Ted loosened his tie. Her mother stood. “We’re just talking with Reverend Joseph. Do you want to pull up a seat?”
Natalie’s gaze bounced from Ted, to Sidney, to the Reverend. “Um…no.”
Sidney saw an opportunity to get out of there, and stood. “Well, thank you for coming over tonight, Reverend. It was wonderful to speak to you. I look forward to talking with you in the future.” She tugged on Ted’s arm and he stood as well. “We’d better be going.”
“Of course.” Reverend Joseph’s wide smile came back. “I’ll call you.”
“Yes! You do that.” Sidney practically dragged Ted to the door, looping her arm through his. “I’ll see you guys later!” They were outside before anyone could object.
Sidney shoved Ted over to his car. The sun had set and darkness surrounded them. She whispered, “Can I have a ride home?”
“Sure. No problem.” He smiled at her.
As soon as they were in the car, Sidney turned to him. “I’m so sorry! I’ll get you out of this soon, I promise.”
He shrugged. “I actually don’t mind. I like your family.” A hint of a smile played on his lips, but she had no idea why.
When they were down the street, he cast a sideways glance at her. “You okay?”
She turned up the air conditioning and pointed the vent at her face. “Other than being completely embarrassed by my mother, I’m fine.”
“I thought you handled it well.” His face sobered. “What’s going on with you and Blake, anyway?”
“Nothing!” She blew out a breath in frustration. That wasn’t exactly true, at least not if she counted her stupid crush. But that didn’t count, because Blake wasn’t serious about her. “He’s just a friend. And a client. I’m setting him up with other women, for heaven’s sake. You’d think my mother would get that.”
Ted pulled into her parking lot and killed the engine. “Well, you can’t blame her. You’re always with him.” Ted got out of the car before she could stop him, and he came around and opened her door.
“It’s not like I go out of my way to see him. Blake has a way of just showing up.”
Ted helped her out of the car and walked to her front door. “Then maybe he’s trying to tell you something.”
What was he implying? That Blake liked her as more than just a friend? That was ridiculous. She snorted. “Yeah, right. Blake’s too much of a flirt to get serious.”
Ted’s eyebrows rose, but he didn’t say anything.
She pulled him into a hug. “Thanks for once again covering for me tonight. I really appreciate it.”
A pair of headlights shone on them as a truck pulled into the parking lot. It looked a lot like Blake’s truck. He was done with his date. How long had he been with Angie? It was getting late. Had they hit it off? Was he coming to tell her he had found his match?
Sidney’s heart pounded, and she impulsively whispered, “Help me out a little, will you?” Then she mashed her lips to Ted’s. He tried to pull back, but she wrapped her arms around him and held on. It was the most awkward kiss she’d ever experienced, with neither one of them moving their lips. He stood, frozen, and she didn’t want to let go because Blake might have hit it off with Angie. Now, she realized that didn’t make a lot of sense, but for some reason, kissing Ted felt like the best thing to do.
A car door slammed and Sidney pulled back and smiled at Ted. “Thank you, again.”
He blinked, his eyes growing wider by the second. “Um…”
Blake walked up to them and folded his arms across his chest, a scowl on his face. “Ted.” He nodded a curt greeting.
Ted looked like he was going to faint. “Blake.”
The two men stared each other down for a moment. Then Ted hitched up his pants and said, “I guess you two have some business to discuss.”
“Yes,” Blake said, and planted his feet apart.
“I’ll just be going then.” He gave Sidney a half-hearted wave. “We’ll get together later and…plan the wedding…or something.”
Sidney almost burst into laughter, but she held it together. “Okay, then.”
Ted climbed into his car and they watched him drive off. Blake’s scowl deepened. “You were out with Ted tonight?”
“Yes. What’s wrong with that? He’s my fiancé.” Maybe Blake wouldn’t notice she was in running gear, her phone strapped to her arm, while Ted was wearing business clothes.
“Nothing.” Blake stared down the street where Ted’s smart car had disappeared.
