Fake Me

by Bonnie Edwards

  “They’re doing okay. They’re all spending time with his parents and Denny’s brother. It was awkward at first.”

  “Because of his divorce? They didn’t like his wife?” He waited to see if she corrected his assumption or if she was still determined not to tell Denny’s secret.

  “They did like his wife. But I’m sure everyone will adjust.” She fell silent then and he knew she was trying not to say more. He understood her now, and her silences said more than she realized. Still, the fact that she hadn’t shared the truth about Denny with him, rankled. It wasn’t the same as defending him, but it was too close for comfort. “Where will you be tomorrow?” she asked, changing the subject.

  “Dubai for two hours.” But it wasn’t for a business deal. Tomorrow was personal. “And then, home.”

  FARREN PULLED THE PHONE from her ear and stared at the screen. Grady had disconnected without a goodbye. He’d be in Dubai tomorrow for a very brief stop and then back in New York. Not that far. Maybe he’d return to Last Chance Beach soon. Maybe.

  His call had come at mid-day when she was at her busiest answering emails that couldn’t be handled by her website’s FAQ page. She needed to list a bunch of new Q&As on that page. The intern that Grady had lent her could handle that. He had a great attitude and loved that his ideas were taken seriously.

  She made a note to make a list of the most recent questions she’d had and pass them along.

  She’d been distracted throughout the call with Grady. That was the main reason they both preferred late-night calls. They could pay attention then and really talk, not just check in.

  Delphine had got to her with the whole replacing Veronica thing. It had been difficult not to let on to Grady about his sister’s machinations. He’d once said the Machiavelli family had nothing on Delphine. She was the world’s best manipulator. Or worst, depending on what she was after.

  She’d tell Grady about his sister when he came back to Last Chance Beach. That conversation shouldn’t be on the phone and not when either of them were distracted by business. She’d also tell him their fake relationship was over.

  She couldn’t continue. Not after falling in love with him. Not after tears had streamed down her cheeks in front of his sister. Since he hadn’t mentioned her outburst, she could assume Delphine had kept the teary exchange to herself.

  He’d called Last Chance Beach home, but that wasn’t what he’d meant. Not really. New York City was home for Grady O’Hara, and she’d be better off keeping that front and center in her heart.

  Because to put any stock in thinking he was coming home to her was setting herself up for heartbreak. Falling for Grady had been the biggest mistake of her life.

  When he’d left her that morning after their night together, she’d accepted that she loved him. And now, here she was, pining for a man whose life was somewhere else. Whose dreams were somewhere else.

  Not just college, like Denny.

  Not just back home after a vacation like the other men she’d had hopes for.

  No, Grady’s dreams were global. His career demanded all of him.

  Veronica had been his perfect match.

  And there was no way a woman from a small beach town—a woman who’d never left—a woman with small ambitions—could interest a man like Grady for long. He’d said all those things himself.

  So why had he insisted he was coming home?

  GRADY PARKED IN FRONT of his house behind the Landseer, feeling grubby, unkempt, and unshaven. His beard itched in the summer heat, and he must smell like a bear. But he didn’t want to waste a moment. He climbed out of his rental, a sedan this time, and hustled inside.

  He slapped his face with cool water, let it air dry and headed to the fridge for a cold glass of water. He tipped the tumbler up and drank the whole thing down.

  From the sounds of splashing and children laughing, people were in the pool. Was it Denny and his kids? If it were, he’d have a chat with him.

  He stepped out of his door and caught sight of a familiar stroller. Good, he was here.

  Grady halted in his tracks when he saw who was holding the little girl in the pool and making her giggle.

  “Farren,” he called, stunned at the image of her with the child braced on her hip. The child was in a bathing suit with an adorable sun hat on her head.

  Farren whirled and faced him, her beautiful face a mask of surprise. “Grady! You’re here!” Her voice sounded delighted and happy. She clutched the child to her chest and for a moment he had a glimpse of her future. Farren wanting children was a given.

