Matched Online: Anthology Bks 1-4 (Contemporary Romance)

by Lacy Williams, Julie Jarnagin, Robin Patchen

  “You think they’ll be able to tell we’re faking it?” If that was the case, they were doomed. “But what can we do to convince them?”

  “We’re going to need to look comfortable together,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “What would an engaged couple do? Hold hands? Kiss? Maybe we should be prepared.”

  "What are you suggesting?” She asked with a nervous laugh. “A practice kiss?"

  But he didn't take his eyes off her. "If you want to call it that."

  Intense heat, she didn't know whether from the fire or from Christian, pricked at her face. "What would you call it?"

  He gave her a hint of a smile. "A man who wants to kiss his fiancée. Sounds perfectly natural to me."

  “Perfectly natural,” she repeated. If only it were. If only she were really sitting under these stars by this fire with a man who loved her and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with her.

  He took their marshmallow sticks and leaned them against a boulder. Then he stood in front of her. “What do you say?”

  She straightened, her heart thudding in her chest. “If you think it’s completely necessary,” she said, fighting to keep her voice normal.

  Even with the shadows on his face, she could see his smile. “Oh, I think it’s necessary. If someone expects us to kiss, we want to be prepared.”

  He stepped forward and lifted an eyebrow, giving her an opportunity to change her mind. But she wanted him to kiss her. She’d never wanted anything more.

  This is pretend. Practice. But no matter what she told herself, her body buzzed with anticipation.

  She looked up at him and was again thankful for his height. Leaning in close, his arm wrapped around her, and then his lips were on hers, soft and warm. The connection between them felt real and pure, and she kissed him back.

  Christian pulled her in closer, and she took in the feeling of being held, of smelling him and enjoying his warmth against her. It all felt perfect, like they’d known each other forever.

  He stepped away, leaving her breathless.

  His expression had changed. The playful glint in his eye had been replaced by a furrowed brow.

  Had she done something wrong? Did Christian know what stirred inside of her but didn’t feel the same way? Things had been going so well between them. Why had they ruined it with one stupid—amazing—kiss? “I guess we don’t have to worry about that anymore,” she said, trying to ease the familiar humiliation rising inside her.

  He shook his head. “Mary Beth, I’m sorry. Maybe we shouldn’t have—”

  “Stop,” she said. “It didn’t mean anything. It was part of the deal. I understand.” But as the words came out of her mouth, she knew they were lies. It had meant something to her, and that was exactly the problem. She’d thought she loved Todd, but she’d never felt like this. She’d only known Christian for a short time, but he stirred something new inside her, which made his rejection even more painful. “I think I’m going to turn in for the night. Come on, Pup.”

  At that, Pup jumped to his feet.

  Christian frowned. “I’ll put the fire out.”

  She turned toward the tent, and as much as she wanted him to, he wasn’t going to try to stop her. To tell her that the fake kiss had meant something to him too.

  But there was nothing fake about her feelings, and that could only lead to heartbreak.

  7

  Christian and Mary Beth sat in silence as they drove toward his parents’ house. Just like the drive home from the camping trip, the silence was only broken by polite, shallow conversations. Lori had instantly recognized something had changed and had tried to get the story out of him. But what was there to say?

  He’d thought the kiss would be fun. He liked Mary Beth and had loved being around her, but the moment he’d kissed her, he knew it had been a mistake. He’d thought he could ignore his attraction to her, that he could keep his feelings under wraps, but their kiss had been electric. It had been the start of something he couldn’t finish.

  The cheat sheet she’d given him had explained just how recent her breakup had been. He couldn’t be sure if it was the right time in either of their lives for a real relationship, and with someone like Mary Beth, he wouldn’t want it to be anything less than that.

  Now, they had to have dinner with his parents. They had to pretend they were in a serious relationship.

  He pulled in the long driveway. His folks’ lab barked as he drove slowly toward his childhood home. “Maybe you should take off your ring?”

