“That’s great news, Kace,” he said, his eyes never leaving his phone.
“And,” she added. “When Travis played house with us when we were twelve, he pretended we were having sex.”
That got his attention. Jake’s head shot up. “Dude, that’s gross, why would you do that? What’s wrong with you?”
“I did nothing of the sort… Eunuch’s honor.” Travis snorted, and then the man crossed his heart and winked at Kacey. If Jake was devastating, then Travis was mind-numbing. From here on out, both men shouldn’t be allowed to smile, ever. It wasn’t fair to the female population, or the oxygen levels in that cursed tree house.
“So, babe…” Jake played with a piece of her hair, fumbling it between his fingers. “There’s this thing tomorrow, you probably don’t wanna go, but…”
Travis shook his head in Kacey’s direction, warning her of something.
“What is it?” Kacey asked.
“It’s kind of our four year high school reunion tomorrow night. Remember how the senior class decided to do get-togethers every year instead of every five years? Last year’s was a blast.”
If it’s possible for a person’s heart to stop from fear and dread, she was a goner. All of a sudden she felt like she couldn’t breathe, like the air was being sucked out of that tiny tree house at rapidly increasing speeds. She always ignored those stupid Facebook class updates, wanting absolutely nothing to do with those crazy people.
“So you’ll go?” Jake dropped her hair and gave her that look. The one that many a woman lost their virginity to, no doubt.
“I, uh…”
“Please, Kace.” He moved closer and lifted her hands into his. “It will be just like old times. I promise.”
Old times? Old times? Obviously he was clueless about how awful it was to go to the same high school with him. As his best friend, at times it was awesome, but most of the time it was like wearing a t-shirt that said, “Not his girlfriend, so please all girls hate me, despise me, I welcome it.”
Most of the girls were so jealous of their status that they started nasty rumors about her, she nearly had to transfer schools. It got worse when they finally did date. Death threat worse.
Travis, Satan himself, had been tame compared to those rumors and threats.
“Please?” Jake asked again. “It’s only a brunch on the water. Please?”
What the heck. People grow up, right? They aren’t that immature to still hold grudges or cause rumors at the ripe old age of twenty-two, right? That would be ridiculous!
“Fine.” Kacey rolled her eyes when Jake pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek.
“Good, and don’t worry, babe. Mum’s the word. They won’t know a thing about our little deal.”
The way he said it made her feel dirty and in great need of a shower.
“Kids!” Bets called from the ladder. “Time for dinner! Wash up!”
They groaned in unison, and suddenly she had a strange sense of Déjà vu as if she was back in high school having dinner at Jake’s house. Travis had always hung out with them but had been silent most of the time, thinking of new ways to torture her. But tonight, things had shifted. Jake was the ridiculous one she prayed would fall out of the tree house, and Travis, well… She looked up into his eyes again. They were warm, kind, with a hint of something else, but Kacey wasn’t stupid enough to think it was desire. She hadn’t had that much tequila. She shook it off and took Travis’s hand as he helped her down.
Jake had already run into the house, leaving them behind. Someday he would make one woman a very, very happy trophy wife; that is, if she didn’t mind being ignored and compared to what he thought of his own beauty on a daily basis.
“Kace, you don’t have to go.” Travis wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked beside her slowly. “Plus, it’s not that important. I mean, I still haven’t made it to any of my reunions for anything.”
She laughed. “What? You afraid to face those cheerleaders again?”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Yes, twenty-three years old and cheerleaders still frighten me. All that pep, all that joy, it’s not normal.”
Kacey looked back at the house, memories of them playing in the yard before dinner bombarding her every sense. “It’s fine, Travis. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? If anything, it’s going to be a handful of people, and none of them will even remember me.”
Travis squinted at her for a long while before turning his focus back toward the house. “If you say so.”
“I do.” Kacey hooked her arm within his “Now let’s go face the parents again.”
“Yes, and be sure to eat something before you kiss Mom on the cheek. Don’t want her thinking you’re pregnant and drinking.”
“Ugh!”
Travis laughed and reached for the sliding glass door.
“Hurry up!” Bets clapped her hands. “I keep telling Grandma to hurry, but she’s across the street still! Imagine that.”
“Across the street?” Kacey whispered so only Travis could hear her.
“Yeah, Grandma’s got a… fling.” He made air quotes with his fingers and rolled his eyes.
Kacey could not imagine why Grandma and fling should be used in the same sentence. Who flings at eighty-five? “Who is she… having this fling with?”
Travis shuddered and mouthed, “You don’t want to know,” before disappearing into the bathroom.
Chapter Eleven
Jake couldn’t help but feel suspicious as his glance went from Travis to Kacey and back again. Naturally, he wasn’t the suspicious or jealous type, at least not typically. But he felt a little on edge. And it had nothing to do with the fact that Kacey was wearing such tight spandex, he was finding it hard to walk and talk at the same time.
It was his stupid brother, Travis. Travis of all people! He was looking at Kacey like he’s attracted to her — which was ridiculous because, well, he’s always despised her, and she him. Jake couldn’t even count on his fingers the ways they’d proven that.
