She hadn’t expected Eric to take any of it seriously, but there had been a definite change in him as he’d stared into her eyes and they’d connected on a deeper level than just superficial attraction. For a few intriguing minutes, it was as though he’d allowed himself to drop those emotional defenses he’d built around himself when his sister had died, and then panicked when it all became too much to deal with.
Because he clearly had years of practice, he’d refortified those protective walls and opted to joke about it now. But the whole encounter had left Evie’s heart feeling more for this man than she ever could have imagined a week ago when she’d clicked on his profile app. She wasn’t an insta-love kind of girl, but there was no denying that she was falling hard and fast for Eric . . . which had heartbreak written all over it.
She went back to instructing him how to skim a stone the way her grandfather had taught her and Garrett when they were younger. She’d been ten years old and it hadn’t taken her long to learn the right grip, angle, and release to throw the rock, and as she did so now, it bounced nine times across the surface of the lake before finally sinking.
“That’s impressive and I suck at this,” he said as his own rock made a sad plopping sound into the water as he tried to follow her advice.
She found it amusing that the hot, athletic guy who was the total package didn’t have the coordination to skim a stone. “The flat part of the rock needs to hit the water parallel to the surface. It just takes practice.”
He bent down to retrieve another rock and positioned his fingers the way she’d told him to. “I remember being on vacation with my parents and Trisha before she got sick, and my dad tried teaching us to skim stones. He was patient, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it back then, either.” He laughed.
While Eric had told Evie about his sister’s illness and death, he’d pretty much glossed over his parents, except for the fact that they’d shut down emotionally after Trisha’s passing and eventually divorced. “Where are your parents now?” she asked.
Surprisingly, he didn’t hesitate to share. “Well, after they divorced, my dad ended up meeting someone else. He’s remarried and is now living in Arizona. I talk to him occasionally and visit when I can. And the best way I can describe my mom is that she’s spent the past thirteen years isolating herself and mourning my sister’s death. She still lives in the same house my sister and I grew up in. She works in a nursery taking care of the plants and flowers, and I make it a point of having dinner with her every Sunday when I can.”
Evie felt bad that his mom was spending this Sunday alone since Eric was here with her. She remembered him mentioning his mother falling into a deep depression and him feeling shut out. “Is she still battling with depression?”
“Honestly, it’s not as bad as it was. She’s on meds and functioning, and she has good days and bad days, but I know she’s lonely.” He lowered his head, his gaze on the way he was absently flipping the stone between his fingers. “It’s really sad, but my mom lost a lot of her close friends because she wouldn’t take their calls or see them when they stopped by. She essentially pushed them out of her life when Trisha died.”
He glanced at Evie, his eyes a little optimistic. “However, I think she’s going to try to reconnect with a friend she saw recently at work who asked her to lunch. God, I really do hope she’s going to try and make the effort, because when she told me about it, I saw a spark of my old mom again, and she needs more in her life than her garden and my sister’s memory.”
“After thirteen years, that has to be really hard,” she said, as a warm afternoon breeze filtered through her hair. “Opening yourself up again to friendships that have fallen by the wayside can’t be easy.”
“I completely agree. She’s nervous, rightly so, because so much has changed.” He shook his head wistfully. “She used to be this vibrant, outgoing woman who kept up her appearance, and now she’s someone who no longer cares about her looks. My mom is in her fifties, but she let her hair go, and with all the gray, she looks like she’s closer to sixty. I get the feeling that bothers her and is part of the reason she’s hesitant to put herself back out there again.”
An idea came to mind, one that excited Evie. “Eric, why don’t you bring your mother into the salon?” she suggested. “I’ll give her a haircut and color the gray and help give her some confidence back. Kind of what I do for the women on Beautiful You day.”
He blinked at her in surprise at the suggestion, then a slow, grateful smile lifted his lips. “That’s a fantastic idea.”
“Then consider it done.” She was happy to give his mother a small makeover, just a little something to make her feel beautiful and good about herself again. “When I get back to work, I’ll look at my schedule and give you a time when I have an opening this next week.”
“Okay,” he agreed, though neither of them brought up the fact that this temporary, fake relationship between them would be done and over with by then. Her offer was strictly about building his mother’s self-esteem back up, because that’s what she enjoyed doing, and nothing more.
Out of the corner of her eye, Evie saw a monarch butterfly and focused on that instead. “Look at that. I hardly see butterflies anymore,” she mused, smiling as it fluttered their way.
Beside her, Eric stilled, his expression amazed. “My sister,” he said, his voice low.
She had no idea what he was talking about. “Your sister?” she asked in confusion.
His gaze never left the butterfly, which seemed to dance playfully in the air a few feet away from them. “Growing up, Trisha was obsessed with butterflies. She loved them, and they always seemed to gravitate to her. They hated me, probably because I was a stupid kid who tried swatting them away. And now . . . whenever I see them, I know it’s Trisha’s way of letting me know she’s around and watching over me.”
