The Substitute

by Denise Grover Swank

  “And you believed him when he said no?”

  “Actually,” she mused, casting an ornery grin at him. “I don’t think he answered me.”

  “Tricky bastard, aren’t you?”

  Josh figured anything he said at this point would be used against him, so he chose to plead the fifth.

  “Blair, it’s not like that. You don’t even know the story.”

  “Then why don’t you tell it to me, Megan,” Blair said in a snippy tone that rubbed Josh the wrong way. Megan had already put up with a mountain of crap from her mother, princess-themed or not, and she didn’t need more from her supposed best friend.

  “Instead of attacking her,” Josh countered in a deadly calm voice, “why don’t you let her actually explain.”

  Blair gave him a dirty look, but she pressed her lips together and waited.

  Glancing between Josh and her friend with wide eyes, Megan began, “I had a couple of drinks on the plane like you suggested, but I’d taken some Dramamine before boarding.”

  “What were you thinking?”

  “Obviously, I wasn’t,” Megan said, looking embarrassed. “And I passed out on the plane. The flight attendant was going to have me turned over to security, but Josh—who was sitting by me and knew about the reason for my trip—helped me off the plane. But I couldn’t walk and he ended up carrying me. People thought he might be abducting me, so he told them he was my fiancé.”

  “Did he, now?”

  Josh leaned in closer. “I knew her family was meeting her. All I wanted to do was make sure she made it to her mother okay, but her mom heard me say I was her fiancé and they presumed I was Jay.”

  “Oh!” Blair cooed in mock surprise. “You know his name. And you didn’t think to correct them?”

  Josh’s brow furrowed in irritation. “I tried to explain, but I’m sure you’ve met Megan’s mother.”

  Blair crossed her arms. “So you’re telling me that you didn’t have a single opportunity to come out and say ‘Hey! There’s been a colossal misunderstanding. I’m not Jay Connors.’”

  Megan’s eyes flew open. “Shh! Blair! Someone’s going to hear you.”

  Blair shook her head, staring at her friend in disbelief. “This is insane, Megan. I expect something like this from Libby, not you.”

  Josh’s hand curled tighter on Megan’s hip and he pulled her closer. How much shit did she have to endure? First her mother, then this bitch who called herself Megan’s best friend…at least her psycho brother was actually trying to look out for her. Megan’s fiancé—who was sounding more and more like a first class bastard—had cheated on her. Josh already knew that Jay Connors didn’t deserve her, but the pain and humiliation of his betrayal still had to sting. Megan deserved sympathy and comfort from Blair, who obviously knew the truth, not full-blown hostility. Nevertheless, he swallowed his words of defense, even if it left a bitter taste on his tongue. He couldn’t afford to get caught up in this drama.

  Hurt filled Megan’s eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Libby is the impulsive one. Not you. You’re usually sensible and logical.”

  Megan shook her head. “No, Blair. Sensible and logical is you.”

  “So what does that make you?”

  For a moment, he didn’t think Megan was going to say something, but she finally spoke. “After twenty-five years, you really have to ask me that? Maybe you don’t know me so well after all.”

  Blair gave her an exasperated look. “Now is not the time for Teen Glamour personality tests.”

  “No,” Megan said quietly. “It’s not.”

  “So, what? You’re going to marry this guy to avoid a confrontation with your mom?”

  “No! Of course not. He’s going to break up with me. He’s helping me.”

  Blair shot him a look of disgust. “And of course he’s doing it out of the kindness of his heart.”

  “You know,” Josh said, no longer able to keep quiet. “I seem to be the only person around here who’s actually trying to help her instead of tearing her down.”

  Megan gasped and stared up at him, her watery eyes full of gratitude. He squeezed her side to give her reassurance.

  Blair looked like she wanted to strangle him.

  “Megan knows my reasons for helping her. It’s no one’s business but our own. Not even yours.”

  Blair pointed her finger at his chest. “I don’t trust you.”

