One Hot Fake

Her face softens, and she smiles. “You’re right. My heart won’t let me forget.”

“I’m surprised Jason didn’t make the connection,” I say.

“I never told him. He came home exhausted last night, and it wouldn’t have been fair to dump my worries on him.” She gives me a guilty look.

I laugh. “I don’t mind being your dumping ground. I welcome it. That’s what friends are for.”

“Best friends,” Brooke says.

I reach across the table, cover her hand with mine, and squeeze. “You and Jason and the kids are my family.”

“Thanks,” Brooke says. Her glance bounces around the café, and she giggles. “I never told you this, but the first time I saw you, you and Jason were having lunch here.”

I search my memory for the period she’s talking about. “I remember. Jason wanted to surprise you with a grand proposal, then something happened, and he backed off. I suspected a lover’s tiff, but he wouldn’t admit to it.”

She laughs. “It was, but that’s not the embarrassing part.”

“Go on,” I tell her, already chuckling because I have a suspicion about what she’s going to say.

“I thought you and Jason were dating,” Brooke says.

I laugh. “Marvin would have laughed to death at that. They were both the brothers I never had, from day one.”

“I know that now,” Brooke says. “So, how are things with your husband going?” She makes quotation marks in the air when she says, ‘your husband.’

“Better than I hoped or expected,” I tell her.

“Do you think it will work?” she says.

“Who can ever tell with relationships?” I say. “But I’ll tell you this; it’s the best one I’ve ever had.”

Brooke squeezes my hand. “I hope it works. You’re the best person I know, and you deserve all the happiness in the world. Jason says that if Declan is as good as his brother, then you’ve found yourself a winner.”

My throat closes up, and I can’t speak. I nod and squeeze back Brooke’s hand.

Chapter 19

Declan

I won’t be home for dinner. See you at nine.

I read the message that I’ve just typed out, and fight the urge to add something else. I can’t think of anything. It sounds cold, but that’s how Marian likes it. I hit send and slide it back into the pocket of my pants.

“Why didn’t you come with Marian because you miss her?” Ace says.

I am dining with him, Lexi, and her sister, Vanessa at their place. Luna fell asleep hours ago.

“She was busy,” I mumble.

“Now, that was a surprise,” Vanessa says. “I couldn’t believe that you were married, Declan. What happened to your promise to marry me?”

I laugh. Lexi’s sister and I have always had a playful, sibling-like relationship. She’s a nurse and a very caring human being. She’s loving to everyone who comes into her life, and though she tore into me the first time we met, we became good friends afterward.

“I surprised myself too,” I tell her. “And hey, we can move to a state where polygamy is allowed.”

We all laugh.

“And where there are no fires,” Lexi says and shudders.

“Was it as bad as it looked on TV?” I ask Ace.

“Worse,” he says. “There’s nothing as bad as a fire in the wild. It spreads faster than anything you’ve ever seen, aided, of course, by the wind. Thankfully, no one lost their lives.” Ace entertains us with tales of their escapades while they were out fighting the fires. “People are crazy,” he says. “Some simply refuse to leave their homes. And guess the reason for that? Their belongings.”

“That’s crazy,” Lexi says.

As we relax after dinner and sip wine, my mind meanders to Marian. My family would think we were insane if they knew the details of our deal. I keep thinking about what will happen when Marian becomes pregnant, which she invariably will, considering how often we’re having sex. At first, it was about the baby, but now I find myself thinking about Marian as well. I’m feeling things for her that I shouldn’t feel in a fake marriage. I want more from Marian. Fear courses through me, but it’s not strong enough to dissuade me from thinking it over. Can I convince her to give us a chance? To try and see whether our marriage can work in real life?

Suddenly I can’t wait to go home and talk it over with her. Ace offers me a second glass of wine, but I say no. I know better than to drink when driving. Vanessa yawns and begs to be excused as well.

We say goodnight in a flurry of hugs and kisses, and then Vanessa and I leave.

“Want a ride?” she says.

“I’ll get an Uber,” I tell her. “I can’t let you drive all the way to Pine Place.”

“It’s fine; I don’t mind the drive. It gives me time to think,” Vanessa says.

I glance at her in amusement. “What does a pretty girl like you, with her life just about perfect, have to worry about?” I ask her.