  Whether they’d be his was the biggest question of his life.

  “O’Hara. I thought you were off globe-trotting,” Denny said from the far side of the pool. He pulled himself up to sit on the edge, flanked by his two sons. Grady couldn’t read the boys’ expressions, but their father’s was clear.

  “I don’t mean to interrupt,” Grady said while he smiled stiffly. Farren looked startled, the way she had the first time they’d met, and his smile had been more of a snarl. Her glance darted to Denny and back again. “I wanted to say hi before I cleaned up. Care to join me for dinner Farren?”

  She flushed and began to walk to the stairs to exit the pool. “I’ll join you now if that’s okay. We need to talk.”

  He nodded and watched as she rose from the pool, water streaming down her luscious curves. She lifted a towel from the stroller and wrapped the giggly child. Without another word, she strolled to where Denny sat and handed the baby to him.

  The looks Denny’s boys gave Farren were identical. Adoration.

  Denny had been busy this week. He’d been wooing Farren and using his kids as bait, just as Grady suspected.

  When Farren turned to face him, she wore the same determined look she’d had when she’d pounded on his door and barged her way into his life. She scooped up a larger towel and patted herself dry before wrapping it around her torso.

  “You’re right,” Grady said as she reached his side. “We need to talk.”

  WHEN GRADY DIDN’T DRAG her into his arms for a kiss, Farren knew what was coming. His goodbye speech. His ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech. His ‘this small town won’t work for me’ speech. Whatever he said, however he said it, they were at The End. She appreciated that he’d chosen to do this face-to-face.

  Still, she followed him into his house. Once in the kitchen he waved at the fridge. “Water?”

  “No, thanks.” She wandered into the living room and perched on the edge of the futon; much the way she had the day they’d met.

  “About Denny,” he said, taking the seat next to her. She could feel his heat, see concern in his eyes. “There’s something off about him. I don’t trust him.”

  “I see.” She mulled the odd direction the conversation had taken. “Denny’s fine. He’s just going through something right now. He’s making the best of a bad situation.”

  “That’s what you think?”

  “Of course. I haven’t told you everything about him, but believe me, he’s trying his best to be a good father.”

  Defeat flickered in the back of Grady’s eyes. “You’ll wait while I shower and shave. I must look like a bear.”

  “You remind me of the first night I walked in here.”

  “Best night of my life,” he murmured a moment before he skimmed his lips across hers. “Until the night before I left. I’m so glad to be home.”

  She kissed him back. How could she not? She loved him. Her tongue sought his, her arms rose to hold him close, and she sighed against his lips. “I’ll wait here while you clean up. Are you hungry?”

  “Starved,” he admitted as he turned away. He was so big, so square, so vital. And she’d miss him.

  She headed into the kitchen to prepare a sandwich. His salad fixings were wilted, but she found cheese and bread and butter. “One grilled cheese sandwich coming up,” she muttered.

  Before he got to his ‘it’s been nice, but’ speech, she remembered she wanted to tel
l him about Delphine’s suggestion. If they were going to part ways, he should know the extent of his sister’s manipulations. It was the least she could do for him. That, and wish him well.

  He took little time to shower and shave, but when he walked back into the kitchen, he smelled great, looked less like a bear and more like himself.

  “Grilled cheese? One of my favorites.”

  “If I’d known you were coming home so soon, I’d have brought in fresh fruit and veggies. Your milk’s okay though.” She’d checked the date before she put the coffee on. “It’s fine for coffee.”

  “I need one,” he said as he settled into a chair. He wolfed down his sandwich and smiled when he was finished. “Thanks.”

  “About Delphine.”

  “About Denny.”

  They both smiled awkwardly.

  “You first,” he coaxed.

  “She admitted that she wanted me to step into Veronica’s shoes. A replacement. That was her plan all along. She offered me a position as your assistant.”

  His mouth opened and his brows knit in confusion. “I swear I had no idea. What did she say about Singles Fest?”

