Maren walks over, holding the back of her dress off the floor. “Right. I’ll sign here.”
She takes the pen, signs, and then hands it to me.
This is something I will never tell my siblings. Let them think this never happened. I sign it quickly, before handing the pen to Patrick so he and Linda can sign too.
Mark grabs it. “And that’s all. I’m going to find my wife, and I’ll see you all at the reception.”
After he leaves, Patrick turns to us, looking exhausted. “Your mother, Linda, and I have a gift for you,” he says before pulling out an envelope and handing it to Maren.
“We don’t need anything,” she says, holding it.
“Maybe that’s true, but I need to give it to you. Open it when you two are alone.” He kisses her cheek.
“Let’s get you seated at the table. You’re worn out,” Linda says as she helps him up.
“It’s a . . . long day,” he says with a smile.
She nods. “Yes, and you will need a week to recuperate.”
They leave, and Maren leans back against the table. After a few minutes of us staring at each other, she sighs. “Well, it seems we might actually be married.”
“It seems it. Maybe.”
“Maybe.”
Maren smiles. “I swear, if there is money in this envelope, it’s yours.”
“I don’t need you to pay me. You’ve already given me a vacation, which I hear you’re coming with me on.”
She looks away, biting her lower lip. “It was Stella’s idea. Until my father passes away, she thought we should keep up appearances as much as we can. Plus, since it’s in South Carolina, I can be close in case . . .”
I nod. “In case . . .”
Maren steps toward me, her hands move to my shirt and she adjusts my collar. “You had a crease.”
“Thanks for fixing it.”
“What are wives for?”
I laugh once. “Now what?”
“Now,” she says solemnly, “we go in there and we have a really fun party. Tomorrow, we go on vacation, and when we get back, we figure out if we’re legally married and I start trying to figure out how I can ever actually repay you for this.”
“Welcome to the club,” Jack says, slapping me on the shoulder. “You’re a married man now.”
“Kind of,” Grayson says with a smirk.
Maybe not as kind of as they think. “You’re both assholes.”
“We know.”
“Good, as long as no one is confused.”
Thank God that Josh is dancing with Delia and not here to harass me with them.
“Do you need the talk?” Grayson asks with complete seriousness.
“What talk?”
Jack laughs. “The one about protection and what happens on your wedding night.”
Fuck these two. “You are one to talk about protection. Either of you.” Gray and Jack knocked up their wives before marriage. At least I’m possibly legally married. Besides, I don’t need to worry about that shit anyway because I have zero plans to sleep with her.
“This is true, but we’re not virgins.”
“I’m not either.”
Grayson grips my shoulder. “It’s okay, Ollie. Some men like to wait—at least, that’s what we hear.”
“You’re both fucking stupid.” I drop my voice to a whisper. “And I’m not married, so . . .”
“Maybe she’ll blow you as a thank you,” Jack suggests.
I’m going to blow my gasket if these two don’t shut up. But then the image of Maren on her knees, my cock in her mouth with her blonde hair falling down her back, hits me, and I might blow something else.
Damn them.
I turn my head, knowing that this conversation isn’t going to get any better, and see her. She’s dancing with her uncle, smiling as though the world is perfect, and even though none of this is real, her smile is. The weight of the world that has rested on her shoulders seems to have lifted, and I can at least be happy for that.
“Look at her,” I say to them. “Regardless of what you both think, I helped her give her father something that matters.”
Jack clears his throat. “You did the right thing. No matter what the two of us are joking about.”
“It sucks, though,” Grayson adds.
“What does?”
“That it’s not real. I pretty much gave up on love and marriage after Jess and Yvette. I was fine with it too. Honestly, women are a lot of work.”
Jack nods. “Try being married to Stella.” Gray and I give him an icy glare. “Oh, please. Let’s remember that all you Parkerson brothers were praying for me when I asked for permission. Let’s not pretend like everyone in this room doesn’t know the woman I love is a lot of work.”
“True, but we can say that because we’re her brothers,” I inform him.
“Exactly,” Grayson says in support. “You’re not allowed to.”
“I’m married to her!”
“Your choice,” I say without apologies.
Grayson nods. “Yup.”
“You two are ridiculous.”
“No one is denying that, but back to Oliver being pathetic.”
I hate my brother. “I’m not pathetic.”
“You kind of are,” Jack agrees.
“Only because you’re pretending as if this doesn’t bother you,” Grayson finishes his original statement about it sucking.
I am so done with this conversation. “You’re the only thing bothering me.”
Jack turns to Grayson. “You’re not bothering me.”
“You’re not bothering me either.” Gray smiles.
“The only person bothered by this is the one who is denying his true heart’s dream.”
I blink a few times, wondering what alternate world I’m in. “True heart’s dream?” I ask slowly. “You’ve spent way too much time watching fairy tales with Amelia. Jesus.”
“We’ll get to that in a second, but he’s right.”
I let out a loud sigh, wishing there was some emergency at the resort that I was the only one capable of dealing with so I could leave. I catch Maren’s eyes, and lift my hand, hoping she’ll come rescue me from Dumb and Dumber. She smiles, sways from side to side, and sips her drink.
She is so goddamn beautiful.
Someone punches my arm, and my hand goes to the spot and starts to rub it. “Ouch, you fucker. What the hell was that for?”
“For staring at your fake wife and acting like you don’t like her.”
“I do like her,” I clarify. “I never said I didn’t. You two are the ones spouting shit about my heart and crap. I’m just here for the fun parts, okay. While you two are following your wives and kids around, trying to make them happy, I’ve already accomplished that, and now I get to enjoy a party and then spend time at the beach.”
“And you’ll see all the shit you won’t have,” Grayson says without any humor. “You’re going to remember all the things you wanted, Oliver. Whether you believe it or not, it’s not going to be so easy to walk away from it and go back to being alone. I guarantee it.”