“You’re always so sweet to me.” It made her determined to do something for him too. She’d just need time to think about what.
“Of course. You’re my favorite girl.” He winked, his green eyes twinkling.
Yeowza. It was like a lightning strike, and she was the rod. Man, her mind must be seriously stressed.
“Well, I do have to share you now,” he said. His smile faltered just a bit, but he was looking at the menu, so more than likely it was nothing.
Peyton checked over the menu. “Did something look bad?”
“What?”
“You made a face while you were looking at the menu. Something must have sounded terrible. I want to make sure I avoid it.”
He chuckled. “Oh, yeah, duck. I’m not a fan. It’s too gamey for me, but don’t take my word for it. You might love it.”
“Oh, I’m not big on duck either. I’m thinking the seafood risotto sounds good.”
He nodded. “We could share it, and then you’d still have room for a dessert.”
“Make it two, and you’re on.” She grinned. This was why she loved Gus. He had a way of making her laugh at the simplest things.
During their meal, they finished catching up, minus her breakup and joblessness. He was doing so well and was so excited, and every time she thought she could tell him…well, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. For once, she needed to support him and be happy. It wasn’t about her. It was about him.
Afterward, they stopped at the grocery store to grab some microwave kettle popcorn for Gus and a movie from the movie rental kiosk. Once they were in their pajamas, they got the popcorn popped and settled in to watch Frequency. It was old, but it was one they loved.
As the opening credits played, Gus asked, “Are you excited to spend Christmas with Frank’s family?”
Oh, right. “Frank had a huge thing come up at work. He won’t be going home. They need him in Paris.” Which was where he was going to be, so it wasn’t a total lie.
“What are you doing for Christmas?”
“Just hanging out here.” She’d already told him about her parents spending Christmas on a Jamaican Cruise.
He tilted his head. “What about New Year’s? You and Frank were going to New York to watch the ball drop. Is he going to be back in time for that?”
Ugh. She’d forgotten about that and fought back tears. “He’ll be gone for that too.” She tried to make her voice steady and failed.
“Peyton, what’s going on?”
“Nothing,” she said, waving him off.
He narrowed his eyes and pierced her with a look.
She really didn’t want to tell him. “I don’t want to tell you. You have your big week coming up, and…”
Gus took her hand in his. “My big week is not more important than you. Tell me.”
Her lower lip trembled. “Frank dumped me.”
“What?”
“He dumped me. He only started dating me because he wanted his firm to think he was a family man so he’d get a promotion and get to go to Paris to head up the new office there.” Her tears flowed freely now. “And I lost my job too. They restructured and moved my department to Iowa, and they didn’t need two supervisors.”
Gus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. “Frank isn’t worth your tears, and you can do better. Am I free to tell you I didn’t like him to start with?”
“Yeah.” It came out pathetic. She circled her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. This is what she needed. She shouldn’t have told him, but she already felt tons better.
“And as for your job, you were great at it. It won’t take you but a second to find another one.” His voice was so soothing, and he ran his hand up and down her back. “You’re Peyton Burrows, Supergirl. There’s nothing you can’t do.”
A tiny chuckle trickled out. He’d called her that before. It was silly because she never felt that way, but Gus sure believed in her. “Thanks. I’m so sorry to dump all my bad news on you. Christmas Eve is two days away, and then your resort opens. I feel awful.”
“Don’t. You never have to keep things from me, no matter what’s going on in my life.” Gus’s face lit up, and his eyes widened. “I have an idea.”
She leaned back. “What?”
His smile grew. “Why not come with me to the resort?”
A Hawaiian resort? Hot sun, warm beach, far enough away from her problems to drown them in little umbrella drinks? No, she couldn’t. The resort was booked. “I’ll be fine. Besides, you said you were booked up the last time we talked.”
“You could stay with me. The bungalow I’m in has two rooms and a couch. Tyrone will be in the other room, but I can sleep on the couch. It’s perfect.”
