“Hello, boys. I hope you’re not bothering Oliver and Maren.” Her brow raises as though she knows exactly what they were doing.
Fred’s eyes turn soft. “Never, sweetheart. We were just meeting the newest member-to-be of Willow Creek Valley.”
Shit. I didn’t think about this. We haven’t had much time to talk about our story, the town people assume she’ll move here.
Stella doesn’t miss a beat. “That’s very kind, but as much as we’d love to visit with you both, we have wedding plans to finalize.”
And just like that, they leave. I really envy this woman sometimes. Stella sits and drops a binder onto the table. “Now that we’ve taken care of that, let’s get to work on this wedding and ensure that no one will think that you two aren’t in love.”
Nine
MAREN
I’m not as sure this is such a good idea anymore. Today, Dad and Linda arrive, and when we planned this after Oliver one-point-oh proposed, it made perfect sense for them to get here before everyone else. I wanted to let my father spend some time with Oliver before the wedding, get to know him, see how much he adored his baby girl.
This . . . well, this is utter insanity. Last night, Oliver and I spent three hours going over each other’s lives, friends, and family dynamics, and I still don’t feel ready.
Hence why I’m pacing the lobby while Oliver sits in a chair watching. “You know, the flooring is new, and I don’t have enough to replace it.”
I stop moving and shake my head. “We’re going to do this, right?”
“Yes.”
“But, like, we’re going to get away with this, right?”
My heart is racing, and I can’t seem to stop fidgeting. There’s too much at stake. These last few days have been fine because it was only a plan—an abstract concept I could pick apart and alter if I needed to. Now, it’s about to stop being a plan and become reality.
I hate reality.
“Relax, Maren. We’ll just . . . fake it till we make it.”
“Yeah, we’ll be fine. We just have to sell it and . . . lie.”
He walks over to me, taking my shoulders in his strong hands. “We have a plan, and since you’re a planner, it’s probably a great one.”
“It is.”
“If you do say so yourself.”
I smile at that. “If I do.”
“So, we stick to it, and if one of us goes off the rails, the other will have to adapt.”
“Are you planning a revolution?” I ask, somewhat as a joke.
“Well, I am a spy, after all. It’s important to think on one’s feet in my line of work.”
I groan and let my head fall back. “We are so fucked.”
Oliver shrugs. “Hey, you have your fun, I’ll have mine. If I happen to tell a little embellishment regarding my last mission where I saved a Spanish princess, what’s the harm?”
“For one, there is no Spanish princess . . .”
“All part of the lie, sweetheart.”
“I’ve created a monster,” I mutter. “You need to deflect, not embellish.”
“Sit and relax. You’re going to make yourself sick.”
He leads me over to the couch and then settles next to me without dropping my hand. I lean in, resting my head on his shoulder, and inhale his musky cologne. Why does this man smell so good? I shift, wanting to erase the space between us, and feel like I’m losing my mind. This is Oliver, who isn’t the man I thought I wanted to spend my life with just a few days ago, my friend who used to be in love with my best friend.
This web could not be more tangled if I tried.
We aren’t a thing and I need to remember that.
I make the mistake of glancing toward his face as I try to make sense of this. Oliver’s blue eyes watch my green ones, and the connection has tingles racing up my spine. I lean back, breaking the spell as I tuck my hair behind my ear.
The stress is getting to me, and I’m keyed up about seeing my dad again. Not knowing what to expect has always made me anxious, unbalanced, so my reacting that way to Oliver is nothing more than my subconscious reaching for something familiar. A friend.
I decide that, whatever it is, my best course of action is to use it to help sell the lie. I’ll just have to make sure I don’t buy my own snake oil.
Oliver laughs. “I don’t know how the hell I get myself in these things. I swear I’m like a magnet for the most insane situations. Seriously, though, I’m going to slip up on the job part, so please make sure you don’t leave us alone together.”
I smile. “Just be vague or circumvent the questions and you’ll be okay.”
“Got it. I’ll keep things brief, keep my answers short, and if I get in serious trouble, I’ll fake choking or something.”
I giggle. “My co-workers will play along. They’re really good at making up elaborate bullshit stories.”
“Seems like it’s an occupational thing.”
I shrug. “Sort of.”
“Oliver!” one of his brother’s calls from the front of the resort. “Your fake father-in-law-to-be is pulling in the drive.”
Nerves hit me like a ton of bricks, slamming the air from my chest. “Remember, I haven’t seen him in about six months. You and I have been together for three months, and you’re hopelessly in love with me.”
We get to our feet. “Right.”
“Okay. We’ll be good. We can do this,” I say because it has to be true.
I smooth down my dress, close my eyes, and inhale. I am a goddamn badass who is going to make the only man in the world I’ve ever really loved happy. He’s going to get to walk me down the aisle and give me away.
I start to walk toward the front door, but Oliver’s hand wraps around my wrist. “Wait.”
I turn. “What?”
Please don’t say you can’t do this and are backing out.
“Before we go out there, lie to everyone you know, and try to convince your father that we’ve been together for three months. I have to do something.”
My mind starts to turn, thinking what he could mean. I stare into his beautiful eyes, blinking a few times. Then he lifts his hand to cup my cheek. His thumb strokes my skin, and my heartbeat turns erratic for a totally different reason. We stand in the lobby, our breaths mingling as the energy around us changes.
“Oliver,” I say softly, not thinking of anyone or anything but him. It’s strange and a little unnerving how much I want him to kiss me. How much the thought of it excites me.
I shouldn’t want to be kissed by him. He’s my friend, and we’re pretending. Only, I don’t see any artifice in the way he’s looking at me. It’s pure lust and desire, and I am here for it.
His lips turn into a sly grin as my attention drops to them. “One time before we have to do it in front of others.”
I nod, wanting it way more than I should.
And then, slowly, he presses his lips to mine, and I forget this is all fake as I get lost in the best kiss of my life.
Ten
OLIVER