  Josh lost count of how many times he’d heard that today, a sharp contradiction to everything he’d been told for the past twenty-nine years. Josh was the steady, reliable, trustworthy McMillan boy. The one everyone counted on to be the voice of reason. He was used to everyone trusting him, so it rubbed his pride a bit raw to be treated like a cad. “I can’t control that one way or the other.”

  Blair turned back to Megan. “Do you even know his name?”

  “Josh.”

  “I know that already. Josh what?”

  Megan shot her a leery glance, then shifted her gaze to Josh. Only moments ago, she’d told him that Kevin needed to know as little about him as possible. It was obvious that Blair and Kevin were in communication. If she told Blair, she might ultimately share her information with Megan’s brother. But Josh didn’t want to strip her of any defense she could use with her friend. He nodded.

  “Josh McMillan.”

  Blair stepped closer to him, until her face was mere inches from his. “Well, Josh McMillan, you’ve messed with the wrong person. I’m a divorce attorney, and I specialize in digging up shit on people. By tomorrow night I’ll know everything there is to know about you, including what blood type you are and whether you’ve been circumcised.” Blair turned to Megan and pointed her finger. “And you better not find out the answer to that question first.”

  Megan’s mouth dropped open in horror and…was that guilt he saw in her eyes?

  Message delivered, Blair turned and walked to the bar, calling over her shoulder, “Libby will be here any minute.”

  Megan’s face brightened.

  “I take it Libby is your other best friend?” Josh asked.

  She nodded, still watching Blair. Josh hoped Libby was warmer to their arrangement, because he could tell Blair had instilled some second thoughts in his pseudo-fiancée. It didn’t help matters that he hadn’t gotten her to agree to maintaining the ruse through the evening. He worried Blair would convince her to break it off immediately.

  “Megan.” He took her hand and looked into her deep brown eyes. “Don’t listen to Blair. I’m not here to hurt you.” He smoothed his screaming conscience by telling himself that Megan had her own life in Seattle and her father’s business didn’t affect her. Even if he didn’t quite believe it himself. Maybe the perpetrator was one of Bart’s partners and he’d be doing her father a favor. If Bart Vandemeer was innocent, surely he wouldn’t want to work with a partner who was a thief and a liar.

  She searched his face for something—reassurance that she could trust him? But as he held her gaze, another thought intruded—the memory of kissing her upstairs as her brother approached. His intention had been innocent enough, but the feel of her in his arms…

  Despite the fact that he held her soft, warm hand in his, he knew he needed to keep his hands off her as much as possible, which would be difficult since they were attending what constituted their engagement party. If he were smart, he’d start sowing the seeds of doubt among her family members—hell, her brother was already there—but it might take him a couple of days to get the information he needed. He couldn’t risk being a huge ass and giving her justification in front of her family to break up with him on the spot. In fact, if he were smart, he’d charm them by playing the dutiful boyfriend, ensuring that he could stick around as long as he needed to accomplish his task. The key to making this work for Megan was for her to come out smelling like a rose when the dust settled. Which meant as long as he was the perfect boyfriend, she’d have no justification for ending it. But no doubt about it—he’d ha
ve to tread lightly.

  He dropped her hand. “We probably better get the rest of the candles in the water or your mother is going to have a fit.”

  She started to get back down on the pool deck but he stopped her. “The guests are starting to arrive.” He motioned to the deck. Several middle-aged couples had appeared during their chat with Blair. “We can’t have the bride-to-be sitting at the side of the pool and possibly getting her dress wet.” He offered her a soft smile. “Why don’t you hand them to me and I’ll light them and set them in the water?”

  She gave him a strange look, then her smile turned shy, and she dipped her head to look at the candles. “Okay.”

  They worked silently for nearly half a minute before she said, “Thanks for helping me.”

  He shrugged. “What else am I going to do? Part of the job is keeping your mother happy with you, right?” He looked up at her. “This will make her happy.”

  “Not just this. This.” Her eyebrows arched with her emphasis. “Everything. I’m sorry Blair was so hateful to you. Thanks for standing up to her too.”