Oh, wow. His explanation made Evie’s heart swell in her chest. The wonder and awe with which he watched the butterfly caused her throat to tighten with emotion. And when he slowly moved up behind Evie, pressing his body intimately close, then lifted her hand straight out with his palm cupping hers, she felt like he was sharing a piece of his heart with her.
“Hey, Trish,” he cajoled softly while sliding an arm around Evie’s waist to bring their bodies flush, making them one instead of two. “Come and meet Evie.”
The butterfly dipped and teased and swirled around the two of them before finally settling in the palm of Evie’s hand, its beautiful wings coming to rest together. She gasped in shock and sheer wonder at the sight. Butterflies did not randomly land on people . . . yet this one trusted her and Eric enough to rest gently in their joined hands.
With Eric’s chest pressing against her back, she could feel him breathing, slow and calm, savoring the rare moment just as much as she was, and everything it meant to him. The moment was so poignant it choked her up.
After a short while, the butterfly gently flapped its wings and took off, and Eric buried his face against Evie’s neck, his mouth near her ear. “She would have liked you,” he whispered, the sadness in his voice tugging on her heart.
Evie swallowed hard to keep her own emotions at bay. She was certain she would have liked Trisha, too.
Eric gradually released Evie, and when she glanced at him, she found his expression unreadable, as if he’d realized how deeply emotional and intimate the moment had been and was trying to recover. Evie understood. She was feeling a bit off-balance, as well.
He exhaled a deep breath. “I’m going to head up to the lodge to get a bottled water. Would you like one?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.” She considered joining him, but after everything he’d just shared, about his mother and then the butterfly, she figured he could use a little time alone with his thoughts. And truthfully, she didn’t mind having a few minutes with hers.
“I’ll be right back.”
He walked up the pathway toward the lodge, and she continued skipping stones, which she found incre
dibly relaxing. It was early afternoon, and while there were people floating out on the lake and meandering around the resort area, it was quiet where she was, and she soaked it in before they were scheduled to meet up with the rest of the family for dinner and the Fourth of July fireworks later that evening.
Less than a few minutes passed before she heard footsteps behind her. Surprised that Eric was back so soon, she turned around and was even more startled to see Graham walking toward her . . . without Raquel anywhere around.
Unease crept through her. She had no desire to be alone with Graham. Not that she was afraid of him, she just didn’t trust him . . . or like him much anymore.
Evie narrowed her gaze. “Where’s Raquel?” she asked when he reached her, putting up that barrier between them—the fact that he had a fiancée and yet here he was alone with Evie.
“She’s at our cabin. She had a migraine and wanted to take a nap.” He pushed his hands into the front pockets of his khaki shorts. “I saw you standing out here by yourself and wanted to talk to you without either of our significant others around.”
Evie crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t think Raquel would like seeing you hanging out with me, and quite honestly, I don’t think you and I have anything left to say to one another.”
He exhaled a deep breath and met her gaze, the determination she saw swirling in the depths making her uncomfortable. “Evie . . . I just wanted to apologize about what happened in the past.”
She arched a brow and didn’t bother making anything easy on him. “You mean having an affair with my cousin while you were in a relationship with me?”
He clenched his jaw at her blatant, unvarnished response. “Clearly, that, yes,” he admitted, his spine stiffening. “I have a lot of regrets about what I did and the choices I made. I’d do anything to go back and change what happened because it should be you I’m marrying, not Raquel. I’m so fucking miserable. If there is still any chance left between us . . .” He spoke quickly, then let the words trail off, but it was clear what he was asking.
He wanted her back, and Evie had to resist the urge to laugh in his face. “Miserable or not, you asked Raquel to marry you. You put a ring on her finger, which is a commitment, Graham.” Clearly, something he had no concept of.
“Raquel pressured me for the engagement,” he said defensively. “I’d leave her in a heartbeat if you and I could go back to what we had together.”
She stared at Graham, wondering if he was for real. But he looked dead serious, and she was so done being used by men. After being treated like a queen by Eric this weekend, she knew she’d never settle for anything less in the future.
“Just in case it’s slipped your mind, what we had together was three years that ended in lies, deceit, and betrayal, and that dishonesty negates anything good that came before,” Evie said, watching as a spark of irritation flashed in his gaze, which had no right being there when she’d been the one wronged. “And the fact that you’d even think I’d want you back or take you back is ludicrous. I don’t want you, and I have more pride and self-worth than that.”
Her words were equivalent of the slap across his face that she’d never had the chance to give him when the truth had come out, and he knew it, too.
“Yeah . . . she really does have more pride and self-worth than that,” Eric said casually from behind them as he strolled in their direction, clearly having heard their conversation. When he reached Evie, he handed her one of the bottles of water, then slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “I mean, why would she settle for a hot dog when she has filet mignon on her plate to eat?”
Graham’s face reddened at the insult, and Evie had to bite her bottom lip to keep a lid on the snicker threatening to spill out of her. Realizing that Graham was no match for Eric, verbally or physically, he spun around and strode off toward the cabins.
