The Fake Engagement Favor

by Charlene Sands

Cade and Gage exchanged glances. Something was up with Nathan, but both men kept their lips sealed tight.

  “That’s news to me,” Harper said. “The last time I spoke with him, he said he wasn’t bringing anyone to the wedding.”

  “I wouldn’t ask him, so there’s no point in talking about it,” Lily said, ending the subject.

  Too bad—the wedding was a safe enough topic of discussion. During the meal, Gianna made a point of not looking Gage’s way too often, but whenever she did, she was met with brooding blue eyes, locked on her.

  Dinner ended at nine, and Gianna took a leisurely stroll, heading back to the guesthouse. It was one of the cooler summer nights and crickets serenaded her as she walked. Rapid footsteps from behind slapped against the paved road.

  “Gianna? Wait up.”

  “Go away, Gage.” She kept on walking. Her emotions were all over the place, and speaking to him would only make it worse.

  He caught up to her quickly. “I just want to tell you one thing and then I’ll leave you alone.”

  “For heaven’s sake.” She stopped and turned. His face only inches away, a hint of his cologne wafted to her nose, bringing back lurid memories of being down deep under the covers with him, making love to him. The extra stubble on his cheeks and the unruly way his dark hair flipped up in the back was so doggone appealing. Gage was a walking temptation. She needed space between them, not this close contact. She took a step back. “What is it? I know all about the interview tomorrow morning. I’ll be there.”

  She didn’t want to go with him, but ever since that photo showed up on social media, he’d been inundated with offers. And because this one news station, and their morning show, AM Juliet, had a reputation for being fair to him, Regan had pushed him into going. Gianna was expected to be by his side, of course. “I appreciate that, but that’s not it. It’s something else.”

  “What then? Another public appearance?”

  He took her hand in his, his eyes searching hers. “I’m giving a concert at the university. I just got word it’s a go. All proceeds will go to Learning and Literacy.”

  Gianna blinked. She couldn’t believe her ears. “What on earth?”

  “Regan didn’t think it was possible on such short notice, but it’s happening this weekend. I called in a ton of favors. The band is donating their time. Tickets are set at ten dollars, so all the students and anyone else who wants to attend will be able to. We’ll raise a lot of money for the charity.”

  Her eyes burned, but she refused to cry. She didn’t know what to make of this amazing and generous gesture. “Gage, I...don’t know what to say. Wh-why are you doing this?”

  “I’m doing it for you, Gianna. Because it means something to you. And so many kids will benefit from this. I only wish I’d thought of it sooner.”

  “It was your idea? Not Regan’s?”

  “This one is all on me.”

  Was he doing this for the positive publicity? She could never be sure. But she found sincerity and the yearning to please her in his eyes, on his expression. It really didn’t matter why he was doing it. Her favorite charity would benefit, and she loved the idea of that more than anything else he could’ve done.

  “Gianna, I hope you know how much I care about you.”

  She nodded, not sure what to believe, but she wasn’t going to argue the point.

  “Thank you for this. I’m totally surprised and grateful.” She stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips to his cheek.

  A low groan emerged from his throat.

  She turned quickly and dashed into the house.

  Running away from him.

  And her emotions, which were, at best, teetering on the edge.

  * * *

  The next day, Gage entwined their hands as soon as they got out of the car and maintained the contact as they walked into the television station. He wore his black John B. with a fancy tan shirt and string tie. He was the picture of a superstar, his demeanor, his presence confident and commanding. He held her close to him the entire time. When it was time for him to go onstage, he gave her a kiss backstage, a sweet brush of the mouth, and walked onto the set of AM Juliet.

  During the interview, he was brilliant in his handling of the Leah Marie incident, claiming it wasn’t anything but a friendly kiss. A full unedited version of a video surfaced days later showing the truth, the kiss barely lasted a second, shutting down rumors of an affair. But Gage also used that time to announce the charity event happening at the university. He made sure television viewers knew how to get tickets and even offered to hold a meet and greet before the show to raise additional funds. He was smooth, working the audience and the host of the interview. While most people would find that assuring and even admirable, she found his charming nature suspect. He could turn it off and on like a light switch. Which Gage was he? Did she even know?

