Page 15 of The Complication with the Best Man

My eyes zero in across the desk at Harper, and again, I feel like an asshole. Our eyes meet briefly before she tugs hers away.

“Indoor ceremony it is. How many guests are you expecting? That will determine what our options are.”

“Oh, I hadn’t considered that yet.” Tamra lists off the names of friends and family, keeping a mental tally of who she thinks would travel for the wedding. “Who do you think will come from your side?”

I shrug. “My parents. And Hudson and Palmer.”

Tamra drops my hand and shifts in her seat to better face me. “Aren’t you going to invite the guys from the fire station? What about people who work for your parents at the ski resort?”

I’m trying to limit the number of people who get drawn into this farce, and unlike Tamra, I don’t come from the type of family where I feel beholden to invite certain people because of their social status. Yes, my parents own a ski resort they inherited from my grandparents, but it’s a small one and not as lucrative as it once was. One of the reasons I’m in this chair now.

“I don’t want any of my coworkers to feel like they have to spend the money to fly out here, and I’m pretty sure my parents will feel the same about everyone who works for them.”

The corners of Tamra’s mouth pinch in, and it’s clear she doesn’t appreciate my answer. She faces Harper, who tries to play it off as if she wasn’t watching our exchange.

“All right then.” Tamra inhales to regroup. “Best estimate is around one hundred people, I guess.”

Harper notes it in her computer. “A hundred people will limit the number of places we can look at, since we can’t consider smaller venues or restaurants. And what about the ceremony? Do you want a church wedding, or do you want to have it in the same place as the reception?”

“Definitely not a church,” I answer, and Tamra whips her head in my direction.

I’m not religious, but either way, I’m not saying real nuptials to my fake fiancée in a church of all places.

“I like the idea of having it all in one place. Seems simpler.” I shrug, as if not wanting a church wedding has anything to do with the fact we’re not marrying for love.

“All right then,” Harper says.

“Okkaayy, I’m fine with that.” Tamra forces a smile and runs her hand down my arm.

Jesus, she’s laying this on thick. In the three years we were in a real relationship, she rarely showed me any affection.

“I know you’re familiar, Finn, because of Hudson’s wedding, but Tamra, are you at all familiar with Glacier Point Resort?” Again, she only concentrates on Tamra, ignoring me.

“That’s where we’re staying,” Tamra says, then cocks her head. “Wait, did you plan Hudson’s wedding too?” She turns from Harper to me. I really hope she doesn’t see Harper glaring at me.

“Yes,” Harper answers.

I blink and look at Tamra. I could leave it at that, but it only stacks another lie to my list. “Actually, Harper’s cousin was the bride.”

Tamra inhales a breath, but I never see her release it. Her back goes straight, and her hand wraps around the armrest until her knuckles are white. “Oh, so you’re telling me you two know each other already.”

“We met in passing,” Harper says. “Nothing memorable.”

My hands clutch the armrests of the chair until I’m white-knuckled. What a perfect pair Tamra and I are. “Yeah, nothing worth mentioning.”

Our eyes meet across the desk. Though we’re lobbing grenades at each other, I still fucking want Harper with her anger pointed in my direction.

“The reason I ask is because my uncle owns the resort, so I have a bit of an in. I’ll make a call and see if they can accommodate not only the wedding but also enough rooms for your guests.” Harper’s fingers move across the keyboard.

“Oh, thank you, that would be wonderful. There’s something else I wanted to ask. I would love to develop an itinerary of fun things to do in the area for our family and friends while they’re in Lake Starlight. Would you be able to help with that?” Tamra asks.

“Great idea. I can brainstorm a list of activities, and depending how adventurous your guests are, my uncle and twin cousins run an adventure tour company. I’ll check what they might have available during that time of year.”

“Oh my god, this is so awesome, Harper. Is your dad the mayor? You have an in with everyone in this town. Isn’t this great, Finn?” Tamra’s smile only grows wider. She’s obviously ecstatic that she’s going to get everything she wants. The only thing missing is a groom she loves.

“Wonderful.” I plaster on a fake smile.

Tamra’s phone rings in her purse. “Sorry, I thought I turned the ringer off.” She fishes it out of her purse and looks at the screen. “Shoot, sorry.” She stands and puts her finger in the air. “I’ve been expecting this, but I’ll be super fast. Sorry.”

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