Not Her Real Fiance

by Elana Johnson

  “It’s James,” Paige said. “And I flirted with him in the elevator last week. The man wasn’t interested.”

  Celeste thought of Gwen and all her troubles with Teagan. “Maybe he just doesn’t want you to think he’s interested.”

  “And maybe he’s not interested.” Paige stood up. “It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m going to that love-to-forty event next week.”

  “Oh, I’m super excited about that,” Celeste said. “And you’re an excellent tennis player, so surely you’ll meet someone.” She’d put together the singles event happening on the tennis courts at Heartwood next Friday night.

  It was a tennis match, speed dating, and a mix-and-mingle all in one. And the name was off-the-charts cute—and she’d come up with it herself. “Which reminds me…I need to check on the food for that event.”

  “I already have the file out,” Paige said. “And I’ve already called. We’re set. They’re delivering at six-thirty for setup and a start time of seven.”

  Celeste smiled at Paige. “You’re awesome, you know that? You’re going to find the right guy, I’m sure of it.”

  “I hope so.” Paige sighed as the phone rang at her desk out in the lobby. She left to answer it, and Celeste couldn’t help opening the top drawer of her desk and looking at the diamond ring again.

  Brad was the best man she’d been out with in forever and confessing her real feelings and kissing him had opened her mind to more possibilities. Maybe he was “the right guy” for her too.

  Now, all she had to do was figure out how to break-up with him—and then get back together again, without a fake engagement ring.

  Chapter Eleven

  Brad loved walking through a construction site, and he went down the steps and into the huge pool bowl with James, who kept pointing to things and giving details about them. “The tile’s in,” he said. “And we should have the project done on time.”

  “Really?” Brad asked. “On time?” Construction projects never finished on time.

  “That’s right. Bill said he’d get a staff meeting together, and they’ll take it from here by next week.”

  Brad looked around, thinking so much still needed to be done. But he had a crew of eleven employed on this site, and they worked full shifts, so the tile would go in quick. The painting would get done in a day. It really was marvelous what they could do when they had all the supplies they needed.

  “Great,” he said. “And then you’re taking your crew over to Mount Vernon Hills, right?”

  James groaned and rolled his eyes. “Can’t you send Louis’s crew over there? It’s an hour drive after the ferry ride.”

  “I know, but it’s a huge job,” Brad said. “Eight months on the pediatric wing in the hospital.”

  “I know. That’s why I don’t want to have a three-hour commute for the next eight months. None of the guys will want that.”

  “Some of them live across the channel,” Brad argued back. “I’ll put you in a rental if you want.” James didn’t have a family, and he could move to Mount Vernon Hills for the job.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, really. Ask and see if there’s anyone else who might want to do that. You guys can be roommates.”

  “All right,” James said. “I’ll get in touch with the hospital administrator and get things rolling with that.”

  Brad grinned at him. “Perfect.”

  “What are you working on next?”

  “I’ve got to get some more bids out,” Brad said. Sometimes construction projects came to him, but if he wanted to keep his three foremen and their crews working full-time—and he did—he had to be out in the surrounding area, looking for jobs. “Donna and I are meeting this afternoon to go over some finals before she sends them out.”

  His other two crews were a few months from being finished with their jobs, so Brad had some time to get on someone else’s radar. His celebrity status helped, as did his excellent reviews for his company.

  “And it’s your parents’ anniversary tonight, right?” James asked. “How’s the fake fiancée?”

  “Uh, good,” Brad said a little too brightly.

  “Uh oh.” James chuckled as he went up the steps and out of the empty pool. “Doesn’t sound good.”

  “No, it is,” Brad said. “It’s just…complicated.” He didn’t want to discuss his relationship with his employee, even though he and James were good friends.

  “Meaning you started to like her for real.” James laughed fully then, his voice echoing off the empty spaces in the construction site. “I thought you said she was uptight and bossy.”

  “Well, she is,” Brad said. “But they’re actually good qualities.”

