by Eliza Boyd
“Yeah, but”—she peeked at her father’s doorway to make sure he wasn’t listening, still keeping her voice down just in case—“I still don’t feel right taking that much money from you. Use it on the uniforms she’ll need that’ll likely cost a fortune. I saw how nice that school was. Her supply list won’t be cheap.”
Evan laughed again, the sound of it almost making her forget why she was so mad in the first place. “Then you definitely won’t like what I’m about to say next.”
“Evan…” Nicole warned, an edge to her tone. “What now?”
“Go look outside. At your driveway. Tell me what you see.”
The way he’d said that had alarm bells ringing in her head. What could be out in the driveway? And why would he know about it?
Reluctantly, she peeled herself away from the wall and went to the front door. She wasn’t sure what she expected to see, but she knew what she wouldn’t see. Her car was still in the shop. She hadn’t had the money to pay for the repairs yet. Though, with Evan’s payment, she did now.
After swinging the door open, though, her mouth fell open. Because her car was in the driveway even though she hadn’t been able to pick it up. And it looked like the dent in the hood had even been fixed.
“What did you do?” she whispered, running out to see if the thing would start now.
“I found out where you took it and had them fix it up. Then I had them drop it off at your house,” he explained like it was no big deal. “The keys should be in your mailbox.”
But it was a huge deal.
She’d been able to walk to work, but now, she could get groceries again. The Uber once had been worth it not to have to trudge home in the snow with three bags of food hanging off her arms, but her bank account had begged to differ.
Tears didn’t just spring to her eyes now. They dripped down her cheeks, full of gratitude.
“I’ll pay you back,” she managed to say. Then she cleared her throat and changed her tone, trying to joke her way through the emotions running rampant. “I seem to have a large sum of money in my bank account at the moment and I definitely owe you for this.”
“Not even going to hear it, Nicole,” he said in a stern but gentle voice. It was probably his dad voice for when he was telling Hadley no. “Look, I have to run and get Hadley ready for bed, but I’m glad you called.”
“Yeah?” she asked before she could help it, feeling like a schoolgirl with a crush. Then she rolled her eyes at herself and smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand.
“Yeah. I was thinking may—”
His voice cut off and the shout of a little girl filtered down the line. Nicole couldn’t make it out, but it was obviously his little girl. As much as she wanted to know what he’d been about to say, she understood how important a father was to a daughter.
“Just…call me later,” she told him. Then she rushed to add, “If you want. No pressure or anything.”
A muffled, “Just a sec!” came through before his voice was clear again. “Yeah, sounds good. Sorry to rush off, but—”
“No worries. Talk to you later.” She hung up before she could say something stupid or hear a response that might let her down.
Then she went to the mailbox, retrieved her keys, and started her car. The purr sounded like music to her ears, and more tears—happy ones—balanced on her lids.
Shivering, she rushed back inside, putting the keys in her purse on her way back to her dad’s room.
“Everything good?” he asked her when she sat back down on his bed.
“Everything’s great,” she told him honestly, a permagrin forming on her lips.
“Good, good.” Her dad turned the volume on the TV up, but he scooped her hand into his, indicating that he wanted her to stay. “I like seeing you smile.”
It’d been a long time since she’d had a good reason to. But since she’d met Evan, she’d been doing more and more of that. Even if she had no reason to see him again.
Oh, but she did. She remembered the clothes she needed to return to him. With her phone still in her hand, she texted him without the use of the other. That one stayed firmly in her father’s as she let Evan know she’d send those clothes back once she had his address.
Evan: I’ll give you my address, but keep the clothes. Who knows if I’ll need a fake fiancée again. ;)
Nicole: Well, I’m the woman for the job. I have lots of experience with that kind of thing now. Maybe it’ll become my next side job.
Evan: How much would you charge to work just for me? I can’t have word getting around that my fake fiancée is engaged again. ;)
Nicole chuckled, but her heart also did a weird flutter thing she’d never felt in her life. She wasn’t sure she liked it—she certainly didn’t hate it though.
Nicole: Consider your previous payment a retainer for future services if needed.
After that text, she set her phone down. When she glanced at her father, she found him looking at her and smirking.
“What?” she asked, pretending to be innocent.
“Who’s that?” His gaze flicked down to her phone. Then it floated back up to her, humor dancing in his eyes. Curiosity too.
Curiosity she didn’t want to indulge when things were way too complicated.
Unable to keep her smile at bay, she rose from the bed and kissed her father’s hand. “Goodnight, Dad.” She snagged his dinner plate on her way out.
She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face while she did the dishes.
Or while she cleaned the kitchen counters off.
Or while she put her laundry away.
Or even while she pulled her covers down to go to bed.
When her head hit the pillow, she didn’t fall asleep right away. But for the first time in two years, it wasn’t because of money trouble or worry about her father. It was because of the billionaire she’d faked an engagement with.
The one she hadn’t faked falling in like with.
7
While making breakfast for Hadley, Evan whistled. He wasn’t even sure what song it was or why he’d felt the urge, but it didn’t stop him. He flipped French toast in a pan and whistled a tune anyway.
