The hotel was getting rowdy, with children from another wedding party thundering back and forth across the reception area. The four little kids looked adorable in their matching suits and dresses.
A long line of people stood in front of the check-in clerk, who kept her warm, friendly welcoming conversation with the guests as brief as possible. Hotel stewards came to help with the luggage. Cool air from the open-air veranda drifted through the lobby, bringing with it the scent of sea air. In the middle of the large room was an ornate table with a three-foot-tall vase of tropical flowers in several shapes and sizes, including some green ones with burgundy centers that Devon couldn’t name.
She was about to make her way toward the beach when one of the galloping children bumped into her legs, yanking her out of her analysis of the Mike dilemma.
She looked down at the young boy, who reminded her of a child she’d often seen playing in the park by her apartment in Connecticut. But this boy backed away and stared at the toy car lying at Devon’s feet.
“Whoa there, little man.” Devon lowered herself to the boy’s eye level. “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry, miss.” A mother trotted over to apologize and grabbed the young boy by the hand, pulling him to her side.
Brown eyes peered at Devon from behind the woman as little hands clenched on his mother’s bright red cotton skirt.
“Ma’am, it’s okay.” Devon picked up the metal car and placed it into the boy’s shaking hands. She offered a smile to the boy with the chocolate-drop brown eyes and got a bashful expression in return.
“And what will you say to the kind lady?” The mother tugged on the boy’s hand.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he replied.
“I used to have a racer like yours when I was little, only mine was red. Tile makes the cars go lots faster.” She turned to the mother. “You have a wonderful boy. He’ll be successful when he grows up. He’s got a creative mind.”
His mother’s eyes softened. “Creative is one way to describe him.”
Devon appreciated that motherhood was challenging, but she’d give anything to have a child of her own. At twenty-eight, she was hyper aware that her maternal clock was beginning to clang more and more loudly with every passing year.
Devon backed away and continued toward the beach. Unconsciously, her hand found its way to her belly while she yearned for the day she would have her own child. Michael Lewis would be the perfect name, a name she’d doodled repeatedly in her college notebooks when she faced a problem not readily solved. And Mike Lewis was a problem. He’d never shown any interest in her. Even now, this fake engagement was a game—a dangerous game for her heart.
What if she showed him how their relationship could be? Maybe this wedding was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see if her Mike Lewis fantasy could be turned into reality.
The only problem was getting and keeping Mike’s attention. He never put his phone down to see what was in front of him. He’d never noticed her flirtations on the rare occasions she summoned enough nerve. Or he hadn’t taken her advances seriously.
During her and Kayla’s graduation from college, Devon adopted the belief that Mike didn’t go for a woman who stocked her closet with black-and-white clothes because designer outfits were beyond her budget. But deep down she knew he didn’t care about material things. He had his sights on improving the way surgery was performed. That was all.
Reaching the white sand beach, she removed her shoes and scrunched her toes in the soft, warm sand, the tension in her shoulders easing as she made her way toward the water. The ocean tides washed over her feet. The wind caressed and kissed her skin, and she fantasized about what it would feel like to kiss Mike.
The consequences of telling the entire world she was Mike Lewis’s fiancée chose this moment to finally sink in.
What had she been thinking? Ugh. What a mess.
She gazed out over the ocean. The sun danced on the waves while the summer breeze whipped her hair about her head and across her face. She breathed in the fresh air as she turned and walked toward the rocks on the other end of the beach, letting the memory of Mike’s reaction to her announcement replay in her mind. The silent meaningful looks, his off-balance fidgeting, and the way he leaned in to hear her explanation—all of his reactions were delicious.
“Devon.”
A hand touched her, and she jumped.
“Jesus, Kayla. You scared the crap out of me.”
“I’ve been calling your name for the past two minutes, but you just kept walking. What’s got you so distracted?” Kayla turned around and walked backwards.
“I…uh…” Should she tell Kayla what happened? Probably not. Knowing Kayla, she’d worry, and more worry was not something she needed right now. “Just work stuff.”