  Their worlds were so different, and yet she’d managed to fall in love with him.

  Like so many other wide-eyed women.

  Women loved him, men identified with him. He was talented, appealing, gorgeous. But he was also stubborn, set in his ways, annoying and...

  Gage spoke her name, and her train of thought shut down abruptly. “Gianna’s an amazing woman,” he told host Bob Lockhart. “I’m a lucky guy. We hope to be married as soon as our schedules allow it.”

  Those words stole her breath. If only they were true. Gage was so good at lying. He’d never spoken of the future to her. And why should he? They had a deal. They were breaking up, ending this pretense as soon as his reputation recovered.

  Maybe then her life would get back to normal, whatever that was.

  After the interview, Gianna and Gage shook some hands before they left the television station. Gage opened the car door for her, and she slid inside, glad the pretense was over.

  “I’d like to drive by the university,” Gage said. “Scope out the pavilion myself. Is that okay with you?”

  “Didn’t Regan already do that?”

  “She did. She met with the event coordinators, but it’s been a while since I’ve been on that campus. I’d like to check it out myself. Besides, who better to show me around than you?”

  She couldn’t refuse. He was doing a good deed, despite his motives.

  “Okay, but I have to get back by two. I’m helping Harper and Cade with some wedding things.”

  “Two o’clock? That’ll give us some time to stop for lunch. I’m starving.”

  She huffed out a breath. She didn’t want to go to lunch with him. But voicing that would only sound petty. She’d already admitted she was free until two o’clock. “Okay.”

  They picked up sandwiches at a shop just down the street from the television station and brought the food with them to Fairmont U.

  This was home to her. This was where she felt safe and familiar. She couldn’t imagine teaching anywhere else. She loved the school and her students. Her mood lightened considerably, and after she gave Gage a tour of the campus, including the building where she taught, Gage brought a blanket out from the car. He laid it down under a cottonwood tree in the outdoor pavilion, and they sat there to eat.

  Gianna lifted the sub sandwich to her mouth and took a big bite. Still chewing, she said, “This is delicious.”

  “Guess I’m not the only one here with an appetite. You’re demolishing that thing. And not too gracefully, either.”

  “You’re such a jerk.” She punched him in the arm.

  He chuckled at her sad attempt to cause injury and grabbed her arm, drawing her close. “But I’m your jerk.”

  She sobered up immediately. “You’re not. You can’t be. We’re too different.”

  “What does it matter? So we’re different,” he said softly, his hand caressing her cheek. “We have something good, Gia.”

  He brought his mouth to hers, and her breathing stopped. Her hea
rt pounded in her chest so hard she wondered if the entire campus could hear it. The kiss filled her with warmth and yearning and everything she’d been trying to forget.

  Her ringtone stopped her cold. She broke off the kiss and glanced at her cell phone. It was a text message from Timothy Bellamy. He’d been keeping in touch with her on and off for a few months. He’d managed to make it to her seminar and compliment her on it.

  “Who is it?” Gage asked abruptly, his beautiful mouth in a frown.

  “It’s no one. Just a friend.”

  She put her phone down, ignoring the text. Her lips still burned from Gage’s kiss.

  “Who?”

  “His name is Professor Timothy Bellamy. He’s a colleague of mine, if you must know.”

  A fierce look entered Gage’s eyes. “Are you interested in him?” He spoke through gritted teeth.

  “After the way we just kissed, how can you ask me that?”

  “I can ask. You sent me packing, in case you don’t remember.”

  “He has nothing to do with...us. We are just a charade. We’re not real. We never will be.”

  “Why, Gianna? Why are you resisting so much?”

