Page 33 of Cold Feet
"It's just until the deal is signed," Cam said. "A few more weeks, maybe a month. No drama, no harm done."
I moved to the minibar, suddenly desperate for something stronger than water. Finding a small bottle of whiskey, I poured it into a glass and took a fortifying sip before turning back to face my brother. I'd usually offer Cam and my brother some, but I was pretty sure I was going to need it all for myself.
"It's for work," I explained, in my most non-nonsense PR Director voice. "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement with a set timeline and clear parameters."
"Parameters," Zayne repeated, gaze moving between us. "Like what I just walked in on in the hallway?"
Heat crept up my neck. "That was... just..."
"Obviously," Cam interjected, somehow managing a hint of his usual charm despite the circumstances. "Your timing has always been impeccable, Z."
My brother ignored him, focusing on me. "So this whole thing – the ring, the dance, that speech he gave – it's all fake?"
I twisted the sapphire absently. "It's an arrangement. A temporary solution to a specific problem."
"The Redline deal," Zayne said,understanding finally dawning. "It’s that significant?"
Cam nodded. Zayne sank into the armchair by the window, the fight seeming to drain out of him. "So you two geniuses decided to pretend to be engaged. To each other." He ran a hand over his face. "Christ."
"It's just until the deal is signed," I explained, perching on the edge of the bed.
"And Mom and Dad? They think this is real."
The genuine hurt in his voice made guilt twist in my stomach. "That... wasn't part of the original plan."
"They were so happy for you," Zayne said quietly. "Dad called me after you left. Said he hadn't seen Mom that excited in years."
I swallowed hard, the weight of the deception suddenly feeling much heavier. "I know."
"And now you're going to Siesta Key to continue the lie."
It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyway. "We have to. It would look suspicious if we didn't."
Zayne turned to Cam, his expression hardening. "Let me be clear: if this hurts my sister – her career, her reputation, anything – I will end you. Friend or not. Teammate or not."
"I understand," Cam said, meeting Zayne's gaze steadily. "If it makes you feel any better, I'd do the same in your position."
"You don't have siblings, idiot."
"No," Cam acknowledged. "But I know what it means to protect the people you care about."
Something passed between the men then – a moment of understanding, or at least détente. Cam never had the family stability the Deckers took for granted, but he understood loyalty. It was what made him such a valuable teammate, why players like Zayne and Logan trusted him on the ice.
My phone buzzed in my lap, breaking the moment. I glanced down to see a message from Ryan Keller, Cam's agent.
RYAN: Redline execs over the moon. Meeting fast-tracked for next week.
"It's working," I said, showing the message to Cam and Zayne. "Ryan says the Redline meeting is happening next week."
Some of the tension left Cam's shoulders. "That's good. Faster than expected."
"Great," Zayne said dryly. "So you just need to keep this up a little longer. Should be easy, right?Since it's all for show."
Something in his tone made me look up sharply. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Zayne shook his head, a knowing look in his eyes. "Nothing. Just that you two seem pretty convincing for people who are just pretending."
Heat crept up my neck. "That's the whole point."
