"Psst! Sam!" A voice from the row behind him called out to him softly.
Sam tipped his head back, glancing behind him. Caleb Daughtry was sitting there in the row behind him, tipping his chin to him. Caleb was a silent investor in Wyldefire Whiskey and a partner to Noah and Sam. He was a good friend to them both and had ingratiated himself into the town with his kindness and generosity—or, more clearly, his fat checkbook.
"Hey," Sam whispered.
"Catch up later?" Caleb replied back in similarly hushed tones, his gaze flitting over to the back of Holly's head, then returning to Sam. Clearly, he wanted to be filled in on what was going on between them.
Sam just nodded, refusing to fully commit to anything. His life wasn't anyone's business but his own.
The music changed again, with a crescendo into the bridal march. Everyone stood, and Sam pushed to his feet next to Holly. He turned his attention down to the end of the aisle and watched as his ex-girlfriend made her first appearance of the day. She was dressed in a silk gown with sparkling beads sewn in over the chest and straps—all-white. Ironic.
If there was ever someone who shouldn't wear white, it was her.
Flashes of the night he’d caught them together crossed through his mind with every step she took down the aisle toward his brother. His brother's pasty naked ass against the moonlight was a sight that Sam never wanted to see again, that was for damn sure. But it wasn't just the act of catching them in the middle of sweaty, bare naked sex that disgusted him. It was the looks on their faces when they realized they'd been caught.
He'd expected shock, some remorse, maybe even some horror.
What he hadn't expected was relief. She had been fucking relieved. She told him later that it had been weighing on her, hiding that secret from him, and she was glad he finally knew. She didn't have to go through the agony of figuring out how to tell him or come clean like a goddamn adult. She got off easy—literally.
Honestly, that was probably what hurt the most. The fact that after almost a decade together, she couldn't just be honest with him. She couldn't just tell him she'd fallen out of love with him and wanted to move on. Then and there, his ability to trust completely disintegrated. She hadn't just lied about her fidelity—she'd lied about loving him.
Was he unlovable? Fuck if he was ever going to open himself up again to find out.
And now he was paying a woman to marry him. Maybe he had answered his own question. Sam swallowed hard, trying to push the feelings of self-hatred down deep in his gut as Jane passed by him, smelling of lavender and lace. He waited for the familiar heartache to pass over him, pulling him after her, begging him to wallow in misery at the thought of having lost the woman he loved—or did he?
He wasn't sure.
Holly slipped her hand into his. Her small fingers wrapped around his larger ones, squeezing tightly and then loosening for a moment.
And the feelings didn't come—the overwhelming hurt and love mixed together in a tangled mess were just gone. There was a warmth in its place instead where Holly was leaning into his side, her head resting against his shoulder and free hand resting assuredly against his forearm. It was like she knew what he needed, even when he didn't.
And it worked like a fucking charm.
Sam couldn't stop the smile spreading across his face as he watched his ex-girlfriend meet his brother at the top of the aisle. He tilted his head sideways and placed a kiss against Holly's forehead.
"Thanks for being here," he whispered.
She didn't respond verbally, but instead squeezed his hand again, glancing up at him from under full lashes with a tiny smile. It wasn't even about her, however. It was about the fact that someone cared enough to stand by his side. Sure, he was helping Holly out financially when it came to insurance for her sister, but he knew in his gut that if he'd asked her for this favor without any strings attached, she'd have said yes. It was the kind of person she was. She took care of other people. She was taking care of her sister at great sacrifice to herself, and here she was taking care of an old friend from high school. Well, even that was a stretch. He had barely paid her a second's attention in high school, and looking back on it, he couldn't figure out why.
The preacher told everyone they could be seated, and Holly tucked herself into his side, his arm on the church pew back behind her. He noticed a few glances from nosy townsfolk, but he kept his gaze forward and just smiled as he put his arm around his fiancée.
It was about time for this town to get shaken up a little bit, and he was the one who was going to do it.