  He pressed her, and maybe, just maybe, telling him the truth, a truth that had hurt her, would make him understand. “I’m afraid you’re like my father,” she said quietly.

  He blinked a few times. “What does that mean? And be specific.”

  Gianna spent the next ten minutes explaining to him through tears and stilted speech about her father and the lies her mother had told to protect her and keep her from ever learning the truth. She compared him, maybe unjustly, but she did it just the same, to her philandering father. A man who was full of charm and good looks, a man who seemed to always get his way in life regardless of who got hurt.

  Gage listened to her carefully, shaking his head, sympathy in his eyes. “I’m sorry about what you and Tonette went through. I had no idea. But I’m nothing like your father. I’m trying to earn your trust, Gianna.”

  “To what end? I’m not sure what you want from me, Gage. I’m doing what you asked, helping you get your reputation back. I’ve lied to a lot of people, and I don’t feel good about that. I held my head high and defended you when the Leah Marie photo came out. It was humiliating, but I never let on. That was really hard for me.” It hurt to see him with another woman. It hurt to know that their time together would come to an end soon, once he got what he wanted. She hadn’t bargained for this. She hadn’t expected to fall for him.

  “I told you that thing with Leah was innocent,” he said. “And I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. That’s why I’m busting my butt to make this concert happen.”

  “Really? It’s not just for the positive publicity?”

  His mouth twisted, and that fierce look returned to his eyes. “No, it’s not for publicity. It’s for you. And you’re gonna have to decide whether you believe me or not.”

  Gage got up and reached for her hand. “Let’s go. It’s almost two.”

  Gianna placed her hand in his, but there was no warmth in his touch, no connection. He was cold and angry, and she felt like a heel. She’d told him the truth, and he didn’t like it.

  She didn’t much like it, either.

  But her relationship with the truth hadn’t changed.

  Except now her heart was involved.

  And it ached like crazy.

  * * *

  The sound check was done, his band members making sure everything was working and in order at the pavilion. The outdoor stage was flanked on both sides with partitions, and a crew was setting up a pyrotechnic light show to end the evening. Gage liked to give his audience the full treatment.

  Cade stood beside him just offstage, and they both watched Gianna, with a pencil behind her ear and a clipboard in her arms, speak to some of the students. She was in her element here, the joy on her face a testament to her true calling.

  Gage sighed, his heart heavy.

  “Have you told her yet?” Cade asked.

  Gage shook his head. “No.”

  “Because you know what she’s going to say?”

  “I’m pretty sure of it, Cade. And I’m not sure I’m ready.”

  “Hell, man. You’re getting everything you want.”

  He’d gotten the news last night that he’d landed the role in Sunday in Montana, and now it was just a matter of formalities. Regan wanted to shout it to the world, take out billboard ads, but he’d made her promise to keep it quiet for a few days.

  She was here, walking around, making sure the concert would go as planned, even though she was mad as hell at him. He couldn’t blame her—she’d worked hard on his behalf, and when they finally got a win in their column, Gage was making her hold back the news.

  “I’m not so sure I’m getting what I want, bro,” Gage admitted. He was afraid to tell Gianna he’d landed the role. Afraid she’d want to end things early, and he wasn’t ready for that or sure if he’d ever be ready for that. Plus, what if Leah wanted more from him than a little harmless flirtation? Maybe taking the job wasn’t the best move after all. “Right now, I’m not sure of much.”

  “Gianna’s got you spinning your wheels?”

  “She thinks we’re not compatible. We want different things in life.”

  “So then, you’re serious about her? Because if you’re not—”

  “God, Cade. Do I have to hear it from you, too? Mom’s already lectured me like I’m a ten-year-old. I’m not out to hurt Gianna. It’s the last thing I want to do.”

  “Have you told her how you feel?”

  Gage ran a hand down his face. “Not in words.”

