He had to admit he’d been skeptical at first. He knew Sarah could cook, but he had no idea if they’d get along. Was she one of those domineering, bossy women who would want to take control? Or was she the wimpy type who couldn’t make a decision? Turned out she was neither. She was perfectly capable, smart, and a great partner.
Sarah was someone he could trust and rely on. She didn’t expect him to carry all the weight. It was a nice change for him to share the pressure with someone instead of taking it all on his shoulders.
Sarah stopped abruptly as they reached the clearing where the path ended and the beach began. The bungalows were twenty feet away.
She looked up at him, worry darkening her amber eyes. “We do have another problem. In about one minute you’re going to meet my parents, and I’m going to meet yours. I don’t know what you told yours, but mine have no idea about our fake engagement. I’m not sure we can pull this off.”
Raffe frowned. “I’m pretty sure it will be only your parents that are there. Mine are overseas, and even if they weren’t, I doubt they’d come.”
He looked away at the pity that flickered in her eyes. He didn’t need anyone’s sympathy for his parents’ lack of interest in his life. He was used to it. “I’m not that close with my family, but don’t worry. It will be fine. We can fake it for a short visit. Besides, I’m a great catch!” He made a goofy face to lighten the mood and was rewarded with her melodic laughter.
“Okay, I guess you’re right.” Sarah continued toward the bungalow.
Raffe followed, stopping at the door, his hand on the latch. “Ready?”
Sarah hesitated for a second. She smoothed her shirt and fluffed her hair. She darted a look in the direction of the bar, and for a minute Raffe wondered if she was going to run off, but then she took a deep breath and refocused on the bungalow door. “Yep. Here goes nothing!”
Raffe held the door open for Sarah, and she walked inside the bungalow ahead of him.
“Sarah!” both her parents exclaimed in unison. They rushed to her, their happiness evident on their faces.
A stab of envy speared Raffe’s heart. Had his parents ever been that happy to see him? Memories of years of summer reunions after attending boarding school surfaced. He couldn’t recall his parents ever fawning over him like this. In fact, they usually sent the chauffeur to collect him. Edward Kenney and his now-deceased wife had shown a warmer welcome when Raffe had gone to their house in the Hamptons to visit Jasper than Raffe’s own parents.
Once the round of hugging was over, Raffe introduced himself to her parents, who looked to be in their midfifties. They had the contented look of hard-working people, not the polished, bored look of rich people who had been handed everything and still weren’t satisfied.
They looked him over critically. Raffe couldn’t blame them, given the situation.
“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you,” Raffe added, looking to Sarah for some help. He hoped to be able to leave it up to her to do most of the talking.
“I’m sure it seems crazy that I’m engaged, but everything happened so fast!” she exclaimed, stepping next to Raffe and putting her arm around him.
Raffe watched her in admiration as she made up a whopping lie as to how they’d met, the brief courtship, and how he had proposed.
She explained not telling them by saying he’d proposed the night before the contest and she hadn’t wanted to call and tell them as she’d wanted them both to do it in person. She apologized to them sincerely, saying that, because the contest wouldn’t air for a few months, they’d have told them in plenty of time before they saw it on television. She even gushed over the details, just as if they really were engaged. Not too shabby for such a last-minute drill.
“Well, it’s wonderful that you’re so happy, dear, but that ring, it just, well… it doesn’t seem like the type of ring you’d wear, honey.” Sarah’s mother grabbed Sarah’s hand and gawked at the fake diamond ring then slid her eyes over to Raffe.
“I picked the ring out myself,” Raffe spoke up, defending his choice of a fake engagement ring. In the real world, he would have asked Sarah’s father’s permission before proposing.
Maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say, judging by the look Sarah shot him.
“Well, if that’s the case, you two might want to have a long engagement. You don’t know my daughter very well if you think she wants to wear this type of ring on her finger for the rest of her life,” Sarah’s mother’s cutting words were delivered with a genuine smile that diffused the remark. “I’m sure you will learn in time.”
