Fake Fiance Christmas Collection: Countdown to Christmas

by Taylor Hart

  Stupid happiness filled her. As she put her arms around his neck, she admitted something she probably shouldn’t. “I think we might be able to work something out … but I’ll have to check with my neighbor.”

  He tickled her, and she erupted into giggles.

  Chapter 19

  Grant parked his Jeep in the very snowy parking lot next to Main Street and wished more of the roads were plowed. But he knew how it went in cold places. The freeways got plowed first.

  Hopping out of the truck, he ran around and opened Jewel’s door for her. She’d worn the pink snow boots he’d bought her. “I do like the boots,” he said.

  She grinned at him. “I do too.”

  Their gazes held, and he could feel the nervous waves coming off of her. The poor girl. She had all this buildup to finally finding her birth mother. He shut the door and took her hand.

  They had to work at getting across the snowy parking lot. Fortunately, Main Street’s sidewalks had been cleared.

  “Are you ready?” he asked as they walked to the gallery.

  Jewel sucked in a quick breath. Her eyes really showed her moods, and this morning, the green was soft and the flecks of blue lit up her face. Dang, she was pretty. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  They walked hand in hand, and dang it if he wasn’t nervous. Why should he be nervous?

  He knew the truth. He was invested in this woman, in her hopes and dreams. He’d had a lot of girlfriends and relationships, but he’d never felt connected like this. No woman had ever pressed him like she did about what had happened. No woman had ever felt this real to him.

  They got to the gallery, and the sign said “Open.”

  “Do you want me to—”

  Before he could even get the whole sentence out, she said, “Yes.”

  They walked into the shop, still holding hands. He held the door open for her.

  The gallery was pretty amazing. Huge canvases made of metal were attached to the wall, vibrant with different landscapes: beaches, woods, mountains.

  Before he had a chance to better inspect the art, a woman appeared. Instantly, he knew it was Jewel’s birth mother. It was like seeing an older image of her: green eyes, slim figure, red hair cut shorter.

  “Hello.” The woman’s whole face lit up. “Oh my gosh. Grant Kent?” Putting a hand to her chest, she held onto a chair. “I heard you were in Park City, but I had no idea you would come here.” The woman paused before turning to Jewel. “And you’re that girl he said was his fiancée?”

  Grant’s heart pounded in his chest as he looked at Jewel’s face. It was totally blank.

  The woman, presumably Jewel’s birth mother, waved a hand through the air and rushed toward them. “Sorry, I shouldn’t ask that. I just … I’m embarrassed to admit I actually follow your life and your brothers, and, well,” she said, covering half of her mouth with her hand. “I just love …”

  “I’m your daughter.” Jewel blurted it out without meaning to.

  The woman stopped, jerking her head toward Jewel.

  Neither of them spoke for what felt like forever.

  “Excuse me.” The woman blushed, and again, he saw the resemblance. “What did you say?”

  Jewel yanked the pink gloves off her hands, reached into her pocket, and pulled out a picture. Grant hadn’t actually seen the picture, only heard Jewel talk about it, but he recognized it when he saw the Raggedy Ann doll.

  The woman’s hands flew to her mouth, and a horrified look washed over her face. “Oh my gosh.” She stumbled back.

  Jewel didn’t look fazed. “Nice to meet you, Trudy.”

  Trudy didn’t move, just held the wall, looking pale. “I …” Her hand trembled. “I can’t do this.”

  “Please talk to me.” Jewel’s eyes were already misting with tears, and it was breaking Grant’s heart.

  “I … I’m sorry. I don’t know who this is.” She put the picture down on the desk.

  “Please … could you please tell me, at least, who my biological father is? Does he even know about me?”

  Grant hadn’t thought to ask about her father, and he felt like an idiot.

  “He died,” Trudy said, her eyes looking to the ground. “Drug overdose. I was alone.” She met Jewel’s gaze. “Please go.”

