Not Fake For Long

by Parker, Weston

“I’m sure he will, but you’ll have to book online just like everyone else.” I smiled sweetly. “I’m sure that new husband of yours can afford to drive you out there to see me.”

  She laughed when I repeated almost the same words she’d said earlier back to her. “Fair enough.”

  We ordered a cocktail each when the waitress came by. Then Hailey turned those sparkling eyes of hers back to me. “You look really good, sis. I’m glad it all worked out for you.”

  “You look good too. Married life suits you, it seems. It’s either that or island life, but something’s done wonders for you.”

  I wasn’t even just saying it. Hailey looked happier and lighter than I’d seen her in years. She wasn’t even wearing anything over the top or super fancy. In a simple pair of jeans, strappy sandals, and off-the-shoulder black shirt, she was stunning.

  “Thank you,” she said, still smiling. “It’s married-and-on-an-island life, I think. Both of those things were amazing. Nick and I are doing better than ever. I can’t even tell you how good he’s been to me.”

  “You don’t need to tell me,” I said honestly. “I can see it. It’s all over your face how happy you are. Tell me about the honeymoon. Was it everything you wanted it to be?”

  She nodded, her head bouncing up and down fast and way too many times. “Absolutely. It was so great. Nick and I are already talking about going back for our anniversary. You and Harrison should join us.”

  “You want to go on vacation with me?” I asked, and not even I could miss how disbelieving I sounded.

  Hailey pouted at me. “Of course, I do. I think it’ll be really fun.”

  “You mean you won’t spend the entire holiday on the phone or locked in your room?” I teased.

  She arched a brow at me, flashing me a sassy smile. “If I hadn’t done that, you never would’ve had the chance to get so close to Harrison. Don’t pretend it didn’t work out well for you. Besides, it was a couple of weeks before my wedding. I needed to get the final touches in place.”

  “More than you needed to bond with your sister?” I asked, trying to hide my smile.

  “More than I needed to bond with a sister I knew didn’t like me and didn’t actually want to spend the weekend with me,” she corrected lightly, her eyes rolling before she shot me a knowing look. “Don’t even try to deny it. You weren’t any more excited about that weekend than I was.”

  “I wasn’t really,” I admitted. “I hoped we’d get to talk and I wanted to spend time with you, but a weekend alone is a long time.”

  “Well, thank God that part of our relationship is behind us,” she said decisively. “What do you think about possibly coming to Fiji with us next year? Would you guys be up for it?”

  “It’s a bit early for me to be committing to anything on Harrison’s behalf, but if we’re still together and if you still want us to go with you when the time comes, we’ll talk about it.”

  “How’s it going with you two?” she asked, her features knitting as her gaze swept over my face. “You’ve been through a lot in a short period of time.”

  “We have, but we’re good,” I said. “Ashton’s funeral was a really difficult day for Harrison, but we got through it. We’ve been spending a lot of time together. I’ve never had that before, you know? A relationship where I wanted to spend every spare minute with someone.”

  “I suppose it’s easier now that you know you don’t need to make a commute all the way to the farm to see him,” she said. “What’s his house here like? Have you been there yet?”

  “It’s a brownstone,” I said. “It’s nice, but nowhere near what I’d have expected from someone with a name like his. I’d have thought super fancy, super modern bachelor pad. Maybe a penthouse. His place isn’t that at all, though. It’s really warm and cozy, and there’s enough space for Dottie to move around.”

  “I don’t think I can picture Harrison somewhere super modern,” she said, cocking her head. “Despite the fact that he turned out to be a billionaire banker and not a farmhand, he just doesn’t seem like the type. I think he managed to stay grounded despite having a shit ton of money.”

  “He’s definitely managed that,” I agreed.

  She stuck her cocktail straw between her teeth almost as soon as the waitress put it down. After taking a long sip, she moaned happily and then glanced up at me. “So, things have been going well with you two then?”