  “She’s beautiful, I’ll give her that.”

  “And smart,” Brad said. “And when she relaxes, she’s actually really fun to be with.” More than fun. He was excited to spend time with Celeste, and her fun, flirty texts made him smile whenever she messaged.

  “I’ll catch you later,” he said, and he ducked out of the plastic. Since Celeste’s office was literally steps down the hall, he went that way. Through the door, the scent of fresh dryer sheets filled the air, and he met eyes with the brunette behind the desk.

  “Hey,” he said. “Is Celeste in?” He hadn’t seen her for a couple of days, as he’d been on a job site across the channel.

  “Yes, let me see if she’s available.” She picked up the phone and said, “Celeste, your boyfriend is here,” her eyes never leaving Brad’s. A few seconds passed, and she said, “Okay, sure.”

  She hung up and stood up. “She needs a couple of minutes. She’s finishing something for a client. You can wait right there.”

  Brad grinned at her. “Thanks, Paige.” He pointed to her nameplate on her desk. “It’s Paige, right?”

  She smiled right on back at him. “Right.”

  He moved over to the couch and sat down, a sigh leaking from his mouth. Not ten seconds later, Celeste’s office door opened, and she came out, looking fantastic in a black jumpsuit that billowed around her legs and cinched her waist in to show all her feminine curves.

  He jumped to his feet. “Hey, Princess,” he said, feeling like someone had injected him with sunshine. “Do you have time for lunch?”

  She took his face in both hands and smiled softly at him. Brad felt like they were the only two people on Earth, and he liked that she got his heart beating in a way a woman hadn’t in a long time. Maybe ever.

  “I think so,” she said. “But can we just go to the bakery downstairs? I have a conference call in an hour.”

  “Sure thing,” he said.

  “Come in for a sec,” she said. “I just need to grab my purse.” She retreated back into her office, and Brad would’ve gone to the moon when she looked at him with that playful edge in her eyes.

  He didn’t close the door, and she didn’t move to get her purse. As soon as he was fully in the office, she kissed him, and Brad chuckled against her lips. “Did you miss me, Princess?” His pulse rippled like a flag in a stiff breeze, glad when she just answered by matching her mouth to his again and kissing him like she’d definitely missed him.

  That night, freshly showered and shaved, dressed in a suit, and with a bouquet of flowers for his parents, he drove to Celeste’s house with the top up on his convertible. He didn’t want a hair out of place for the anniversary dinner, and his nerves had his fingers clenched around the steering wheel.

  Gwen answered the door, and Brad gave her a quick hug. “Good to see you, Gwen,” he said. “How are things in the kitchens?”

  “Hot,” she said with a smile.

  “I’ll bet they are,” he said.

  “Celeste is obsessing over her earrings,” she said as she retreated into the kitchen. “I told her what to wear, but she’s not listening to me.”

  “I thought she consulted you for her fashion choices,” Brad said.

  “Yeah, she’s nervous.”

  Brad glanced toward the hall that led back to the bedro
oms. “Can I…?”

  “Be my guest. She’s dressed, and I did pick her outfit. It’s marvelous,” Gwen said with a laugh.

  Brad could only imagine. Celeste never wore anything that didn’t look absolutely amazing on her, and he wondered how much her clothes cost. They looked expensive, and when she put all the pieces in the right place—makeup, jewelry, shoes, handbag—she looked like a million bucks.

  Of course, Brad liked it when she just wore jeans too, and he really wanted to see her in sweats and a T-shirt, maybe doing some gardening or something that got her hands dirty and sweat beading along her forehead. Yeah, that would be sexy to him too.

  She stood in front of her dresser, looking in the mirror. “Hey,” he said. “The earrings don’t really matter, Princess.”

  “Oh.” She jumped and pressed one palm to her heartbeat. “You scared me.”

  “I rang the doorbell and everything.”

  “Come help me.”

