Scandalous Engagement

“We’re still friends,” he added. “That kiss didn’t have to mean anything.”

Josie swallowed and went for full-on honesty as she looked him directly in his daring blue eyes. She was drowning and she had no clue how to save herself other than to just get out of the current situation.

“But it did.”

Before the moment could get any more awkward or before he replied that he didn’t feel anything, Josie turned and left the room. Maybe that made her a coward, but right now, she was afraid. Afraid for what would happen after two weeks of pretending, when she’d only been here two hours and already had stronger feelings than she should. The fear also stemmed from not knowing how much longer Reese could stay in that friend box she’d so carefully packed him in.

But most of all, she worried that she would never be the same because now that she’d had a hint of what Reese could bring out in her...she wanted to experience even more and that revelation would certainly keep her awake all night.

Five

“Is everything okay, son?”

Reese tightened his grip on the steering wheel as his father’s voice came over the speaker in his SUV.

Son. The simplest endearment, one Reese had heard countless times over the years, yet the word only reminded him of all the lies he’d been living for nearly forty years.

Reese turned into Conrad’s first location in Sandpiper Cove. This place was as old as he was and the most sought-out restaurant in the state. Many magazines and even television shows showcased Conrad’s and its specialty menus and fine dining experience.

All of this belonged to Reese now because he was Martin Conrad’s son...or so he’d always believed.

But even having this dynasty passed down to him, Reese wanted to build his own legacy, which was why he was getting the next phase going with his opening in New York.

“I’m fine,” Reese replied, pulling into his parking spot. “I’m glad you and Mom are having a nice trip. You both deserve the getaway.”

And they did. They had worked every single day for as long as Reese could remember, growing this dynasty from a meager savings account that they’d invested in an old shack. All of that blew up into something amazing and the shack remained, but took on renovation after renovation. Surrounding properties were purchased to accommodate the growth and it wasn’t long before they realized they should open another restaurant and then another.

Reese was proud to be part of such a hardworking family; they had taught him so many of his core values. He’d always wanted a family of his own, children to pass this legacy down to someday.

But now? Well, now he questioned everything.

“We’re having the best time,” his father stated. “Wait... What, Laura?”

Reese waited while his parents held their own conversation in the background. Despite everything he’d learned from that letter, and he was still questioning the validity of revelations from a woman he’d never met, Martin and Laura had raised him. They’d loved him and provided for him, so no matter the outcome of their eventual confrontation about his biological father, they were his parents. He just wished like hell they would’ve trusted him enough to tell him the truth—if there was a truth to tell.

“Engaged?” his father exclaimed. “Reese, your mother says you’re engaged? She’s reading that blog she loves from Josie’s magazine. What, Laura? He’s engaged to Josie? Our Josie?”

Josie had been part of his family for so long. When her father was out of town working or traveling, Josie tended to land at their house. Most holidays during their college days she had spent with them. She was like the daughter his parents never had.

Reese raked a hand over the back of his neck. Yeah, he probably should have told them about this sooner, like last night, but his mind hadn’t been on the fake engagement; it had been on Josie and kissing her and her telling him that the encounter had been much more than a simple kiss. He’d wanted to know exactly what she meant by that.

But she’d walked away.

He’d stood in his theater room staring at the empty doorway long after she’d left. Obviously, he hadn’t been the only one affected by the kiss and now he had to figure out what to do with this information.

Still, his parents deserved a heads-up. They truly loved Josie like their own...and they were clearly thrilled by this unexpected news.

“Son, are you still there?”

Reese pulled himself back to the call. “Yeah. I’m here. And I was going to tell you today, actually. This all happened so fast.”

“Josie is such a wonderful girl,” his father boasted. “Hold on, your mother wants to talk to you.”

Reese swallowed and listened to the static as the phone was passed around, then he was immediately greeted with his mother’s high-pitched squeal.

“Darling,” she yelled. “I’m so happy for you guys, though I don’t know why I had to read about it online instead of hearing the news from my own son. We will discuss that later, but for now I want to know how you feel. Are you excited? How did you propose? I saw this coming years ago. I cannot wait to throw you guys a proper engagement party.”

Reese’s mind whirled with one question and thought after another. His mother was always all-hands-on-deck. The woman was only “off” when she was asleep. There was no way he could let her start planning an engagement party. She would get way too wrapped up in this and right now, he couldn’t share that it was a sham.