“Does this mean I still owe you a kiss?”
“Yep.”
Brielle thought about her conversation with Cara. If she was going to tell Tyler how she felt, now would be the perfect time. Heart pounding, she gathered her nerve. “I have to tell you something.”
His eyebrows rose. “Okay.”
She could do this. She could. She would. “I can’t accept the rest of your payment.” What? Where did that come from? But she knew it was right. This was no longer pretend for her. She had fallen for Tyler and fallen hard. It didn’t feel right to accept money from him. She’d already taken the twenty-five hundred. That was a lot of money. She couldn’t, in good conscience, take the rest.
His eyebrows bunched. “Why not?”
“It’s too much money. And I…” Not able to face him as she confessed her feelings, she looked at the ground.
His finger went under her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “What?”
With him starting at her so intently it only made her heart pound harder. “It just isn’t right.” That didn’t explain anything at all. Good going, Bri.
“What isn’t right? Me paying you?” Tyler released her chin. Why was she doing this now? Was all this kissing scaring her away? Was she about to bolt? He had to stop that. “I hired you to…” Why was it hard to say it out loud all of a sudden? “To be my fake girlfriend. To pretend to be into me.”
She was shaking her head and refusing to meet his eyes. That couldn’t be good.
“It’s not pretend for me,” she whispered.
Had he heard her right? “What did you say?”
She lifted her eyes and stared at him, her gaze unwavering. “It’s not pretend for me.”
There was no mistaking what she said, and Tyler’s heart soared. “It’s not?”
Her lips pinched together as she shook her head, but her gaze never strayed from his.
How was it possible that he’d fallen for her so fast and so hard? Was it because she didn’t know who he really was and yet she was still into him? Was it because she seemed to love Yellowstone as much as he did? Or maybe it was because she’d clicked so well with his family. Or maybe it was her easygoing personality, her willingness to try new things. Or maybe it was the chemistry they undoubtedly had, the sparks that flew whenever they touched, the fire that roared whenever they kissed.
Tyler didn’t know. All he knew was that she was amazing and he didn’t want to let her go.
“It’s not pretend for me either, Brielle.”
A smile lit her face and her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. “It’s not?”
“No.”
Then her smile wavered. “So, you agree? You shouldn’t pay me the rest?”
“Why wouldn’t I pay you the rest? That’s what we agreed on.”
“It’s just…it’s too much money.” Her eyebrows shot up. “Five thousand dollars, Tyler. That’s a lot of money. I can’t…” She shook her head and looked away before facing him again. “I can’t accept that from you. It’s not right. I mean, you took me on vacation.” She laughed. “Yeah, we’re camping, but still. I’m having such a good time with you.” She shook her head again. “I can’t take the rest of the payment. It’s too much for you to have to pay. Not when I would do this for free.”
He loved that she was willing to forgo the remainder of her salary, that she thought it might be too much of a burden on him to have to pay it. Wanting to tease her, he said, “What about the money I already paid you? Are you going to give it back?”
Her eyes filled with tears. “I’ll give back what I can, but I had to use some of it to pay my rent. I’m sorry, Tyler.”
Was she for real? Touched by her sincerity, he pulled her into his arms. “It’s okay, Brielle. I don’t need it back.”
She shook her head against his chest. “I’ll pay you back. It might take a while, but I’ll pay back every dime. I promise.”
She didn’t know it, but with every word she uttered, she burrowed deeper into his heart. She was so real, so genuine. Nothing like the women who usually threw themselves at him, then tried to take all they could get.
Now it was time for him to be genuine with her. To tell her who he really was.
Tyler pulled away from her and gazed at her open face. What would she do when she found out he played in the NFL? That he was worth millions? Would she run far, far away? Would it change the way she saw him?
Suddenly terrified to tell her the truth, he collected himself to confess all, because he knew she deserved nothing less.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Why was he looking at her like that? Had she done something wrong? She meant what she said. She would pay back every cent of what he’d given her. It was the right thing to do.
She couldn’t stand it a moment longer. “What’s wrong?”
“I have something to tell you too.”
Oh no. This couldn’t be good. Not with the worry etched in his face. “What is it?”
“I haven’t been completely…well, completely honest about who I am.”
What did that mean? If they weren’t vacationing with his family, she might think he had a secret wife and children, except there was no way his family would have allowed him to bring another woman camping if that were the truth.
Wait! What if Jeff and Ann and Mia and Rob were fake? What if everything was fake? But why would he do that? It defied reason.
Desperate to learn the truth, Brielle stared at him. “What do you mean? Tell me.”
Tyler looked toward the forest as if the answer might be hidden there, then he faced Brielle. “I told you I work for the Vipers.”
“Yeah.”
“I might have…fudged…my job a bit.”
Huh? Why would that matter? “I don’t understand. I talked to your boss.”
“I don’t work in the office.”
When he didn’t go on, she smiled, eager to lighten the moment. “Oh, I see. You help keep the field looking good.”
He laughed. “In a manner of speaking.”
“What do you mean?”