Sidney pulled out her keys, but waited for Blake to say something. She didn’t want to imply she was inviting him in by opening the door. When he just stood there staring off into space, she said, “What did you need?”
He turned to her. “Just wanted to give you a report on my date.”
Her stomach clenched, but she ignored it. “You know, you can just email me to let me know how it went. You don’t have to come over after each date.”
“You’re right,” he said almost to himself. “I should go.”
He looked so deflated that she suddenly felt bad for forcing him out. She sighed. “No, it’s okay. Come in. Let’s talk about how it went.” She unlocked her door and ushered him inside.
Chapter 16
Blake was an utter mess, and he knew it. When he saw Sidney kissing Ted, he’d almost gone insane. The urge to punch the guy had overcome him, and he’d had to fold his arms in order to control himself. What was Sidney doing? She was carrying the lie too far.
Unless…
Was it possible the lie had become real somehow? Like in the romance novel on Sidney’s coffee table, had she fallen in love with her pretend fiancé? The thought made him curse himself for his idea to wait and see if she’d tell him the truth.
What if she’d fallen for Ted? And why did that thought make him want to punch something?
Sidney plopped down on the couch and waited for him to sit beside her. “Now, how did it go? Do you want to date Angie again?” Her eyes were wide with curiosity.
He’d forgotten all about the date. What should he say? That it was unremarkable? Angie was nice, but there weren’t any sparks there. Of course there weren’t. He’d been thinking about Sidney the whole time. He definitely wasn’t going to tell her that!
What was wrong with him? Sidney was either falling in love with Ted, or she was lying about being with him as an excuse so he would leave her alone. Either way, she wasn’t interested. He should take the hint and move on.
Sidney whacked his leg, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Are you going to talk or just sit there?”
“Yes. I mean, the date went well.”
Sidney stared at him. “That’s it? It went well?”
She seemed bothered by this, and he wondered what was up. And then words just started spilling out of his mouth. “Yes, quite well actually. I think Angie’s pretty amazing.”
Why had he said that? What was this, high school? Was he trying to make Sidney jealous? How very mature of him. He mentally smacked himself.
“Well…” Sidney blinked, a bit speechless. “That’s great.”
“I’m taking her back out tomorrow.” Lie. Why were these words coming out of his mouth?
“Would you like to put your service on hold, then, while you explore things with Angie?” She fiddled with the quilt hanging over the back of her couch, not looking him in the eye.
And then he saw it. The out he needed. If he said he was dating Angie, Sidney wouldn’t match him up with anyone else. Perfect! “Yes, please put it on hold.”
“Okay.”
They both sat in silence for a few moments, neither one looking at the other, which was stupid. She didn’t want him there. Why was he still sitting on her couch?
He stood. “I guess that’s about it.”
“All righty, then.” She looked like she had just swallowed a bug. “Let me know if you change your mind and want another match.” She opened the front door.
He didn’t want to leave, but there wasn’t anything e
lse to do. “I will,” he said, his chest suddenly feeling heavy. He stepped outside to the sound of crickets chirping.
“Bye.” She shut the door and he just stood there looking at it awhile, unsure of what had gone wrong. He’d wanted to come tell her about his date—how Angie talked too much, and laughed too loud. He’d meant to suggest they bring out the vanilla ice cream he’d seen in her freezer. Maybe play a little Scrabble.
Instead, he’d caught her kissing Ted.
He climbed into his truck and backed out of his parking space. Maybe it was best to make Sidney think he and Angie had hit it off. He needed to stop this obsession he had. Sidney wasn’t going to open up to him, and he wasn’t going to force her to want to.
It was best to try to forget about the whole thing.
Sidney watched Blake’s taillights fade, then let the living room window curtain fall back in place and went into the kitchen. Blake and Angie had hit it off. Of course. Angie was a sweetheart, and Blake was…Blake. Who wouldn’t like him?