  “Very well,” I said, smiling as I thought back over the last weeks. “I’m pretty sure I’ve fallen face first for the man.”

  “Please,” she said, that knowing gleam in her eyes again as she grinned at me. “You fell face first for him on that first ride we all went on and you know it.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe I did. It was a good ride.”

  She smirked. “The way you’ve told it, the ride you took that next night was better.”

  “Hailey!” My cheeks and neck turned flaming hot. “I didn’t tell you anything about that night except that something happened. Why would you say that?”

  She cackled, reaching over just to shove me softly. “Oh, come on. I’ve never gotten to tease you about stuff like this. Don’t spoil my fun.”

  “You don’t hear me asking you about sex, and you just got back from your honeymoon.”

  Folding her arms on the table in front of us, she leaned forward a little and met my gaze dead on. “Do you want to hear about it? I’ll tell you if you do want to hear about it. It was the best two weeks of my life in more ways than just getting to gallivant around an island, if you know what I mean.”

  I laughed, but I couldn’t quite keep my eyes on hers, and my cheeks were even hotter than before. “I know what you mean. I’m pretty sure even the people at the next table know what you mean. Are you really comfortable talking to me about this?”

  “You’re my sister,” she exclaimed. “Of course I’m comfortable talking to you about it. Don’t you talk to that Jamie girl about it?”

  “First, she’s just Jamie. Not that Jamie girl,” I said. “Second, I do talk to her about it, but I never talk about it in detail. This is just… weird.”

  “It’s not weird, Keira. If we’re really going to try to be close now, we need to be able to talk to each other about anything. Even sex.”

  “Fine, I’ll try,” I promised. “It’s going to take me a while before I’m used to this, I guess.”

  “Yeah, same,” she said softly, smiling as she took another sip of her cocktail. “Either way, it sounds like we both got pretty lucky in the love department. I’m happy for you, sis, really.”

  It was kind of surreal sitting there, talking to Hailey and actually enjoying her company. For so many years, all I’d wanted was to get along again. To understand her better again. Now that it was happening, I couldn’t have been happier. She was right. We had both gotten lucky with the guys we were with, but we’d also gotten lucky enough to have found each other again.

  37

  HARRISON

  “Thank you for getting back to me on a Saturday,” I said, staring at the contract that was open on my screen. “I won’t keep you for long.”

  “It’s not a problem,” my lawyer said, chuckling on the other end of the line. “I’m also already at the office. You know what they say. There ain’t no rest for the wicked.”

  I lifted my eyes away from my laptop and watched Nairobi trotting from one side of the paddock to the other. Sitting on the deck behind my house on the farm, I looked out over the barn and the paddocks. I couldn’t imagine having to be sitting in my office right now like Gene was.

  “I haven’t been around the office much for the last few weeks,” I admitted. “I’ve been working remotely.”

  “Right,” he said. “I’m assuming you received the contract you asked me to draw up for you?”

  “I have. I’ve looked over it and I’ve signed it electronically.” I moved the cursor of my mouse to the send button. “I wanted to let you know that I’m about to send it back to you.”

  Th
ere was a brief pause on his end. “Are you sure you want to do this? Once it’s done, it’s done. The Hynes Group will be sold and you’ll only be a minority shareholder.”

  “I’m sure,” I said without hesitation and clicked the button instead of just letting the cursor hover. “There. It’s on its way to you.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you going to do now?” he asked. “Do you want me to look into other companies you can purchase? If you let me know what you’re interested in, I’m sure we can find something for you. We have an insurance company in desperate need of an overhaul. I know how much you like a challenge.”

  “I do like a challenge, but I’m all good. Thanks,” I said. “I’m ready to enjoy my life on the farm. I don’t want to be chained to the city or to a desk anymore.”

