“Why don’t we all sit down? The rolls are ready to come out of the oven.” Her mother clasped her hands together, her smile so wide Sidney wondered if it would pop off her face. At least she was happy.
They all went into the formal dining room and Ted pulled out a chair for Sidney. Blake sat directly across the table, and Natalie quickly claimed the seat next to his. Her father sat at the head of the table while her mother flitted about setting the rolls out and making sure everyone had water. The table was already set, tablecloth and all. She’d even pulled out the cloth napkins.
“Phyllis, when you’re ready, would you please say grace?” Her father bowed his head. Mom filled the last cup and then sat down and started the prayer.
The roast smelled delicious, and soon they were all passing around the food and the room filled with friendly chatter. Her mother turned to her. “I’ve been looking into wedding venues.”
Her father frowned. Even though he’d greyed, he was still a formidable ex-military man. He’d gained a little weight since retirement, but not enough to hide his washboard stomach. “Phyllis, please. Let your daughter plan her own wedding.”
Her mother wrung her hands. “But if we’re going to have a spring wedding, we really need to book—”
Blake interrupted. “You have a date? To get married?” He stared at her pointedly. Whatever that meant.
“No,” Sidney said. “We haven’t set the date yet. We’re still considering lots of options.”
Ted put his arm around her. “We don’t want to rush into anything.”
She smiled up at him, grateful for his contribution. That was believable. But when she glanced at Blake his jaw was clenched and he looked upset about something. “Sure,” he said under his breath.
Natalie cozied up to Blake. “When I get married, I’d love a winter wedding. Everything white.” She looked at him. “What time of year do you want to get married?”
Sidney kicked her sister under the table, but Natalie just glared at her.
Blake cleared his throat. “I’d always thought a fall wedding would be nice, so that’s what my wife and I had. Too bad it didn’t stick.”
The room fell silent, everyone focusing on their plates. Sidney felt awful for Blake, and she mouthed, “I’m sorry,” to him.
He shrugged. “It’s okay. People get divorced. It happens.”
Her father picked up the conversation. “Blake, how’s your mother doing?”
And the awkwardness just kept coming. Nice. Sidney winced and tossed Blake another apologetic look.
“Not very well, I’m afraid.”
Her mother frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything we can do? I can take her a meal.”
Blake shook his head. “No, thank you. She’s very independent. She’d be embarrassed.”
The conversation lulled and Sidney chewed her food. This was a fine evening full of uncomfortable situations. Maybe next they could all talk about how Asher cheated on her.
If she scarfed her food, perhaps she and Ted could leave soon. She stuffed a large piece of roast beef in her mouth. Everyone ate in silence for a few minutes.
Blake picked up his glass of water and took a sip. “How’s Grayson? Is he still out in California?”
Her father puffed out his chest in pride. “Yes, he’s working for NBC now. He’s a writer for that show Forensic Science.”
“Great. He always wanted to work in Hollywood. Such a tough business, but I’m glad he’s fulfilling his dreams.” Blake smiled and then turned to look at Sidney. “So, how did you and Ted meet?”
She swallowed the chunk of meat. “We met through Mia.”
He raised one eyebrow, and his grin seemed to hold a secret. “That’s it?”
“Yes.” She tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice, but wasn’t too successful.
Blake leaned back in his chair, a smug smile now on his face. What was up with him? She wanted to smack him.
“Phyllis, you’ve outdone yourself,” her father said. “This roast is divine.” Everyone agreed, thanking her for cooking the meal.
Sidney noticed with relief that most people were almost done eating. Blake leaned forward and whispered, “Meet me under the table.”
“What?” she whispered back.
He picked up his fork and dropped it on the floor. “Oops. Dropped my fork.” He disappeared under the table.
Sidney pretended to drop her napkin and leaned down to retrieve it. “What are you doing?” she whispered.
“Reenacting a scene in our favorite movie.” He winked at her, which caused her stomach to fill with butterflies.