She chewed her bottom lip and looked down. Oh, it sounded so nice. Of course, she wouldn’t let him take the couch, especially when he was being so thoughtful, but it would be pointless to argue about it now. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a bother.”
He leveled his eyes at her. “You could never be a bother, Peyton. I don’t want you spending Christmas and New Year’s alone.” He put a finger under her chin and lifted her head. “Look, I wanted you there in the first place. It would mean a lot to me if you were.”
Even though he had kettle corn breath, Peyton was on the verge of turning into a puddle. His face was so close, but he’d been close before. Why was this time different?
Fiancé! She’d had a fiancé a week ago, and this was Gus. Her rebound card wasn’t getting its punches from Gus. If she wasn’t careful and didn’t get her mind straight, she’d be getting a special visit from remorse.
She debated a bit more. Oh, she so wanted to go, and he wanted her there. Why wouldn’t she go? “If you want me there, I’ll be there.”
“This is so great. My favorite girl with me. Christmas couldn’t be better.” He pulled her into a tight hug, and she relaxed against him.
Gus had always been reliable and comfortable. A trip with him was exactly what she needed. By the time she returned, she’d be back to her old self and ready to tackle life. And with a tan to boot.
Chapter 4
The sun was centered between the horizon and the top of the trees as Gus and Peyton reached the resort. He’d made the necessary calls to account for Peyton’s stay. Even Ty knew she’d be there. That conversation was exhausting. This was not his shot with Peyton. The only thing Gus wanted was to spend Christmas and New Year’s with his best friend…because she wasn’t engaged.
He nearly breathed a sigh of relief out loud. He’d been given a reprieve. Not that he thought it would change anything, but maybe he could prepare himself better for the next time she announced she was spending the rest of her life with someone else.
The coming week with her would test him with her looking so good. She’d worn an off-the-shoulder little black dress the night before. She’d called it old, but it had taken effort to keep his jaw off the ground. But then again, Peyton could wear a mud-covered burlap sack and look good.
He hated that she felt the need to keep Frank’s dumping her and losing her job from him. It was sweet that she didn’t want to take away from the good things going on in his life, but how could she not know she was one of the best things in his life?
It had been so tempting to kiss her. Her face was so close, those dark eyes of hers holding his. The monumental effort it took to keep his lips to himself should’ve put him in the lineup for a gold medal.
Now, he was spending the week with her at this resort that was meant to help people fall in love. What could it do for someone already in love? How much could he handle?
“Oh, Gus, this is so incredible!” Peyton’s entire face glowed as the car slowly drove into the expansive half-circle driveway. She turned to Gus. “Wow.”
Gus grinned. He was hoping for this reaction. Not just from her but from every visiting guest. One of the reasons this particular resort caught his eye was the twenty-one single-room bun
galows extending in both directions from the main house. And with mountains behind it and the beach stretching in front, the entire place gave the illusion of being its own island. It was the perfect amount of space for ten couples, a nice-sized group.
During the planning phase, he paid careful attention to the front of the resort to showcase the local foliage. He’d made sure everyone hired was local so that he was infusing the local community with revenue. His chef would use locally harvested foods as much as possible too.
“You like it?”
“No, I love it,” she said as she stepped out of the car. “Look at all this color. It’s…wow.”
Gus followed her out and nodded. “I hope everyone thinks the same way you do.”
She touched his arm. “They’ll have no choice. I’m telling you, you’re going to be booked solid forever.” Her touch was always electrifying, but knowing she was single and staying with him in the same bungalow made it feel as though the voltage had increased. His pulse was a testament to that.
“Let’s get settled in our bungalow, and then I’ll show you around. We’ll have the place to ourselves until tomorrow. Tyrone is arriving early in the morning, and the guests won’t arrive until around noon. I wanted to get here a day early in case there were any fires I needed to extinguish.”
Her eyes lit up. “The whole resort to ourselves?” She lifted on her toes and clapped her hands together. “That’s amazing.” He loved being the reason she was so excited.