  “Putting yourself out to pasture, huh?” Surprise rang loud and clear in his voice. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

  “You’ve clearly never lived on a farm.” I laughed. “It’s hard work. Trust me, I’m not retiring and I’m not going to get bored and regret this decision. You don’t have to worry about it. The sale of the Hynes Group has been coming for a while. It wasn’t a spur of the moment decision.”

  “As long as you’re sure.” I heard him releasing a deep breath. “Do you want me to sit on it for a few days? Give you a cooling-down period?”

  “Nope. You can go ahead and do what you need to do. Like I said, I’ve been thinking about doing this for a long time. It was only a matter of when, not if. This is the right time.”

  “Okay, Harrison. In that case, consider it done,” he said. “You have a good day.”

  “Thanks, Gene. You too.” After hanging up the phone, I leaned back on the chair and took a minute to let what I’d just done sink in.

  Before I could really even begin to get my head wrapped around it, Dottie started going berserk at the front of the house. She barked and growled incessantly.

  I lifted the laptop off my legs and set it down on the table before getting up to go check out what was up with her. She was jumping up and down when I reached the porch, the hair on her back raised as she barked at something underneath the porch.

  The chicken snake. It had to be the snake Ashton had been after for weeks that was back here. Either that or something else, but I was confident it was the fucking snake.

  Ducking back inside for a minute, I got his shotgun and then went out to Dottie. “Where is it, girl? Let’s get it for Ashton, shall we?”

  She barked and ran in a small circle, then darted back to the porch, skidding to a stop in a small puff of dust. Following her lead, I cocked the gun and bent my head down to peer in under the porch.

  Sure enough, there it was. Obviously agitated by Dottie’s antics but still there. Lying in wait for the right time to strike at her.

  The blast of the gun when I pulled the trigger echoed around the farm, and the snake lay prone on the ground. After all those weeks Ashton had spent after him, it was all over.

  Glaring at it for a minute, I decided to bag it up and take it to Ashton. We’d buried him next to his wife and I knew she hadn’t been a fan of snakes, so I wouldn’t leave it there, but it felt right to show him I’d finally bested his last arch nemesis.

  I drove out to the cemetery with the snake in a bag in the passenger foot well. Dottie was in the back, and even she seemed subdued when we arrived.

  Rows upon rows of headstones on bright green grass greeted us. Birds chirped in the trees and the sound of a lawnmower drifted on the breeze, but I didn’t see anybody else around.

  “Come on, girl,” I said. “Let’s go show Ashton that we got it for him.”

  I wished we really were about to see him and not just his grave. That I could look him in the eyes as I presented the snake to him. I knew he wasn’t here, but whenever I came out here, at least I managed to feel a little closer to him.

  His house on the farm was untouched, but it felt wrong to be in there without him. Mariana had asked if we should box up his things, but I wasn’t there yet. Besides, it wasn’t like we needed that house for someone else right away.

  With me now permanently moving to the farm, I could take care of the day-to-day stuff myself. If I ever needed help, we could always clear out his house then.

  My heart was heavy as we approached the gravesite. Dottie trotted along behind me while I carried the bag with the snake in it. Now that I was here, I felt stupid doing this. But I was already here, so I was doing it.

  Laying the bag down at the foot of Ashton’s grave, I lowered myself down to my haunches. “Hey, old man. I’ve got a surprise for you. Dottie and I finally got that snake of yours.”

  I ran my eyes along the pile of dirt that hadn’t yet had the time to settle properly. “I know you’re probably happy to be with your missus again. Tell her hi for me, will you? Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that we miss you down here.”

  Dottie pressed her cheek against my shoulder, and I raised a hand to scratch her back. “I also wanted to tell you that I sold the company. I’m doing it, man. I’m leaving the city and moving to the farm full-time. Signed the papers this morning.”

  A breathy chuckle came out of me. “I wish you were here to give me shit about how I won’t be able to handle the workload all by myself or about how a city boy like me doesn’t belong on a farm forever. I’ll be fine, though. I wanted to let you know that, too. I will be fine. It would’ve been much better if you were still here, but I know you’d rather be with your wife.”