“That’s why you called me under here? To pretend you’re Barbra Streisand?”
“No. I wanted to say you look uncomfortable, and to suggest we blow this joint.”
“I can’t! My parents want to get to know Ted!”
“Then leave Ted here.” His smile seemed innocent, but he had a devilish gleam in his eyes.
“Very funny.”
Natalie lifted the tablecloth and peeked under the table. “What are you guys doing?”
“Just testing a theory Sidney has.”
Sidney tried to hold it in, but she couldn’t and laughed. Natalie grunted in disgust and dropped the tablecloth back into place.
“She’s no fun,” Blake said, his face serious.
Sidney had nothing to say to that, and her back was starting to hurt, so she squirmed out from under the table. Blake sat up as well.
“Everything okay?” Her mother wore a disapproving glare on her face.
“Fine,” Sidney said at the same time Blake said, “Yep.” Ted seemed oblivious to anything going on.
Her mother’s gaze darted between the two of them. “Since we are all done eating, maybe you can help me clear the table, Sidney.”
Blake pointed a finger at her and mouthed the word, “Busted.”
Sidney shot him a glare and stood, picking up her plate. “Sure, I’ll help.” She turned her back on Blake. Gathering up a stack of dirty dishes, she sighed. Almost done. Then she’d never have to go through this again.
Alone in the kitchen, she scraped the plates and started filling the dishwasher. Her mother came in and turned on the faucet. She looked at Sidney. “How long have you known Ted?”
“About as long as I’ve known Mia. Since college.” This was true.
“And how long have you been dating?” She picked up the brush and scrubbed one of the plates.
“Almost a year.” Not true. Guilt bubbled up in her chest. She hated lying to her mother.
Concern showed on her mother’s face. “Your sister says you were out with Blake yesterday.”
“Blake’s a client. He hired me to find him a match. Plus, we’re old friends. We were just catching up.” All true, for the most part. She didn’t have to mention how her crush had reared its ugly head, or how Blake had flirted with her.
Her mother nodded. “I understand. It’s just, when you’re in a relationship, it’s important to put that person first.” She glanced at Sidney. “And to be careful with other relationships.”
Oh, heavens. Her mother thought she was going to cheat on her fake fiancé. “I know, Mom. It’s not like that with Blake.” At least, not in real life. Try telling that to her body when he was around.
Her mother smiled and put an arm around her. “Of course, dear. I just want what’s best for you. That’s all.”
“I know.”
“You and Blake have known each other a long time. You have a…special relationship.”
Where was she going with this? Best to put away any thoughts of this nature. “Yes, but we’re just friends.” She hugged her mother, then left to gather more plates, glad that talk was over.
When the dishes were all in the dishwasher, Sidney wandered on into the living room where the rest of them were gathered around the computer. She rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, Ted, I’ve really got to get going to do that thing we discussed…so…” She pointed to
the door.
Blake took a step toward her. “Ted’s helping your dad with his computer. But since you’ve got somewhere to be, I’d be happy to give you a ride.”
Ted waved his hand at her. “Sure. Blake can take you.” He went back to clicking on the computer. That was Ted. Once he got involved with a computer, he didn’t care about anything else. At least he loved his job.
She took the opportunity to flee. “Okay. Sounds good. See you later, Ted.” Her mother frowned, but Sidney ignored it.
He mumbled his goodbye. They stepped outside into the cool evening air. “It’s gotten chilly,” she said, rubbing her arms, not really thinking it through.
Blake put his arm around her, pulling her close. “Here, I’ll warm you.”
Her silly crush went nuts, causing her heart to go into overdrive, tingles shooting across her skin. She wiggled out of his embrace. “Thanks, I’m fine.” The last thing she needed was to react to his stupid flirting. She practically ran to his truck, her sandals slapping on the cement. She got into the passenger seat just as he reached her door.
