Page 66 of Faking I Do
The mattress shifted and I felt him stand next to me. “I’m on the right side. I would never do something shady to get ahead. You ought to know that about me by now.”
I felt around for the lamp on the nightstand then flipped the switch, lighting up the room. Bodie stood, his arms crossed over his chest, the look in his eyes daring me to doubt him. I wanted to believe him, I really did. But a tiny sliver of doubt wedged its way in between my heart and my head. It would take more than his denial to show me he meant what he said.
“Can we talk about this later? I need to get home.” What I meant to say was I needed to get away from him, from his broad shoulders and warm hands. I couldn’t think straight in Bodie’s bedroom. Heck, I couldn’t think straight no matter where I was if he was anywhere near me.
“Yeah, go. Just make sure you let me know who I’m supposed to tell what and when.” He ran a hand over the scruff on his chin, the scratch of fingers on whiskers making me want to crawl back into bed and let those strong arms wrap around me, shield me from all the problems I had waiting for me.
“I’ll put a spreadsheet together.”
“A spreadsheet to track our fake engagement?” His brow furrowed.
I wanted to smooth out the lines creasing his forehead. If I was being honest with myself, I wanted to do a whole lot more than that. But denying myself was one of my superpowers—one I needed to employ more often if I wanted to keep my wits about me.
“Yes. Now that we’re planning a wedding we’ll need to figure out all the details. I’ll also make note of who needs to know and what we tell them so we don’t mess anything up. Why don’t you get to work on those photos?”
“Yeah, okay.” He followed me to the front door, pausing every time I stopped to scoop up a personal belonging. Seemed like my stuff had exploded all over Bodie’s apartment. My purse sat on the kitchen counter, my shoes had been kicked off and left on the living room floor.
“Oh, and you may as well keep the brisket.” I turned on him as I reached the front door. “Seeing as how I can’t fully enjoy it due to my massive IBS issues.”
He snickered. “Hey, you were painting me out to be the world’s worst poet. I had to strike back somehow.”
“Touché.” My hand closed around the doorknob. “I’ll be in touch, okay?”
“You got it.”
As the door closed behind me I fought the temptation to fling it open again and bury myself in Bodie’s arms. That’s the only place I’d felt sheltered from the storm I’d created that now raged around me.
CHAPTER 34
BODIE
I sat backfrom the computer. I’d been doing research all morning on cigar importing, except for the breaks I took to look up engagement rings. Did Lacey know the going rate for a two-carat yellow diamond ranged from five grand to over two hundred thousand dollars? Probably. I’d gone from jewelry store websites to costume jewelry websites real quick. The ring I’d chosen should arrive by the end of the week, putting an end to the reporter wondering about the ring. Now I just had to hope she wasn’t some certified gemologist who’d be able to spot a fake.
With the ring issue resolved, I still had to figure out a way to get some photos created. Why’d I have to go and give the name of Cattleman’s? The ultra-exclusive steak place didn’t have any interior pictures on their website and I’d never actually been inside. Would Lacey be willing to take a day trip to Houston to snap a few images? If I couldn’t figure out how to fake it, we just might have to.
The threat of someone discovering the fake engagement paled in comparison to the threat of finding out my dad and pops were into something much more sinister. As I scrolled downanother web page, Shotgun sat up from where she’d been lying at my feet and whined.
“Need to go out, girl?” I patted her head, still not comfortable with the fact that she was going to be a mother. As an only child I’d never had to care for anyone or anything younger than me. Sure, we’d had kittens from the barn cats and an occasional calf or two but that fell under my grandfather’s jurisdiction. I might have helped a little bit but raising animals was typically left to the ranch hands.
I clipped Shotgun’s leash onto her collar and led her out of the stuffy office. Shotgun sniffed along the mulched flower bed before heading toward the bushes on the side of the building. While I waited for her to do her business, my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Dad. The text wasn’t really an invitation to lunch, it was more of a demand. I hadn’t talked to my dad or my pops since the blowout we’d had. My desire to keep my family safe battled with my need to get to the bottom of whatever asinine plan they had. It was time to come clean. If I wanted to be able to help them dig themselves out of the hole they’d fallen into, they’d have to trust me.
I was about to respond when a text from Lacey lit up the screen.
Lacey: We need to meet. Can you come to the funeral home at 3pm?
Me: The funeral home? About what?
Lacey: Spreadsheet’s done. We need to sync schedules and I need to show you something.
Her and her damn spreadsheet. If I left soon, I could chat with Dad and Pops and still have time to meet her by three. What could she possibly want to show me at the funeral home though? Knowing Lacey, it could be anything. The thought of her all decked out in white sent a cold shiver through me. She’d make a beautiful bride. Someday. For someone else.
What would Luke say when he found out about the phony wedding? If all went well, he never would. I would follow Lacey’s lead and let her figure out the plan. I had my hands full enough with my own family issues.
Twenty minutes later my dad greeted me as I walked into the office. “You said you needed to see me?”
Dad stood and walked around his desk. “I think it’s about time we put this deal to bed, don’t you?”
