Maybe It's Real

  “I didn’t break up with her. And you should know…we weren’t really dating in the first place. Chloe was my fake girlfriend.”

  What the hell just came out of his mouth?

  Janet and Bruce stared at him.

  “What?” Janet said.

  “Um. She was sort of a fake girlfriend. Rather than an actual girlfriend.”

  More silence.

  “Is she an escort, son?” Bruce asked delicately.

  “No,” Owen said. “She was doing me a favor.”

  “A favor?” Janet’s eyes narrowed on him. “What kind of favor—” She broke off with a horrified gasp. “The favor was keeping the crazy mother-in-law off your back, wasn’t it?”

  “Mom—”

  “I’m a monster. I drove my boy into a life of deception with my overbearing machinations. In a desperate bid to avoid having me set you up with someone, you talked this poor woman into pretending to be your girlfriend. Is that what you did, Owen? Is that what I did?”

  Owen looked to Bruce for help, but the old man gave him nothing. “Yes? Wait, no. It was Chloe’s idea. I mean, yes I threw you her name when you said I needed to bring a date, but when she found out about it, she said she’d come along and act the part.”

  “You’re telling Tyler,” Janet said. “I refuse to do it. He’s scaring me. You call him, and you tell him that you’re ruining the seating plan. And it’s my fault. But don’t tell him it’s my fault. Keep that to yourself until after the wedding.”

  “I don’t need to call Tyler, Chloe’s coming, it’s all fine. The seating plan is fine.”

  “Then why would you say you broke up? Are you torturing me for forcing you into this sordid romantic deception? Is that what’s happening here?”

  “I didn’t say we broke up. You were the one talking about breaking up. I merely said she was my fake girlfriend because, I guess, lying to you guys has been bugging me. But it’s not fake anymore.”

  “What are you—”

  “I love her, Mom. I love Chloe.”

  Janet flopped back in her seat, a delicate hand pressed to her sternum.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t want to spring it on you, not right before Tyler’s wedding, but you’d know. I can’t hide it.” According to Jim, Chloe couldn’t, either. “It’s only fair to give you some warning at least, so you’d have a chance to react, to—”

  His words cut off as Janet grabbed his face, tipped it down, and planted a smacking kiss on his forehead. She wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and squeezed, shaking him from one side to the other.

  “Help me,” Owen choked at Bruce.

  “I’m an old man in a wheelchair, boy. The hell am I supposed to do? You’re on your own.”

  Owen didn’t waste time trying to extract himself. He submitted to Janet’s affection until she saw fit to let him go. He dreaded seeing tears in her eyes, so like May’s, but there were no tears. Nothing but determined delight.

  “Good,” she said, sat back, picked up her coffee and took a dainty sip.

  That was…easier…than he’d anticipated.

  “Does she love you too?” Janet asked. “Of course she does. Is it serious? Well, yes, of course it is. Tell me everything.”

  “It’s been a long day, so maybe not everything?”

  “Give me the highlights.”

  “I met her and I liked her. I got to know her and I fell in love. I want to be with her. I want her in my life for good, even though I’m not the best bet in the world. The right thing is to end it before anyone gets hurt. I’ve been struggling with that for a while now, but as it turns out, I’m a selfish bastard. And Chloe’s not the sort of woman who lets other people decide what’s best for her and what isn’t. She knows what my life is like. If she’s willing to take a chance on me, who am I to talk her out of it?”

  Janet didn’t smile back at this last bit. Her gaze flickered to Bruce, who said, “Why are you not a good bet?”

  Owen shrugged. “The job. My emotional unavailability. I don’t know. I don’t know if any woman will put up with me long term, but Chloe’s worth the effort. I’ll try to be good enough.”

  “You don’t need to try, you are good enough,” Janet said fiercely.

  “Where on earth would you get the fool idea you aren’t good enough for the long term?” Bruce said, looking pissed. His expression shifted. “Ah. Is this about May?”

