seth. He oversees the farming, and they have twin babies, Skylar and Sebastian, who are just over a year old. Then, there’s me, Blake, and the bride, Lakelyn.”
“Big family.”
“Not as big as my parents would like. Prepare yourself to be asked how many kids we want and when we’ll start having them.”
“And what will we say to that?”
“Hmm. I suppose just that we’ve decided to wait a little while. Enjoy being together.” I look at him. “Is that okay?”
“Why not?” he says. “It’s not real anyway.”
I take in a calming breath and know I’m going to need to keep reminding myself of that all weekend. There’s no time to worry about it though since the car’s rounding the last bend in the road. The sight of the house kicks off a stinging sensation behind my eyes, like I’m about to cry.
“Here we are,” I whisper.
Gonna go wild.
Carter
It’s safe to say that Vale’s childhood home is nothing like I envisioned.
There is a fenced-off plot of land that stretches as far as the eye can see. The house does have the country charm I was expecting with a wraparound porch, but its architecture is more Southern plantation than Midwest farmhouse.
There are towering maple trees lin
ing the drive and one with a tire swing in the front lawn.
Off to the right is a beautiful red barn, which seems to be the center of activity.
“The couple’s shower is taking place in the barn,” Vale explains. Her voice has a faint, faraway quality to it, like she’s saying one thing but deep in thought over something else.
“Are you okay, Vale?” I ask her, noticing how pale she looks.
She draws a deep breath, and I notice that her hands are trembling in her lap. I cover them with one of mine as I park the car behind a number of others.
“It’s a lot,” she admits in a soft voice. “I haven’t been here in so long. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to act?”
She looks at me, tears filling her beautiful eyes. She’s worlds away from the confident, sophisticated, sexy woman I know. I wish I didn’t want so badly to make her hurt go away. I wish every protective instinct didn’t roar to life inside me. But it does.
“You’re doing this for your sister,” I murmur, holding her hands tight. “You’re going to get through this because you love her. I’m not emotionally involved with your family, so right now, you have my permission to blame it all on me. Anything you need, I can take it. And I’ll be right beside you.”
“Thanks,” she says, pressing her lips against my cheek. “You’re one of the good ones, Carter. I really appreciate you doing this for me.”
“You can get through this,” I mutter softly, but as we get out of the car, I have to wonder if I’ll be able to get through all this. It’s going to be way too easy for me to pretend like I’m in love with this girl.
Moments later, we’re surrounded by people.
“They’re here!” A younger brunette with blonde highlights throws her arms around Vale. “Thank you for coming,” she squeals, squeezing tight.
I’m guessing she’s the bride-to-be.
Two more brunettes follow close behind. They have to be her two older sisters. They definitely share a family resemblance.
Meanwhile, a bunch of guys are already shaking my hand, asking if we need help with the bags and whether we had any trouble getting in. I can hardly answer one before another asks a question.
“Whew!” A young man with the same good looks as the rest of the family whistles at the rental car we got at the airport—a Range Rover SUV. “Nice car.”
Vale gives the guy a hug and says to me, “This is my brother, Blake.”
Then, she introduces me to her sisters and brothers-in-law. Meanwhile, a little girl—who I assume is Sophie—runs circles around us, jumping up and down and shouting with excitement.
I should be used to this. My family is the same way.
But I have to pretend to be something I’m not—Vale’s fiancé.
Why did I agree to this again?
Oh yeah, because she was on her knees on my front porch. Because she looked so good. So sincere. And because I still love her even though she broke my heart.
“Sis, you’re looking good.” Blake slings an arm around her shoulders and steers her toward the barn, waving me on along with them. “BTO is gonna go wild when he sees you.”
“BTO?” I ask.
“Oh, sorry,” Blake says. “BTO is Big Trent Orlitz. High school friend of all of ours. Been calling him that for so long that, sometimes, I forget he has a real name.”
Trent. Is that the ex-boyfriend?
I can’t seem to help the jealousy I feel for any other man, going wild when he sees Vale.
But she isn’t mine. Not really.
At least, not yet.
I just have to keep my eye on the goal. And in this case, the goal isn’t what she thinks it is—signing AJ. The goal is getting through this weekend without my heart getting in the way. But I still want her. And I know that I probably owe her the truth.
CHAPTER FOUR
We’re engaged. Yay!
Vale
“Vale.” My mom just about smothers me the second I’m close enough.
I hate to admit it, but it feels good. I didn’t know until now just how much I’d missed being hugged by my mother. And I have to fight back the tears.
