by Caroline Lee
“The entire restaurant? That must have cost a lot of money.”
He frowned at how quiet her comment had been. Was she really worried about the cost?
“The money isn't that big a deal, Katie. I just want to make sure my mom's life is celebrated the way it should be.”
She didn't respond for a moment, and when she did, her “I see” was even quieter.
What else did she need to know about tomorrow? Oh yeah, the reception line. “Before the meal, and probably during it, my siblings and I will stand up front to greet everyone and thank them for coming. Basically, a reception line. You don't have to be there, but—”
“Of course I'll be there.” In the darkness, she reached out and placed her hand on his arm. “I'll always be here to support you, Kenneth.” she paused. Then, “But when I asked if you were ready for tomorrow, this isn't what I meant.”
Surprised, he shot her a glance, before turning back to the road. “What did you mean?”
“I meant, are you ready for tomorrow? You've been running around like crazy. Even tonight, you were in charge of everything. Your family—all of us—were grieving, but you—”
“Someone has to be in control, Katie,” he interrupted, not sure he wanted to hear what she was saying at that moment.
Mercifully, she dropped the subject. But that night, long after she kissed him goodnight, long after he reveled in the supportive feel of her arms around him, he lay with his hands stacked behind his head, staring at the ceiling of her office.
I'll always be here. I'll always be here.
Her words ran through his mind again and again. Did she mean it? Or is that just something she'd said to make him feel better? Or something she'd said in the heat of the moment, forgetting the bargain they'd made was essentially over now? She'd earned her hundred thousand dollars, no question about it. But her promise, to be there for him always, made it seem like maybe she’d forgotten their agreement.
The funeral was easier than he expected, all things considered. But that was probably because Katie was sitting next to him, her hand in his, and he spent most of the time mentally cataloging the restaurant’s menu, in order to make sure there weren’t any details they’d accidentally missed.
Marybeth’s eulogy had a lot of the audience in tears, including Marybeth herself. Kenneth knew she’d struggled with anxiety for years, but the way she’d handled Mom’s illness over the last two years had really been admirable, and he made a mental note to tell her so. Cooper’s eulogy was easier; he told a bunch of funny stories about Mom or their family, which left everyone chuckling, which is what Mom would’ve wanted.
After Pastor Kevin’s final blessing, Kenneth left Dad in Marybeth and Mack’s hands, and rushed over to the restaurant to make sure everything was in place. It looked good, and he and Katie were back up front in time to start greeting everyone.
Cooper stood on one side of him, Katie on the other. Marybeth sat with Dad, and Kenneth was glad for it. He and Cooper had their hands full, thanking everyone who came, shaking hands, and listening to stories about Mom.
For her part, Katie was wonderful at it. She had the unique ability to listen to people, and really understand the emotions behind their words. She said all the right things, and even prompted the guests to tell further stories.
His cousins, who he'd grown up with on the ranch, were full of stories about how Mom and their own mother, Bobbi, had attempted to corral all the crazy Weston kids.
Luckily, most of them didn't stay too long, since they had their families and various offspring with them. Hungry babies and whiny toddlers demanded his cousins’ attention and food.
Kenneth did his best to block out those stories, not ready to listen to everyone's fond reminisces about his mother. He focused on the tasks at hand; shake hand, smile and nod, thank them for being there, point them towards the buffet. Shake hand, smile and nod, thank them for being there, point them towards the buffet. Repeat ad nauseam.
This was turning into everything he disliked about the fashion shows. In his business, he had Penny to handle these sorts of events. She was the one who was so good at talking to people and making them feel special. Here, it was all up to him. He was in charge, and he had to ensure everything went off without a hitch.
It was exhausting.
As if his thoughts conjured her, Penny slipped into the receiving line in front of him. Unable to contain himself, Kenneth smiled thankfully.
“I'm really glad you're here, Penny,” he said truthfully. “It means a lot to me.”
