Page 2 of Real Tree / Fake Boyfriend

He pulled her in for a hug. “I love you. I’m happy for you. I know you wanted this,” he whispered and reached out to squeeze her arm gently when she pulled back.

Hailey had always been more of a free spirit than the rest of his family. Still, the one thing she always wanted to do by the books was get married as soon as possible, start a family, and be a mother. The joy in her eyes right now helped lift Tyler’s sour mood.

Hailey had gone to culinary school and worked freelance as a private chef. While Tyler’s parents had been dubious about her career course, she had done well in the few years since she graduated. Besides, Walter made enough money to keep them both comfortable, so whatever reservations his mother had when she started college werenow erased.

“You sound the most unhappy. I thought you liked Walter. You know he’s a great guy,” Hailey said. Her eyes narrowed like they always did when Tyler thought she was reading his mind.

He narrowed his eyes right back at her. “I do like Walter.” He didn’t really know him. “I like that he makes you happy, Hail.” This sounded much more truthful.

She looked down at her obscene diamond and bent her finger. Tyler watched it sparkle under the warm lights. “He makes me really happy.”

Tyler offered her a softer smile. “Whatever happened to marrying a redheaded marine biologist who could speak to whales?” he asked.

His sister laughed and tapped her nose. “Those stupid lists. What was on yours?”

When they were in high school, Tyler had freshly come out to his family, and he and Hailey made a list of their perfect husbands. It mainly had been Hailey’s doing, but Tyler had managed a sizable list of his own.

“Charming, talented, intelligent, wealthy,” Tyler rattled off, “I am willing to compromise on the Irish accent and being the prince of a small country, though, if he’s perfect in every other way.”

Hailey’s gaze drifted to the door Walter had just come back through. “I think the important thing is being in love. Nothing else matters if you have someone you’re happy to see whenever they walk into a room.” She looked back to Tyler, and her expression rapidly went from soft to serious. “You know we all want that for you, right? Mom, me, Cece especially. You work hard, and I know you love your job, but don’t you think it’s time to find someone?”

He clenched his jaw and looked away from the ring. It was one thing to lament his own lack of a love life and another to know his mother and sisters had been talking shit behind his back. “Yeah. Sure. Because it’s that easy. You do realize dating apps are actual hellscapes, right?”

“Okay, but you have to put yourself out there. When was the last time you even had a date, Ty?” Hailey asked. She snagged his glass and drank the rest ofhis wine.

“You just drank all of my backwash,” he said, not wanting to answer. It had been long enough that Tyler honestly couldn’t remember the last time he went on a date. Did random hookups in college count? None of the guys had ever ticked off his boxes, nor had he been excited enough to call them back. None of them had called him back either.

Hailey whacked him on the shoulder. “You’re disgusting. Just do me a favor? Try to loosen up a little. Let yourself meet someone, and don’t focus so much on your job. You’re a great person, and I hate to imagine you hours away, with no one who cares if you come home or not.”

Tyler really didn’t need his loneliness to be reinforced. He forced a grin. “I’ll get one of those buttons to press to call 911 if I fall. Then you won’t have to worry,” he replied. He grabbed her hand and looked down at her ring. Tyler let out a low whistle. “Walter really knows what you like, doesn’t he?”

She laughed. “Yeah, well, I told him what I wanted, but he picked it out all on his own. I didn’t know he would do this today, but I had a feeling it would happen soon.” She watched the ring glint in the light with a dreamy smile on her lips.

Tyler let go of her hand. “Hailey, domea favor, alright?“ he asked, more serious now. “Don’t let Mom, Cece, or anyone try to take over your big day. Because I know them, they have been thinking about this longer than you. But I want your wedding to be whatyouwant it to be.”

“Just wait until you bring someone home. They'll try to micromanage you, too. It might take some heat off me.” She leaned in and nudged him. “Come on. I saw Uncle Gerard eyeing up the pecan tartlets already. If we’re not careful, there might not be any left.”

Tyler shot up, taking his dirty plate and empty glass with him. There was no way he would miss out on the pecan tartlets. If anything could break him out of his moping, it was dessert.

Chapter 2

Tyler

On the rare occasion Tyler went out with his friends, he tried to avoid dive bars. He liked nicely decorated gastropubs or microbreweries with too many IPAs on tap and a good food selection. However, Cameron’s band was playing tonight, and Tyler found himself at a high top, with a tepid lager, and a plate of the greasiest fries he had ever eaten.

The set had just ended with applause from the crowd around the stage area. Tyler clapped with them before he picked up his beer and attempted to finish it quickly. He usually drank wine or craft beer, but he was unlikely to find anything decent in this place.

He had given Cameron’s gigs a pass a thousand times before. The band wasn’t bad. They played covers of rock songs and sprinkled in their own songs, which Tyler preferred. However, Cameron always played at the shadiest places. Tyler couldn’t help that he’d been brought up in a householdwhere they went to country clubs and benefit galas, not grimy biker bars.

But he owed Cameron because, after Thanksgiving, Tyler had practically begged his best friend to pretend to be his boyfriend during Christmas. Cameron’s family lived in California but usually didn’t have anything going on for the holidays unless Cameron made the trek from Pittsburgh all the way there.

Cameron had been his unlikely best friend since college, but nothing was remotely romantic between them. He was a good sport and readily agreed to Tyler’s request without question. Tyler had to ensure he was on his friend’s good side, which meant watching his band play in a bar where his shoes stuck to the beer-stained floor.

Tyler got up to order another beer. He nearly jumped out of his skin at a loud bang on the bar near where he had walked up.

“Fuck!” came from beside him. The man sitting there smacked his phone on the counter so hard that Tyler was sure it hadbroken.

He was tall and broad, with tattoos winding down his arms. His dark, curly hair brushed the nape of his neck. He looked so angry that Tyler averted his gaze in case he wanted to fight.

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