Chapter Ten
"I can't imagine this is the way you pictured it growing up…"
Holly glanced over at Sam where he was sitting in the driver's seat of the truck. They were on their way to Town Hall—ironically where they first re-met only a week ago—to get their marriage license.
She shrugged. "Honestly, I never was one of those types to plan out my wedding in my head. Is that weird?"
Sam furrowed his brow. "Yeah. Because you're an event planner."
"I know." She shook her head. "I guess I just didn't really ever see it in the cards for myself. I've never really had a serious relationship with anyone. Casual things here and there, a few short-term flings, but nothing I was able to get really invested in."
She didn't want to tell him that the truth was her heart had always been occupied. Sometimes high school crushes never went away…
"So, you've never had a boyfriend?" Sam asked.
"I've had boyfriends. Ish." She shrugged her shoulders, leaning against the car door and hoping her face wasn't as bright red as it felt. It wasn’t that she lacked experience. She had some. Sort of. But, she had never been the type to just sleep around, and she'd never found anyone she was interested in putting that much time and attention into. "I just haven't found the right one, I guess."
"Well, I'm not really one to talk. I've only had one—Jane, of course." Sam cleared his throat. "I spoke to a few girls in high school before her, but she's been the main woman in my life."
"What about since Jane?" she asked.
Sam shook his head. "No relationships since then."
"So…you’d only slept with one woman before me in your whole life?" She couldn't believe she was asking, but, hell, she had to put it out there. They'd had sex once so far but nothing about him came across as inexperienced. The man was a God in bed.
Seriously, she couldn't wait to actually get in a bed with him. Right now.
Sam smirked, glancing sideways at her. "I said no relationships. I didn't say I was celibate."
"Oh." She wasn't sure she liked that answer.
Actually, she knew she didn't.
"We're here," Sam informed her, pulling into a parking spot in front of Town Hall. "Remember, we've been together for a year. This is real, not fake."
"I still don't understand why you care so much if people think we hopped into a shotgun wedding or not." Personally, Holly would have been fine with a courthouse wedding being her entire wedding story after a month of dating. She planned enough events that she didn't really want to do it for herself, too. Plus, this wasn't a real wedding…it was a sham. Sam didn't really love her. Weddings celebrated love. A piece of paper with no ceremonial adage fit what they were doing a lot better. "We should just elope."
"Oh, no. We're going to have the biggest wedding this town has ever seen," he replied. "First of all, my family would freak out if I eloped. I've already done enough damage with a secret relationship. A secret marriage would disown me. Second, our wedding is going to show up Jane's. It's going to be the talk of the town for years to come. Theirs will be nothing but a distant memory."
She rolled her eyes. Of course, that's all he was actually interested in—not marrying her, but just showing up his brother and his ex-girlfriend. Keep the emotions on lock down, Holly.
"Okay, well, let's do this."
He grinned. "We're getting married soon." They climbed out of the truck and he took her hand
in his, pulling her to his chest.
Holly laughed and batted at his chest. "I'm fully aware, you dork."
Sam leaned down and kissed her. "We're absolutely insane. Seriously, this is legitimately insane."
"Completely bananas."
"Let's do it." He took her hand and pulled her toward the front of the building. A few minutes later, they were checking in with the marriage clerk and waiting in line to pick up their certificate.
"Are y'all looking for a courthouse wedding?" the lady behind the counter asked them, barely glancing up at them over her thick spectacles. "Or just paperwork filled out for a license?"
Sam glanced sideways at Holly, shrugging. "Still want to elope?"
"Yes!" Holly said quickly, knowing he was just teasing. In fact, she was wearing a short summer cocktail dress—white lace with a pale pink bow around the middle. It was soft enough not to look like a wedding dress, but white enough to still pay homage to the occasion. Okay, so she knew that picking up marriage licenses wasn't an occasion per se, but to them it was. Everyone around town had to see them together and had to see them doing wedding things like this.