  “That it was small time and I’m not going to grow it the way I hope to. She said the same thing you did at first. I was targeting the wrong market.”

  “But it makes you happy and as long as it provides a good living, it’s a success. I believe Singles Fest will give you that.”

  She nodded. “Thank you. It means a lot to hear you say that.” But there was more to say. “I could never replace Veronica. You loved her. She was the woman you wanted to spend your life with. And, frankly, I’d be second best. I can’t just step into her shoes, into your bed.” She bit her lower lip and gathered her courage. “I want to end this fake relationship. It’s too hard for me. My feelings are complicating everything.”

  “No.” Grady rose to his feet and took her hand to have her stand and face him. “You’re not second best, Farren. You’re the woman I love. The woman I want to be with forever.”

  HE’D SPOKEN AWKWARDLY, brokenly, as he’d realized he was in real danger of losing Farren. If he didn’t do this right, Denny waited outside his door, ready to pounce. He tugged Farren close and tilted her chin up with the tip of his finger. “I love you,” he repeated.

  He cupped her jaw in both of his palms and kissed her gently. But Farren didn’t want gentle. She slammed her body against his. Her towel dropped to the floor, and suddenly he had his hands on her warm, naked flesh. Her bathing suit was damp, but her skin—her skin was heaven. He traced her smooth, soft, back, landing below her waist. He clasped her full cheeks in his palms and squeezed lightly, bringing a moan from her.

  Or maybe it was his moan that filled the kitchen.

  She reared back and looked at him, her lips wet from his kisses, her eyes full of disbelief. “Really? This isn’t at all what I was expecting.”

  “What did you think after last week? After that night. After I said I was coming home.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. Not this. This is a dream.”

  He pinched her bottom and dragged her into hips. “This, sweet Farren, is no dream.” He shuddered at the feel of her against him. “Can we take this into the bedroom? I know you said we need to talk, but I can’t think with you in my arms. I’ve had the week from hell trying to get back here to clear the air.”

  She twined her fingers with his and gave him a come-hither smile that sent a pile driver from his chest to his toes. All he could manage was to follow her like a docile lamb.

  Once in the bedroom, he unhooked her bathing suit top and watched it fall to the floor. Next, she bent over to pull down her bottoms. She looked at him over her shoulder with a saucy smile that enflamed him. Lifting the covers, she slipped between his sheets and waited while he undressed.

  He’d never moved so fast in his life.

  But once he climbed in to join her, to join with her, he propped his head on his hand and leaned over her. She scooched close and slid her leg over his thighs.

  “Yes?” she whispered. “What can I do for you? Tell me what you need to say.”

  “I said something significant in the kitchen. Something that usually gets a response in a similar vein.” He needed to know Farren was his and his alone. Veronica had twisted him, had made him doubt his judgement, his feelings. “The last woman I thought I loved, didn’t love me.”

  “Grady, what are you saying?” Her hand came up to cup his ear and she shifted closer.

  He had to explain himself. Farren had a right to know and deserved to understand why he’d gone to ground and stayed there. Why he’d ghosted his own sister. Why he didn’t tell her he loved her before he left for Singapore.

  “Veronica was on the lake that night so she could hook up with the man she really loved. They planned for us to have a short marriage and then a divorce with a high payoff.”

  Anger flashed behind her eyes as Farren struggled to rise. When she did, she held her head in her hands, her eyes wide and blazing on his behalf. “Oh, Grady. All this time, I thought you still loved her. That you were grieving.” She heaved in a breath. “But you were betrayed. I believed you could never love me the way you loved her. The way I love you.”

  And there it was. The confirmation he’d needed. He felt like a fool to need it. A fool to want to hear the words. Betrayed. Yes. Wounded. Yes.

  He’d been hounded by the doubt Veronica had infected him with. Month after month. He closed his eyes tight. “If you hadn’t pushed your way into my life, I might have stayed there in that dark, angry place.” He dragged in a ragged breath, but she had tears in her eyes and her lips pinched closed. He didn’t want her crying for him. Because he was better now. She’d made him better.