  He entered her bedroom, noting that her bed was indeed made with crisp lines. A stack of books littered her nightstand, as did a tablet and her charging cables.

  Jewelry and makeup was strewn across the dresser, and she lifted a large pair of double hoops to her ears. “These?” She set them down and picked up some teardrop-shaped dangly earrings. “Or these?”

  “Those,” he said, because he honestly did not care. His mother wouldn’t either. No one but her would.

  “Gwen said these too,” she said. “They must be the pair.” She started to put them in, and Brad couldn’t help leaning over and touching his mouth to her neck.

  She stilled, and Brad looked at her in the mirror. So much was said without a single word being vocalized, and he took the earrings from her and slipped the first one through the hole in her lobe. “You’re gorgeous,” he whispered just before pressing a kiss right behind the earring he’d just put in.

  She held very still as he moved behind her to do the other side. He secured that earring for her and slid his arms around her, pulling her back into his body. “I want to talk about breaking up.”

  “You do?” She looked absolutely terrified, and he watched her neck move as she swallowed.

  “Yeah,” he said, not caring if she knew how he felt. Surely she could feel it every time they kissed. “Because I want to really be who Paige said I was earlier today.”

  “What did she say?” Celeste asked.

  “She said I was your boyfriend,” he said. “Not a fake fiancé.” James’s words rang in his ears, and he hated that they were there, complicating everything. “Not even a fiancé, actually.” He quirked one eyebrow. “You didn’t tell her?”

  “I didn’t, but she found out.”

  “She thinks it’s real?”

  “Everyone thinks it’s real,” Celeste whispered. “I haven’t even told Gwen that it’s not.”

  “Hmm.” Brad dipped his head and kissed the spot where her shoulder met her neck, and she leaned into the touch.

  “We’re going to be late.”

  “We’re fine,” he murmured, enjoying the silky texture of her skin, the way she held onto his hands, the swaying as she moved closer to him and then pulled away.

  Brad finally got control of himself and took a step back. “My mother will love your dress,” he said.

  “Yeah?” Celeste looked down at the little black number, and Brad scanned her too.

  “Maybe not as much as me, but yeah.” Brad chuckled, her sexy, red heels the perfect cherry on her outfit.

  “Okay.” Celeste took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

  “Of course you are.” She could do anything, and Brad really liked that. He liked that she was strong, and smart, and sexy all in one package. He offered her his arm, and they walked down the hall together.

  “Bye, Gwenny,” she said, though her sister was on the phone. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Uh, Celeste.” She moved the phone away from her ear, and Brad could see that it was actually Celeste’s phone. “It’s Paige. There’s a problem with the love-to-forty event tomorrow.”

  “What?” Celeste released his arm and clicked her way over to her sister. “Paige, what’s going on?”

  Brad’s anxiety spiked, because he had a very real feeling that he would be going to his parents’ anniversary party without Celeste. She turned away from him and asked another question, and his hopes for the night crashed and burned.

  Celeste was strong, and smart, and sexy. But maybe she was also already married to her job, and Brad should know—he’d been accused of such a thing in the past too.

  Unwilling to just leave without her, he sat on the couch and pulled out his phone. Running late, he texted his mother. We’ll have to meet you at the restaurant.

  Okay, Bella just got here. We’ll see you there.

  Brad’s heart thrashed in his chest as Celeste continued to speak to her assistant. Gwen came over and offered him a bottle of water, and alarmed, Brad took it.

  How long was he going to have to wait?

  Chapter Twelve

  Celeste could not believe what Paige was saying. She had over one hundred people signed up for the singles event the following evening. It was less than twenty-four hours away.

  “No food,” she repeated. “I thought you called and confirmed.”

  “I did,” Paige said. “And I did again just now, and they said I’m not on their delivery route.”

  “Can we pick it up?” Celeste asked. She’d go herself if she had to, though it was a ferry ride away, and she couldn’t imagine trying to get appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and drinks back across the channel by herself. “I’ll rent the freaking ferry if I have to.”