They were the words he’d said a hundred times in the last hour, but this time he really meant them, thinking about the person he was saying them to. “You didn't need to take off work to come all the way up here.”
The older woman leaned in and hugged him, long and hard. Instead of looking for a way to end it, Kenneth accepted her support and love.
After a long moment, she straightened and pushed away from him. “Of course I did, Kenneth.” She patted his cheek with her palm. “It's important to support my friends. But I might have had an ulterior motive…”
The slight smile on his business partner’s lips told Kenneth what she was hinting at. With a slight smirk, he nodded and turned to Katie, who was just finishing her conversation with the last guest.
“Katie, this is my partner, Penny Albee. She's the brains behind Weston Creations, and I owe her a lot. She's also a good friend. Penny…” He paused dramatically, knowing the older woman was excited for this moment. “This is my wife, Katie Weston.”
Penny had just opened her mouth, in what Kenneth knew was going to be a delighted welcome, when another voice cut in.
“Excuse me?”
It wasn't a polite “excuse me,” but a surprised and angry one. Kenneth whirled back to the receiving line, where the last guest stood. But this man, with dark hair and familiar green eyes, was clearly not waiting for Kenneth's attention. No, instead, he was glaring at Katie. Why? Why would he be angry with her?
When Kenneth heard her groan, he moved to put his body in between her and the stranger. He didn't want trouble at his mother's funeral lunch, but if this guy brought it...
“Katie?” the man growled. “You got something you maybe want to mention to me?”
Behind Kenneth, Katie groaned again.
“Katie?” both men asked at the same time, and Kenneth blinked at how disconcerting that was.
She moved out from behind him, and plastered on what was obviously a very fake smile. “Kenneth...”
She took a deep breath as if fortifying herself, and Kenneth tamped down on his panic. This guy looked really familiar to him...had he met the guy since coming back to Quinn Valley?
His mind whirled as he held his breath and waited for her to explain.
“Kenneth,” she began again. “This is my big brother, Andrew McIver.”
Her brother? Recognition slammed into him a moment before Kenneth realized why she would be groaning. He remembered meeting the engineer at the inn. Yep. This man was most definitely her brother, and that was a big problem.
Andrew didn't wait for her to finish her introductions. “He called you his wife, Katie.”
It wasn't a question, but an accusation, and was accompanied with an angry glare at the ring on her finger. Katie winced and curled her hand into a fist, as if to hide the tell-tale piece of jewelry, so Kenneth slipped his arm around her, pulling her tight against him. She might not need his support right now, but the cat was out of the bag, and he owed her for all the support she’d given him.
“Katie,” her brother prompted a little more forcefully, his brows dipping in anger. “Are you married to this guy?”
She winced again, then glanced up at Kenneth. When their eyes met, hers softened.
“Yes,” she said firmly. Then, a little less firmly, “Well, sorta.”
Andrew glanced in both directions, then leaned in closer to them. “ ‘Sorta?’ ” he hissed. “How are you sorta married?”
�
��Listen,” Kenneth cut in, “what are you doing here anyhow?”
Andrew straightened and his scowl eased. “I worked here for years. You probably don't remember me, but I remember all you Weston kids running around like crazy. Your mom was really nice, and I'm sorry you lost her.”
The man's kind words made Kenneth blink, then nod. “Thank you.” Remembering Penny, still standing by, he attempted to use her as a distraction. “May I introduce you to my business partner, Penny Albee? She's been a big support through all of this too.”
Taking her cue, and knowing Kenneth needed a distraction, Penny swept up to Andrew with her hand outstretched. “So pleased to meet you, Mr. McIver. Your sister is a dear!”
Andrew, however, wasn't distracted. “Do you have an explanation for how my sister ended up married to this guy?”
Penny smiled. “This guy runs a multibillion-dollar design house, Mr. McIver. Surely you've heard of Kenneth Weston?”
Andrew's scowl was deepening. “I remember this guy flipping one of my rowboats when he was fifteen, and needing to be rescued. I don't care who he is…” He turned his glare on his sister. “I want to know what he's doing married to Katie!”