It’s just that, he knew Travis. At least he’d like to think he was intelligent enough to know his own flesh and blood. But by the looks of things, well, it seemed like Travis was staring at Kacey, like… like a man. Hell. He was losing his damn mind. Everyone knew he hated her with a passion. He’d been nothing but cruel to her since they met in elementary school. If anything, Jake had always needed to protect her from his brother more than he had from the other kids at school.
Who had carried her to the house when Travis had pushed her and she’d scraped her knee? Um, Jake had.
Who had asked her to prom when every other guy would have been blacklisted if they had as much as set foot near her, as per order of the women at the school? Again, the younger of the two brothers.
And who, in the middle of the gymnasium, when crowned Homecoming King, had gotten down on one knee his senior year and had asked Kacey to be his girlfriend? Jake hated to boast, but yes, that had been him, while Travis had just sat there like a fool. Granted, he was in college and only visiting for the weekend. But still. It was always Jake. It had always been Jake.
So the thought that Travis was currently looking at her like… well, like guys look at girls, was actually quite alarming.
After all, the rumor at school had been that Travis was gay or something, not that Jake had ever asked him. He hadn’t wanted to embark on such an uncomfortable conversation and all that.
Jake pushed the thought from his mind. Honestly, I am just too tired. He had been working endlessly to make sure everything was in order at work, and to make matters worse, Samantha, his on-again, off-again girlfriend had declared she was going to go to the papers to report the little engagement as a ruse.
Naturally, he’d threatened to sue her.
Which she’d found extremely hot.
Needless to say he’d flown her down for the weekend as well.
It’s not as if Kacey was really going to be that realistic in this role, not that J
ake would let her. After everything that had happened between them, it was safe to say that they needed to stay friends, lest he ruined both their lives for the second time.
“Jake?” Dad reached for the potatoes once everyone was seated. “How’s the office? Everything going well?”
No, he wanted to yell. Everything was not going well since Dad had retired, but it was imperative that Jake appeared in control. He shrugged and answered, “Not a problem.”
Grandma chose to make a grand entrance, complete with lipstick smeared on her face, and he couldn’t help but smell some sort of man-scent coming off of her in waves.
Always nice to know Grandma’s getting play while faking your own engagement.
“What’s this about the business?” Grandma could destroy a man with one harsh look.
“Nothing,” Jake said, diverting attention away from himself. “But you can ask about Kacey and my plans to wed.”
In that moment, Jake’s heart stopped as Grandma clutched her chest, wheezed, and then literally toppled out of her chair.
“Grandma!” everyone yelled on key as if to somehow revive her.
Jake fell to his knees and grasped her hand. She opened her eyes on cue. “I was playing the shocked grandmother. Did I do well?”
“Damn it, Grandma! Don’t ever do that again!” Jake swore fluently. Mom glared from her side of the table, but he was sure she was thinking the same thing, if not worse.
“I was an actress once,” Grandma announced once she was back in her chair.
Jake guessed that nobody really knew what to do except the obvious. Kacey gave him the help a girl out look and began to clap.
He followed, and soon the entire table erupted in applause.
Note to self: Media should never sit in on family dinner night. Under no circumstances should that ever happen.
“So…” Grandma tossed the napkin on her lap. “You’re finally tying the knot, hmm? You kids always were so close to one another, can’t say I’m surprised, and you know what this means for your business, right?” Grandma elbowed him.
Jake dropped his fork, making a huge clattering noise in the silence.
“It means I’m growing up.” He faked a smile and shoveled more food into his mouth.
She knew. His conniving grandmother knew about the board members’ ultimatum. Shit. Kacey couldn’t find out that Grandma knew or she’d kill him, and then tell all to Grandma, who would then ruin his chances with the board, considering she still had pull with those old geezers. Hell, it wouldn’t surprise him if his grandmother was behind the board’s ultimatum for Jake to clean up his act.
Manipulative family members.
Well, at least he’d brought Kacey down for the weekend as he’d promised. What Grandma did with that was her issue. Not his. Whatever. At least now he could spend time doing what he wanted to do rather than worrying about Kacey at the house. Sooner or later his parents would catch on, but he’d be sure to get plenty of pictures with Kacey around town. Maybe he could sneak in the photographer to their reunion brunch. That would be the perfect setting for a photo shoot. He grinned.
Jake looked over at Kacey. She was smiling warmly at his mother. Is this what life would be like if they got married? It wasn’t as if it would be difficult, by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it would be quite pleasant. A nice wife at home and then a mistress in town. The American dream come true. Speaking of mistresses… his cell phone went off.
“So…” Kacey reached across the table and grabbed Grandma’s free hand. “Where were you earlier? I looked for you.”
Jake swore he felt Travis kick him under the table and silently mouth Sorry. Kacey jumped out of her seat as if she was the next target.
“Oh honey.” Grandma swirled her wine in her glass, while Kacey longingly looked at the red liquid. “I was merely helping out our neighbor.”
Mother spewed the contents of her wine onto Dad's lap.
Travis began to choke on the chicken.