Her features turned pensive, and she tilted her head. “You were going to spend the holidays with strangers.”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Yes, it was. Why didn’t I think about that before?”
“Really, it was fine, but I have you now.”
Peyton rolled her eyes, and then she smiled. “We could go somewhere and do some Christmas shopping!”
He smiled. “We could have pre-Christmas Eve hot cocoa, and I brought my iPad, so we can watch movies by the fireplace.”
“Well, maybe not the fire since we’re in Hawaii.”
“It can get chilly here at night. We might get that fire.” He nodded his head toward the path to the bungalow they’d share. As they walked, he told her a bit about them. “All of the bungalows are one bedroom with a fireplace, except the one we’re staying in. It’s two bedrooms. Tyrone wanted the option to visit without reducing the number of available rooms. That leaves twenty bungalows for the ten couples. There are also a few rooms in the main house for visitors not being matched, like personal guests or speakers.”
“That’s smart, but you’ve always been like that. Thinking ahead, planning.”
“Boring and weird.”
Peyton pinched her lips together in the cutest way possible. This was the look she got when he said anything derogatory about himself. “Exciting and innovative. You’re helping lonely people find their special someone. You aren’t boring or weird. Some woman out there is just waiting for your meet-cute.”
“I don’t have time for a meet-cute.”
“Won’t you slow down a little after your resort gets going? You’ve hired a manager, right?”
He appreciated what she was trying to do, but he didn’t want to hear all the good things she thought about him when she probably said the same thing to Frank. With a quick peek at his phone, he checked the time. “Let’s go get freshened up, and then we can get some dinner, okay?”
Peyton cocked an eyebrow. “Nice sidestep, Gus.”
Laughing, he nodded. “Can we go?”
She exhaled heavily. “Fine, but this isn’t over. We’re finding you someone.”
The last thing he wanted was Peyton in charge of his love life. Who would she pick for him? Unless it was her clone, there was no one else for him. “Come on. I’m hungry, and I want to change shirts.”
“Okay,” she said and hugged his arm. “Thank you for this. You have no idea how much I needed it.”
“This is it,” he said as they arrived. “It’s similar to the others.”
The simple rooms were appointed like a five-star hotel. Luxury beds, fine linens, and décor that was peaceful and inviting. The only difference from a high-dollar hotel was no TV in each room. If people were coming there to connect, they needed to disconnect from their technology. He’d removed the televisions, only leaving a couple in the main house in case the couples wanted something to do other than hang out on the pavilion or down by the beach.
“I love it. It’s simple and relaxing.”
Before he could offer his room to her, she turned to him. “You were kind to bring me here, so I’m taking the couch. Don’t argue.”
He laughed. “You sure?”
“Positive.” She touched his arm. “I’m going to use the restroom before we tour the rest of the resort, okay?”
“Go ahead. We don’t have a schedule.”
Peyton nodded and disappeared into the bathroom.
A moment later, Ty walked in the front door with a young woman Gus didn’t recognize. What was he doing there already? “Hey! Just the guy I was hoping to see,” Ty said.
“Hey, Ty,” Gus said as his gaze darted to the woman. She was staring at him like a piece of meat. “I didn’t think you were coming until tomorrow.”
“This is Justine Pruitt. Her schedule cleared a day early, and she asked if she could tour the resort before the guests arrive. I figured I’d come early to show her around.”
Fantastic. And creepy. Gus shook her hand, holding in a frustrated sigh. “Hi, Justine. It’s nice to put a face with the emails.”
Justine smiled and held his hand just a bit too long. “Likewise. You’re rather reclusive. I tried finding information on you, but all I got was that you were from Juneau.”
“You’ve been quite persistent with the interview requests. There’s really nothing noteworthy about me. I’m just a guy.” Gus chuckled, trying to play off his nervousness. Was she going to try to interview him now? He didn’t want to answer questions about his relationship status, his views on marriage, or anything else relationship-related.