  Cade’s hand landed on his shoulder. “Buddy, words matter to women. They need reassurances. Hell, we all do. And remember, sometimes it’s not what you say but what you don’t say that can do real damage.”

  Gage peered at his brother with newfound respect. How did he get so doggone brilliant? “That’s darn good advice.”

  “I know. Harper taught me well.”

  Gage laughed.

  A few hours later, Gage stood onstage after giving one of his better performances to a crowd of seven thousand fans. He called Gianna up onstage and thanked her for her hard work with the Learning and Literacy Foundation. Taking her hand, he spoke directly to the audience. “We’ve raised a lot of money tonight, thanks to all of you. And because this is such a special charity, I plan to match the money raised tonight with my own funds.”

  Gianna gasped, her hands flying up to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. She mouthed “thank you” and wrapped her arms around his neck. He held on, savoring her warmth, enjoying having her in his arms again.

  Immediate applause and cheers broke out. Gage slanted a glance at Regan, who was in the first row. Her face flamed, her eyes piercing his, stone-cold. Usually they discussed everything beforehand, even when he was spending his own money. He didn’t make a move without her, but ever since he’d been home this last time, he’d been making more of his own decisions. He smiled Regan’s way and shrugged his shoulders. She’d get over it.

  He walked Gianna off the stage to stand with the family, front and center. Calls and shouts rang out from the crowd, and he returned to face the audience. His mom, Lily, Cade and Harper were all clamoring for another song, too. He always saved one or two of his biggest hits for the encore.

  The crowd quieted as soon as the band started up. He crooned the lyrics to thousands, yet all he could think about was Gianna and her beautiful, stunned surprise when he’d made the donation. Man oh man. He wanted to put that look on her face for the rest of her life.

  He tripped up on the lyrics, his mind racing a thousand miles an hour, but he made a joke about his “senior moment,” and his fans laughed along with him.

  A few seconds later, all smiles vanished, and the putrid smell o
f smoke filled his nostrils.

  “Fire!” someone shouted and then more warnings rang out.

  He spun around, and flames leaping from backstage surged forward. His band fled the stage, and he jumped off the edge, gathering his family close.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Cade said, ushering Harper, Lily and his mom toward a fire exit.

  “Wait!” Gage looked around, panicked, searching the area. “Where’s Gia? Mom, where is she?” he shouted over the screams. “She’s not here.”

  “Oh, dear,” his mom said. “She said she wanted to speak to you backstage.”

  Gage sucked in a breath. The stage wasn’t fully engulfed yet. “I’m going after her.”

  “No! Gage!” Regan suddenly appeared, grabbing his arm. “Don’t go. You don’t love her,” Regan shouted with crazy ferocity. “She’s not even your real fiancée. Don’t risk your life!” Regan broke down, tears forming in her eyes. “Gage, I beg you. Don’t go.”

  “Let go.” He yanked his arm free. “I have to find her.”

  Covering his mouth and nose with a bandanna, he made his way through the smoke and flames. All the while praying for Gianna’s safety.

  Ten

  In her apartment two days later, Gianna balanced her computer screen on her lap and once again viewed the exact moment when her once-stable life had turned to crap. At least a dozen different outlets, including her favorite social media sites, had video of Regan’s infamous words revealing to the world that Gianna and country star Gage Tremaine were frauds. The gist was that, as Gianna was giving a lecture on relationships and trust, she was lying and abusing everyone’s trust by pretending to be Gage’s fiancée. Their hoax had been uncovered. Their lies discovered. Not only had she not saved Gage’s reputation, but she’d ruined her own.

  “Gianna, would you stop watching those videos,” Lily said.

  “You’re just making yourself feel worse,” Brooke added.

  Both of her friends were sitting beside her on the sofa, being loyal, being kind, trying to make her forget the scandal she’d helped provoke. “I want to feel worse. I don’t want to forget what an idiot I’ve been. This is a lesson learned times a thousand. I want to keep seeing the fallout, to remind myself that everything was ruined.”