He leaned on the truck. “You never let me open the car door for you.” He frowned.
“Stop whining. I’m just faster than you are.” She slapped his shoulder, expecting him to smile, but he didn’t.
She tried to pull the door shut, but he held it open. “You let Ted.”
She gaped at him. “You were watching out the window?”
“Your mom was a little anxious.”
She laughed. “That’s my mom for you.” When he didn’t respond, she sobered. “Why do you care, anyway?”
“I was always taught to open a door for a woman. It’s a small thing, but it lets me show my respect. When you don’t allow me to, it takes that away from me.”
It didn’t seem like a big deal to her, but since it meant something to Blake, she slipped out of the truck, shut the door and took a step back.
Blake stared at her for a few moments, and she met his gaze. His blue eyes assessed her, and then a hint of a smile touched his lips. He opened the door and then held out his hand to assist her into the truck. She took his hand, ignoring the wild zapping of electricity, and stepped up into the seat.
He allowed a full smile, and shut her door. Neither one said anything as he drove her home. When he stopped in front of her house, she sat there and let him come around to open the door. He again held out his hand to help her out of the truck.
After she stepped out on the cement, he didn’t release her hand but held it as he walked her to her door. It didn’t seem flirty. It felt deeper, more like they had a connection—and she didn’t want to break it. She turned to look at him, and he captured her other hand as well. “Thank you,” he said, his voice low.
All of a sudden, the whole door thing didn’t seem so silly anymore. It seemed important somehow, although she couldn’t fully understand. She blushed, and she hoped he couldn’t see her pink cheeks in the moonlight. “You’re welcome.”
He held her hands for a few seconds longer before releasing them and stuffing his own in his pockets. He looked like he wanted to say something, but kept silent.
“Thanks for bringing me home,” she said, mostly to fill the silence.
“Yeah.” He blinked and ran a hand through his hair. “Anytime.” He took a step back. “Good night, Sidney.”
He turned and walked down the sidewalk toward his truck. “Good night,” she said, her voice a whisper.
Chapter 12
Blake spent the next week trying to get Sidney off his mind, which was fairly easy to do while he was at work. Treating his patients was a decent distraction. But as soon as he came home to an empty house, fixed a meal by himself, and sat alone, he couldn’t think of anything else. Not even finishing up the kitchen renovation took his mind off her.
Sidney had actually brought Ted to meet her family. This lie of hers was taking on a life of its own. It was almost becoming an obsession for him to figure her out. Why was she going to such great lengths? It couldn’t only be about the business. There had to be more to it.
On Thursday, Sidney left him a message saying she found him another match. Funny thing was, he couldn’t care less about being matched anymore. He’d much rather spend his free time with Sidney. He told himself it was because her lie was driving him nuts and he just wanted her to tell him the truth, but he knew there was more to it than that. Spending time with Sidney was fun.
He didn’t return her call. Instead, on Friday evening, he ran to the store and bought her favorite board game, and showed up on her doorstep. He rang the bell and waited for her to answer.
Sidney cracked the door. “Blake? What are you doing here?” She sounded tired.
“I want a re-match.”
“A what?” She pulled the door open further and he glanced at her comfortable T-shirt and sweat pants. For some reason, knowing she was home alone on a Friday night made him happy.
He lifted the Monopoly game. “Last time you beat me, rather unfairly I’d say. I think I deserve a do-over.”
She curled a strand of her brown hair behind her ear, a smile playing on her lips. “It was fair and square, and you know it. Besides, you usually were the one who won. I deserved one small victory.”
“One? I seem to remember it differently, Miss Queen of the Railroads.”
She grinned, but when their eyes met, she sobered. “Sorry, I can’t tonight.”
“Why not?”
She sighed. “Because it isn’t a good idea, me being engaged and all.”
There it was. That wall she’d been putting up in the name of Ted. He had to make her see she could trust him. “Sidney, we’re just friends. I swear I’m not here to break up you and Ted.”