His mom strode behind him, going to the fridge. “Good morning, sweetie,” she said, taking the orange juice out. On her way to the cabinet for a glass, she peeked over his shoulder. “Getting fancy this morning, are we?”
Trying not to take offense, he waved her away. “It’ll be done in a few minutes. If you can wait that long, have breakfast with us.”
“Actually, I have to run.” She removed a glass from the shelf and poured her juice. “You can take Hadley to school this morning, right?”
He nodded in time with his whistling. “I can, and hopefully this is one of the last times she has to go to that school.”
His mom paused on her way back to the fridge with the carton of juice. “Yeah?”
“Mmhmm.” He flipped another slice of French toast with the spatula.
“I thought you were having issues with the application process,” she said, resuming her walking. Facing the fridge, she said, “That’s over now?”
“All over,” he told her. The last piece of French toast sizzled in the pan, and he spun to face her, wiping his hands on a towel. “I took care of it. We’re just waiting to hear back now.”
“That’s great.” She sipped some of her juice before her face scrunched up. “Hey, by any chance, have you seen my ring? The one with three diamonds on it?”
As fast as he could without looking suspicious, he whirled back to the stove and snatched up his spatula. He didn’t want to admit to his mom that he’d taken it to fake an engagement for that meeting with the school. This was his problem and he’d figured it out.
Well, for the most part. Nicole was a whole different problem he hadn’t figured out yet. He’d wanted to tell her that he thought they should have dinner again sometime. Hadley had needed him though. And that’s what he needed to stay focused on. Raising his daugh
ter was his priority because she didn’t need yet another person to let her down.
But now wasn’t the time to work on that. Not while his mom was already skeptical.
“I was looking in my jewelry box for it yesterday morning and couldn’t find it. Seems like a longshot to ask you,” she said, shrugging, “but I figured it couldn’t hurt.”
Evan gulped. “Uh, no,” he said, straining to keep his voice even. “Maybe check with Hadley?” Then his eyes drifted shut.
He could not believe he’d just blamed his seven-year-old for his mistake. He’d gotten the ring back, but he’d forgotten to put it back into his mom’s jewelry box. It was still in the pocket of the pants he’d worn two nights ago when they’d had the meeting and gone to dinner. He made an urgent mental note not to forget to take it out before laundry day.
“Yeah, sure,” she said absently. “I’m not sure why she would have taken it though.”
“Maybe she was dressing up.” He twisted the knob on the stove to turn the burner off. The last piece of French toast landed on the top of the pile as he said, “Who knows.”
“All right. Well, when she comes down for breakfast, will you check with her?” She drank down the rest of her juice and set the cup in the sink. “I’m going to run over to the tea shop and meet up with a friend.”
“Sure,” he said, having no intention to do that. He’d simply put it back once she was gone. It’d be easy. No harm, no foul. “Which friend are you meeting up with?”
“Why?” she asked far too quickly. It made Evan whip his head around to get a glimpse of her. “I mean,” she added, her tone softer, “it’s Lisa. You remember her, right? She’s Edgar’s wife. We were members of the golf club together.”
He wasn’t sure he believed that she was meeting with this Lisa, but she was a grown woman. She could do what she wanted—and he’d figure out what that was.
Or maybe he should leave it alone so she didn’t look into his business.
His mom pressed up onto her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks, honey. I’ll see you later.”
“Bye, Mom!” he called as she sped out of the kitchen. Then, with a finished plate of breakfast food, he called for his daughter. “Hadley! Breakfast!” He set the plate on the table waited for her to join him.
“What are we eating?” she shouted, her voice getting closer as she ran toward the kitchen.
“The best French toast in all the land!” he answered back.
Her footsteps stopped pounding on the hardwood for a moment. “We haven’t had that in so long!”
Didn’t he know it. He hadn’t felt up to cooking in a while. With the money to buy premade meals, he’d simplified his life that way. And Hadley’s. But that day, he was in the mood to cook.
Nicole had nothing to do with it. No, not at all. He’d keep telling himself that, anyway.
Once Hadley skipped into the kitchen, he scooped her up and kissed the top of her head. She giggled, and when he let her go, she went straight for the table to eat.
“How’d your meeting go yesterday, Daddy? Did Pemhall Prep say yes?” she asked, sitting up on her knees so she could reach the stack of toast.
“Almost, little lady.” He helped her take two and then poured maple syrup on them for her. “I’m waiting to hear back now. Hopefully soon.”
With a toothy grin, she took her first bite.
“Good?” he asked, cutting into his own.
She nodded enthusiastically. “Yep!” she said loudly through a mouthful.
As Evan chuckled at his daughter, his phone rang on the counter. He wasn’t sure who was calling so early on a Thursday morning. The moment his daughter’s eyes flared wide as she gasped and nearly choked on her food, he knew who she hoped it was.
And he knew who he hoped it was.
He rose from the table, raising an eyebrow at her. “I can see you’re not getting your hopes up.”
“That could be the headmaster!” she squealed, spinning around as he went to get his phone. She gripped the back of the chair with sticky, syrupy fingers, watching him with wide, excited eyes.