And Jake was left wondering what the hell kind of aliens replaced the family he thought he had been sitting with.
“Oh.” Kacey blushed. “That’s nice. What exactly did he need help with?”
Travis’s eyes bugged out of his head.
Grandmother played with the stem of her wine glass. “Oh, some of this, some of that.”
And suddenly Jake had a nightmare of what his grandma meant by some of this and some of that. As well as the inkling that he would never again look at his neighbor the same.
Where was Samantha when he needed her? If his grandmother was getting action, no way was he going to stay home tonight. He remembered that the earlier text had been a notification of an email.
As if answering his plea for help, Jake’s phone went off again. “I should take this.” He quickly left the table.
“Hey baby,” Samantha crooned. “How about drinks downtown in a half hour?”
He should say no, he really should. After all, he had a fake fiancée now. He couldn’t be seen downtown with another woman this early into his plan. His mind made up, he was just getting ready to turn her down when she began talking about how badly she wanted and missed him.
“I’m wearing a new dress, baby. It’s tight in all the places you like. Come on! Just for a few hours, Jakey. I’ll make it worth your time.”
“Be there as soon as I can.” He ended the call and went back into the dining room. “Sorry guys, work emergency. One of the faxes didn’t go through, and I have an early morning call from overseas. I’m going to have to run back to the office and make sure everything’s ready to go.”
The lie flew so easily from his lips even he was surprised, and slightly alarmed that he could be so devious to his own family.
Kacey tilted her head, her eyes narrowing. “Can’t you fax from here?”
All eyes turned to him.
He began to sweat. “I wish I could, but I don’t have the number, and the papers are at the office.”
Kacey still didn’t look convinced. What had he ever done to her to earn her mistrust?
Slept with her? Abandoned her afterwards? Yes, there was that. “Kace, I’m sorry, babe. You know how I was looking forward to spending time with you tonight. But we’re still on for brunch, right?” He gave her his most devastating smile, hoping it would work.
She looked down at her plate. “Okay, well, drive safe.”
Free at last! He tried to keep himself from running out of there. Bestowing a kiss on Grandma’s cheek first, he made the rounds and bolted out of the house, ready for drinks and a much needed night full of sex.
Chapter Twelve
Travis knew his brother was lying. What kind of fool falls for that type of crap? But sure enough his father, upon Jake’s exit, sighed and said, “I just wish I wouldn’t have retired. He seems so stressed.”
“Must be the strippers,” Kacey mumbled under her breath so only Travis could hear. He choked on his chicken for the second time that night.
“Travis, honey, be careful to chew your food before you swallow!” his mother scolded. Kacey took his mother’s scolding as a hint that he needed help cutting his chicken. Smiling sweetly, she reached across his plate, her arm brushing his, and cut his chicken into tiny manageable pieces, then poked the fork into one of the pieces and lifted it to his lips.
“Here comes the choo-choo train!”
Obviously, Kacey wasn’t frightened by Travis’s murderous glare. The rest of his family looked on as if it was completely normal for her to be feeding him like a small child.
Then again, he had played the dog when they were little.
And he did have headgear when he was fourteen.
It was also possible that his mother knew he’d named his bunny after Kacey.
She looked up, her eyes shining with humor.
Damn. Travis opened his mouth, and a small bite of chicken swooped in. Kacey giggled. “You’re welcome.”
He shook his head but ended up grinning like a fool when she pic
ked up a second piece. It was still hot, and she blew on it to cool it off. He found himself so damn distracted by the way her lips pouted over his chicken that it took every ounce of willpower he possessed not to take her on his family’s dinner table.
Ah, lust by chicken. How humiliating.
Travis looked longingly at the table again. Maybe if he just pushed all the dishes to the ground. Too bad she wasn’t wearing a skirt. What was wrong with him? Was he really weighing his options here on where best to screw his brother’s fiancée?
His parents would be livid.
Grandma, however, would probably applaud then take pictures for the scrapbook. Though he wasn’t so sure that scrapbook would be legal, considering its pornographic nature.
Grandmothers made grandsons so proud at times.
Travis sighed and quickly grabbed the fork from Kacey’s hand. He couldn’t take much more.
“So, Kacey…” His mother shoveled more food into her mouth, chewed, swallowed, and winked. He groaned. She didn’t know how to converse over dinner and eat at the same time. It made for very long dinner conversation and even more torture for everyone around them.
“…I was just wondering…” She took another sip of wine.
He eyed his dad, trying to give him a private message of stealing his mother’s plate and wine so she would spit it out faster.
“…Are you guys going to move into Jake’s place once the wedding is over, or buy something new?”
His dad elbowed his mom.
What were they getting at?
Kacey looked to Travis for help. He gave a slow shake of his head.
“Uh,” Kacey said as she pushed food around her plate. “The thing is, I have a really small apartment, so Jake’s would be best, but I kinda don’t want to live downtown.”
“Perfect!” His mother clapped her hands and nudged his father. He jumped out of his seat, grabbed an envelope, then brought it over to Kacey.
“Just consider it an early wedding present.”
The Bet Page 6