Page 88 of Make it Real
“I love your family.”
He nodded, his smile gentling down to normal levels. “They love you right back.”
I felt the truth of it. They’d welcomed me into their big family, and everyone treated me like I belonged. I’d found a home in this group, and that knowledge had me as cozy and warm as I’d been at the fire last night. I loved them.
And I lovedhim. The words sat right on the tip of my tongue. I could pull him closer and whisper it in his ear. Or say it to his face and prove it with a kiss. All the ways I might show Jed how much I felt for him flashed through my mind until heat swam over my skin. He was right here, after all.
Yes. Good plan. I’d do it. I’d pull up my big girl britches and tell him how I felt. Just… maybe not while Clint and Marilyn were dancing so close to us.
They edged nearer, their smiles shining so bright, I needed sunglasses to protect me from their happiness.
“Beautiful wedding, beautiful bride,” Clint said. “A great day to see all my kids so happy.”
A thrill of pleasure shot through me like a comet, trailing a shiny tail of hope behind it for all his hints. I hoped Jed was happy with me. I thought he was. Maybe in a few minutes, I’d tell him how happy I was.
Soon.
Clint and Marilyn spun away, ready to spread their joy to someone else. They were so cute together. This family had no shortage of brand-new love.
For example, the one bubbling inside me like molten lava.
Jed’s hands moved on my waist, pulling me closer. I met his gaze, and my stomach flipped, unleashing a swarm of delicate butterflies. His mouth tipped up as he leaned closer, bringing his face to my ear. Everything inside me stilled, straining to pay attention to whatever he’d say.
“I think we sold it.”
My body kept swaying even as my brain shut right down. I sucked in two breaths back to back like I couldn’t get enough air. Or like I was mid-sob. My ribcage felt too small for my organs, like I was being crushed by an invisible hand. No, no hand. Just a very poorly timed reminder.
Fake dating, Callie. You were fake dating Jed.
Hadn’t I promised him I wouldn’t fall in love? And then, I’d gone and done it anyway, falling so hard, I’d pancaked my heart when I landed.
Splatted, more like.
He pulled back and smiled down at me, proud of the way we’d fooled everyone. Oh, we’d fooled them good. So good, I hadn’t been able to tell fiction from reality. My heart ached, my lungs weren’t quite working, and my stomach churned until I thought I might throw up.
But running from the reception out into the night would have brought our little ruse to a crashing halt. I wouldn’t take his win away from him. I could see this through to the end, even if my insides had turned into a vortex, sucking up all my joy and flipping it upside down.
Granny had told me to find a guy worthy of my heart. I’d found one worthy, all right—he just wasn’t wanting.
I pasted on a big smile, like I’d cut it out of bright red construction paper and stuck it on. It wasn’t real, but that didn’t matter. Fake was good enough for us.
“We did it.”
THIRTY
callie
It turned out,having a broken heart and watching my gran move away were a terrible mix. Only scheduling a root canal in the afternoon could have made the day more miserable.
I couldn’t even cry out all my tears, since Granny might have been suspicious if I’d spent yesterday bawling over every version ofLove Affairthe way I’d wanted to. Nope, I’d sucked it up and powered through, helping her hunt for forgotten items and prepping her boxes for the movers. I’d answered all her questions about the wedding and only fibbed a little when she asked how things were going with Jed.
“I think I’m falling for him.”A complete fabrication, since I already knew I was totally, irrevocably in love with the man. Thank the sweet Lord she didn’t ask what he felt for me.
In spite of Jed’s original concerns I wasn’t a good liar, I’d handled his arrival a few minutes ago like a Broadway actress. I’d texted him to come over, since saying goodbye to Gran seemed the right thing to do. One last show of our fake relationship to see her on her way. We’d fallen straight into our usual routine of flirty banter and affectionate touches, and if every sweet moment between us seared a little, well, I refused to let it show.
The movers pulled the truck’s rear door down with a clatter and locked it in place. Gran signed off on the paperwork, and the truck rumbled away, headed to Florida.
The shine of tears in her eyes broke something in me. But if I cried now, I’d unleash my tears over Jed, too, and dissolving in a puddle of weepiness wouldn’t help convince my gran to climb into her car and leave me behind. I held the tears in, making my breaths slow and awkward so I wouldn’t sob. I could do this.
