The Star's Fake Marriage

by Bree Livingston

  “Well, no, but I don’t need to know.” But she wanted to know. She wanted him to trust her and let her in.

  “Then how do you know it won’t happen again?” Her mom crossed her arms over her chest. “How well do you even know him?”

  Callie squared her jaw. “I know him well enough.”

  “What’s his favorite color?”

  What was his favorite color? She searched her memory. “Green.”

  “Does he want to have children?”

  “We haven’t talked about that.”

  Her mom gaped at her. “You married a man, and you haven’t even talked about children? What if he doesn’t want to have children? He tours for a living. Can you imagine trying to raise a family in that environment?”

  It had gone from interrogation to torture. “It’s something on our list of things to discuss, and when we do, we’ll be mature enough to compromise.”

  “What if he won’t?”

  “He will,” Callie said and walked to her mom. She took her hands in hers. “Mom, I’m happy. Would you, for me, at least give him a chance? He’s a good man.”

  Her mom held her gaze a second. “I don’t know if I can, but I’ll try. After Georgia’s wedding, you and I are discussing the firm and your lack of a CPA license, do you understand? You’ve been lying to me, and I want to know why, because I think there’s more to this. I know you, Callie, and you wouldn’t have quit midstream if you didn’t have something else going on.”

  Callie let her mom’s hands go. She wished she could come clean now, but she couldn’t. “I’ll make you a deal. You give Tucker a chance, and we’ll talk, okay?”

  Her mom shook her head. “No, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll give Tucker a chance, and you’ll reconsider taking your CPA test and taking over the firm. I’m depending on you, Callie. You’re the only who can. This is my legacy, and you’re all I have.”

  Way to twist the knife. Geez. Until she could really tell her mom the whole truth, this was the best deal she was going to get. “All right, I accept. But you make an effort to give him a chance.”

  “Then we have a deal.” Her mom brightened and pulled her into a hug. “I love you. I just want the best for you.”

  Callie softened. “I know you do. I love you too.”

  Her mom released her and smiled. “Well, we should get to bed. That sandcastle contest is tomorrow. Don’t want to snooze through it.”

  “Yeah, I’ll go up in a minute.”

  With one last glance, her mom left the kitchen, leaving Callie alone. She braced her hands against the kitchen counter and let her chin fall to her chest. Her mom knew she wasn’t a CPA, and she needed to tell Tucker. If he found out from her mom that she’d lied, their friendship would be over. He’d hate her, and she’d spend the next year living with an enemy.

  Chapter 10

  Tucker had tried to talk to Callie all day, but every time he got close enough to try, she’d tuck tail and run. He knew he’d messed up the night before, but he had no idea how bad until that morning. She’d taken so long to return to the room the night before that he hadn’t been sure she was even coming back. He’d finally fallen asleep on the floor, only to wake up that morning to find she’d slept in the bed and had already left again.

  Now he hoped to have a chance when they were alone in their room, even going so far as to wait on her in the room, until he looked out the window and saw her on the beach. As he pulled open the door, Ethan, Will, and Denver were standing there.

  “Hey! Great timing. We were just coming to get you.”

  “Yeah, hey, I need to talk to Callie.”

  Denver shrugged. “Too late. Her sisters are going after her too. They’re taking her into Wilmington for a bachelorette party. So, it’s either stay up here all alone or hang with us.”

  Inwardly, Tucker groaned. He needed to apologize, but it was like the universe was against him.

  “Come on, man,” Ethan said. “No point in just sitting in here.”

  No, there wasn’t. If he did stay in the room, he’d just end up obsessing over things. He may as well go and keep his mind occupied until he could talk to Callie. “All right, sounds like a plan.”

  Will rubbed his hands together. “Awesome.”

  “But where are the kids?” asked Tucker.

  Denver smiled. “Grandparents.”

  “Ah,” Tucker said as he followed them out of the room.

  As they made their way to the bonfire, there wasn’t a soul in sight. The salty sea air was so thick Tucker could taste it. He dragged in a breath, wishing he could talk to Callie, but couldn’t help but grin when he saw Heath’s cheesy grin as he manned the bonfire.

