Blair turned back to Megan. “Do you even know his name?”
“Josh.”
“I know that already. Josh what?”
Megan shot her a leery glance, then shifted her gaze to Josh. Only moments ago, she’d told him that Kevin needed to know as little about him as possible. It was obvious that Blair and Kevin were in communication. If she told Blair, she might ultimately share her information with Megan’s brother. But Josh didn’t want to strip her of any defense she could use with her friend. He nodded.
“Josh McMillan.”
Blair stepped closer to him, until her face was mere inches from his. “Well, Josh McMillan, you’ve messed with the wrong person. I’m a divorce attorney, and I specialize in digging up shit on people. By tomorrow night I’ll know everything there is to know about you, including what blood type you are and whether you’ve been circumcised.” Blair turned to Megan and pointed her finger. “And you better not find out the answer to that question first.”
Megan’s mouth dropped open in horror and . . . was that guilt he saw in her eyes?
Message delivered, Blair turned and walked to the bar, calling over her shoulder, “Libby will be here any minute.”
Megan’s face brightened.
“I take it Libby is your other best friend?” Josh asked.
She nodded, still watching Blair. Josh hoped Libby was warmer to their arrangement, because he could tell Blair had instilled some second thoughts in his pseudo-fiancée. It didn’t help matters that he hadn’t gotten her to agree to maintaining the ruse through the evening. He worried Blair would convince her to break it off immediately.
“Megan.” He took her hand and looked into her deep brown eyes. “Don’t listen to Blair. I’m not here to hurt you.” He soothed his screaming conscience by telling himself that Megan had her own life in Seattle, and that her father’s business didn’t affect her. Even if he didn’t quite believe it himself. Maybe the perpetrator was one of Bart’s partners and he’d be doing her father a favor. If Bart Vandemeer were innocent, surely he wouldn’t want to work with a partner who was a thief and a liar.
She searched his face for something—reassurance that she could trust him? But as he held her gaze, another thought intruded—the memory of kissing her upstairs as her brother approached. His intention had been innocent enough, but the feel of her in his arms . . .
Despite the fact that he held her soft, warm hand in his, he knew he needed to keep his hands off her as much as possible, which would be difficult since they were attending what constituted their engagement party. If he were smart, he’d start sowing the seeds of doubt among her family members—hell, her brother was already there—but it might take him a couple of days to get the information he needed. He couldn’t risk being a huge ass and giving her justification in front of her family to break up with him on the spot. In fact, if he were smart, he’d charm them by playing the dutiful boyfriend, ensuring that he could stick around as long as he needed to accomplish his task. The key to making this work for Megan was for her to come out smelling like a rose when the dust settled. Which meant as long as he was the perfect boyfriend, she’d have no justification for ending it. But no doubt about it—he’d have to tread lightly.
He dropped her hand. “We probably better get the rest of the candles in the water, or your mother is going to have a fit.”
She started to get back down onto the pool deck, but he stopped her. “The guests are starting to arrive.” He motioned to the deck. Several middle-aged couples had appeared during their chat with Blair. “We can’t have the bride-to-be sitting at the side of the pool and possibly getting her dress wet.” He offered her a soft smile. “Why don’t you hand them to me, and I’ll light them and set them in the water?”
She gave him a strange look, then her smile turned shy, and she dipped her head to look at the candles. “Okay.”
They worked silently for nearly half a minute before she said, “Thanks for helping me.”
He shrugged. “What else am I going to do? Part of the job is keeping your mother happy with you, right?” He looked up at her. “This will make her happy.”
“Not just this. This.” Her eyebrows arched with her emphasis. “Everything. I’m sorry Blair was so hateful to you. Thanks for standing up to her, too.”
“I never could stand a bully.”
She looked surprised. “Blair’s not a bully. She’s just worried about me.”
Josh grimaced and set the next candle in the pool. “She’s your friend, so I won’t butt in, but I think she could have handled it differently . . . with some compassion.”
“That’s just how she is. Blair’s more of a confrontational, nip-things-in-the-bud type of person. She’s never been sweet and nurturing.”
“Like you?” He studied her face, which turned a soft pink as she watched him.
“How would you know that?”
He grinned, setting the last candle in the pool before standing in front of her. “Call it a hunch.”
“Megan!” a woman shouted in a happy voice.
They both turned to see a dark-haired woman running across the deck, her face lit up with excitement. She wore a gauzy orange and pink skirt and white tank topped with a gauzy button-down shirt, which hung open.
“Libby!” Megan thrust the empty tray at Josh and ran to her friend, pulling her into a tight hug.
“I can’t believe you’re here!” Libby shouted, waving and attracting the attention of Kevin and Megan’s grandmother. Blair didn’t even turn around to acknowledge her other supposed best friend, further cementing the title Josh had already assigned to her: bitch.
Libby pulled out of Megan’s hold and eyed Josh up and down with an appreciative look on her face. Josh already got a better vibe from her, and not just because she’d checked him out and found him worthy. It seemed reasonable to expect she’d be more open to and supportive of his arrangement with Megan.
But Megan had stiffened at Libby’s announcement, an alarmed look on her face, as if it hadn’t occurred to her that Libby would need to be let in on the charade. “Of course I’m here, Libby,” she said loudly. “I’m getting married in three days.”
Confusion flickered across Libby’s face.
Megan glanced back at Josh, as if issuing an SOS, and he strolled over to the two women. “Hi, Libby. I’m Josh,” he said, loud enough for her family to hear. “Nice to finally meet you.”
Libby glanced between the two of them with a slightly open mouth. She lowered her voice when she spoke next. “I thought you broke up with Jay back in April.”
Megan leaned closer, whispering. “I did.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “And you’re marrying him instead?”
“It’s a long story. But this is Josh, and my parents think he’s Jay.”
Libby blinked. “Why do they think he’s Jay if you’re calling him Josh?”
“Megan!” Her mother waved at her, motioning for her to join the small group of people she was talking to on the deck.
Megan placed a hand on her friend’s upper arm. “It’s a long story, Libby. I’ll tell you later, but right now I have to greet my mother’s snooty friends. Please, please, please just play along.”