“Oh, I'm so glad to find you all here together!” a new voice cut into their conversation.
Flustered now, Kenneth turned to find another lady bearing down on them. Anyone who spent any time at River’s End Ranch knew Jaclyn, and knew how eccentric she could be. Still, that didn't prepare him for the sight of the old lady with a large gray rabbit on a leash. In a restaurant. Where people served food.
Isn’t this some kind of health code violation?
Jaclyn swept up to him, ignoring the scowls and glares among the group, and hugged both Kenneth and Cooper. “I was hoping to catch you two boys! And Andrew! It's so good to see you. The fairies tell me you're doing wonderfully in Quinn Valley, and quite happy.” She nodded a little smugly. “We're always right, you know.”
Before they could comment on her strange greeting, she turned back to the twins, and reached inside her jacket to pull out two small bundles of fur. She held them both out, and Kenneth and Cooper had no choice but to take them from her, or risk having whatever-they-were dumped on them.
Cooper started chuckling, and that's when Kenneth realized he was standing there in a thousand-dollar suit, holding a tiny baby bunny.
Beside him, Katie gave a little squeal of happiness. “They're adorable!”
As if she hadn't just violated fourteen health codes, Jaclyn nodded regally. “It is almost Easter, you know. The time of rebirth, new life. I always thought baby bunnies symbolize that very well, don't you?”
With that, she swept away, leaving Kenneth holding a tiny little adorable fluff-ball, with a small black nose, and absolutely no purpose in his life.
Still chuckling, Cooper reached out and scooped up the small animal from Kenneth's hands. Kenneth was more than happy to relinquish it to his twin.
“You hold down the fort here, bro, and I'll go find someplace to stash these. I'll bet Kalli Jo would like to see them.”
“What’s he going to do with them?” Katie asked.
Kenneth only had time to shrug before Andrew growled again.
“Katie...?” he prompted
With Cooper and the rest of Kenneth’s family out of the way, Katie glanced around, then sighed and explained as fast as she could. “This is just a temporary marriage, Andrew. We have a contract and everything. Kenneth needed a wife for a short amount of time, and I— Well, the details of our bargain really don't matter. But I didn't tell any of you because, well, you know...” She flapped her hand towards Andrew’s angry expression. “Because I knew you'd react this way. It'll all be over soon.”
Andrew straightened, and his expression shuttered. Kenneth couldn't tell what this temporary brother-in-law of his was thinking. But finally, the other man nodded.
“This is your business, Katie. I'll admit I'm angry you didn't tell us, but after all the nonsense I went through because of Uncle Bob's stupid ‘marriage is forever’ comment, I'm the last person to tell you you should have spilled the beans.”
He shook his head. “Whatever you got planned, I hope you'll eventually tell us. And I hope you know what you’re doing.” He held out his hand to Kenneth. “I'm sorry we had to officially meet under these circumstances.”
Tentatively, Kenneth reached out and took the other man's hand. The handshake was firm, equal.
“Well, you did save my life when I was fifteen. Or maybe it was Cooper who flipped the boat. I can’t recall.”
A flash of a smile crossed Andrew’s lips, but just when Kenneth was ready to breathe a sigh of relief, the other man used his grip to pull him closer. Andrew’s hard green eyes stared into Kenneth's.
“My sister might think this is temporary, Mr. Weston, but if you break her heart, just remember she's got two brothers, and a bunch of cousins, who know where you live.”
“Fair enough,” Kenneth choked out.
As they watched Andrew stalk off, Kenneth breathed a sigh of relief, and wrapped his arms around Katie. Penny left them alone, presumably wandering off to get something to eat.
Kenneth sighed again, his shoulders relaxing, then he pressed a kiss to Katie's forehead. “Thank you for being here with me.”
She tilted her head back, smiled up at him, and said simply, “Always.”
It sounded like a promise.