  Owen took a moment to answer. How could he say anything to them about May? Bad enough he’d confessed his love for another woman. He wasn’t going to break their hearts with the revelation about his and May’s failed marriage, not right before their son’s wedding.

  “Owen,” Bruce said before Owen had come up with a response. “We know May was thinking about leaving you.”

  Owen held Bruce’s sympathetic gaze for a moment before he stood up and walked out of the living room.

  “Jan, stay right there,” he heard Bruce say. “Give him a second.”

  Owen walked into the kitchen, out the back door, and stood in the yard for ten minutes, staring blankly ahead. Then he turned on his heel and marched back in.

  “Why didn’t either of you say anything to me?” he demanded.

  Janet’s eyes were damp, and Bruce’s cheeks were pinker than usual.

  “And she wasn’t thinking about it,” Owen said. “She was divorcing me. I got served.”

  “Oh, May,” Janet said sadly. “I know she’d started the paperwork but I didn’t think she’d take it that far before talking to you first.”

  Owen slumped to the couch. “You knew all along,” he said to the ceiling.

  “We did. I’m sorry, honey. I never said anything because you were so distant with us right after the funeral. You kept trying to push us away, like that would ever work, and I worried that if I let on we knew then we’d lose you, too. You’d think you didn’t belong with us anymore, and I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t. I’m so sorry.”

  Owen blew out a breath. He’d have done it, too. He’d have lost his wife and thrown away his family, and where would he be now? He didn’t even want to think about it.

  “Do you know why she did it?” He almost mentioned asking Rob, but stopped himself. They knew more than he’d suspected, but if they didn’t know about the cheating, Owen was damned if he’d toss that into the mix. “I didn’t see it coming. I’ll never know why. Was it me, something I did or didn’t do? Will I do it again, to Chloe?”

  “I can tell you why.” Janet reached over and laid a warm hand over Owen’s. “It wasn’t anything you did, honey. You two grew apart. That’s all it was. It happens. If you remember, Bruce and I wanted you to wait a few years before you married, like Tyler did.”

  Owen frowned. “I don’t remember that.”

  “You were so young. Twenty-three. And while lots of people who marry young stay together, lots don’t. People change, and they don’t always change together. Think back to what you were like at twenty-three, and how you are now. She loved you when she died, and I know that for a fact because she told me the week before the accident. We were arguing about you. I wanted her to try marriage counseling. She didn’t want to because she was very sure. She loved you, but she said you had gone back to being friends and roommates, as you started out.”

  Owen took a deep breath and smiled. God, May. You should have talked to me.

  “And she would kick your ass if you let another chance at love pass you by because you think you’re doomed to screw it up again. You didn’t screw it up the first time. Neither of you did. Love is a risk. Life is a risk. Your job is a risk. Crossing the street is a risk. You can’t know the future, Owen. You can hope. You can work at it. Boy, do you have to work. Right, sweetie?” She glanced at Bruce.

  Bruce nodded with wide eyes. “Work hard,” he said.

  Working hard was something Owen excelled at. “I can do that.”

  “Can you be happy?” Janet asked. “Because that’s what we want for you. Even if my girl was still alive
, and the two of you had divorced, you’d still be our son, and we’d still want that for you. Will you be happy with Chloe?”

  “Yes.”

  Yes. He would be happy. He’d be freaking ecstatic.

  Janet sat back with satisfaction. “Great. I want grandchildren, and it’s taken Tyler forever to pin Greg down. God knows how long those boys are going to dance around before they decide to be daddies. It’s up to you, Owen. Get on that.”

  “Mom.”

  “I’ll talk to Chloe.”

  Jesus. “Please. Please don’t.”

  “I’m kidding. Bruce, look at his face. Owen, I’m kidding.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Chloe was on the couch, her head resting on one arm and her feet propped on the other. She held up her phone and stared at the time.

  4:30 p.m.

  It was Friday afternoon, Owen was supposed to be there, and Chloe was calculating the odds of him making it on time—or at all—when the phone in her hand vibrated.

  OWEN: No chance I’m getting out of here before 9. So sorry. Pick you up early tomorrow morning?