  Tears emerged from Jewel’s eyes. “Why didn’t you ever contact me? Why didn’t you … come for me?”

  Trudy put a hand on her forehead, like she was taking her temperature. “Please go.”

  Grant wanted to reach for Jewel, to protect her, to do exactly what he would have done for a president—make himself big and take the bullet—but he knew this was another situation where he couldn’t protect someone he cared for.

  “I have so many questions. Could we just talk?”

  Trudy turned away from her. “Sorry, we’re not open anymore today. Please see yourself out.”

  Through her tears, Jewel called out, “Wait! Please!”

  Trudy glared at her, a million emotions warring across her face. “Actually, I don’t think I recognize that picture at all.” She moved to the back of the gallery. “As I said, I’m closing up, so please see yourself out.”

  Chapter 20

  Jewel didn’t remember that much about Grant leading her out of the gallery, down the street, and into the Jeep. She could recall nothing at all about the drive to his brother’s place. All she remembered was telling him she needed to sleep and going to the guest room and falling on the bed.

  As she woke, she looked at the neon clock on the side table and saw that it was two o’clock in the afternoon. Two o’clock. She sat up and felt a huge, raging headache. The conversation with her mother all came rushing back to her.

  “Are you okay?”

  Startled, she turned and saw Grant sitting in the chair. His hands were steepled, and she wondered how long he’d been sitting there.

  “Yeah.” Her insides curled with embarrassment and humiliation. She wondered this was how a child would feel if they’d been abused or something. Why should it be her fault she was embarrassed that she was so bluntly rejected? But whether she should or shouldn’t didn’t change how she felt.

  Grant’s lip turned down. “I’m sorry,” he said a bit breathlessly, the same way he’d apologized in Save the Date. He stood. “Let me get you some water and Tylenol.”

  How had he anticipated what she would need?

  After he walked out of the room, she had a million thoughts racing, all leading back to one. The image of her mother walking away from her.

  Confusion, sadness, and emptiness washed over her. She got up and used the bathroom, staring in the mirror and thinking about how much she and her mother looked alike. It’d been uncanny.

  When she emerged, she saw Grant waiting for her, leaning against the bedroom door. Even though she wasn’t in that great of a mental place, it was stupid to deny the attraction she felt for the man.

  He opened his arms, and she didn’t overthink it when she walked into them. Didn’t overthink putting her head to his chest. Didn’t overthink how good this felt and how much she needed him right now.

  Pulling back, he held out an Almond Joy. “I thought you might like it.”

  She let out a light laugh and took it. “Chocolate saves the day.”

  He tugged her back into him. “So I’ve heard.”

  Gently, he kissed her forehead, and she was amazed at how tender this man was. Nothing like she ever would have imagined. Not that it mattered. She had imagined different things from the movies. But this wasn’t the movies. Grant Kent was more than she had ever expected to find.

  “You’re going to be okay.” He said it softly.

  She felt so vulnerable, so empty. “I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to find my birth mother. I don’t know why I thought it would give me something I’ve been missing. The woman gave me up, right? And she doesn’t want me now either.”

  He hugged her tighter. “I want you.”

  She buried herself deeper in
to his chest.

  They just stood there for a while. Eventually, she pulled back, thinking of her mom—her real mom—and how upset she would be if Jewel wasn’t home for Christmas Eve tomorrow. “Will you take me home?”

  Chapter 21

  As they touched back down in LA that night, Grant wanted so much for this woman. He wanted her to realize how amazing she was. To realize that it didn’t matter if her birth mother was an unfeeling idiot. He wanted her to realize she had to forgive and let go.

  Clearly, it was too soon for that. She was still numb and a bit broken. Which was understandable.

  “It was all for nothing,” Jewel said sadly.

  “What do you mean?”

  Staring out the window, she looked forlorn. “I wish I’d never found her. That I’d never gone on this goose hunt, that I still had the glimmer of hope that she regretted leaving me.” Tears spilled down her cheeks, and she angrily wiped them away. “Or at least that she would want me now, but I don’t have anything.”