  Mary Beth looked down at it as if she’d forgotten it was there. “Oh, right. You’ve only told them we’re dating.”

  “My mom thinks we’re serious, but I haven’t said anything about the engagement.”

  She slipped the ring from her left ring finger back to her right. “Should we go over anything else?”

  He parked in the circle drive. “Again, I’m sorry the camping trip had a weird ending.”

  She stared at her empty ring finger and then turned toward him, her gaze intense. “Why did you kiss me, Christian?”

  He licked his lips, trying to find the words. Finally, he took a deep breath. “Because I like you. You’re fun and real. I love being around you.”

  Her shoulders relaxed a little. “And that’s a bad thing?”

  He took her hand in his. “I guess it scares me. When I’m in a relationship, I lose myself. I know it sounds crazy, but I need to focus on my business.”

  “I understand that’s important to you. But I’ve been hurt recently. No more playing games.”

  He swallowed hard. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Mary Beth. “I’m sorry. No more games.”

  His mom opened the front door and squinted at them. He forced a smile and waved at her. “You ready for this?” he asked Mary Beth.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll hold up my end of the bargain,” she said. “I talked to my uncle today, and he’ll meet with you at ten a.m. on Monday.”

  He should be thrilled, but right now, he felt empty. “Thank you.”

  She nodded, then opened the car door.

  No more games. That’s exactly what he wanted in his life. Yet, here he was about to walk into his parent’s home and pretend. But he’d had plenty of practice. Before he’d ended things with Jessica, his whole life had been one big charade. Pretending to love Jessica. Oh, he’d cared for her. But those feelings were jumbled up, confused with his desire to please his parents, everybody in his life. He’d sworn off pretending. And here he was about to do it again.

  He got out of the Jeep, and his mom rushed over to them.

  “Mrs. Fuller, it’s so nice to see you again,” Mary Beth said. “Your home is beautiful.”

  She studied Mary Beth with a pasted-on smile. “Well, thank you.” She shot a look at him. “I don’t know why our Christian has been keeping you from us.”

  Mary Beth laughed. “Oh, you know how it is. He’s been working himself to death out in that garage of his.”

  He had to give it to her. She was good at this.

  Christian put a hand on each of their shoulders and nudged them toward the house. “All right, you two. Let’s not stand out here all night.”

  They walked toward the front door, and his mom asked Mary Beth about where she’d grown up and who her parents were. All things he’d learned from the list.

  Inside, his mom hurried around the kitchen as they stood on the other side of the bar.

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” Mary Beth offered.

  “Bob put the steaks on the grill a few minutes ago. I just threw together a few sides.”

  His dad, who always let Christian’s mom do most of the talking, waved from the grill outside. His mom never just threw together anything when there was company. Sure enough, there were dishes of potatoes, homemade rolls, and two kinds of salads. “You didn’t have to cook so much, Mom. It’s just us.”

  “And Lori,” she said.

  Of course, his mom would i
nvite Lori without telling him. Maybe it would be a good thing. At least, they’d have someone else backing up their story.

  After Lori arrived, they all sat in the dining room for dinner. Mary Beth was great with his family, asking for his mom’s recipes and asking Lori about her sewing projects.

  “Right now, I’m working on a dog bed for Pup.”

  “Pup?” his mom asked.

  “Christian’s dog,” Lori said.

  His mom’s eyebrows rose. “You have a dog? Since when do you like dogs?”

  “He’s watching him for me,” Mary Beth said, “just until I can find him a good home.”

  Christian shrugged. “I might keep the little guy. I kind of like the company.”

  Beside him, Mary Beth put a hand on his arm. “That makes me so happy.”

  When he looked up, his mom was watching them across the table. She set down her fork and folded her hands on the table. “So Lori tells me you met on a dating site? That’s very twenty-first century of you.”

  Mary Beth laughed. “I never thought I’d try it, but I guess it all worked out for the best.” She gave Christian a look that squeezed at his heart.

  “I guess we’ll see,” his mother said coldly.