Her smile widened, and it wasn’t a friendly smile. It was the look of a predator about to pounce. “I’m still wondering how a matchmaker can run a successful matchmaking company when he himself can’t find a successful match.”
Gus’s pulse jumped as he caught Ty’s gaze. Oh no. How should he answer that? “Well, I…” Of course she’d wonder about his own love life when he was trying to match others.
The door to the bathroom opened, and Peyton walked out. “Hey, Tyrone. I didn’t think you were coming in until tomorrow morning,” She eyed Justine, who was still staring at Gus, and raised an eyebrow. “Who is this?” she asked.
Gus was glad she was back. “Peyton, this is Justine Pruitt with Forever in Love magazine. She’s doing an article on the resort.”
Justine finally tore her gaze from Gus and shook Peyton’s hand, her expression growing suspicious.
He put his arm around Peyton’s waist, hopefully giving Justine the impression that he was with someone. “This is Peyton—”
“His wife.” Peyton smiled.
That’s not what he’d planned to say. Why did she say that? Sure, he’d thought of fibbing, but he’d decided against it. He shook his head. “We’re—”
Ty choked. “They weren’t planning to announce it this quick.”
What was Ty doing? Why was he going along with Peyton? Gus needed to fix this and quick. “I’m—”
Peyton cupped his cheek. “It’s okay, sweetie. I don’t mind her knowing.” She looked at Justine as she dropped her hand. “We wanted to keep it quiet. We’re private people.”
Gus’s heart hammered against his ribs. Had Peyton overheard Justine asking him about his relationship status? He couldn’t let this go.
Justine’s eyebrows shot to her hairline. “Married?” Her voice rose an octave. “When? I don’t see any rings.”
Ty nodded. “It came as a shock to all of us, but these tw
o have been crazy for each other since they were kids.” He slapped Gus on the back. “It was so sudden that they haven’t been able to pick anything out yet.”
Gus was going to kill him. “Hey, Ty, could I speak to you for a second? Outside?”
“I would, but I told Justine that I’d show her around.” Ty held Gus’s gaze like he was trying to send some unspoken signal. Gus wondered if Ty was picking up his signal…the smoke coming out of his ears. “The only reason we stopped in here was to find you.”
As much as he hated pretending or lying, maybe this wasn’t as horrible as he thought. It was for an evening, and it wasn’t like he was telling the world. “Ok, fine. Since the cat is already out of the bag…yes, it was rather sudden, but she’s my best friend, so we didn’t see the point in waiting,” he said and smiled down at Peyton. “I figured we’d get rings once we got to Hawaii.”
Peyton shrugged. “Exactly. Rings were secondary. Gus is my best friend. I’ve loved him since we were nine. All that mattered to me was that we were together.”
Justine’s gaze moved from Gus to Peyton and back. “That’s very sweet, and I think it’s great
that the matchmaker found his match.” The way she was eyeing them, it was as though she could see through the lie. He hated lying, but he hated the way Justine was looking at him even more.
“Me too,” Peyton said, placing the flat of her hand against his chest.
Ty gave Gus a slight grin. The man was enjoying this way more than Gus liked. Would Justine expect them to pretend to be married the whole evening? How was that going to work? Was he going to have to kiss her? He nearly paled at the thought.
“Well, we’ll go so you two can settle in,” Ty said. He started to turn and stopped. “I told Justine the four of us would have dinner tonight. I hope you don’t mind.” The man smiled. Oh, Gus was going to kill him for sure.
Justine nodded, her face brightening. “Yes, I was extremely excited about that. I’d love to spend more time with you and talk about the resort and the fun activities you have planned for the guests.” Turning to Gus, she said, “Plus, the matchmaker marrying his childhood friend? I just have to hear more about that.” The small lift of her eyebrow, the tiny curve on one corner of her mouth, and the way she held his gaze gave him the impression that she had other intentions.
The Matchmaker's Fake Marriage (Sweet Fake Marriage Romance Book 4) Page 3
