The Fake Engagement

“The woman was right. I was cooking my chicken all wrong. Now, I know the sweet spot.” He kissed the tips of his fingers and raised them in the air. “Your mother loves my grilled food.”

Preston folded his arms. “You haven’t said anything about Eliza.”

“What do you want me to say?” Greg asked. “I haven’t gotten the chance to talk to her. From what I see, she’s a nice girl, but I can’t go giving you an opinion based on looks alone. She seems nice. That’s all I can say.”

“Dad, come on. I know you adored Lydia, Grace, and Scarlett the first time you met them.”

Greg sighed. “No, Preston, I didn’t love them the first time I met them. All you heard was the boys’ interpretation. I reserve all of my judgments until I get to know them better. You, of all people, should know that.”

“And why the hell should I know that?”

“You’re a businessman, Preston. You know that you’ve got to keep your feelings pretty close to your chest. You can’t let the world be able to read you. But I do have a question for you, son. Have you stopped being able to read yourself?”

There were moments, like now, that he hated his father. Greg Boone was a good man, but he was also the kind of man who saw everything.

Pretending with Eliza was a long shot.

His dad wasn’t convinced, which was why he wasn’t going to call her out.

Crap.

He should have seen this coming. Even if he’d done nothing wrong but was thinking about doing something, his father always caught him prior to the act. His dad was a goddamn machine when it came to reading them.

He had to do something with Eliza. To make them believe.

“You’re firing up the grill?” Marsha asked. “I just knew you would.”

His mother appeared out of thin air.

A chorus of mommies filled the air. The kids moving out of the pool, running to their mothers.

Preston watched, feeling a little empty inside. One day, he wanted kids. A whole fleet of them. Kids hadn’t been in his future, not while he had a career to build up. A name to make for himself.

Eliza came through the door, carrying two giant grocery bags.

Roger took one, as did Kian, leaving her free and clear.

He walked toward her. Those lips called to him, and he didn’t care if this broke their kissing rule, or if it pissed her off.

Sinking his fingers into her hair, he pulled her in close against him. Not caring there were children present, he finally kissed Eliza like he’d been dreaming of since that damn elevator.

He stole the kiss he’d wanted to take all of those months ago.

Her lips were soft like he imagined.

At first, Eliza was tense in his arms, her body too stiff to enjoy. One taste wasn’t enough. He traced his tongue across her bottom lip and heard her gasp, opening her mouth, and he took full advantage, plunging his tongue inside.

Eliza gripped his shirt. She didn’t push him away, and he felt that was an achievement all on its own. Deepening the kiss, he heard her gasp, her moan.

Someone cleared their throat.

Coming back to the present, he kissed her on the lips one more time. “I missed you,” he said.

“I noticed.” Her lips were swollen.

He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side. “She hasn’t been away from me in nearly three years.”

Preston was also terrified of what his parents would say to her.

Trudy chuckled. “I think Melinda’s premonition is going to come true.”

“Melinda?” He remembered Melinda. One summer when he was sixteen, he’d worked at the diner.

Melinda had been a force to be reckoned with, but at the same time, once all the work was done, she’d been a sweet woman. She’d grabbed his hand on the last day before he was due to go back to school the next.

She’d run her fingers all over his palm and smiled.

“You will find everything you seek. You’ll be your own man. Trust your instincts. Don’t ever let your guard down. She will come to you. The woman of ten.”

It was a strange message. He’d never told anyone about it.

“You’re going to have a baby one day,” Lydia said.

“She put her hand on Eliza’s stomach and told her straight, you guys would have a troubled start, but a baby will bring you guys back together.”

This wasn’t good.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Eliza said. “I’ll be back.” She pulled out of his arms, and he watched her go.

“Oh, I think Melinda scared her a bit. She does want kids, doesn’t she?” Grace asked.

All eyes were on him.

“Yes, of course.”

“Do you still want your football team of kids?” Marsha asked.

“I’ll be back in a minute.” He wanted to be a dad more than anything, but kids came with sacrifices, and with the company, he hadn’t been willing to compromise.