She’s hardly aged a day—or so it seems. There are a few more crinkles around the eyes, a little bit of gray at the temples, but otherwise, she’s the same sweet-faced, smiling mother I left behind when I decided to get the hell out of this town.
“Hi, Mom,” I manage in spite of the tightness in my throat.
“Look at you.” Her face is glowing as she holds me at arm’s length, looking me up and down. “You’re more beautiful than I remembered. You’ve been eating and taking care of yourself?”
“Of course, I have.” I roll my eyes.
“Mom, come on.” Lakelyn hugs me from behind. I think she was really worried I wouldn’t show up. She has no idea how close I came to backing out. “She just got here. You can’t hog her.”
My adorable four-year-old niece, Sophie, hops up and down next to me, curls bouncing. “I’m gonna be the flower girl!”
“I heard, sweetie! I can’t wait to see your dress!”
“It’s bea-u-ti-ful,” she says happily. But then she looks at me. “You’re my auntie, but Mama says you never come home. Is it because you don’t like us?”
I bend down next to her, my eyes filling with tears, knowing all that I’ve missed out on because of my father. “I love you. I’m just, um, really busy with my job.”
“Okay,” she says, smiling at me and apparently letting me off the hook. “You’re pretty. And I’m pretty too,” she says, twirling around and making the skirt of the dress she’s wearing fly around her. She looks at me and orders, “Spin.”
“Uh …”
“You don’t have to spin,” Lakelyn says, “but you’d better have remembered your dress.”
“I’m nothing if not an efficient packer,” I tell her as Sophie gets bored with our conversation and skips away. “And as maid of honor, my job is to take care of you.”
“Get ready to be put to work then. We have so much to get done.” Mom’s voice takes on the no-nonsense tone I remember. She always gets this way when she’s busy and in charge. “The food for the shower is still up in the kitchen. Drinks too. They need to be brought down. Your sisters are decorating and might need a hand. I think we’ll need more chairs too …”
“Mom, you’re making me dizzy.” I laugh. “Besides, there’s someone I’d like you to meet before I dive in.”
Carter’s standing just to my left.
I reach out a hand and draw him closer. “This is Carter Crawford. Carter, this is my mother, Sarah.”
She touches a hand to her chest while looking him up and down. “Oh my goodness, you’re very handsome.”
“Mom!” I laugh.
Carter takes it well. “Thank you, Mrs. Martin. It’s lovely to meet you. I can certainly see where Vale’s good looks come from.”
Her cheeks flush. “I like him.” She laughs, looking at me.
“I knew you would.” I lean against him, letting my head touch his shoulder. It comes natural before I realize I’m supposed to be pretending. Honestly, it won’t be much of a stretch to pretend to love Carter.
“It is so good to have you here,” she gushes, touching his arm. “Please make yourself at home.”
“Vale!”
I have no time to respond or to even know who shouted my name before I’m swept up in a pair of thick, muscular arms and twirled around in a circle.
“Damn, girl, you look good enough to eat! Traveling the world seems to have treated you well!”
Not until I’m on my feet, but still in his arms do I recognize Trent Orlitz. “Small-town life has treated you well too.” I laugh, a little breathless.
He’s looking pretty darn good himself. He’s as tall and broad-shouldered and handsome as ever, but he’s filled out even more and looks less like the boy I left and more like a man.
But he doesn’t make my heart flip the way Carter does.
He pushes a lock of bl
ack hair away from his forehead, looking me up and down in a very obvious way. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again. I almost couldn’t believe it when I heard you were Lakelyn’s maid of honor.”
“Well, wonders never cease,” I manage with a faint laugh. Faint because I can just about feel Carter boring holes into Trent—and into me by virtue of the fact that we’re standing so close together.
I take a step back, reaching for Carter. “Trent, this is Carter Crawford, my—”
“What is that?” Lakelyn squawks, grabbing my left hand and holding it close to her face.
“Vale!” my mother gasps. “Is that what I think it is? Are you two—”
“We’re engaged. Yay!” I announce. Not the way I expected to announce it, but nothing ever goes quite right when it comes to my family, so I really shouldn’t be surprised.
“You’re getting married?” Mom just about faints on the spot while Lakelyn squeals and calls my sisters over to take a look.
Trent looks slightly stricken, but Blake claps Carter on the back and offers him a celebratory beer.
For a moment, I can almost get caught up in it. The excitement, the thrill of it, hugging, and answering questions.
Until …
“What’s this? You got engaged and didn’t tell your family?”
Boom. Moment over.
I turn slowly, knowing what I’ll find.
The same tall, burly, imposing man whose eyes are still as sharp and intimidating as ever.