Fake Fiancee (For Now) (Big Men of Blue Mountain 1)

It’s early, but he answers. “Hello?”

“Hi Jerry, this is Leo Harris.”

He makes a sound of recognition. “Hello Leo. What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to check on the land payment that’s expected next week,” I say clearing my throat. Even talking about money like this makes me feel like a pretentious ass. “My business partners have told me it hasn’t arrived.”

“Oh,” he says. “I apologize. I thought you knew. Your parents put a hold on the money, but they didn’t specify a reason. I assumed they would have talked to you about it.”

Fuck. “Okay, thanks, Jerry. I’ll give them a call and see what’s up.”

“Sorry about that.”

“No worries,” I say while my hand grips the counter hard enough to feel it creak. “It’s not your fault.”

It isn’t. Whatever my parents are doing has nothing to do with Jerry, that’s for sure. But it doesn’t make it any less annoying.

This time I call my father. Of my two parents, he is the more likely to level with me. And he answers quickly, too. “Hello, son.”

Son. Never a good sign. If he’s in a good mood, he calls me Leo. “Hey, Dad.”

“I’ve been wondering when I would get this call. Hold on, let me get your mother.”

I sit down on one of the stools next to my bar and put the phone on speaker. It lets me cover my face with my hands and take a breath. My mind is already forming contingency plans for how to get the money.

“All right, you’re on with your mother and me.”

“If you were planning this, why didn’t you just call me?” I ask.

My mom’s voice comes through the speaker. “We wanted you to reach out. We so rarely hear from you anymore.”

“Are you guys okay?”

“We’re fine,” my dad says. “Doing well.”

I sigh. “Guess I’ll bite the bullet. I just got off the phone with Jerry. He said you put a hold on the money.”

I can almost feel them looking at each other, but my dad speaks. “We did, yes.”

“Why? Did something happen?”

Mom clears her throat. “You’re not following through on your part of the agreement.”

My mind goes blank. “Agreement? What agreement? You said the money was a gift. If that’s changed, that’s fine, I just need to know.”

There’s an aggressive sigh on the other end of the line. “The part of the agreement, Leo, where we said we would gladly fund your endeavor if you started taking life seriously and considered starting a family.”

My jaw drops, and I’m glad that they’re not in the same room with me. Yes, they’d said that when we talked about the money. And I’d agreed. But I’d also said at the time that I would consider it once we were established. It’s barely been two years, and Blue Mountain is nowhere near being in a place where I can spend the time to start a family. Not to mention that I’d have to…you know…find someone to marry.

They must take my silence as guilt, because Mom keeps speaking. “It’s been more than enough time to have even a hint of something on the horizon, Leo. That’s all we’re asking.”

“Why do you care so much about this?” I ask them. It’s an endless frustration. They’ve been hounding me to settle down since college.

“We just want you to be happy.” My dad now, and I wish that I could say that it’s just my mom talking him into this, but it’s him too. They’re lucky. My parents have that kind of deep love that’s life changing. But on the inside of that, they can’t see that not only is it rare, but it’s also not something you can look for.

“What makes you think that I’m not happy?” I ask. “I am happy.”

My mom makes a sound. “You think you’re happy. But you won’t know until you actually make an effort, Leo. And your father and I aren’t going to keep funding your childish dreams if we don’t see some progress.”

Panic reaches up and grabs my chest. This can’t be happening. Can it? I don’t know what makes the next words come out of my mouth. Desperation and fear—the need to save the one thing that I actually love.

“I have been dating someone,” I say.

There’s a soft intake of breath. “Really? Why didn’t you tell us?”

I sigh. “Because I’m an adult. I don’t mean that to be offensive, but I don’t have to report on my dating life to you. Except for now, apparently.”

“Leo—”

“But since we’re doing this, I’m actually getting married. I proposed recently.”

There’s shocked silence on the other end of the line, and I realize what the fuck I’ve just done. But it’s already out there, and now I can’t take it back. “You guys know me. I’m not really one to make a big deal out of things, but I thought you would be happy.”