Another man might have gotten angry, but Raffe liked Sarah’s mother. She was feisty, and he admired that she was looking out for her daughter. Oddly enough, he wanted her to like him, and it seemed like he hadn’t made the best impression thus far. Fake fiancé or not, he wanted her to accept him.
“I wanted it to be a surprise, but maybe I should have asked. What kind of ring would you like?” Raffe asked, looking down at the somewhat gaudy cubic zirconia on Sarah’s finger. He supposed it was a bit ostentatious.
“I… I mean I love this one because you picked it out yourself.” Sarah shot a look at her mother. “I usually go for more simple jewelry. My grandmother had a small diamond with a sapphire on either side as her wedding ring, and I loved to wear it when I was a little girl. But really, Raffe, I love this ring.”
“Oh, it’s fine. Besides, it isn’t about the ring, it’s about how happy our daughter is,” Sarah’s father, Bruce, chimed in, throwing his wife a disapproving look. “Michelle just likes to put all of Sarah’s boyfriends through the ringer!”
They all laughed, and the awkward chill that had pervaded the room was replaced with a strange warm acceptance. He’d passed the first test, apparently.
“Wait, all of her boyfriends? How many has she had?” Raffe joked, making them all laugh even more.
Sarah’s eyes twinkled as she giggled, and he slid his arm round her shoulders for effect, surprised at how easy it was for them to act as if they really were engaged.
“So, have you heard from Tommy at all? Does he know yet?” Sarah’s mother’s tone was a little strange, and she looked at Sarah with hopeful eyes before reaching for a grape from the fruit and cheese platter the show had delivered to the bungalow.
Sarah’s smile slipped, and she shot a harsh look at her mother. “Let’s go sit outside. It’s gorgeous on the deck.”
Tommy. Hmm… Definitely something odd going on there. Must be her ex-boyfriend. And the mother clearly still likes him. An unreasonable pang of jealousy shot through Raffe.
Smarten up! You aren’t really engaged. All this family closeness must be messing with your head. Sarah already had the doors open and was rearranging the chairs on the deck. He was surprised at what a good liar she was. Just like his ex, Lauren. Don’t all women eventually lie, though?
Michelle was busy pouring more wine. She hadn’t persisted with the Tommy question, but Sarah had made it clear that she didn’t want them talking about him.
Raffe grabbed the tray of fruit, crackers, and cheese and walked toward the deck, Sarah’s parents in tow with their full wine glasses. They all settled into the cushioned wicker chairs and watched the ocean.
“So, how have the contests gone so far?” Sarah’s mother asked as she balanced a piece of cheese on top of a Ritz.
Raffe and Sarah took turns describing what had happened so far in the contest, each playing off the other’s words like a real engaged couple.
Neither Sarah nor Raffe mentioned anything about the sabotage. Somehow they both knew that the fewer people they told the better.
They slipped into an easy conversation about a dozen topics. The beach, baseball teams, stories of Sarah when she was young. It all came very naturally. A few times Sarah even took Raffe’s hand and squeezed it, and he rubbed her shoulder. Her parents took notice, smiling as Sarah and Raffe did these things, approving of the happy fake relationship.
“So, Raffe, tell
us about yourself. We don’t know much about you at all because our daughter has kept you a big secret,” Michelle joked.
“Oh, well, let’s see. The condensed version is I grew up in Europe, at boarding schools really. That’s how I met Sarah’s boss, Jasper. We were in boarding school together. I studied business and eventually opened my first restaurant in the U.S. a few years ago, and now I have half a dozen. I plan to open one in New York soon and hope that this contest helps me gain recognition as a serious chef. The rest is very boring really.”
“Is that what your family is in? The food industry?” Michelle asked.
Raffe shook his head. “Pharmaceuticals, but I wasn’t interested in that.”
“Wait a minute. Washburn. Is that what you said your last name is? As in Washburn Industries?” Bruce perked up.
“Yep,” Raffe replied quietly.
