“What on earth would you get out of it?” she asked.
“Uh, do you have any idea what it’s like being a single, almost-thirty-year-old man at a wedding? Literally any person over the age of fifty is trying to set you up with their daughter or granddaughter or niece or something.” He made a sound of disgust. “That goes double if you’re the best man.”
Lily snorted. “And here I was thinking only women had to deal with that.”
“No way. Some women think weddings are the perfect place to find a husband. No thank you.”
She got the impression he was exaggerating a little for her amusement. But only a little. It wasn’t hard to imagine anyone hitting on Sean… especially if he was wearing a suit. Imagining the charming, roguish surfer guy suiting up in a tuxedo made her stomach flip.
“Besides, ever since Zoey hooked up with Mack, she’s been on a mission to get me partnered up.” He made a sound of disgust. “It’s like she thinks I can’t cope being on my own.”
“Ah, so the truth comes out,” Lily said, nodding.
“I love that girl to death, but man… she does not know how to take no for an answer.” He rolled his eyes. “Once she gets an idea in her head, she won’t let it go.”
“I’d be keeping you safe from unwanted matchmaking attempts, then?”
“That’s right. And I’d be keeping you safe from intrusive questions and pity.”
It wasn’t a terrible deal. Would she feel bad about lying to her family? Of course. But sometimes she needed to keep things from them for their own good. Her mother was hard-wired to worry about every little thing, and Lily never wanted to be the source of her stress. Anyway, she could make it clear that this was nothing serious.
A little vacation fling.
Only, there was one minor problem.
“Who would believe we were dating, given we live on separate continents?” she asked.
“Haven’t you heard of Skype? Long distance dating isn’t what it used to be. Maybe I called you after the breakup and we reconnected.”
That sounded plausible. A modern-day technology-aided romance. Hmm, that could make a fun set-up for a screenplay.
Her phone pinged and Lily pulled the device out of her handbag.
Evie: Oh my god. Brock is getting married?! That freaking douche canoe. If I ever see him, I’m going to…
Lily didn’t even finish reading the end of the message before she chucked her phone back into her bag in frustration. “Let’s do it. Fake boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“Yeah?” Sean sounded surprised.
“We reconnected online, and this is our first outing as a couple. It’s nothing serious. We can be coy about answering questions and let people draw their own conclusions. All we have to do is act like we’re smitten.”
Saying it out loud made her heart flutter and her stomach do a somersault. Acting like she was smitten with Sean would be no arduous task.
Neither will being with someone who’s acting. You’ve got plenty of experience with that.
She ignored the snarky voice in the back of her head. While deceiving people was absolutely not her preferred mode of operation, she owed it to Evie not to steal the spotlight. And really, having a shield from unwanted questions was something she needed, if she was being totally honest with herself.
The past month had taken an axe to her self-esteem and she felt brittle and breakable. Every time someone approached her about the Brock situation, she wondered if that would be the moment she’d snap. And she never wanted to snap with her family, especially since she hardly ever got to see them in person anymore.
Accepting Sean’s help was the smart move.
Just so long as you don’t go thinking it’s real when it’s not… again.
5
Thankfully, they made it to Forever Falls in one piece. Sean navigated the rental vehicle down a small road, passing a sign which welcomed them to the inn, toward an impressive building in red brick with white trim. Lights twinkled along a porch that wrapped around the righthand side of the building and inside, lights glowed rich and warm. A Christmas tree sparkled in one large window, with colourful lights dancing to a silent tune.
All Sean could think about was the fact that he and Lily were going to be “a couple” for the next few days. They’d hashed out the rules during the rest of the drive:
1. play coy and keep the details to a minimum.
2. share a room at the inn, but no hanky panky!
3. quietly “break up” a couple of weeks after the wedding.
And the “no hanky panky” rule was hers, not his. One, because Sean would never say something as ridiculous as “hanky panky,” and two, because he didn’t like to set more rules than were absolutely necessary. Should sparks fly… well, he was open to seeing where it went.
Lily had been adamant they keep everything above board and above the covers.
“We made it,” she said, clapping her hands together.
“See, told you I knew what I was doing.” He pulled the car to a stop near a sign that said visitor parking and noted that there was only one other car parked there. Strange. He’d thought the bridal party was all supposed to be here early.
His sister Zoey, who was another one of the “groomsmen” on Jasper’s side of the aisle, had gotten a flight a few hours after him. She’d planned a fancy night in Melbourne with Mack before they flew out. So they probably wouldn’t have arrived in Boston yet.
Sean climbed down from the car and jogged around to the back to get the luggage out. The cold hit him like a mallet to the face. It sliced through the leather jacket he’d tossed over his hoodie, and he shuddered in response.
“What kind of weather is this?” he moaned as he pulled Lily’s suitcase out of the back of the car and handed it to her. “People actually live in this? Like, every winter?”
Lily laughed. She’d also pulled on her coat and had a scarf wrapped around her neck. “Yes, people do live where there is snow in winter. Lots of people, actually.”
“Spot the Aussie, eh? I don’t think I’ve ever been this cold in my life.” He picked up his pace, desperate to get inside and warm up. “This is inhumane.”
The snow was coming down harder now, and the wind picked up speed. He had to stop himself staring in wonder at all the white shimmering around him. He’d never seen anything like it. But there would be time to admire the snow once he was inside and warm.
“Sean Hutcherson, how the bloody hell are ya?” A booming Aussie accent cut through the weather, and Ethan Hammersmith came striding toward the car. He was a tall dude, built like a Viking and had the blond hair and blue eyes to match. “Welcome to my little slice of paradise.”
“Not sure I’d call it paradise, mate. It’s colder than the shady side of an iceberg out here.” Sean chuckled. “You remember Lily, right?”
“So nice to see you.” Ethan pulled Lily in for a friendly hug. “Now let’s get you folks inside.”
“What on earth made you want to live here?” Sean asked as he pulled the last bag from the back of the car.
Ethan glanced over his shoulder toward the inn, where the front door was open, and a woman stood leaning against the doorframe. A warm glow emanated from behind her, lighting up her fiery red hair. “It’s quite a story.”