Indecision played across her features, but in the end, she shook her head. “I really can’t.” She started closing the door and he panicked.
“Wait. You can start with $500 extra.” That got her attention, and she stopped, so he sweetened the pot. “And I’ll give you B&O Railroad.”
She paused, thinking it over. “Throw in Boardwalk and you’ve got a deal.”
“What? No way. I’d be signing my death certificate.”
She smirked. “Don’t like a challenge? Okay then, if you’d rather go home…”
“You are evil,” he said, holding in a chuckle. “Okay, fine, you get to start with Boardwalk and B&O, and when you still lose, you have to do the chicken dance outside.” He pushed his way into her apartment and set the game on the coffee table.
She shut the door. “Fine by me. But if you lose, you have to ding-dong ditch the haunted mansion.”
“Deal.” He sat down on the couch and opened the box. Sidney sat on the opposite side and started setting up the banker’s tray.
“I want to be the shoe.”
“Like you’ve ever been anything else.” He tossed her the die cast game piece.
“Sometimes I like to be the iron, so I can iron the board.” She grinned at him, and he laughed. He liked this Sidney. The laid back one. The one who wasn’t holding him at arm’s length and putting up Ted walls.
They set up the game and started rolling the dice. Sidney grabbed up several properties right away, while he landed on chance and had to pay a fine. As they played, Blake wondered what he could do to make this Sidney stay around a while.
At one point, Sidney left the room to use the restroom, and Blake picked up her phone. As a prank, he loaded his favorite classic rock songs in her playlist, then he placed her phone back on the table. He smiled to himself when she came back.
The game quickly turned into a game of “Let’s give Sidney money,” as he continued to land on her properties. He picked up the dice. “Six or ten, six or ten,” he said under his breath.
“There’s no escape. Mama needs a new hotel.”
The smile on Sidney’s face was worth his pretend financial devastation. He tossed the dice and rolled a seven. “Aw, man.”
“Ha!” She grabbed her card and read it. “Yo
u owe me $750.”
He looked at his dwindling pile of cash. “Would you take a kiss instead?” He hadn’t meant to say it, the words just slipped out. Instead of apologizing, like he should have done, he raised his eyes to meet hers in a silent challenge. He was intensely curious what she would say.
Her look of shock melted into something he couldn’t quite read. She stared at him, and then raised one eyebrow. “I don’t think Ted would like that, do you?”
He felt the progress he’d made slip away as she folded her arms across her chest. She was shutting him out again. “I was kidding,” he said in a lame attempt to make it all better.
“Yeah? Well, you’re going to have to mortgage something if you don’t have the cash, buck-o. Unless you want to do my dishes for me.”
“You’d let me out of my fine if I wash your dishes?”
She rubbed her hands together in a greedy way. “You bet.”
“Done.” He stood and crossed the room. Sidney followed him into the kitchen. When he saw the counter and sink full of dirty dishes, his jaw hit the floor. “What did you do in here?”
Her laughter bounced off the walls. “I volunteered to take a couple of meals to some women at Mom’s church. I was going to start cleaning up when you rang the doorbell.”
“You played me!” Before he thought about it, he grabbed her and started tickling her sides like he used to when they were kids.
She squirmed and tried to shout while laughing. “Don’t!” The word barely came out through her giggles. “Stop!”
“Don’t stop? Okay.” He continued to tickle as she fought against him.
Her fists pounded on his shoulder as she wriggled to get away. He stopped his assault and let her settle down. “You going to admit you played me?” he said in her ear, his heart hammering in his chest while he held her tight.
“Yes,” she said, breathless. She looked up at him and he got lost in the depths of her brown eyes. He was surprised at how nice it felt to have her in his arms. Her lips were inches from his, and he couldn’t stop himself from gazing at them.
Before doing something that would surely make her walls go up, he let her go and turned to the sink. “Guess I’d better get started.”
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 57