"Naturally."
"Mom is worried about the wedding."
"Why? She barely knows anything about it."
"Exactly," Eliza rolled her eyes. "She says she hasn't been involved. That you go out of your way to exclude her, that you don't answer her calls or emails."
"You mean her list of demands?"
Eliza held up her hands, palms up. "I'm just the messenger."
"Right. Sorry, go on."
"Well, she's all worried that you're not doing things—"
"Her way."
"The correct way, so she thought the best way to get your attention and to salvage the event before it was a total catastrophe would be to show up on your doorstep."
"Or for you to show up on my doorstep?" Rachael crossed her arms, but smiled at her sister.
"As I said, I'm the messenger."
"Well, if that's your mission, harbinger might be a more apt description," Rachael huffed, and the expression on her face was so heartbreaking that Garret could hardly contain himself. She looked like a puppy that'd just been slapped in the face: innocent, confused, and hurt. He had to do something.
"You know, I think this is great." He said.
"You do?" Eliza piped up, though the ghost of a smile was already playing over her lips.
"Yes, I've been so excited to meet your parents. Wasn't I just saying that, darling?" He crossed the room tow and held a hand out to Rachael. She stared at it for a moment, brows furrowed, but then nodded as she took it.
"Yes, you were."
"I'm excited that we'll get to meet even sooner than expected."
"Right..." Eliza eyed him suspiciously, and then looked at her sister and said, "Have you told him anything about them? Or is he crazy?"
Rachael let out a nervous-sounding laugh, but Garret's bark drowned it out, "It'll be fine. Now let's get a move on. From what I can tell, they don't like to be kept waiting."
And neither did he.
The sooner this was over with, the sooner Rachael could relax. And the sooner that happened, the sooner he could have her all to himself again...
"Okay, if you're sure," Rachael reached for his other hand and he pulled her the standing.
"I'm positive."
And with that, the three of them headed into the night.
* * *
He was insane. Her sister had mentioned it as a joke, of course, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like the only explanation.
And the way her parents had planned this trip?
Even crazier.
Their hotel was only fifteen minutes from her house. Like they'd known he was a fake fiancé and she'd only have fifteen minutes to prepare him for their wrath. Okay, maybe that was a bit of a stretch, but it wasn't completely outside of the realm of possibility.