Page 18 of The Wiener Across the Way

I didn’t answer right away. Smitten wasn’t the right word. That was too shallow a feeling, too fleeting. This swirl of need in my chest was completely different, deeper.

“You gonna be okay there, big guy?” Jules’ tone was a mix of excitement and a hint of concern. “Don’t you dare embarrass me when we get to meet her after the show.”

I meant to tease Jules right back, just like we always did when we gave each other shit. But I had nothing. I took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind of emotions whizzing through me. “I’ll be fine. It’s just... she’s not what I expected.”

She was so much more.

Jules gave me a weird look, and out of all my family, she was the one who’d figure everything out. Shit. She was like a relationship Nancy Drew when it came to the lot of us.

Even though I’d told my agent I wouldn’t do the whole fake relationship thing, there was still an NDA involved. Not that I was some big blabbermouth. I preferred to keep my personal life personal.

When the concert ended, the applause thundered through the amphitheater, and I thanked the residents of Morrison for putting up a stink and voting for an ordinance that ensured concerts here didn’t go late into the night with encore after encore. The crowd began to disperse, and that meant I needed to get my shit together for the upcoming meet and greet. What would I say to her? How do you talk to someone who’s just unwittingly turned your world upside down?

Jules linked her arm with mine, leading me toward the backstage area. “This is going to be epic. I can’t believe we get to talk to her after the show.”

Epic. That was one word for it. And all I could do was hope I didn’t make a complete fool of myself. Jules already thought I was acting weird, and she wasn’t wrong.

The security staff opened up the metal guard rails between the VIP section and the steps that led up to the stage. A whole gaggle of squealing teens and who I had to guess was their cool aunt made their way up to the backstage area.

I grabbed Jules and pulled her to the back of the line waiting to go to the meet and greet, and let the others get far enough ahead of us that they wouldn’t overhear what I was about to reveal.

“What?” Jules narrowed her eyes at me, but then she smiled. “Oh, you’re putting us last so we get more time with her. Smart.”

“No. Listen.” I took a deep breath and blew it out in a rush. “You have to swear on the collection of dolls I know you have hidden under your bed that if I tell you something, you can keep a secret.”

“First of all,” she held up a finger “those are going to be collector’s items because I got every plus-size Barbie ever offered. And duh. I am a vault of so many Kingman secrets I should be the head of the sports division of the CIA.”

It was a perfect job for her. “I don’t think that’s a thing.”

She made an I-know-something-you-don’t face at me and shrugged. “As far as you know.”

“Fine, lock this in your secret vault of secrets, and I’m only telling you because you’d figure it out anyway, and it needs to stay quiet. Like, legally. You got me?” I gave her the big brother stare down, which of course didn’t intimidate her in the least, but she knew I was serious.

She pretended to zip her lips, then locked them with a key, and put the imaginary key down the front of her shirt. Yeah, no man would ever try to get that key, or I’d have to kill them.

I couldn’t believe I was about to say this out loud. “Kelsey’s people want to set the two of us up on a?—”

“Are you freaking kidding me?” She smacked me on the chest. “Yes. You said yes, right? I knew it, I knew you were going to marry her. It’s destiny.”

“Whoa, whoa.” Who said anything about marriage? “No. They want us to,” I lowered my voice and looked around to make sure no one was paying attention to us, “fake date.”

Her face went from open, wide-eyed excitement to flat out denial. She shook her head, gave a thumbs down, and blew out a raspberry. “No. Absolutely not.”

Huh. That’s kind of what I thought. “I said no.”

“Good, because the two of you are going to fall in love for real.” She said it as an absolute matter of fact.

Why did I feel like I was negotiating my next contract with the Mustangs instead of admitting a secret to my baby sister? “I don’t think that’s how this works.”

“As far as you know.” She gave me the exact same shrug and look as before. “I have complete faith in you to make Kelsey Best my next sister-in-law.”

“Jules.” This was not how I thought this conversation would go.

She gave me a look that reminded me so much of Mom when she gave us something to do and expected it to be done. Deep instinct clenched at my chest, and I had to rub the spot over my heart.

This was the craziest conversation I’d ever had. The craziest idea.

But what if I didn’t fake date Kelsey? What if I wooed her and got her to fall in love with me for real?

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