One side of his mouth quirked up. “I’m a player on the team.”
Oh. Oh! Suddenly everything made sense—why he’d told his family he didn’t want to talk about work that week, and why he had a rule to not post any pictures on social media. First, because he didn’t want his family to give away that he played for the NFL, and second, he didn’t want his life plastered on social media. Now she understood.
Brielle could see that Tyler was waiting for her to digest this news and to give him some sort of reaction. What reaction was he hoping for? She had no idea, so she decided to react with the way she really felt.
“Should I feel bad that I’ve never heard of you?”
He threw his head back with a burst of laughter. After a moment he settled down and smiled at her. “I may have misled you about my real name.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Your name’s not Tyler?”
Grinning, he said, “Yes, my name’s Tyler, but my last name isn’t Ford. It’s Brandrick. I’m Tyler Brandrick, running back for the Sacramento Vipers.”
She had to suppress a laugh. “Still haven’t heard of you.”
He shook his head, his smile wide. “That’s okay.” Then his forehead creased. “Are you mad that I…well, that I lied to you?”
Surprisingly, she wasn’t. In fact, she was kind of glad. Knowing he played in the NFL from the beginning might have muddied everything. She would probably have been intimidated. This way she’d gotten to know him as a regular guy. “No,” she said. “I’m not mad. I even understand.” Then a new thought occurred to her. “What else have you lied about?”
“Nothing. I swear.”
Tilting her head, she said, “That’s not completely accurate.”
“What?”
“You may not have lied to me about anything else, but you lied to your family. About us.”
A furrow formed between his eyes. “What are you saying?”
&nbs
p; “That we need to tell your family the truth.”
Tyler knew she was right, but he really didn’t want to admit to his family that his relationship with Brielle had been a huge ruse, that he didn’t have a girlfriend after all. Then again, telling them the truth would take away the burden he hadn’t even realized he’d been feeling, the burden of maintaining a lie. It would feel good to tell them the entire truth.
Then he pictured the razzing he’d get from Rob. It would not be pleasant.
Was that what was holding him back? His pride? Well, of course it was, and who could blame him. Still, by the look on Brielle’s face he knew it was important to her that they tell his family the truth. And he appreciated that she wanted everything to be above board.
“Yeah,” he finally said. “I suppose we should.” He glanced at the star-filled sky. “It’s getting late.”
She laughed. “It’s not that late and you know your family’s still sitting around the campfire.”
“Yeah. I know.” He smiled at her. “You’re not going to let me off the hook, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Fine. But first I need something from you. Something to shore up my resolve.”
Tilting her head, she smiled. “Let me guess. A kiss.”
His lips curved into a smile of anticipation. “How’d you guess?”
She just shook her head, then she reached up and cupped his face with her hands, tugging him lower. He let her pull him toward her, and after a tiny hesitation, she kissed him. But after less than a second, she pulled away. Smirking, she said, “You’ll get the other half of that kiss after we talk to your family.”
“Promises, promises.”
She laughed, then he took her hand and they walked back to the campground.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
When the flames from the campfire came into sight, Brielle had second thoughts. What would Tyler’s family think of her, someone willing to be paid to pretend to be their son’s girlfriend? What kind of person would do that? True, they might think poorly of Tyler, but he was their son and their brother. They would forgive him. She, on the other hand, was basically a stranger. Someone who came into their lives under false pretenses. What if they were angry with her, told her to leave immediately? What if they said they never wanted to see or hear from her again? What would that do to the budding relationship she had with Tyler?
Devastated by the thought of not only losing Tyler—which was bad enough—but also by the thought of losing this family that she felt such a connection with, Brielle slowed.
“What’s wrong?” Tyler asked, their hands clasped together.
“I just…I’m not sure about this.”
He laughed. “Too late now. We’re doing this.”
Seconds later they reached the circle of his family.
“Just in time,” Mia said as Tyler led Brielle to the empty chairs that sat side by side in front of the fire. “We’re trying to decide if we should have s’mores again. What do you say?”
“Brielle and I have to tell you all something,” Tyler said.
Way to ease into it.
Mia’s eyes went wide. “You’re getting married!”
Tyler burst out laughing. “No. Not even close.”
Was that so laughable? Well, maybe under the circumstances. But still.
“What is it?” Ann asked.
Brielle looked at Tyler’s mother, who was smiling with expectation. Tensing with expectations of her own—like the expectation that Ann would hate her in a few moments—Brielle sat stock still, her body rigid.
“We…that is, I, haven’t been completely honest with you.”
“About what?” Jeff asked.
Bracing herself for their reaction, Brielle watched their faces.
This was harder than he’d thought it would be. Tyler swallowed over the nervousness that knotted in his throat, then he took Brielle’s hand. Why he did that, he wasn’t sure, but it gave him courage. “Brielle and I aren’t…well, we’re not together. Not really.”
Everyone looked confused.
“What are you talking about?” Mia asked, then she gave a meaningful look at his hand holding Brielle’s before looking at him again.
