Page 32 of The Wedding Hoax

“Just don’t, Mom.” I reached for her hand. “Please don’t make me think about what would happen if I lost you, too. I really don’t think I could handle it.”

She sweetly squeezed my palm with her own. “I understand, Simi. We should talk about something else.”

“But not Harry.”

“Who said anything about Harry?” She let out a breezy laugh. “I wanted to talk to you about your father.”

“What about him?”

“Did I ever tell you how we met? When I was visiting Paris?”

“The rom-com.” I laughed. “Yeah, I think I’ve heard this one before.”

“I was just another confused tourist, completely lost. All I had was a guidebook and a few words of French in my back pocket. I bumped into your father at a beautiful café. I showed him my guidebook, stumbling my way through French. I was just trying to get to the Eiffel Tower, just like a million other people.”

She grinned as she went on. “Of course, I assumed that a waiter at a café would be willing to point me in the right direction. Only, your father wasn’t a waiter. Lucas was there on a date, a first date, with a woman he’d met the night before. Another tourist. But he always told me that from the first moment he saw me walk into that café, he knew he’d picked the wrong woman. And if he didn’t at least try to get me in his life, he would’ve regretted it for the rest of his days.”

“And so, instead of finishing his first date, he offered to show you to the Eiffel Tower himself,” I said, finishing up the story. “But what he didn’t count on was the girl from the café following you both over there. He also didn’t expect her to explain what happened and how he’d ditched her to flirt with you. Which ended with her slapping him across the face—”

“—and me slapping him right after her!” My mom broke out into a full laugh. “He said his face hurt for a few days after that. But eventually, after some begging and pleading, he convinced me to give him another chance.”

“I can’t believe Dad was such a player.” I smirked. “Two dates on the same day?”

“Lucas might’ve tried to be a player, but he wasn’t any good at it.” My mom wistfully sighed. “Your father was sincere to a fault. It was like he couldn’t help himself.”

Just then, her expression shifted into something somber. “That’s what I’m so afraid of when it comes to you and Harry, Simi. I don’t think he could ever give you anything like that. No sincerity. Nothing real.”

“I’m not looking for anything real with Harry, Mom. I already told you—”

“I know you’re not looking for anything real, but that doesn’t mean it won’t find you,” she interrupted. “And I’m worried that if you fall for Harry, you’ll never be happy. You’ll never have the love story that you deserve.”

“You worry too much, Mom. About the surgery. About Harry.” I stood up from her bed with a warm smile on my face. “It’s all going to be okay. Okay?”

“Whatever you say, Simi.”

“That’s the spirit.” I offered her an energetic thumbs-up before I headed out of her room for the night. “Good night, Mom. Love you!”

“I love you, too.”

* * *

“Oh. You’re still up?”

I was holding a cold glass of water in my hand, after going for a late-night walk in Harry’s backyard. His estate was massive and his lawn was well kept, which made it the perfect place to let out some of my restless energy.

My mom’s words were still on my mind. Even though they were mostly unwelcome, they were still rattling around in my brain.

I know you’re not looking for anything real, Simi, but that doesn’t mean it won’t find you.

“Yeah. I was just sort of pacing up and down the halls.” Harry shrugged. “That’s the benefit of having a house this big, I guess. Lots of space to get out some restless energy.”

“What are you restless about?” I took a sip of my water, even though my eyes never left his frame.

“Nothing in particular. Just have a few things on my mind.”

“Got it. CEO stuff?”

“Something like that, yeah.” Harry’s eyes were locked on mine. There was a familiar heat behind them, and something in my stomach clenched tight in response. Before I knew what I was doing, I felt myself moving closer to him.

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