She grabbed a glass from her dishwasher and turned on the faucet, letting it run cold before filling the glass. It was okay that he and Angie liked each other. That’d mean he’d come around less. Maybe she could finally think, without him hovering all the time.
The water wasn’t very cold, but it cooled her off and quenched her thirst. She needed a shower before bed. Maybe she’d read, instead of going right to sleep. She had nothing scheduled tomorrow and was planning on sleeping in, anyway.
Her phone dinged and she pulled it out.
Phyllis: Grayson is flying in for a visit next Saturday. I was thinking we should have a family cookout in the backyard. Can you and Ted make it? 6:00pm.
Sidney’s heart soared. Grayson was coming! She texted back.
Sidney: I’ll ask.
She texted Ted to make sure he didn’t mind attending another family event. His message came right back.
Ted: Sounds fun. I’ll pick you up at six.
She sent a confirmation message to her mother and was on cloud nine the rest of the evening. She hadn’t seen Grayson in so long. She couldn’t wait!
Sidney stirred the macaroni salad while listening to her favorite playlist on her phone. She sang along as One Direction belted out a love song in three-part harmony. Her brother’s plane would land in a few hours and her heart wouldn’t stop pounding.
She and Grayson had been close growing up, which might have seemed weird since she was the youngest and he was the oldest, but she and Natalie had never bonded like that. Maybe because she and Grayson had more in common. They both liked sports and outdoor activities, and Natalie never wanted to do anything but go shopping.
The salad looked good, so she snapped on the lid and placed it in the refrigerator. She had so much pent-up energy, she decided to put on her running shoes and take another jog before getting ready for the party.
As she suspected, now that Blake had a girl, he’d stopped coming around. Half of her felt relief. She didn’t have that constant reminder of her crush, and her humiliation. But the other half of her missed him, which she hated.
Why would she miss him when all he did was flirt and mess with her head? She had hated seeing him flirt with Natalie, but she hated it even more when he turned his charm her way. And that kiss? No man should be allowed to kiss like that.
She jogged down the sidewalk and tried to push all thoughts of Blake out of her head. She wouldn’t have to see him anymore. She could concentrate on something else. The hot sun beat down on her, and she turned up her music.
After her run, she showered and got dressed. By the time Ted arrived, she was in a better mood. All thoughts of Blake had left. Pretty much. She grabbed her salad and slid into Ted’s car.
As he drove, she related funny Grayson stories. He looked over at her and grinned. “You really miss him, don’t you?”
“Yes. I can’t believe it’s been three years.”
Ted parked the car. “Well, you don’t have to wait a minute longer.” He nodded toward the front yard.
Grayson stood there talking with her father. She handed Ted the salad and bolted out of the car. She ran to Grayson and squealed when he picked her up for a hug, swinging her around in a circle. “Sidney. How are you?”
Grayson’s sandy-blond hair hung in his eyes. He’d gained a little weight since the last time she saw him, and he sported a goatee which made him look ten years older. “I’m good,” she said. She turned around and motioned to Ted, now walking up to them with the salad bowl. “Grayson, this is Ted. Ted, my brother Grayson.”
Her brother smiled and extended his hand to Ted. “Nice to meet you.” He turned back to her and his smile widened. “Mom says you’re engaged. Congratulations, although I have to admit, I always thought you’d marry Blake.”
Sidney sucked in a quick breath and then started coughing. “You what?” she choked.
Grayson laughed. “You were always head over heels for him. I was sure someday he’d wake up and realize you two were perfect for each other.”
“Who’s perfect for each other?” Blake’s voice came from behind her.
Sidney spun around so fast she knocked into Ted, who seemed to be enjoying the conversation, based on the grin on his face. “No one,” she just about shouted, while desperately trying not to blush. What was Blake doing here?
Grayson muttered, “Speak of the devil.” Then he smiled and gave Blake a hug. “I’m so glad you could join us. It’s been forever.”
“Too long,” Blake said, patting Grayson on the back.