  Christian had heard enough from his mom. “Mother—”

  “I’ll get the pie and coffee.” Lori stood and started stacking plates.

  Seeming shaken, Mary Beth stood too. “I’ll help.”

  His mom nodded at the back door. “Christian, can I have a word with you?”

  “Sure.”

  When they got outside, his mom paced across the patio. “What is going on here, Christian? Is this a rebound?”

  “Jessica and I broke up six months ago,” he said. “I would hardly call that a rebound.” But he couldn’t speak for Mary Beth whose breakup was still so new.

  She stopped walking. “I asked around about Mary Beth.”

  He’d known his mom would be suspicious of anyone new in his life, but this was over the line. “Please stop. I’m a grown man. I don’t need your help when it comes to my love life.”

  “Oh, you don’t? Did you know she’s going around town telling people she’s engaged?”

  He froze. “Who did you hear that from?” Hadn’t they planned to keep the news under wraps until the reunion?

  His mom crossed her arms. “I know her landlord. She was my home economics teacher in high school.”

  How much detective work did it take for his mom to figure out where she lived? He hadn’t even seen her house. “Can you please lay off the PI work?”

  She paced across the patio. “Maybe she’s engaged to another man behind your back. I told Mrs. Sweeney that you would never propose to someone without introducing her to me first.” She stopped. “That’s when I considered that Mary Beth is might be mentally unstable.”

  This was getting out of control. “Mom, stop. She’s not crazy.”

  His mom’s eyes widened. “How do you know? You met her online? What do we really know about this girl? Maybe she’s trying to take advantage of you.”

  He laughed, remembering the way he’d convinced her to kiss him. “What are you saying? She wants me for my money? It’s not like I have a fortune stored away—unless you and Dad have left me some trust fund I’ve never heard about.”

  His mom pointed her finger at him. “Don’t make this into a joke, Christian. This is serious. I don’t trust her, and you shouldn’t either.”

  He couldn’t do this anymore. Mary Beth was right. The games were only going to leave someone hurt, and Mary Beth didn’t deserve that. “Mom, calm down. We’re not getting married, and she isn’t engaged to another man.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “Then, why did she tell her landlord she was?”

  “It’s a long story,” he said. “Mary Beth got me a meeting at Holland’s for my camping equipment.”

  She stared at him like he had three heads. “So you proposed to her?”

  “No. Well, kind of. We’re just pretending to be engaged.”

  She threw her hands into the air. “That’s ludicrous. I know you’ve been going through a tough time ever since you and Jessica broke up, but this—”

  “Stop!” Heat spread from his ears to his neck. He was sick and tired of his mom’s interference. “I’m not going through a tough time. I’m happier than I’ve been in years. My business has a chance to succeed. But I don’t know why I ever expected any support or encouragement from you.”

  “Well, if this is how you’re going to go about it, you certainly aren’t going to get any support from your dad and me. I’m not going along with something so asinine. It’s time for you to grow up and to start taking responsibility for your life.”

  “Um, guys,” Lori said.

  He turned around to see Lori, his dad, and Mary Beth all standing in the open door. Lori held two plates of pie with ice cream in her hands. “What’s going on here?”

  Christian swallowed hard. “I think it’s time for Mary Beth and me to leave.”

  “Now?” Lori said. She held up the plates. “But we haven’t had dessert.”

  Christian approached the door, and his sister and dad stepped aside.

  “Christian—” Mary Beth said.

  “Come on.” He took her hand. “I’ll drive you home. I don’t know why we came.”

  * * *

  Mary Beth spread the white tablecloth out, and then Jo covered it with a gold runner and a purple flower arrangement. Soon the entire gymnasium would be filled with their school colors.

  “Oh, Jo,” Mary Beth said. “It was a disaster. His mom thinks I’m crazy, and we stormed out. I didn’t mean to cause such a mess.”

  Jo gave her a sympathetic look. “Was it really that bad?”