  CHLOE: LOL.

  OWEN: :( I really can’t. I suck, sorry.

  CHLOE: Meant LOL, no problem, I’ll drive myself tonight. No way am I giving up a night in a fancy B&B. Finish work, have a nap, and join me when you can.

  CHLOE: Feel free to join me naked.

  CHLOE: But wake me up first. You don’t want to surprise me. I know jiujitsu.

  OWEN: You sure?

  CHLOE: Not a black belt or anything, but I can do some damage.

  OWEN: Ha ha. Really wanted to drive you. Want to see you.

  CHLOE: You will. I’ll be there.

  OWEN: I’ll try to make it tonight.

  CHLOE: Don’t drive if you’re too tired, OK?

  OWEN: OK.

  CHLOE: See you soon xxx

  OWEN: Drive safe xxx

  * * * *

  Chloe startled awake the moment she heard the creak of the door opening. She cracked her eyes open to verify that it was, in fact, Owen.

  He was briefly lit by the dim lights in the corridor outside their room before he shut the door with a quiet click.

  Instead of switching on a lamp, he used the glow from his cell phone to navigate the dark room. He walked into a chair and muffled a curse. Chloe bit her lip to keep from laughing.

  Owen froze and stared over at the bed.

  She held still.

  He moved on, keeping his phone angled at the floor so the light didn’t spill upwards.

  He made it to the bathroom without any further incident, taking his bag in with him.

  Chloe flopped over onto her back and stretched. In the bathroom, the shower came on.

  She’d arrived at the B&B in time to run into Owen’s family. She hadn’t realized it at first. She was checking in when a small, delicate-featured woman with silver and black hair pushed a man in a wheelchair into the reception area. Chloe didn’t think anything of it until, from the corner of her eye, she saw the woman jerk to a stop.

  “Goddammit, Janet,” the man in the wheelchair grumbled. “Stop giving me whiplash.”

  Chloe was hit with a bolt of recognition. She had seen this woman before, on Owen’s phone on their ill-fated first date.

  And, Janet? Janet was the name of his mother-in-law. The woman he called Mom.

  Okay, there was no need to panic. Chloe knew what Janet looked like, but there was no reason to think that Janet…

  …was coming over.

  They were coming over.

  Chloe gripped the handle of her small wheeled suitcase as she was hit with uncharacteristic nerves. She’d known that she would be meeting Owen’s family this weekend, but she’d kind of expected to have Owen there when it happened, and now she was worrying about making a good impression, and—

  “Chloe? It is Chloe, isn’t it? Owen’s Chloe?” Janet didn’t wait for Chloe’s reply, barreling on. “I’m Janet, Owen’s mom. This is my husband, Bruce.” The wheelchair came to an abrupt stop.

  “Hello,” Chloe said. “Hi. Nice to meet you both.”

  “Whiplash,” Bruce muttered at his wife in a low voice, then waved at Chloe’s greeting.

  Janet’s lips tightened, and her dark eyes narrowed as she stared at Chloe, assessing. Then she blew out a hard breath. “Okay,” she said. “Owen’s going to kill me for ambushing you anyway, so I may as well get this out of my system.”

  Bruce didn’t seem particularly worried at his wife’s unsettling statement.

  Chloe, on the other hand, braced for something along the lines of, “Hurt him and suffer the consequences,” or, “You’re not good enough for my son-in-law, hussy,” or—

  “I’m going to hug you,” Janet announced. “It’s inappropriate, we don’t know each other, I should dial it down, blah blah, but I’m so excited to meet you! I’m just going to roll with it.”

  She gave Chloe a second to indicate if this was unwelcome, then grabbed her and squeezed the crap out of her.

  “I know Owen wanted to do the big meet-the-family introduction at breakfast,” Janet said when the bone-crushing hug was over, “but why pass up an opportunity like this and let him fret about it? Now we all know each other and the awkward part’s over. One less thing for him to stress about.” She shot a cursory glance around, sighed, and said, “I assume he’s stuck at work?”