They were in the spotlight, and she was already wondering if she could handle it.
She had to admit, she felt a little odd wearing a dress at all because it certainly didn't match her flaming hair and spiky tattoos. The cardigan she wore covered her back, hiding her scars. Luckily, she'd managed to hide them pretty well so far, but eventually they were going to have sex again and she had no doubt he'd see them.
"Just the license, thank you," he told the receptionist. "You only get married once, after all."
Holly laughed at that, because in their situation, she had no idea if that was the case. They really hadn't discussed it. What would happen when their arrangement came to an end? When she no longer needed his insurance or he no longer needed her for his reputation?
She didn't want to think about it.
It was all too good to be true for now and that's what she was going to hold on to.
They got their paperwork and finished filling it out.
"Welcome to the family, Future Mrs. Wylde," Sam said, winking at her and squeezing her hand.
The thought hit her that she wouldn't be Holly Glen anymore…she'd be a Wylde. Excitement coursed through her at the idea that she'd be joining such an elite group of people. There was no downside here for her, and the benefits were only piling up.
"Thank you, Mr. Wylde," she replied. She could feel the butterflies dancing in her stomach. This was it. They were going to sign these pieces of paper and then all that would be between them and marriage is an officiant's signature.
Sam grinned, sliding an arm around her waist. "Can I kiss the bride?"
His lips found hers and placed a soft, sweet, lingering kiss as they prepared to seal their vows to one another before God and the state of Tennessee. As fake as this marriage was…was it?
Chapter Eleven
"Is this the right address?" Caleb Daughtry, investor and partner at Wyldefire Whiskey, asked Sam from the passenger seat of the car. He ran a hand through shaggy, light brown hair and flashed a dimpled smile. He was a few years younger than Noah and Sam, and he had been born and raised in Nashville. However, he often made the trip out to River Ridge for meetings and to visit the distillery over the last year since they'd brought him aboard. He was originally a tech guru who'd hit it rich when he was young selling an app he'd created to Google, so when he'd expressed interest in joining them, Sam had jumped at it. Caleb took care of their website and online presence, plus was a major financial backer, which they needed since both Sam and Noah had refused to take any money from their family. This was their project, and Sam wanted to do it all on his own. He wanted to know he was something outside of his family's name—that he was enough on his own.
Since then, Caleb had become a good friend and Sam really valued him as part of the business. It also helped to have a buffer between him and Noah, since they rarely saw eye-to-eye and needed a tiebreaker.
Noah leaned his head forward from where he sat in the back seat, staring out the windshield. "Yep, this is the address on the card. This is your girl, Sam?"
"Yes, it's kind of a shitty building, but give her a chance. She's a professional," Sam assured them, throwing the car into park in a nearby open spot, then pulling the key from the ignition. He always insisted on being the driver when the three of them had to go anywhere for work, and luckily, they didn't fight him on it. He liked being behind the wheel in more ways than one.
The three men reconvened on the sidewalk and headed up the steps to the brick building on North Street where HG Events was located. Most of the buildings on this street were decadent and professional, but this one almost looked like it used to be something else—maybe a store front or a cafe—that was gutted and turned into a small office building.
Caleb swung open the door, a loud bell sounding announcing their arrival. All three men filed into the waiting room—stark white walls, cheap poster artwork on the walls, and linoleum on the floor.
"I don't have a great feeling about this place," Noah said under his breath to Sam.
He shrugged and plopped down in one of the folding chairs lining the wall. "Give it a chance. The park was a great party. She can do this. I promise"
His partners were already sure he was giving the job to his fiancée because of nepotism, and he wanted to prove to them that Holly was completely skilled and capable of the job. He wasn't wrong.
Just as they were all seated on folding chairs, the door on the far end of the room swung open and Holly entered the room, bounding toward them with her signature bounce in her step. "Hi there! Welcome to my office."