  “Aw, man, I was hoping there’d be fighting and dragging. You ruined it, dude,” Heath said.

  Tucker laughed. “Sorry, I’m not much of a fighter.”

  Ethan tapped Tucker on the shoulder. “Uh, hey, we don’t want to bring up a sore subject, but we thought you might not want alcohol here. If we’re wrong, we’ll go get some beer or something. We weren’t trying to say anything. We just figured it was easier to get drinks than it was to get rid of them.”

  Tucker didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t remember a time when someone had thought about him enough to think about what they were doing around him. “Uh, actually, I don’t want any. It may be hard to believe, but I’m not a drinker.”

  Will nodded. “The only reason we know anything is because our wives are huge fans.”

  “And from the bottom of our hearts, let us say thanks to your nuptials,” Denver said with a laugh.

  Tucker grinned. “You’re welcome.”

  “Seriously,” Heath said. “We just want you to know it’s cool with us if you do want something. I mean, it’s okay to celebrate.”

  Tucker waved him off. “Nah, I’m good with some sweet iced tea or lemonade.”

  Denver cleared his throat. “My uncle was an alcoholic, so I know it can be hard. There’s no judgment here, man.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that,” Tucker said. They’d been considerate of him, and it was a good feeling.

  Will pulled open the cooler. “You want tea or lemonade?”

  “Tea,” Tucker said and took a filled mason jar from him. He sat in one of the chairs around the fire.

  Ethan sat in a chair next to him. “Are you going to be touring again soon?”

  Tucker nodded and took a sip. It was good. Not too sweet and no bitter aftertaste.

  “My manager tells me there’s a tour in the works.”

  Denver grinned and sat in the chair next to Ethan. “That’s awesome. You excited?”

  Was he? The idea of a tour sure sounded great, but he knew it’d be barely controlled chaos. “Yeah, and nervous.”

  Heath snorted and took a seat on the other side of Denver. “Man, I can’t even imagine. I mean, that many people? No way.”

  “Thanks for talking to Mary, by the way,” Ethan said.

  Tucker took another sip of his tea and shrugged. “No problem. Your daughter is cute.”

  Ethan grinned wide. “Yep, that’s my girl.”

  “How’s she doing?” Denver asked Ethan.

  “Better, now that we have her on some ADHD medicine. She can focus more. She’s still super forgetful sometimes.”

  Tucker must have looked confused because Ethan said, “Mary was a preemie. Well, a micro preemie. She was in the hospital for months.”

  “I’m sorry,” Tucker said. And here he was thinking another tour would be hard. He couldn’t fathom having a child and the helplessness Ethan would have felt. “That must have been hard.”

  “I can’t describe the feeling of walking out of the hospital without my child. And there was nothing I could do to fix her or make her better. We were just super blessed that the children’s hospital had good facilities and excellent doctors.”

  Wow. No, Tucker couldn’t begin to understand what that was like. “I had no idea.”

  Ethan shrugged. “Most people don’t, a
nd it can be hard to make people understand that she’s different because they can’t see it. If she had a broken arm or something, it’d be easier to explain. But the brain? Even telling people she had a grade four brain bleed…it just doesn’t click. Or telling them she was less than two pounds or as long as a sheet of regular paper. They don’t get it.”

  Tucker didn’t have many friends with kids, but he knew that was tiny. “Less than two pounds?”

  “Yeah, but enough about kids,” Ethan said. “This is a bachelor party. What else is in that cooler?”

  Tucker smiled. Yeah, this is what friendship was. Sitting around a fire, talking, and people who cared enough to bring up the past just long enough to make sure he was okay without dwelling on it.

  “Back to the tour,” Denver said. “Have you written any new songs lately?”

  No, he’d felt so empty that nothing came out, but he couldn’t let anyone know that. So, he did what he did best; he covered for himself. “I’ve been working on a few things.”

  “That’s great. Do you know what cities you’ll be in? Vivian will die if you don’t come to North Carolina,” Ethan said.