Raffe hated being associated with his father’s money. At some point in his life it would be nice if he could be recognized for his own work instead of his father’s. Yes, he had gotten seed money from his father, but he’d grown the business tenfold since then on his own knowledge and business acumen.
“They make my blood pressure pills,” Bruce said.
“Well, you’ll have to come eat at one of my own restaurants when we get back home. The soothing food will help lower it even more,” Raffe joked.
Her parents laughed and looked impressed with his humble synopsis of his life. Sarah also smiled, but she had already known all of these details. Of course, he’d left out the part about his ex-wife sucking the life out of him and almost leaving him bankrupt and being forced to rebuild from scratch.
Michelle looked at her watch. “I hate to say this, but we should really be leaving. The show people said we had to be back in the lobby by six to catch the ride back to the airport. We get to stay there overnight, in a suite!” Sarah’s mother grabbed her purse and gave her daughter a tight hug. She turned to Raffe, opening her arms, and Raffe hugged her. “Welcome to the family. Take care of my daughter,” she whispered in his ear.
Raffe shook Sarah’s father’s hand and walked him out. They declined his offer to accompany them to the lobby, so he stood on the deck and watched them walk off, hand in hand, a strange warmth swirling in his chest.
“Well, that went okay, right? I mean, think they believed it?” he asked Sarah as he walked back into the bungalow.
“Yeah, I think they believed it. I feel kind of bad for lying to them. I haven’t lied to them before. I guess it’s a good thing that they were only here for that short time.” Sarah seemed preoccupied, standing at the door and staring out toward the ocean. “I could use some fresh air. I think I’ll go for a walk.”
She stepped onto the sand and walked toward the ocean. Two people had put beach chairs out, and she stopped next to them. Squinting, he saw that it was Kim and Dave, the homeless couple. Someone must have said something funny, because he heard their laughter drift in along with the soft lapping of the ocean.
A pang of envy shot through him. Kim and Dave had nothing but appeared to be the happiest couple on the show. Raffe had been born into money and wasn’t even half as happy. What was missing? Was it the fact that he still longed for his father’s approval? Or was something else missing from his life?
He envied Sarah’s relationship with her family. They didn’t have money, but maybe their close, loving relationship was better.
Down on the beach, Sarah had left Kim and Dave and walked down the beach. She looked pensive. Was she thinking about this Tommy guy?
Raffe grabbed a beer from the fridge. Did it matter what Sarah was thinking about? Not really. This whole relationship was fake, and the sooner it was over the better. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he popped the cap off the beer. Jasper would have a field day if he even suspected the tiny bit of jealousy that Raffe felt.
Speaking of Jasper… Raffe pulled out his phone. His boyhood friend would get a kick out of hearing about Raffe meeting Sarah’s folks.
“Well, I met the parents, so this is serious, just like you wanted,” he joked as soon as Jasper answered.
“What? Why are her parents on the island?”
“The show flew them in. It was only for a few hours. They’re nice people, very down to earth. Her mother didn’t like the engagement ring, though.”
Jasper laughed. “I told you that thing was too big. Maybe she sensed it only cost fifty bucks. But did they buy it? I mean, that you are engaged?”
“I’m pretty sure they did. Turns out your old assistant is a pretty good liar. I let her do all the explaining. If they were staying any longer, we might have been in trouble, but it’s good for now.”
“I can’t wait to hear what other surprises they have in store for you guys. Maybe they will throw you a wedding as a surprise?”
“Well, if that happens, you’ll be reading about the cooking show contestant who stabbed himself in the eye to avoid getting married.” Raffe hoped the show had no more surprises in store for them, though judging by what had happened so far, the producers did seem to like to spring things on them.
“Ha! Okay then. Well, congrats on meeting the parents. Almost like a real engagement, right? How are things going in close quarters with Sarah?”
“Awkward. I sleep on the couch.” No sense in giving Jasper ammunition to tease him with. “How about you and Marly.”
“These wedding details aren’t my thing,” Jasper said. “I can’t wait until Sarah comes back so Marly can talk to her instead of me. But you know, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I never realized how much was missing from my life until I met Marly. When the right girl comes along, it changes everything.”