  “Yep. I came up on my own. I think he’ll make it up some time tonight, though.”

  “Tonight or tomorrow, what does it matter? So long as he’s here to see Tyler dance up the aisle.”

  Chloe laughed. “Is he really going to dance?”

  “He might. Who knows with Tyler?”

  Bruce was shaking his head behind Janet.

  Chloe had turned down their kind offer to join them for dinner, and Janet didn’t push it. After the enthusiastic greeting, Chloe got the idea that Janet didn’t want to spook her further. Promising to meet them for breakfast, Chloe had headed for her room.

  She’d ordered room service, taken a bubble bath, and to her surprise had fallen asleep waiting for Owen.

  Now, she registered that the shower in the bathroom had stopped running. She heard the toilet flush, then the door opened. He came out, leaving the light on and the door open just enough to softly illuminate the bedroom.

  And to give her a spectacular full-frontal view as he strolled over to the bed without a stitch of clothing on, all broad shoulders, powerful chest and long, muscled legs.

  “I know you’re awake,” he said.

  He could probably hear her heart pounding from across the room.

  “Who, me?” Chloe grinned as he reached the bottom of the bed and climbed on. He crawled over her until they were nose to nose.

  “Hi,” he said, and dipped down to kiss her.

  She tugged him to lie on top of her and he obliged, his hips falling between her thighs and torso pressing her down with his delicious weight.

  “Hi,” she said breathlessly when he pulled away.

  He tucked her hair behind her ear as he stared deeply into her eyes. She returned his solemn gaze.

  “Chloe?”

  “Owen?”

  “This is real, isn’t it?”

  “Hmm. I’m not sure. Maybe you should pinch me. I could be dreaming. I’ve had dreams of hot naked men sprawling all over me before. To my great disappointment, I always wake up before the good stuff.” She skimmed her hands down the solid plane of his back, loving the feel of his smooth skin. “On second thought, don’t pinch me. I don’t want to wake up and find out this is another of those dreams until I have to. I’d rather—ow.”

  He’d pinched her.

  She retaliated with a pinch to his ass. At least, she tried. There was no spare flesh on the man. “Stop clenching your butt, I can’t get a good pinch in if you do that.”

  He reached back and grabbed her hands, driving the breath out of her in an oof as she took his full weight for a moment. He leaned onto an elbow so she could br
eathe, and held her wrists over her head.

  “Since we’ve established that we’re both awake and not dreaming, let’s give it another go.” His smile faded. “This, us. We’re real, aren’t we?”

  She blinked up at him, startled to hear the trace of doubt. “Of course we’re real,” she said. “I love you, Owen.”

  He relaxed into her, then she shrieked when he suddenly pushed up and snatched the comforter away. He fitted his hands around her waist, hauled her upright and dropped her onto his lap as he sat back on his heels, then he was kissing her again. Deep, desperate, claiming kisses.

  He had an arm locked around her, and his free hand threaded through her hair. “I want you so damn much.” His voice was harsh, almost angry.

  Chloe pushed and shoved at him. He let go with surprise. Holding onto his shoulder for balance, she reached over to the nightstand and grabbed one of the condoms she’d put ready. “You put this on,” she said, smacking it against his chest then pulling at her camisole, “while I take this off.”

  Owen lifted her and tossed her back onto the mattress. He was faster than she was. By the time she’d gotten her camisole up and over her head, he’d torn open a condom and rolled it down.

  “Too slow,” he said, and stripped her panties and shorts off in one move.

  He drew his bottom lip between his teeth and his eyes burned as he stared possessively down at her.

  Chloe let him look his fill, then poked him in the stomach. Was he planning on looking all night?

  He caught her hand and lifted it to his cheek. “I love you, Chloe,” he murmured. “I think I’ve loved you for a while now.”

  She brought her other hand up to cup his face. “I think I’m going to love you forever.”

  His expression was priceless. A mix of hunger, hope, disbelief, and determination.

  Chloe stretched up as he leaned down, and they met in the middle, falling into the kiss.