They all got to their feet, but Sam was first. The air had emptied from his lungs, and yet his heart had soared in the same moment. She was as lively and beautiful as she was every time he'd seen her, but she was now wearing dark black pants under a tight blazer that hid the tattoos he knew lined her arms. Her white shirt was professional, but just low-cut enough for him to have to concentrate on keeping his eyes on her face. That wasn't very hard either, because he wanted nothing more than to take her face in his hands and kiss her right then and there.
When Holly's light silver eyes finally landed on Sam's, she paused. A slow smile spread over her lips as she took him in. "Hey, Sam. Come on in."
Caleb and Noah both turned to look at him, brows raised.
Sam chuckled, rubbing his hand over the back of his head out of habit. "Thank you. We're excited to see what you have for us."
"Hi Holly, I'm Noah Wylde, Sam's cousin," Noah told her, reaching out his hand to shake hers.
Caleb took Holly's hand next, holding it a little longer than Sam liked. "And I'm Caleb Daughtry, not related to these guys. Thank God."
Holly laughed, and Sam instantly felt jealous that he hadn't been the one to evoke that joy in her. "Come on back, gentleman. We'll get started."
She led them into a small hallway to a large room with a long table in the middle, chairs around it. They settled into seats at one end and she passed out some notebooks and pens before taking her own seat at the head of the table. Sam frustratingly realized he'd positioned himself to be the farthest away from Holly, since Caleb and Noah were directly to either side of her.
"All right, so catch me up to speed," Holly began. "What do I need to know that I don't already?"
"I don't know how much Sam has told you, so I'll start from the beginning. The grand opening party for our company, Wyldefire Whiskey, is the event," Noah launched into their spiel first. "Sam and I started distilling our own brand of whiskey about two years ago, and we took Caleb on as an investor over a year ago. The first batch is being bottled now and will be ready to roll out in two months."
"We will definitely want a large grand opening and party, but it needs to be more than that. We need an online launch, which I'd help coordinate with you," Caleb added, always the tech expert. "We want Wyldefire Whiskey becoming the
drink of choice for everyone in the nation—not just people here in town."
Holly nodded, furiously jotting notes on her pad of paper. "I'm assuming you're already set up with a distributor to go wide into retail?"
Sam nodded—this was his department. "We are. We're going to be in four hundred liquor stores nation-wide to start, as well as six hundred bars up and down the East Coast, mostly in big cities. As we grow, we're going to expand even more."
"Of course, but that's a great start," Holly said. "I'm actually really impressed you'd be able to get a new line of anything into that many stores."
"You haven't tried it yet," Noah said with a knowing grin. "It's good. It's the best whiskey you'll ever taste. We're going to take the world by storm, Ms. Glen."
Holly laughed and gently patted Noah's shoulder. "I love that attitude, but I actually have tried it and I agree with you. It's fan-fucking-tastic."
Noah raised his brow. "You have?" He glanced over at Sam. "Sam, you've been sharing already?"
"A little taste," he admitted.
"It was amazing," Holly assured him. "I needed to know the product I'm promoting." She placed a hand on Noah's shoulder to calm him that it wasn't any big deal.
Sam repositioned himself in his seat, wishing he could trade places with his cousin. Noah launched into a long explanation of their distilling process and how they'd found the perfect recipe and mash to create their whiskey, but Sam was barely listening.
He couldn't take his eyes off her. Hell, he was already going to marry her, and yet he was fascinated seeing her in her atmosphere.
Holly led the meeting with all the confidence of a CEO, and he admired the hell out of her for it. Her dark, red hair was swept up into a tight, sleek ponytail that was still so long it lay on her right shoulder. Every once in a while, when she went to jot a note, her sleeve pushed up just far enough to see the beginning hints of a tattoo on her arm and Sam wondered what they meant. He'd never met a woman with more than one or two tattoos before. In truth, everything about her fascinated him, not just her tattoos.
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