Sidney swallowed the hard lump in her throat. Of course Blake would be invited. He and Grayson had been best buds. She should have prepared herself.
Natalie pulled up in her little red Toyota. Grayson left the group to go greet her, and their father excused himself to go check on the grill. Blake nodded at her and Ted and then left to join Grayson.
Ted clasped her hand. “You didn’t expect Blake to be here, did you?” He offered her a kind smile.
“No, but it’s okay. Like I said, there’s nothing between us.”
Ted didn’t look like he believed her, but said nothing.
“We should go out back.” Sidney took the pasta salad from Ted and led him through the house and out the patio door.
Her father stood at the grill flipping the hamburgers. When he glanced at them, he smiled. “How are the two love birds?”
Was this how the whole night was going to go? “Just fine, Dad.”
Sidney set the pasta salad on the serving table and lifted off the lid. At least the heat wasn’t so bad today. And she couldn’t wait to hear all about what Grayson had been up to.
Soon everyone came into the backyard and they sat around the long table her father had set up. Sidney ended up sitting across from Grayson. Natalie sat between Grayson and Blake. They didn’t have enough plastic outdoor chairs, so Ted ended up sitting in a folding lawn chair on the end of the table. He didn’t seem to mind.
Natalie cozied up to Blake. “What have you been up to?” She batted her eyelids.
“I’ve been dating Angie Nicholson.”
“Oh.” Natalie’s face fell, and she folded her hands in her lap.
Sidney knew how she felt. Every time she thought about Blake and Angie, it was like her insides were being eaten by acid. She just needed to think about something else.
After her father said grace, Sidney kicked her brother under the table. “What’s it like writing for a show like Forensic Science?”
“It’s cool getting to be a part of it. The team I work with is great. And the best part is, I sometimes get to be on set. You know, where Ally Young is working.” He raised his eyebrows up and down.
“Shut up!” She whacked him on the arm with the back of her hand. “You don’t stand a chance with her. She’s a TV star. You’re…you.”
“I’ll have you know, Ally and I have this thing going.” He put on a smug smile.
Natalie gaped at him. “You’re dating Ally Young?”
“Well, not exactly dating.” He picked up his hamburger. “You see, we do this thing where I pretend not to stare at her on set, and she pretends not to notice me.”
Natalie laughed, and Grayson joined in.
Ted pointed to the trees just past their backyard. “Are these the famous ‘woods’ you talk about? Where you and Grayson used to explore as kids?”
Sidney nodded. “Yes. We’d explore in there for hours.” She took a sip of her lemonade and then pointed. “You see that path? If you follow that about a quarter mile, it forks to the left and the right. If you go right, you’ll eventually come to a bridge spanning the river.”
Grayson wiped his face with his napkin. “Dad told us to never go to the left, because we’d hit quicksand. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized he was pulling our legs.”
“What?” Sidney shrieked. “That was a lie?”
Everyone at the table laughed, and Sidney felt her face grow hot. She’d totally believed her father. How was she to know he was joking? Thinking about it now, it seemed ridiculous that there’d be quicksand in Bishop Falls. She’d just never stopped to think about it until now.
“Dad!” Grayson called out. “Sidney just now found out you were kidding about the quicksand.”
Her father leaned forward and stared at them. “What quicksand?”
“Remember when you told us not to go left, because of the quicksand?” Grayson asked.
“I did?” He blinked.
Sidney couldn’t believe it. “You mean I spent years avoiding that path in the woods because you were trying to be funny, and now you don’t even remember it?”
Blake ducked his head so she wouldn’t see him laughing. But soon it didn’t matter because the whole table burst into laughter.
Ted, probably trying to take the spotlight off her, spoke up. “Natalie, what have you been up to lately?”
Natalie smiled, and it wasn’t a flirty smile like she usually had on. It was more genuine. “I got a new job.”
“You did?” Grayson asked. “Where are you working now?”
“At the animal shelter.”
A Fake Marriage Romance Collection Page 60