  I squeezed the nape of my neck. “Thank you for teaching me everything I know about farming and for being a real friend to me. I should’ve thanked you more often when you were still here with me, but better late than never, right?”

  I sighed, then gave a wave and managed a grin at the mound of dirt. “I’ll come see you again soon, okay, old man?”

  Lifting my eyes to the sky, I imagined him grumbling as he looked down at me. Dottie sat next to me until I stood up, then trotted behind me back to the truck. I tossed the bag with the snake in it in the trash before opening the door for her.

  When we got back to the farm, Keira’s car was parked outside my house. I’d known she was coming today, but I hadn’t expected her to get there to early.

  The things it did to me just knowing she was here shouldn’t have been possible. It had only been a couple of days since I’d last seen her, but she’d been on my mind constantly since.

  My heart jumped in my chest when the front door opened and she appeared in the doorway, smiling as she leaned against it and waited for us. She was dressed in tan shorts that showed off her curvy legs and a blue top I couldn’t wait to get her out of.

  Her hair was loose, hanging in a dark curtain to her waist, with sunglasses perched on top of her head to keep it out of her eyes. I swore she was only becoming more beautiful each time I saw her.

  Climbing out of the truck as soon as we stopped, I let Dottie out and then strode right up to my girl. Without saying a word, I cupped her face in my hands and brought my lips down on hers.

  She let out a small gasp of surprise but responded immediately. Kissing me back, she threaded her fingers into my hair and pushed herself flush against me.

  We only broke apart when we were both breathless and I was as hard as a rock. Smiling against my lips, she arched her brows when she looked up at me. “Hello to you too. What was that for?”

  “Just to say hi,” I said, my arms around her waist as I walked her backward into the house. “Also because I’ve got some good news.”

  “Yeah?” she asked, trusting me to guide her as I kept walking us to my bedroom. “What’s that?”

  “I sold the company today,” I said. “Signed the contract and sent it back. It’s done. As soon as the paperwork is processed, I won’t own the Hynes Group anymore.”

  Her eyes widened and she pushed her palms against my chest to stop me from moving. “Are you okay? That’s a huge step to have taken. I know you’ve been thinking about i
t, but—”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” I lowered my head to plant kisses on the side of her neck. “Except maybe you. I’m very sure about you.”

  “I’m sure about you too,” she said, raising her chin to give me better access to her throat while her fingers caressed my hair. “But this is a big deal.”

  “No, it’s not.” My lips dragged against her soft, sweet-smelling skin. “I’ve got you. I’ve got the farm and Dottie. I don’t need the Hynes Group.”

  “You do have all those things,” she murmured.

  When her fingertips started skating over my chest instead of showing me she wanted me to stay still, I started our progress toward my room again. She lay back on my bed when we reached it, her eyes on mine as I crawled onto it after her.

  “I love you,” I said, feeling like I could drown in those big, dark eyes of hers.

  She blinked in surprise, her brows jumping as she looped her arms around my neck. “You’ve never said that to me before.”

  “I’ve never said it to anyone before,” I said honestly. “Doesn’t change the fact that it’s true. I love you, Keira.”

  A smile broke out across her face as she pulled me closer, kissing me and winding her legs around my hips to pull me down on her. “I love you too, Harrison. I’m not sure where all this is coming from all of a sudden, but I do. I love you.”

  Hearing those words from her shook something loose deep inside me, triggering some kind of primal need to make her mine. For good. Forever.

  38

  KEIRA

  Harrison was always intense, but he kissed me now like a man possessed. I was still reeling from him saying that he loved me and from saying it back, but that didn’t stop me from clawing at his clothes just as urgently as he was clawing at mine.

  Shoes, socks, shirts, and pants went flying until we were both left only in our underwear. His hands were in my hair, his hard body pressed as close as it could get to mine.