  He swallowed and wanted to protest that she had him.

  “I wish I didn’t know the truth.”

  Taking her hand, he kissed the back of it. “I’m sorry this was a wasted trip for you, but it’s been a life-changing trip for me.”

  She gave him a smile, but he worried that she was no longer feeling the same things for him. But she’d been through a lot, so he would wait. He would give her time.

  “You gave up everything for the bunny hill.” She tugged her hand out of his. “I don’t know what’s going to happen to you, but I’ve seen all those texts from your agent, and I know you blew getting to be Batman.”

  “I don’t care.” He reached for her hand again. “Jewel, it wasn’t about the bunny hill for me.”

  The expression on her face told him she wasn’t convinced. She turned away from him. “Grant, if I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that knowing the truth doesn’t make things better. I just worry you’re going to wake up from whatever this is and realize that you gave up too much for a pre-Christmas jaunt to fill your time.”

  “What? That’s not true, and you know it.”

  They pulled up to her house, and there was a whole line of press waiting for them.

  Jewel spoke slowly, like every word took effort. “I don’t want you to spend your life having regrets. Or wishing you would have been Batman and then discovering that what you thought was real, what you thought was the thing you wanted, was just …” A tear fell on her cheek. “Wasn’t real. And you gave everything up for it.”

  “Jewel, I know you just went through something really hard, but you have to understand I want you in my life.”

  “See, you think you do. Just like I thought I wanted the truth about my birth mom. But the truth never makes you happy. The truth just hurts.” Her lip trembled. “I’m going to save you from yourself. You can still have your dream, and you should.”

  Grant felt a bolt of panic. “What are you talking about?”

  Jewel silently got out of the car. The press swarmed her, and she put up her hand, her lips pinched. “I have to tell you something.”

  Unable to believe what she was doing, he ran to her side and took her hand, whispering through a gritted smile. “Jewel, let’s talk first.”

  “No!” She turned to him, tears in her eyes. “I want you all to know that Grant is not my fiancé. We are not …” She looked down at their hands and tugged hers back. “We’re not even dating. Grant is a kind man and a good person who helped me with something difficult, but he’s just a friend. He’s still madly in love with Tracy.”

  The paparazzi snapped a million pictures, filling the air with flashes and clicks. “So what was all of that skiing and kissing?” one reporter yelled out.

  Grant wanted to say it was real, but Jewel gave him the kind of look that told him he’d better back off.

  “He was just doing a good deed, and it got him in a lot of hot water.” Brilliantly, she smiled to the cameras—a performance if Grant had ever seen one. “I am a drama teacher at the high school. I teach his cousin Ari, and Grant here—” She jerked a thumb at him. “—helped out at an acting camp for inner-city kids last weekend. And he was fabulous with the kids, and he gave the school a sizable donation.” She put her hand to the side of mouth and whispered conspiratorially, “But I helped him with his Brooklyn accent, so I think I did the bigger good deed.”

  The cameras flashed, and some of the people laughed.

  “Anyway,” she said, waving a hand in dismissal.

  Grant couldn’t believe she was this good.

  She smiled at him like she was presenting him a check for Publisher’s Clearing House. “I was trying to make a guy jealous, and Grant helped me out. He’s such a good friend he didn’t want to get me in trouble, but I have to tell you all he’s so in love with Tracy.” She sputtered out a laugh and gave them another conspiratorial look. “It’s sickening.” She made a gagging gesture. “Tracy was the only thing he could talk about. I can’t wait to see this next movie, can you?”

  He was mystified. How had she turned this debacle into a commercial?

  The press went crazy, yelling out questions to Grant.

  Jewel gave him a brief hug. “Thank you, Hollywood. You’ve earned those wings in a big way. So big I don’t think you’ll ever be able to hide them again. Please, go be Batman.” She winked at him, and he saw tears in her eyes. She put her head down and plowed through the press toward her front door without a single backward glance for Grant.