“Last week? When you asked me if I had a girlfriend?” He paused to give someone—anyone—a chance to reply, but no one spoke. Instead everyone’s eyes were glued to his face. “Yeah. So, I told you I had a girlfriend, but in reality, I don’t.”
His mom leaned forward. “You’re not making any sense, Tyler.”
He was just going to have to say it straight out. “I lied to you, okay?”
His dad’s eyes narrowed. “Lied to us?”
“Yeah. I don’t have a girlfriend. I’m not even dating anyone.”
That’s when everyone’s eyes swiveled to Brielle.
Rob pointed at her. “Then who’s she?”
Brielle’s vision began to narrow and her ears began to buzz.
Oh man. Oh man. I’ve gotta get out of here.
Everyone was staring at her like she was some sort of alien creature that had landed in their midst. This was so much worse than she’d imagined. Why had she insisted that Tyler tell them the truth?
“This isn’t Brielle’s fault,” Tyler said, his voice calm.
He had her back. There was no doubt about that. Just another thing that attracted her to him. Calmed by having him at her side, she focused on the feel of her hand in his.
“I met Brielle last week,” he said.
“I see where this is going,” Mia said with a smirk. “You convinced her to pretend to be your girlfriend. Am I right?”
“Hired her, actually.”
Shut up, Tyler! They don’t have to know that part.
“Hired her?” Ann’s eyebrows were in her hairline as she looked from Tyler to Brielle.
Breathe. Just breathe.
Everyone was silent, digesting this bit of news, the only sound the crackling of the fire. Brielle couldn’t take it another second. “I’m going to pay him back. Every cent.”
Mia laughed. “My brother’s loaded, Brielle. No need to pay him back.” Then her head cocked. “Wait, is Brielle really your name?”
“Yes. And I’m so sorry for this. I should never have agreed.”
“Don’t blame Brielle,” Tyler said, his voice confident. “This is all on me.”
Jeff poked at the fire with a stick, separating the bits of log that had turned to coal. “Don’t know why you’re still holding hands now that the truth’s out.”
To Brielle’s relief, Tyler didn’t let go. In fact, his grip tightened.
“This is all my doing,” Tyler said. “Brielle just needed a job. Besides…” He smiled at her. “We do like each other.”
“Excuse me,” Ann said, then she stood and walked to the RV, disappearing inside.
Brielle’s heart dropped. If Ann couldn’t stand to be around them—around her—what did that mean? She must be livid. And Brielle would have to face her when she slept in the RV.
Maybe she should sleep in the tent with Tyler and Rob.
No. She wasn’t going to do that. That would be just as weird. No, she would just have to face Ann and the rest of Tyler’s family. But first thing in the morning, she would leave. She had to.
Right now though, she needed to get away from the accusation in everyone’s eyes. Everyone but Tyler. Did he feel his family’s anger too? Or was he so confident as a member of the family that he was completely unbothered?
Brielle pulled her hand from Tyler’s and stood. “I, uh…” She pointed in the general direction of the bathroom, then she walked away.
Tyler watched Brielle go. He should go after her. About to stand, when his father said his name, he paused, staying in his chair.
“Why did you feel the need to lie to us?” his father asked.
He would go to Brielle in a few minutes. For now, he owed his family an explanation. “It’s stupid, really. I, uh, I didn’t want to admit that I was single. Still.”<
br />
“We shouldn’t have given you a hard time,” Mia said with a long glance at Rob.
“This is my fault now?” Rob asked.
“No,” Tyler said. “Like I said, it’s all on me.”
“How much did you pay her?” Mia asked, one eyebrow arched.
“That’s none of your business,” Tyler said as he shook his head.
“I’m confused though,” Mia added.
“About what?”
“From what I’ve seen, you guys seem to really like each other.” She chuckled. “I know you’re not that good of an actor. So, what’s the deal?”
“I do like her.”
“But she’s not your girlfriend.”
“No.” Although, to be honest, he wouldn’t mind changing that.
“This is really weird.”
“I know and I’m sorry.” He looked toward the RV where his mother had fled. “If it matters, Brielle’s the one who insisted we come clean.”
His dad grunted in reply.
Brielle pressed her phone to her ear as she listened to it ringing on the other end. She could see the light from the campfire, but she was a good distance away.
Pick up, Cara. Pick up!
“Hey, Bri” Cara said, her voice completely calm, as if nothing had shifted in the world.
“Hey.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Why do you assume something’s wrong?”
“Because I talked to you, like, an hour ago.”
Had it only been an hour? It seemed like a lifetime.
“You told him, didn’t you?” Cara asked.
So many emotions raged through her, Brielle hardly knew where to begin.
“Bri? What’s wrong?”
“Yes, I told him how I feel, and yes, he feels the same way.”
“There you go. You should always take my advice.”
Smiling despite herself, Brielle pressed a hand to her forehead. “But then I did something stupid.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh yes. I told him we had to tell his family the truth.”
“Uh-oh. What happened?”
Brielle recounted the brief conversation she and Tyler had had with his family. “Now they hate me.”
Game On (Fair Catch Series, Book Six) Page 15