  “I couldn’t talk about it,” he explained hoarsely. “Not with you, not with anyone. The first few months, yes, I grieved. The circumstances of her death right before the wedding nearly undid me. And then, I heard from her lover, a man who was reeling from what he’d set in motion. He had enough information to convince me it was all true.”

  He could tell her now, he realized. This woman who loved him. This woman who’d brought him back to life with her sunny optimism and cheerful ways. His sprite. His love. His Farren.

  He reached for her then and she came into his arms. Her love surrounded him, made him whole and gave him hope.

  AFTERWARD, AS THEY snuggled under the rumpled sheets, Farren ran her foot up from Grady’s ankle. His leg hair felt bristly, his body heavy and warm alongside hers. She settled her head on his shoulder and lay her arm across his chest.

  “This is heaven,” she murmured. She wasn’t sure she’d ever fully comprehend the depth of Grady’s anguish over Veronica. She’d shown him her love, given him everything he’d wanted in these last hours. Dawn was approaching and they’d spent the whole night loving and talking and loving again.

  “Yes, it’s heaven. When I said this was home, I meant it. I’m moving here. I want our life together to be in Last Chance Beach.”

  “I could move to New York with you.” She could and she would if he needed to be there rather than this small beach town where nothing much happened.

  He shook his head. “I love it here. I love that you love it here. I don’t want to race off the way I did last week. I’m hiring more brokers in Europe and Asia. I want to be here when we have a family.”

  “Oh. I want that, too. So much.” Her breath caught. “Denny had hopes I’d—well, that doesn’t matter.”

  “Actually, it does,” he said huskily. “As childish as it sounds, I need to know what happened with Denny.”

  She raised her lips and kissed his chin. And told him about Denny and his two families and the complete mess he’d made. “Of course I knew about it the day he turned up for the Fourth, but I also held onto my memories of the boy I knew, and cared deeply for, in high school. He’s doing what he can to make a family out of the ashes, but I won’t be the woman who helps.”

  “His boys
seemed to like you.”

  “They’re good kids, just angry at their father. I think they may be okay with each other given time. They’re not to blame for their father’s mistakes. I suggested that Denny get them into counseling. I believe he’s considering it.” She’d also had a brief conversation with Mackenzie Fairfield who’d quickly picked up on Denny’s roving eye. The single mom had assured Farren she was looking for a keeper rather than a charmer.

  Grady shifted and pulled himself up to sit with his back to the headboard. “That little girl of Denny’s is a cutie.” He looked at her with earnest hope. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like you to give me one of those.”

  She laughed. “There’s no red hair in my family, but I’ll do my best.”

  “No problem, there’s red in mine.”

  SUNDAY OF LABOR DAY weekend, Last Chance Beach

  “Hurry or we’ll miss it,” Grady said and pulled Farren out of the lounger beside the pool. At least he wasn’t yanking her arm out of its socket. The big man had no idea how powerful he was.

  “This is my first moment of rest all weekend,” she whined. Singles Fest was all she’d hoped for and more. “This weekend is about working people taking a day of rest and I’ve worked myself to the bone.”

  “You have,” he agreed sympathetically. “But tonight’s the night and I want to see it for myself.”

  “You’re obsessed with your sister’s romance. Let it be. Things will advance as they will.” Things had moved along at a fast pace for her and Grady once they’d cleared the air about Denny and Grady decided to move to the island. She got all warm and tingly just thinking about their nights together.

  While she and Grady had been fake dating, Delphine had been busy getting to know James, the chef at The Captain’s Table. “Funny how neither of us wondered why she was spending so much time here when we met.”

  “That’s how she operates,” he explained again as she stepped off the lawn and onto the wooden walkway. He took her hand in his and she looked up at him, knowing that he had more to say about his twin. “She’s private about her own life, while sticking her nose into mine. Do you know she wants to go ring shopping with us? She thinks I won’t give you a diamond you deserve.”