“I’m happy for you, bud,” Raffe said.
“Thanks. Hey, Edward’s been busy tormenting the crew at EightyEight, so he’s been out of my hair. Thanks for that.”
Raffe laughed, picturing Edward bossing around the crew. He’d have to call Darren and try to keep him from blowing a gasket. “Glad I could help you out.”
“I gotta run. Keep me posted.”
Raffe ended the call and finished his beer, his eyes on the surf and Jasper’s words ringing in his head. Jasper had never realized what was missing until he met the right girl.
Raffe rummaged in the refrigerator for supper. Where was Sarah? He kept glancing out toward the beach. It was getting dark and she still wasn’t back. Kim and Dave were gone too. Maybe they’d met up for drinks or something. Raffe didn’t want a drink, so he used the opportunity to get ready in the bathroom. That way he’d be done and the room would be free for Sarah when she returned. Then he pulled out the sleeper sofa and got ready for bed.
As he lay there listening to the surf, almost on the verge of sleep, a niggle of a thought crossed his mind. A thought about what he really wanted in life and how he could take the steps to achieve it.
8
Sarah walked briskly along the gravel road toward the bridge, her stomach tight with nerves as she glanced around, hyperaware of her surroundings and ready to bolt if necessary. She had her phone held tightly to her ear, Marly on the other end. Thankfully there was a full moon that lighted the way. There were no streetlights on this part of the island.
“So we have no idea who is sabotaging us. Can you even believe this?” Sarah stopped walking and looked around, wondering if maybe this wasn’t such a smart idea. The cab driver’s warning about avoiding the area near the bridge rang in her head.
“Do you think maybe it’s part of the contest? Like some kind of test or extra hurdle you have to navigate?” Marly asked, sounding concerned.
“Maybe. They do seem to like to throw curve balls at us. But there’s a lot of money at stake. Maybe someone wants to make sure they win it by messing with the other contestants. We don’t know if others have been sabotaged. I’m just glad that Raffe and I made it through the first two rounds. That, and the fact that we were able to pull off being engaged to my parents.”
Marly laughed. “Well
, maybe there’s hope for you two yet! I mean, the bed with rose petals could have been a sign.”
“Ha! Doubt it.” Sarah scoffed at the idea. It had been easier than she thought to pretend to be engaged, but that had only been for a few hours. She and Raffe were two very different people, and after what happened with Harley, she had no interest in getting involved.
She should have known Harley, with his smooth talk and designer suits, would be nothing but trouble. But he had really hit it off with her family, especially her brother Tommy. Tommy and Harley had even hung out more than Harley and Sarah had.
Her heart ached at the thought of her younger brother and what Harley had done to him. Worse than anything was the knowledge that she had brought Harley into the family. Everything that had happened to Tommy was her fault, and this was her one chance to make it right.
She had fallen for Harley too hard and too fast, missing the warning signs, oblivious to the fact of what he really was. Too many stars in her eyes to ask where all his money came from. And when she finally learned Harley’s money was the result of dealing drugs, it was too late for Tommy. Her brother, who had had a promising career in finance, was a full-blown heroin addict.
The last few years had been hell, with Tommy missing in action most of the time. He’d call every now and then, usually incoherent conversations that left Sarah feeling hollow and with massive anxiety. Sarah was thankful he never called their parents. She didn’t want her mother to experience those conversations, though the hopeful look in her mother’s eyes when she’d mentioned Tommy earlier had twisted a knife in her heart.
The last time she’d heard from Tommy had been almost a year ago. He had babbled on about going someplace warm. New York City winters could be brutal, especially if you had no home. He’d mentioned a restaurant that she’d traced to this very island.
That was one reason this contest was so appealing. The other was the prize money. That money could get Tommy into a good rehabilitation facility. If Tommy was still alive. But if he was, could Tommy be on this island? The tip from the cab driver and from Kim and Dave told her where to look.
Can't Stand the Heat (Corporate Chaos Series Book 2) Page 6