  Chapter 22

  The next day, Christmas Eve, Jewel sat at Catholic Mass in between her parents and listened to the choir sing.

  After leaving Grant, she’d driven straight to Chico and confessed everything to her parents: the search for her birth mom, the fake engagement, and how sorry she was. Her parents had been amazing about it. Being with them made her feel so grateful for the kind of parents they had been.

  She’d slept late and made Christmas cookies with her mom, trying not to think about Grant. She wouldn’t let him give up all his dreams because he’d been helping her. Unavoidably, she’d checked her social media, and they’d reported Tracy Halls had made a public statement that they were planning to go to their new movie premiere together next month. She said they were definitely spending the holidays together, going to some private beach whose location couldn’t be disclosed.

  Even though she knew it wasn’t true, part of her had been ridiculously jealous, but it didn’t matter. He hadn’t been her fiancé, she reminded herself. It’d been as fake as a role on a stage.

  How come it hadn’t felt fake? She blinked and hated how much she missed him. She kept reminding herself that she couldn’t take away his dreams.

  As they drove home from Mass, her mother turned back to her. “Don’t be mad at me. This was Grant’s idea.”

  At the mention of Grant’s name, Jewel’s brow furrowed in confusion. Then she saw his blue Mustang parked near their house, and as they drove up, Grant and Ari got out of the car. “Mom, what’s going on?”

  “He kept saying something about how he wasn’t finished getting his wings, and I’m glad he pushed this. It was time.”

  Her father piped in. “I like Grant. I like him a lot.”

  Standing on her doorstep was Trudy. Next to her was the man she’d met in Jackson and a boy who appeared to be a teenager. Instinctively, Jewel knew that the boy was her brother.

  Her mother and father each took her hands. Her mother said, “I should have been more open to you being a part of your birth family’s life a long time ago. The truth is that Trudy wanted to be part of your life. Came to me when you were five before she left California. I told her we didn’t need her and to stay away.” A tear slipped down her mother’s cheek. “I hope you can forgive me.”

  Tears blurred Jewel’s vision.

  Trudy climbed down the steps, looking tentative. “I’m sorry.”

  Jewel fumbled for words. “I don’t understand.”

&nb
sp; “I didn’t handle any of that well, and after you left, I told my husband and son the truth because I realized I should have told you everything. I should have just held you and told you I’m sorry for abandoning you. I should have told you that I made sure you had a good mom and dad. After your biological father died, I was really messed up. I knew I couldn’t care for you.” Her face clouded. “It’s been so long since I left California and all that happened here. When you came into the gallery, I felt vulnerable and afraid and … I’m so sorry.”

  Tears ran down Jewel’s cheeks, and her heart warmed with compassion.

  Trudy nodded to Grant. The side of her lip turned up. “I had this movie star call me and tell me that I should come here tonight. He said something about how the wings were driving him crazy.” She glanced at Grant in confusion, then focused fully on Jewel. “I wanted to apologize to you. Tell you I’m sorry and I want to know you. I want you to know us.”

  Grant was standing next to her parents. He put his hands up. “Sorry, Polka Dot. I had to come.”

  Her mother squeezed her hand. “Jewel, I should have allowed Trudy into your life a long time ago.” She nodded to Trudy. “I’m sorry.”

  Trudy broke down in sobs. Her mother stepped forward, and the women embraced.

  Her father squeezed Jewel’s hand. “You’re up, baby.”

  Her mother pulled back from Trudy. “What do you say, Jewel? Can you forgive both of us?”

  With a rush of joy, Jewel put her arms around both of them. They all cried together.

  “I’m sorry,” Trudy said.

  Her mother gently put her arm around Trudy.

  They held each other, and Jewel couldn’t believe how amazing it felt to forgive someone.

  Trudy cleared her throat. “I want you to officially meet my husband, Russ, and your half brother, Jared.”