But when he reached it, his heart sank. They were both wrong. “Sorry, little lady. Not yet.”
She pouted her lips, sitting back down in her chair the right way. Slumped forward a little, she returned to her breakfast.
Evan hit the button on his phone to answer the call. “Jude. How’s it going?”
“It’s good, man. I’m calling because I’m supposed to remind you to pick up your tux today,” his friend said. “Do you have time for that, or do you want me to get it and bring it over?”
He checked the clock. “Can I swing by after I drop Hadley off at school?”
“They open at nine, so that should work.”
“Great,” he said, putting the phone between his shoulder and his ear to start the kitchen cleanup. “I’ll do that, then.”
“Okay,” Jude said, stretching the word out.
That should have been it, but it wasn’t. Evan could feel his friend waiting to say something else and extend this conversation.
“Something else you need?” he asked, the pan in his hand hovering over the sink.
“Well…” Jude paused, which made Evan set the pan down and screw his face up.
“Well, what? What’s going on?”
His friend cleared his throat. “When I dropped Makayla off at school yesterday, I asked Headmaster Jamison how things were going with Hadley’s application.”
Ahh. Evan didn’t have to hear the rest for his stomach to clench. He started to sweat as he imagined how Jude was going to finish that that thought. How was he going to explain Nicole, his fake fiancée?
He was happy he’d been able to help her out. And he was thankful she’d helped him out. Saying that he’d paid a woman to pretend to be engaged to him made the whole situation sound much more scandalous than it was. Thinking about the fact that he’d had to do it in the first place nauseated him.
But he didn’t want to talk about her like that. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say because he hadn’t thought he’d have to. Somehow, he’d thought this would magically be kept secret. He’d thought it’d be a one-time thing he could do to give his daughter a fighting chance to get into her dream school and then that’d be it.
He hadn’t been expecting Nicole though.
And he hadn’t been expecting Jude’s question, either.
“Why didn’t you tell me Hadley’s mom was back?” Jude asked.
“Because she’s not,” he answered immediately. Then he flicked his concerned gaze to his daughter, who was bopping around in her chair as she ate her breakfast.
“Then why did the headmaster say she met her?”
Leaving the pan in the sink, he strode over to his daughter and smoothed her hair down. “Finish up in a few minutes, okay? I’ll be right back.”
“Okay!” she said, her tiny mouth full.
He left the room, heading for the laundry room down the hall so he could close the door. His daughter absolutely did not need to hear any of this conversation. While he didn’t want to admit what he had done, Hadley shouldn’t be involved.
“Evan?” Jude said when Evan hadn’t responded.
With the door closed, he braced one hand against the washer. “The headmaster assumed she was Hadley’s mom and I didn’t correct her.”
“It sounded like she was sure she’d met both of Hadley’s parents at the meeting on Tuesday.”
Evan hung his head. “Okay, so we let her think she was Hadley’s mom. If it gave my daughter a better chance at getting into that school, I didn’t think it was a big deal.”
“I’m not judging you, man,” Jude said. “But I don’t understand. Who was the woman she met?”
A deep breath filled Evan’s chest. Did he tell his friend the truth and run the risk of the school finding out that he and Nicole were practically strangers and not even in a relationship—let alone engaged? Or did he continue the lie? Perpetuate the idea that
he was in a committed relationship and in fact getting married in two months?
Telling another person he was engaged meant he might get to see Nicole again, and if he was honest, that was the driving factor in why he said what he said to Jude next.
He closed his eyes, praying he was doing the right thing. “She’s my fiancée.”
Jude was silent for so long that Evan had to take the phone away from his ear and make sure they were still connected. They were, so he waited for his friend to process the news. The fake news, but whatever.
“Wow,” he breathed. “Why didn’t you say anything? We were just together over the weekend.”
“I know,” Evan said, pushing off the washer and pacing the small room. “It’s just sudden and we weren’t ready to tell people.”
“You didn’t want to tell your friends?” Jude deadpanned.
As Evan strained to think of a reason why he hadn’t wanted to say anything to them, Jude spoke again.
“Is it because you think she wants you for your money?”
A sharp laugh shot out of Evan’s mouth. “That’s the last thing she wants.”
At least that was the truth.
His friend stayed quiet again for a few moments. Then he said, “Oh, I get it…” knowingly, which made Evan’s stomach twist.
He stopped his pacing. “You do?” he asked, figuring he’d been caught. This was the part where he had to admit what he’d done, wasn’t it? His heart pounded in his chest as he waited Jude to call him out.
“Yeah,” Jude said. “You didn’t want to steal Roger and Melody’s wedding thunder, right?”
Relief blossomed in Evan’s chest, his whole body sagging as he took a stumbling step forward. “Yes! That’s exactly right. We thought we’d wait until after the wedding this weekend to announce it.”
“Got it. I won’t say a thing,” his friend promised. “Congratulations though. That’s great for you.”
“Thanks, man,” Evan sighed, raking a hand through his short hair. The lie was making him uncomfortable. “Look, I need to get Hadley off to school now. But I’ll pick my tux up on the way back.”
“Okay, great. I’ll let Roger know.”