  “I never could stand a bully.”

  She looked surprised. “Blair’s not a bully. She’s just worried about me.”

  Josh grimaced and set the next candle in the pool. “She’s your friend, so I won’t butt in, but I think she could have handled it differently…with some compassion.”

  “That’s just how she is. Blair’s more of a confrontational, nip-things-in-the-bud type of person. She’s never been sweet and nurturing.”

  “Like you?” He studied her face, which turned a soft pink as she watched him.

  “How would you know that?”

  He grinned, setting the last candle in the pool before standing in front of her. “Call it a hunch.”

  “Megan!” A woman shouted in a happy voice.

  They both turned to see a dark-haired woman running across the deck, her face lit up with excitement. She wore a gauzy orange and pink skirt and white tank topped with a gauzy button-down shirt, which hung open.

  “Libby!” Megan thrust the empty tray at Josh and ran to her friend, pulling her into a tight hug.

  “I can’t believe you’re here!” Libby shouted, waving and attracting the attention of Kevin and Megan’s grandmother. Blair didn’t even turn around to acknowledge her other supposed best friend, further cementing the title Josh had already assigned to her: bitch.

  Libby pulled out of Megan’s hold and eyed Josh up and down with an appreciative look on her face. Josh already got a better vibe from her, and not just because she’d checked him out and found him worthy. It seemed reasonable to expect she’d be more open to and supportive of his arrangement with Megan.

  But Megan stiffened at Libby’s announcement, an alarmed look on her face, as if it hadn’t occurred to her that Libby would need to be let in on the charade. “Of course I’m here, Libby,” she said loudly. “I’m getting married in three days.”

  Confusion flickered across Libby’s face.

  Megan glanced back at Josh, as if issuing an SOS, and he strolled over to the two women. “Hi, Libby. I’m Josh,” he said, loud enough for her family to hear. “Nice to finally meet you.”

  Libby glanced between the two of them with a slightly open mouth. She lowered her voice when she spoke next. “I thought you broke up with Jay back in April.”

  Megan leaned closer, whispering. “I did.”

  She cocked an eyebrow. “And you’re marrying him instead?”

  “It’s a long story. But this is Josh and my parents think he’s Jay.”

  Libby blinked. “Why do they think he’s Jay if you’re calling him Josh?”

  “Megan!” Her mother waved at her, motioning for her to join the small group of people she was talking to on the deck.

  Megan placed a hand on her friend’s upper arm. “It’s a long story, Libby. I’ll tell you later, but right now I have to greet my mother’s snooty friends. Please, please, please just play along.”

  She moved toward the couples trickling out the back door, leaving Josh with her still-confused friend. The number of guests had increased to about twenty. Bart was talking to three other men, and Josh considered joining them, but he needed to figure out a way to encourage Megan to keep him around longer. If not, he might find himself kicked out before he’d even started investigating. He had a hunch Libby would make a perfect ally.

  “Why don’t we get you a drink?” he asked, motioning to the bar, where Megan’s brother had taken up residence. Apparently all his experience from their grandparents’ parties was being put to use for the evening.

  Half-empty glass in hand, Josh led the way.

  Kevin gave him a measured glare before flashing a smile at Libby. “What can I get for my favorite hippie?”

  Libby rolled her eyes, but her grin neutralized the action. “I’ll take a glass of white wine. And how many times do I have to tell you I’m not a hippie? That generalization would apply more to your sister than to me.”

  Kevin grabbed a bottle of wine and poured a glass. “She works for an environmental nonprofit and that’s the extent of it. You dye your own clothes, grow your own food, and make art out of recycled glass. Hippie.”

  Libby laughed, a happy sound that helped ease some of Josh’s tension over being left alone with Megan’s hostile family and friends. At least not all of them were hostile.

  “Please. I dyed some clothes in high school for an art project, and I have tomato plants in pots on the balcony of my apartment. That hardly qualifies me for a commune.”

