Page 40 of The Deadbeat Next Door

“Uh-huh. That story would sound so much more altruistic if I didn’t know how much this pretend relationship was helping you, not to mention that Mr. Gregory said she is a very attractive woman.”

“She’s gorgeous.” I was more than a little annoyed with Bart Gregory for reporting on me to my mother like I was a wayward teenager. I didn’t even want to think about how he’d gotten her number. “But she really does hate me. She’s smart and sensible and knows better than to trust or like me. I’m not saying I’m getting nothing out of the deal, but if you tell Mr. Gregory the truth, her reputation will be ruined and she’ll probably lose her job. A job she loves and is really good at.”

My mother was silent so long, I checked my phone to be sure the connection hadn’t been dropped. “I want to meet her. My price for not telling Mr. Gregory the truth is that you bring her home and let us all meet her.”

“Mom, she’s not my real fiancée, she’s not even my girlfriend. There’s no reason for you to meet her.”

“Except that I want to. I’ve named my price. Take it or leave it.”

“I’ll see if she can get away next weekend.”

“Great. I’ll see you Friday night.”

***

I parked for the second time that day in front of Bart Gregory’s house and gave Carrie a reassuring smile. “I really hate lying to people,” she said. “I don’t know Mr. Gregory very well, but he pretty much grew up with my parents.”

That stopped me, because it differed so greatly from what Bart had told me about his relationship with Carrie’s parents. I could think of no good reason he would lie about it, so I chalked it up to his age and poor memory. “If there were any good way out of this without lying,” I said. “I’d be happy to help you.”

She threw her hands up, nearly smacking me in the face. The more upset she was, it seemed, the wilder her hand gestures became. I wondered if her hands would go wild during sex, where they would wander. I cleared my throat and reminded myself to focus. “I know, I know. If we back out now, Missy Melcher will know I lied to her and I’ll become an even bigger joke in this town than I already am.”

That shocked me. Carrie was the most put-together, responsible, classy person I’d ever met. Not to mention sexy as hell with lips I couldn’t stop staring at. “Who says you’re a joke?”

She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. Let’s just get this over with.”

I got out and jogged around the front of the car to open her door. It was raining pretty good, so I opened my umbrella and held it over her as I helped her out. She was wearing polka-dotted rain boots over gray slacks and a teal sweater set. Her make-up was light and her hair was down, her brown hair getting curlier every moment we spent outside. She laced her fingers through mine and I smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back. She looked a bit sick and pale, and I wasn’t at all sure she’d be able to go through with this. “Do you want me to tell him you’re not feeling well?”

“No.” She swallowed. “No. I can do this.”

I felt like the worst kind of asshole, even though this had been her idea. Originally. We stepped up onto the porch and I shook out the umbrella before closing it. A big, shiny blue truck sped up to the house and slammed to a stop. Carrie got impossibly paler. “I thought it was just going to be Bart.”

“So did I.”

The doors of the truck swung open and two men in jeans, t-shirts, and boots jumped out. “Hey, Carrie Berry,” one of the guys said, right before he climbed the porch steps and wrapped his arms around her in a full-body hug. Anger flashed through me and I resisted the overwhelming urge to pull him off her.

The second guy leapt up the steps and stuck his hand out to me. “Hey, there. I’m Dwight. You must be the city boy wanting to buy my granddaddy’s land.”

I took his hand and shook it, tensing at the sound of laughter from Carrie. She was smiling and no longer the least bit pale. I squeezed Dwight’s hand a bit harder than I meant to, but he just looked over at Carrie and the other man and smiled. “That there is my brother, George,” he said. “He and Carrie dated for a while in high school. Guess they’re happy to see each other again.”

“Good for them.”

Dwight laughed. “My sentiments exactly, man. Let’s get on inside before Granddad comes looking for us. He don’t like to be gotten up from his chair.”

Dwight pulled the door open, hollering a greeting to his grandfather, but I looked back at Carrie. She was smiling at George and looking happier than I’d seen her. Maybe ever. I should have followed Dwight inside, but I hated the idea of leaving Carrie out on the porch with an ex-boyfriend who made her happier in a moment than I’d managed in a hundred moments. “Carrie,” I said, my voice hard and crisp. “Ready to meet Mr. Gregory?”

She looked over at me, the smile dropping from her lips. “Of course. George, this is my fiancé, Cody Reynolds.”

George laughed. “Come on, Carrie. Grandad told me you two are faking the engagement to convince him to sell Cody the land. I don’t care what you tell the old man, this land needs to be sold, but don’t lie to me, sugar.”

Carrie bit her bottom lip and hesitated, and I knew it was all over. We’d been out-played by Bart Gregory. Carrie straightened her spine and stared hard at the other man. “Now, George, you know I’m incapable of lying or doing anything un-befitting a lady, isn’t that why you broke up with me?”

George’s mouth set in a firm line and he shook his head. “You and I have a very different memory of our break-up and the reasons for it, Carrie Harrison. I’ll see you both inside.”

He stalked into the house and slammed the door behind him. “What was that about?”

Carrie stared after George. “Just a stupid high school prank. He wanted me to cover for him and I wouldn’t do it, so he broke up with me.”

“He seems to have a different take on the break-up.” It wasn’t my business and I didn’t need to hear the story to be able to pretend I was engaged to her, but I wanted to know.

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