  “They’re closing early for something,” Paige said. “The food has to be picked up by three.”

  “Three?” Celeste sighed in heavy frustration. She glanced over her shoulder to find Brad had sank onto the couch and Gwen was offering him a drink. “Why didn’t they tell us they had to close early?”

  “I guess the owner’s mother died,” Paige said, and Celeste felt like a real jerk.

  “Oh, okay. Okay.” She ran her hand through her hair, immediately regretting it. She’d spent a long time on her hair in preparation for this dinner. “It’s fine. We’ll pick up at three. I’ll talk to the kitchen about storing the food in the refrigerator.”

  “This is why we should’ve just hired it out to our own staff,” Paige said.

  “They have two banquets tomorrow,” Celeste said. They’d been over all of this. Yes, The Heartwood Inn almost always catered their own events. But not when the schedule was so full they couldn’t.

  Celeste had been using The Smoking Apple for years in instances like this, and she knew Livvy, the owner. She couldn’t imagine losing her mother, and Celeste’s heart went out to her.

  “Okay, this is okay,” Celeste said. “We’ll get the food and it’ll be fine.”

  “You have Teri Easton coming tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Reschedule her.”

  “We’ve already rescheduled her once.”

  “I don’t care,” Celeste said, her patience wearing thin. They were already late to Brad’s dinner, and she had to go. “I have to go, Paige. Reschedule her.” She hung up the phone, feeling like a complete witch. She didn’t talk to Paige like that. They worked well together, because they respected each other. If she’d had more time, she’d have gone back into the office—where Paige obviously still was—and help her take care of things.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said, hurrying into the living room. “Let’s go.”

  “Everything okay?” Brad asked as he stood.

  Celeste felt like crying, but she would not ruin her makeup. Not tonight. “No, but I’m ready.” She flashed him a tight smile, knowing she wouldn’t be able to truly relax tonight during his family’s celebration. “Honestly, I am. We’re late. Let’s go.”

  Brad led her outside, and she was relieved to see the top up on the convertible. He didn’t say much on the way to the restaurant
, and she was surprised to find him pulling into the circle drive for the valet at the inn.

  “We’re eating here?”

  “Redfin,” he said. “It’s my mother’s favorite restaurant.”

  “You’re kidding.” Celeste smiled, thinking maybe this night wasn’t completely ruined and that maybe the gift she’d put together last minute for his parents would be a big hit. “Okay, your sister is Bella. Her husband’s name is Greg, but he won’t be here tonight because he’s deployed overseas. Mom and Dad are TJ and Christy. And your brother David is here from Kentucky, with his wife, Jane.”

  “That’s right,” Brad said. “You’re going to be fine.”

  She glanced down at the diamond on her finger, half-wishing it wasn’t there. She drew in a deep breath and got out of the car when the valet opened her door. Brad appeared at her side, and they walked into the inn together. She rarely used the front entrance to get to her office, and she appreciated the beauty in the inn.

  A huge fireplace sat opposite of the check-in desk, where three people stood ready and willing to help. The scent of salt and flowers filled the air, and a huge TV screen showed the picturesque beauty of the private beaches one could only access as a guest at the hotel.

  Comfortable couches filled the space behind the fireplace, which was two-sided, and Olympia had a big sign announcing their wine tasting that evening. She and Brad went past that, and around the corner to Redfin.

  “Good evening, Celeste,” the host said. “Did you have a reservation?”

  “We’re with my family,” Brad said, and the man’s eyes widened.

  “Oh, the Keiths. Of course. They said you’d be coming. Right this way.” He started to lead them past the podium and into the restaurant. It wasn’t nearly as dark as Radish—they weren’t a club or trying to be terribly ritzy. They were full most evenings, no matter the day of the week, but the huge wall of windows that looked out onto the beach and the ocean let in plenty of light.

  She spotted a man that bore a striking resemblance to Brad, and her pulse picked up speed.