  The other members of the planning committee and a few other classmates who’d come to help out all worked to decorate the gym for the reunion. A DJ was setting up his equipment and a dance floor in the corner. Despite, everyone else’s mood, she had a knot in her stomach. “Terrible. What was I thinking? This idea was doomed from the beginning.”

  They moved to the next empty table. “What are you going to do?” Jo asked. “Is he still coming to the reunion?”

  Maybe it was too late to back out now, but after last night’s dinner, she couldn’t see any way that this would end well for her. “I’m thinking about calling off the whole plan. Maybe I should just stay at home tonight.”

  Jo dropped her hands to her side. “But you helped organize this whole thing! Morgan, Angela, and I want you to be here. Don’t let anyone keep you from it.”

  Jo was right. Mary Beth couldn’t hide from her problems. She needed to face them head on. “Okay. I’ll be here.”

  Jo raised an eyebrow. “And Christian?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. The problem is that I really do like him. This would all be so much easier if I were pretending with someone I didn’t care about.” Or if Christian returned her feelings.

  A loud laugh echoed from the lobby. Mary Beth stiffened. She’d recognize that cackle anywhere.

  Morgan walked up to them and rolled her eyes. “Did you see who’s here?”

  “I heard her,” Jo said.

  Just then, Harper Tulley walked through the doors from the lobby. “You guys! This. Looks. Fabulous.”

  Harper Tulley hadn’t changed since high school. She was tiny with a blond bob and a big mouth. Mary Beth figured that even ten years later, Harper was still the shortest and the loudest in any room.

  Jo leaned in toward Mary Beth. “I’m out of here.”

  “Wait,” Mary Beth said, but Jo and Morgan were already headed toward the DJ booth without her.

  Harper spread her arms wide and stopped. “Mary Beth Holland. Look at you.”

  “Hi, Harper.” Maybe she wouldn’t mention the bet. Maybe they could put this all behind them. Maybe they’d both grown up since high school.

  “You look amazing. Nothing like that gawky thing I remember from high school.
What’s this I hear about you being engaged? Congratulations!”

  Mary Beth smiled. “Thanks.”

  She wagged her finger. “Now, this mystery man better be coming tonight. We wouldn’t want another repeat of prom night.” She threw her head back and laughed. “A bet’s a bet. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”

  Mary Beth’s throat went dry. “That’s right,” she said, feigning surprise. “We did have a bet, didn’t we?”

  Harper stuck her hip out and put a hand on it. “I’ve already talked to Mr. Mendez, and he’s letting me borrow a trombone and a uniform from the band department. I hope you’ve been practicing.” Her laugh cackled again in the cavernous room.

  “And if I win, you have to tell everyone what really happened on prom night. That it was really you who pulled the fire alarm.”

  Harper’s eyes narrowed. “Okay, but I’m not sure anyone will even believe that story.”

  Behind Harper, Christian walked through the doors, his eyes scanning the room for her.

  No! They weren’t ready yet, especially with Harper here.

  He met Mary Beth’s gaze, smiled, and headed toward them.

  She’d called him earlier, hoping they’d have a chance to talk again this afternoon before the reunion, but she didn’t think he’d show up yet. She’d been thinking about telling him not to come at all. But now with Harper standing in front of her, she didn’t know what to think.

  Harper looked over her shoulder at Christian and back to Mary Beth. “Who is that?”

  It would be difficult for any woman not to notice how handsome Christian was. Seeing Harper’s reaction, Mary Beth realized that Christian being early could be a good thing. Harper would know she’d lost the bet. Mary Beth could get the introductions over quickly and be able to relax tonight at the reunion.

  “Is that him?” Harper asked.

  Actually, his timing couldn’t have worked out better. This was perfect.

  He stood beside Mary Beth, and she looped her arm in the crook of his. “Harper, I’d like you to meet Christian. Christian, this is an old classmate of mine, Harper Tulley.”

  “Oh.” Recognition glinted in his eyes. “It’s always great to meet a friend of Mary Beth’s.”