Once he was out of hearing range, Evie glanced at Eric in pure amusement. “Filet mignon? Seriously?”
“Damn straight I’m serious,” he said, grinning at her. “I’m Grade A Prime beef all the way, baby. Every. Single. Inch.”
She couldn’t disagree, and laughed at his quip. God, she was going to miss his humor after this weekend. Who was she kidding? She was going to miss everything about him.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The bright, colorful fireworks bursting across the dark night summer sky signaled the end to the family reunion weekend. Evie sat on a blanket between Eric’s updrawn knees, leaning back against his chest with his arms wrapped around her midsection. She felt both contentment and sadness . . . two highly conflicting emotions, and unfortunately, she knew which one was going to ultimately win. The contentment she felt in Eric’s arms was temporary. The sadness would be far longer lasting once they parted ways tomorrow.
Never would she have ever believed that she’d fall for a guy who’d never had a girlfriend, avoided commitment like the plague, and had a profile on a Boyfriend Experience app. Those were three solid reasons why bringing Eric to the family reunion should have been simple, casual, and uncomplicated, for both of them. A one-and-done transaction with an easy goodbye when they returned home and to their separate lives.
But there was nothing simple or straightforward about her feelings for Eric. He was funny and caring and affectionate. But he was also a complex man beneath that easygoing charm, with scars and fears that ran deep. And after he’d spent thirteen years living his life one way to make sure he didn’t hurt either himself or any woman the way his sister’s death had shattered him, changing that mindset would be like moving a mountain.
But God, she wanted to try so badly with him, but she was scared, too. Not of the possibility of him someday getting sick like his sister, but spending who knew how many years trying to find someone who affected her so deeply, so completely, as he did. A man who felt like he was meant just for her, because they were so in sync, so compatible, that they just belonged together and everything else would work itself out. But he wasn’t willing to take that chance, nor would she ever force him to.
For her, there would be life before Eric . . . and life after him. And she already knew that the latter was going to be so much worse than the former.
The fireworks finally died down, and everyone stood up and collected their blankets and belongings. Another half an hour of hugs and goodbyes to family and relatives, and promises to Evie’s parents that they’d visit soon—untrue since she planned to inform her mom and dad in a few weeks that the two of them had broken up—and she and Eric were heading back to their cabin. Once inside, they started packing their bags since they were getting an early morning start back to San Diego, both of them quiet as they gathered up their things.
Wanting to break the uncomfortable silence, Evie glanced over at Eric as he took his T-shirts from the dresser drawer and set them in his bag. “Once we get back home, I’ll be sure to leave you a glowing review on the beta version of the Boyfriend Experience app,” she said, even though the thought of him dating other women made her feel a little stabby, as well as made her heart die a bit inside. “You were an awesome fake boyfriend.”
He stopped moving and looked at her, his expression suddenly serious. “Evie, I never put myself on the app to be hired out,” he said, surprising her. “The owner, Dylan Stone, who is a friend of mine, did it as a joke and without my knowledge. And I’m not a chauffeur. I own a car service company with a friend.”
What? She shook her head in confusion as she tried to process everything he’d just said. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“I’m not actually a boyfriend for hire. I don’t hire out my boyfriend services for money on a regular basis, or as a side job, and I sure as hell won’t do it again once we get back home. You were my first, last, and only ‘client.’”
She rubbed her forehead where a frown had formed. “I’m still not following.”
He walked over to where she was standing on the other side of the bed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “I
suppose I owe you an apology, but I can’t say I’m sorry about this weekend with you.” He picked up her hands in his. “Dylan signed me up for the app behind my back, and when I realized what he’d done, I wasn’t going to accept your request. But then he swiped my phone and answered your notification before I realized what he was doing and accepted your coffee date the next morning on my behalf.”
“And still . . . you could have canceled.”
“I was going to explain everything in person at the coffee shop, but then I met you and . . . well, I couldn’t say no. I didn’t want to say no.” His sincerity rang true in his tone. “You fascinated me like no other woman ever has, and honestly I was hooked. I thought it would be fun and nothing serious . . . but I never counted on you getting under my skin, Evie.”
She swallowed hard at what he’d just admitted and confirmed about his feelings toward her. She wasn’t angry about him not telling her the truth from the beginning, or even upset, because he’d done nothing malicious. He didn’t sign up for the app . . . but he’d gone through with the Boyfriend Experience once he’d met her. Because she’d fascinated him and he’d been hooked.
“It probably makes me a certified asshole for—”
She covered his mouth with her hand. “It doesn’t make you anything of the sort. You’ve been amazing and more than I ever could have asked for in a fake boyfriend,” she teased, then realized she didn’t want to go back to the city with regrets, which meant putting her heart on the line and letting the chips fall where they might.
“You did your job exceptionally well, and I’d do anything to make what’s between us as real as what I think we’re both feeling.”
He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, his expression pained. “Fuck . . .” he swore beneath his breath, and when he opened his eyes again, they were filled with anguish. “This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to fall for you.”
The Boyfriend Experience Page 15