  Kevin handed Libby her glass. “But you do make art out of recycled glass. Megan told me about your exhibit. Belated congrats.”

  “Thanks.”

  Though she’d been standing to the side of the bar, listening in on their conversation, Blair finally spoke up, her gaze locked on Josh. “Maybe Megan’s turned vegan or something,” she said with a tight smile. “Has she, Josh?”

  Kevin turned to look at him.

  He froze. Damn her. “No. She definitely hasn’t.” He turned his attention to Kevin. “Have you got any beers back there?”

  “Preference?”

  “Anything alcoholic.”

  Kevin opened a cooler and pulled out a bottle, popping off the top before handing it to Josh.

  “Spending time with your fiancée’s family got you drinking?” Blair asked in a snotty tone.

  “No, it’s not her family.” He took a big swig.

  Libby burst out laughing. “Don’t mind Blair. I don’t think she’s ever approved of any of our boyfriends.” And swooping in to his rescue, she hooked her arm through his and dragged him away from the bar, leading to the other side of the pool which was blessedly absent of guests.

  Josh scanned the deck, which was now dotted with more than three dozen people. He spotted Megan in the center of a small group. He hadn’t known her long, but he could tell the smile on her face was forced.

  Libby looked to see what had his attention, then shot him a grin. “How long have you known Megan?”

  “About eight hours.”

  Libby choked on her wine and began to cough. “I’m sorry. Did you say eight hours?”

  Which was his cue to launch into an abbreviated version of the turn of events.

  “So you’re helping her out of the kindness of your heart?” she asked with a sly grin.

  “Of course. I have a few spare days, so I figured why not?”

  She shook her head. “You’re lying.”

  He’d been accused of as much by Blair and Megan, but the way Libby said it came across differently. His breath caught. What did she know? He took a drink of his beer, seeking out Megan in the crowd. She was caught between two women who were talking nonstop. She held her hand to her face and he couldn’t keep from smiling when he realized she was trying to hide a yawn. Focus, McMillan. Megan’s best friend had just accused him of lying and he was acting like a middle-school boy with a crush. “Why do you say that?”

  “The way
you’re looking at her right now. Like you’ve been fed salad for six months and Megan’s a medium-rare steak.”

  He turned to her, surprised by the anger that smoldered in his gut. “What are you accusing me of? Do you think I’m out to hurt her?”

  “No,” she said, taking another sip of her wine and looking over at Megan. “Quite the opposite. I think you really like her.”

  “So I’m pretending to be her fiancé to get her into bed?” he asked, sounding indignant, though the thought of her in bed with him… Well, now that it was in his head, it would be hard to get it out. Down, boy. Wondering what Megan Vandemeer looked like sans clothes wouldn’t help his case.

  “No, I think you’re helping her out of a difficult situation because there’s a spark between you two and you want the chance to get to know her better.”

  “By pretending to be her fiancé?”

  She shrugged, still grinning at him. “Hey, stranger things have happened.”

  “So you approve?”

  “Wholeheartedly. The guy she was supposed to marry is a cut-throat bastard. Only Megan wore blinders the entire time and refused to see it until she saw more than she ever wanted to when she found him screwing his secretary on his desk.”

  Josh cringed at the mental image, but it bothered him even more to think about what it must have done to Megan. “And how do you know I’m not a cut-throat bastard too?”

  She grabbed the beer out of his hand and set it on a nearby table along with her wine. Then she picked up his right hand and spread out his palm. Her index finger traced the lines. “Your love line. It runs deep and long.” She looked up into his face. “Your love is very strong and loyal. You will probably only truly love one woman and you will fall head-over-heels within a day of meeting her.”

  He chuckled. “That doesn’t sound like me at all.”

  A mischievous glint filled her hazel eyes. “That’s what makes it all the better. You’re not that kind of man.” She traced more lines, smoothing out the pad of his hand with her thumb. “No, you’re usually methodical. You think everything through and have a detailed plan. You’re not prone to that sort of impulsiveness.”