  Tucker laughed. “I have no idea yet. The last time I spoke to my manager, she was still putting everything together.”

  “Hey, guys,” Edmund said as he strolled to a stop. “I saw the bonfire and thought I’d come find out what’s happening.”

  Denver glanced at Tucker and tipped his chin to him. “We’re having a bachelor party for our buddy Tucker.”

  “This is a bachelor party?” Edmund asked.

  “It’s my idea of one,” Tucker replied.

  Edmund tilted his head. “Really? I pictured you in a loud club, lights flashing and drinks for everyone.”

  Will stood. “Come on, man. If you want to hang out, you’ll need to park the digs.”

  Tucker shrugged. “It’s okay, Will.”

  Ethan touched his shoulder. “No, it’s not.”

  Denver stood with Will. “I agree. You mess with him, you mess with us. Callie married him; he’s family. We like him.”

  Tucker was floored. These guys didn’t know him at all. The fact that they stood there defending him felt good. Callie was so right. He didn’t have a single friend who would’ve stood up for him, not like these guys. He was glad he was sitting.

  In fact, he couldn’t remember a time in the past when anyone had taken up for him or asked him how he was doing. Stacey had asked, but he’d never seen her as someone to confide in. Chris was too busy touring. The past year, he’d been completely alone.

  Thinking back to those months when he was drinking and partying, he knew he had another reason to apologize to Callie. He’d had no one who cared about him. They’d only cared about what they could get out of Tucker Hawk. Not what Tucker, the person, needed.

  Edmund put up his hands. “Okay, sorry. No more digs.” He looked at Tucker. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” He stuck out his hand in a show of contrition.

  Tucker shook his hand and said, “Apology accepted.”

  Will took his seat again, and Denver pulled the cooler open. “Want a drink, Edmund?” Denver asked. “We’ve got sweet tea and lemonade.”

  “I’ll take a lemonade.” Edmund took the drink Denver handed him and took a seat in the sand. “So, married in Vegas. What made you get married so quickly?”

  Tucker knew this was coming, but he suddenly felt ten degrees hotter. “Callie and I were dating for a while, and I just popped the question. I hadn’t planned it, but when you meet the right person, why wait?”

  Edmund took a drink. “I guess so. I can’t see myself doing it, but if it works for you…”

  “It did. Ethan says you dated Callie in high school, but she never mentioned that.” Tucker took a drink while he waited for Edmund to answer.

  The man took a deep breath. “Eh, well, it didn’t end well. My fault. Seems she’s happy with you, though.”

  “I hope so.” Happy with him? That’s not the word he’d use. He’d been a jerk to her. She’d pegged his relationships for what they were, and he’d lost his temper.

  Denver took his seat again. “Will Callie go with you when you tour?”

  Tucker hadn’t thought about that. “She can if she wants.”

  Will whistled. “I bet that tour bus is awesome.”

  Tucker exhaled heavily. “It is for about a week. After that, not so much. It’s always moving, so even when I’m standing on land, it feels like I’m still on the bus. My life isn’t as glamorous as you think.”

  Will snorted. “Oh yeah, cause five-star hotels and the finest food is just terrible.”

  Tucker grinned. “Okay, it does have its perks. There’s this burger joint in Texas that can’t be beat.”

  From there, the guys discussed everything from what it was like the first time he performed on stage to if the minister they’d used looked like Elvis. The guys were easy to talk to and hang out with…well, minus Edmund. For some reason, he rubbed Tucker the wrong way.

  Not that Edmund did anything outright, but it was little things, like trying to find a problem. Or make one. And Tucker couldn’t remember the details. Like her favorite food, flower, and whether they were planning to have kids. That question nearly made him choke. He wanted kids, but he had no idea if Callie did.

  He also felt an increasing urgency to apologize to Callie. Every question Edmund asked increased Tucker’s desire to talk to her. He determined he would put his heart into the apology. He wanted her to know she was right. He wasn’t ready to tell her everything, but he was ready to put his arm down a little. Let her stand a little closer.

