Page 29 of Finding Her Leading Man

“Yes, she is. My dad is worse.” He leaned against the wall, still only a couple of steps inside her room. “If her attention were 100% on Addie, she’d come up with more things to change with the wedding. Letting my mom meet someone I’m dating for the first time will help distract her.”

She held her arms out and looked down at her feet. “Then, if I’m her first impression of the women you date, I need to get dressed so I can play the part.”

It rubbed him wrong. Probably because he didn’t want her to act. He wanted her to be with him. To date him. He wanted to introduce her to his mom as something other than a friend. But that would have to wait for another time.

“See you downstairs in an hour.” He left her room without the goodbye kiss he wanted. He’d thought of pushing his luck later, seeing if she’d kiss him, but he didn’t want a fake kiss from her. He wanted to know that she wanted it as much as he did and wasn’t acting just for the sake of his sister.

11

Families were strange. Samantha sat in the front seat of Trevor’s rented car, hands clasped together in her lap, trying to appear calm. His mom rambled about something from the back seat. She’d insisted that Samantha ride in the front with Trevor. That gave him full access to her, and it drove her insane.

Placing his hand on her knee when he said something at a red light.

Lowering his voice and asking if the temperature in the car was comfortable to her.

Brushing his fingers along the back of her hand for no dang reason, it seemed.

It all added up to one big effort to make sure she was a wreck by the time they got to Rhonda’s Roadhouse. He played the part of the boyfriend perfectly. So much so, that she wanted to sink deep into her character and live someone else’s life for the night. To have someone like Trevor look like he wanted to be with her and only her.

She’d contemplated it, too. Could she pretend and then go back to the way they were? There was a reason that actors and actresses had on-set romances. Trying to keep a firm line between fantasy and reality was hard.

And she didn’t think she’d want to pull away from the fantasy once she was there. But she couldn’t jump in feet first. Trevor wouldn’t understand the difference. He wouldn’t get it that she could lay a hand on his thigh, smile at his jokes, wish the entire situation was real, and then walk away and put him back on the shelf where he needed to stay.

Since Cameron had been called into work, Addie rode in the backseat with Amelia. Trevor dropped his mom and Addie off at the door to Rhonda’s before driving to park.

The parking lot was full. A line of motorcycles sat two rows deep at the front of the parking lot. She spotted Grayson and Juliana pulling into a spot on his bike.

“I wish you’d relax and just have fun.” His voice sounded irritated.

She glanced at his profile. His jaw tightened as he turned into a parking spot and killed the engine.

“I’ll have fun.”

He got out of the car and walked around to open her door. “It looks like you’re going to face the executioner.”

“I’m sorry.” She pulled her roll of antacids from the back pocket of her blue jeans.

“No.” He held out his hand. “I won’t be the cause of you taking those things. Jasper might have screwed up with you, but I haven’t. If you’re nervous, then I’m happy. It’d be worse if going along with this charade was second nature to you. Let me hold them for the night.” He wiggled his fingers. “Or else I’ll call this whole thing off.”

“But your mom…” After the ride to the restaurant, Samantha had no question that Amelia would flip out if they came clean at this point.

He shook his head. “Not even Addie’s wedding is worth you going through pain for us. If the idea of pretending to be with me is giving you stomach cramps or whatever, then I’ll drive you back. I’ll lie again if I have to. Hell, I’m in this deep already.”

Slowly, she set the antacids in his hand. “I have stomach aches. Right now, it’s hard separating tonight from reality, and it’s making me anxious.”

The tension in his face morphed into patience. “This can be your reality, Sam.”

“No. I’m not ready for that.”

He slipped the roll of chalky antacids into his pocket. “I think you’re ready if you decide to be, but I won’t get into that tonight. Not with you doing such a big favor for my family.”

“You’d do anything for your sister, wouldn’t you?”

“Anything in the world to make her happy.” He reached for Samantha’s hand. She hesitated for a second before letting him take it. Oh, this could be the most natural part she ever played.

“How…how much do you want me to act as your girlfriend?”

He looked down at her with a playful look. “You can keep acting this way for the next few weeks.”

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