But thinking about the mess she’d just gotten into with her brother, all because of their bargain, Kenneth couldn’t help but feel guilty. He didn’t deserve her.
CHAPTER NINE
Katie couldn't think of any day she’d ever experienced which had been as hard as today, and her only role had been to support! She’d thrown herself into it wholeheartedly, and had mourned with the rest of the Weston family. But she couldn't imagine what Kenneth must be going through, having lost his mother. The fact it had long been anticipated didn't make it any easier.
He didn't say anything on the way back from the ranch, but it was late afternoon by that time. The two of them, and the rest of his family, had spent a while just sitting around the restaurant, swapping stories. Or at least, everyone else had. She’d kept her eye on him— if not her hands— and noticed he rarely spoke, and sometimes didn't even seem to be listening.
Didn't allow himself to listen.
She’d taken home some leftovers from the buffet for dinner that night, but neither of them were particularly hungry. They popped in a movie, but it was obvious he wasn't interested. When she asked him a question, he would answer with a simple yes or no, his monotone breaking her heart. He was like a zombie.
And a zombie doesn't feel.
They both went to bed early, and his perfunctory kiss on her forehead made her heart drop to her stomach.
Curled up in bed, hugging her pillow to her chest, she felt tears pricking at the back of her eyelids. All day, she'd been strong for Kenneth and his family, but now...
Now, she cried. She mourned for the woman who'd been lost, a woman she would never have a chance to know. She mourned for Susan Weston's children, especially for Kenneth. They were all adults now and didn't need her the same way they had needed her as children. But that didn't mean they wouldn't have a huge hole in their hearts now she was gone.
She mourned for Kenneth, who hadn't seemed to mourn yet. He’d been walking around like a zombie, keeping his emotions at bay, refusing to acknowledge the loss.
And she mourned for herself and the absolutely amazing fake marriage she had, which was due to end soon. She hadn't been certain what Kenneth’s feelings were, but the way he’d kissed her tonight showed her he was already distancing himself.
The contract they’d both signed stated her payment would come, and her side of the bargain would be fulfilled, after his mother's death. It was clear he was already prepared for that.
So yes, she cried. She cried because, whether he was willing to admit it or not, Kenneth needed her.
And she n
eeded him.
The next morning, she felt drained. Luckily, they had nothing planned for the day. Unable to sleep any longer, she got up early and made a pot of coffee, then found their marriage contract.
She was sitting at the kitchen table, reading over the small print of the document, her coffee completely forgotten, when he walked in. She looked up at his entrance and met his eyes.
Had she thought he looked handsome in his fancy suit? That Kenneth didn't hold a candle to an unshaven Kenneth with messy hair, pajama bottoms, and a Disneyland t-shirt.
But as handsome as he was, his ice-blue eyes were bleary. She frowned slightly, disturbed to see he hadn't improved since last night. He still looked like a zombie.
“Good morning,” she ventured.
Kenneth just looked at her. She could see the words forming in his head—is it?—but he didn't say them. Instead, he turned his attention to the coffee maker on the counter and went to pour himself a cup.
A cup of coffee he didn't drink. Instead he stood there, both hands around the mug and his back to her, staring down into his coffee. She watched him, watched the defeated slump of his shoulders, for well over a minute, wondering how to break the silence.
There were things she needed to say to him, but wasn't sure how to say them. Last night, sobbing herself to sleep, she'd realized the truth: Kenneth hadn't grieved at all yet, hadn't let himself grieve. He prided himself on being in control, not just of the situation, but of himself.
The problem was, when he was in control of himself, he didn't let himself feel. He believed his emotions belonged to a separate part of himself, a separate part of his brain, which could only be allowed expression when he wanted it to.
But emotions weren't like that. Sometimes, emotions took over, and that was alright. It was allowed. Some emotions, like love and grief, couldn't be ignored.
And if Kenneth could ignore those emotions, could keep himself from feeling, she didn't think she could love him.