Page 36 of Her Fake Island Wedding

Easy for Cory to say,Bryce thought, but he got to his feet as Cory nudged him. Cory was one of the senior resort personnel as Activities Manager, after all, despite his relative youth. Bryce was just a dive instructor, senior to the others who held the position only by virtue of having been employed at the resort longer.

“Here’s the groom!” Jace toasted him as he approached, smiling broadly, and Bryce gave the billionaire a tentative smile. Jace just didn’t look or act like he’d been born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, he thought privately. Right now he was slouched on a poolside deck chair with an almost-empty glass of red in his hand, wearing cargo shorts, a faded rock band T-shirt, and rubber thongs on his feet. “Are the wedding nerves kicking in, or is the wine helping take the edge off?”

“The wine is definitely helping. Thank you, by the way. I’m not all that knowledgeable but I can tell this is the good stuff.” Bryce lifted his glass.

Jace waved off his thanks with a grin. “Can’t have you waking up with a hangover tomorrow. I haven’t met your bride but I don’t want to get off on the wrong foot by delivering a horribly hung-over bridegroom from a bucks’ party I hosted.”

And that was why Jace was different from other billionaires, Bryce was pretty sure. He’d met a few very wealthy men, since Sunfish Island was a playground for the well-heeled, and he couldn’t imagine any of those self-centred characters would give a shit what a woman they hadn’t even met might think of them.

“About tomorrow,” Bryce said hesitantly.

Luke lowered the glass he’d been about to take a sip from. “You crying off?”

“No!” The refutation was swift and emphatic. “I’d never do that to Lucy!”

Luke tilted his head to give him a thoughtful look, opened his hand in a gesture for Bryce to continue.

“I was wondering, uh, you told Lucy and I that it would basically be a real wedding, we just wouldn’t file the official paperwork.”

“That’s correct.” Luke nodded. “You have thirty days to file it if you change your minds and want to make it official, though.”

“Yeah. And um. I’ve been wondering why you’ve been telling everyone else about that?”

There was a distinct smirk on Luke’s lips as he took a sip of wine before answering. Jace was looking interestedly between the two of them, spoke to fill in the silence.

“Is the gossip I heard true… that you and Lucy were just friends when this started off but now you’re hooking up?”

Bryce winced.Hooking upseemed like such a crude way to put it. Lucy wasn’t just a hookup. She was far, far more than that. “We’re together. Yes.”

“Fake romance turning real, it’s a cute story.” Jace offered him a friendly smile.

Luke spoke up again, finally. “And if you want to make it really real, all you have to do is ask me to file that marriage certificate. I don’t deny I’ve mentioned it to a few other people, but I haven’t instigated the conversations. I think you underestimate the amount of interest your friends have in your future happiness, Bryce. Yours and Lucy’s.”

Bryce frowned and shook his head, not understanding.

“They want to see you happy. Both of you,” Luke clarified. “And it’s obvious to anyone with eyes that you makeeach otherhappy. Putting the thought in your minds that maybe actually getting married could be the best thing that you can do for your mutual future happiness?” He shrugged. “I’m not surprised they’re all but hitting you over the head with the idea.”

“Oh.” Startled, Bryce sat back and considered that. “Do you know if anyone’s mentioned it to Lucy?” he asked hesitantly.

Luke and Jace both laughed at that.

“Really?” Jace snickered. “The girls have spent all day getting their toenails painted and their legs waxed and God only knows what else together, and you think they haven’t been talking about it?”

“How could they? Her mother’s there, and Justine doesn’t know this is all a hoax.”

“Women always find a way. Hell, Nessa’s been filling my ear with how romantic it would be if you two really got married.” Jace finished his wine, seemed to consider going to get some more, and slumped down in his chair. “Nah, I’ve had enough,” he muttered.

“Maybe you and Lucy should just talk toeach otherabout it,” Luke said pointedly.

Bryce had to laugh. “Yeah, you’re right. I mean… I knew we needed to talk, but I think we’ve both been putting it off until after Justine leaves. Put on a united face until then, you know? That woman.” He shook his head slowly. “I honestly find it hard to believe someone like her managed to raise a daughter as kind and loving and compassionate as Lucy.”

“You’re making me glad I haven’t yet had the pleasure,” Jace commented. “Luke filled me in on who she is, obviously.”

“She’s a viper.”

Bryce blinked at Luke in surprise. He didn’t think he’d ever heard the resort manager say anything so harsh about anyone before. “Took the word right out of my mouth,” he murmured.

“She’s very good at pouring on the charm when she wants to, but I like to think I’m pretty good at reading people. Justine Manning has the coldest eyes I’ve ever seen. There’s nothing but cold calculation behind them.” Luke shook his head. “Every interaction, she’s thinking what benefit there might be to her. She’s been posting photos on her Instagram and tagging the resort, we’ve had a distinct upsurge in bookings from the UK since she started, and she mentioned her activity to me yesterday and hinted heavily that she’d like another couple of weeks comped to her later in the year in exchange.”

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