  Finally, the party was over when Ethan got a text from Vivian. They put out the fire, grabbed the cooler, and went back to the house. When they walked into the kitchen, Callie was sitting at the kitchen table, looking like she’d been in a fight with a bear.

  “Hey, did you guys have fun?” she asked.

  Ethan laughed. “We had a great time. Edmund even stopped by.”

  Callie rolled her eyes. “Great. I’m sure that was…awesome.”

  Tucker approached and squatted in front of her. “You okay?

  “I’m just tired.”

  “If it helps, you look great.” He smiled.

  “Tucker…”

  “You think we could go to the room? I need to talk to you.”

  She held his gaze a heartbeat, nodded, and pushed out of the chair. “Night, guys,” she said as they walked out of the kitchen.

  They reached the room, and the moment the door was shut, Tucker said, “I’m so sorry for being such a jerk. You were right, and facing the truth hurt. So instead of being honest, I got mad and said something stupid.” He stepped closer. “I really am sorry.”

  “And you think that fixes it?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You acted like I stalked some stupid gossip website, but I didn’t need to read on a website how Petra hurt you. It’s obvious she hurt you.”

  “I know, and it was wrong to say that. I was upset, and you hit a nerve. Do you think I like looking back and knowing no one cared about me? It…” His voice cracked. “It hurts almost as bad as finding out Petra was using me.”

  Callie dropped her arms and stepped to him. “You’re right. I can’t begin to imagine that.”

  She ran her fingers through his hair and down his cheek. “I’m so sorry you’ve been hurt. But I’m your friend, and I do care.”

  He covered her hand with his. “I know in my head that’s true, but—”

  She took his hand and held it to her chest. “It’d be hard to trust people after what Petra did. I get it, and it’s okay. It’d be a lie if I said I didn’t want to know what happened, but when or if you’re ever ready, I’m here, okay?”

  For some reason, he did believe her. “Thanks.” He held her gaze for a heartbeat, and it was like his heart forgot he’d been hurt. Without even thinking, he leaned in to kiss her, but she turned away.

  “I think it’s probably for the be
st if we just get some sleep,” she said and stepped back. “I’m going to get dressed for bed. I’ll be back in a minute. And I appreciate the respect you showed me last night, but you don’t have to sleep on the floor.” She picked up some clothes and left the room.

  When was the last time a woman had turned down a kiss from him? And when was the last time he felt desperate for a kiss from a woman? And now he had to sleep next to her. What was he going to do? He’d put his arm down to close some of the distance, and she’d put hers up with a pole on the end. He deserved it.

  Did he really think he could just say he was sorry, and they’d kiss and make up? They weren’t married, and he hadn’t even been honest enough to tell her he remembered dating her. Or that he was falling for her all over again. Even as he thought to dismiss it, he knew he couldn’t. The universe had a large boot, and his behind was getting sore. Maybe he needed to get the message before the boot became permanently implanted.

  Chapter 11

  Pounding on the door brought Callie out of a deep sleep. “Callie?” Vivian called through the door. “It’s time to get up. The sandcastle contest starts in an hour!”

  Callie yawned and called back, “I’m up.”

  It was then that she realized her back was pressed against Tucker’s chest. His arm was draped across her stomach, and his breath grazed her neck. Had her sister’s big mouth not woken him up?

  When she tried to slip out of his grasp, he tightened his hold and groaned, “I don’t want to get up.”

  “I don’t think we get a choice.” He was so warm, and she needed to tell him that she wasn’t a CPA. That would be sure to wake him up.

  “Five more minutes,” he moaned. His husky voice was far from being woken up.

  His nearness made her body go on the fritz. Her nerves tingled. She tried to free herself again, and he still wouldn’t let go.

  “Please,” he pleaded.

  She smiled, but dread built in her belly. Telling him was necessary, but what if it just ruined his ability to trust her with other things?

  “You want my mom waking us up?” she finally asked.

  He took a deep breath. “I’m up.” When she twisted to face him, he smiled. “I haven’t slept that good in years.”