“Work stuff.” Kayla nodded. “And that’s what you’re sticking with?”
I’m in love with your brother, Devon wanted to say, but she kept her expression blank. “I’m fine, Kay-K. You can stop being an annoying pain in the ass.”
Devon found a clear spot to sit on the beach. Kayla sank down beside her.
“I’m not annoying,” Kayla said. “A little pesky, but never annoying.”
“Okay, Miss English lit major, even I know annoying and pesky are synonyms.”
“Well, you may have a point. I’m a teeny-weeny bit annoying sometimes, but it’s because I love you.”
And it was love in the form of late-night chats, spur-of-the-moment cocktails, and last-minute movie nights that Devon coveted. She was going to miss those girl-power moments. Just the thought of it doused her with a melancholy she tried desperately to hide.
“Don’t be sad.”
“I’m not.” Devon forced a laugh and refused to let her friend see the tears stinging her eyes. Time to change the subject. “Why were you looking for me?”
“I want to ask your opinion about the flowers. The florist chose white roses, and I’m worried there should be some color added, but I can’t decide what flowers would work. The bridesmaids’ dresses are blue, but I always think blue flowers are weird-looking.” Kayla drew spiraling circles in the sand.
Time to distract Kayla, and give her a more appropriate task to focus on. “Have you checked on the menu? What about the caterers? Did you talk with them? How did it go?”
“Yes, and yes. The good news is the menu is as I requested. The bad news is my dad got a call from his sister. My aunt and uncle are flying in tonight, so I’ve alerted the caterers to add an extra two plates.” She rubbed her eyes. “I hope there aren’t any more last-minute surprises.”
Like hearing your brother and I are engaged.
“Kayla,” Devon began, doing her best to find a way to tell her friend about the Mike situation, yet not freak her out. Words failed her. There were times she wished she’d been an English major.
“Hey, you know what I need?” Kayla grabbed Devon’s arm.
“A massage?” Devon suggested.
“Oh…that does sound good.” Kayla closed her eyes briefly. “But no.”
“You sure? Cuz I can picture you on the beach, a handsome man rubbing your back with lavender oil.”
“Mmm, don’t tempt me. But no. Right now I need to go greet the family members coming in today.” She gave Devon an elbow bump. “Come with me.”
“Your family is huge. Making sure everyone gets settled will take hours.” Devon played up the whine, hoping it would get her out of meet-and-greet duties. Kayla was the extrovert. Not her, although she could make do in a pinch.
“Tell me about it. A massage would be more fun.” Kayla pushed up off the ground and held out a helping hand to Devon. “Brandon and I are planning to have a couple’s massage after the wedding. I’ll need it after all this is over. This morning I was thinking I should have accepted Brandon’s offer to elope, but my mom would have killed me.”
“Yes, she would have.” Devon nodded. “Keep a positive attitude. Nothing bad is going to happen. It’s your wedding, and it will be the most perfect one ever. Besides, no one could be more beautiful than you.”
“Aw. You’re going to make me cry. I can’t wait to tell you the same thing on your wedding day. That is, if you ever allow a guy into your life,” Kayla teased. “No one is ever good enough for you.”
Except for Mike, Devon thought.
“What can I say? I haven’t found the perfect guy yet.” When the lightning didn’t strike Devon for that whopper, she felt a slight relief.
“Speaking of guys, I forgot to ask about Mike. Were you able to get him away from the paparazzi?” Kayla asked.
“Mike? Mike is fine. He’s more worried about making sure your wedding day is perfect.” Guilt for keeping secrets sneaked in, and Devon had a hard time swallowing. “Kay, I need to tell you something.”
Kayla stopped. “What?”
“It’s just that…” Devon weighed her options. “Well, it seems… You see… Mike and I are sort of engaged.”
“Engaged!”
Devon waved her hands to make Kayla suspend judgment for a second. “No. No. No. I’m only pretending to be his fiancée. It’s not a real engagement.”
“Okay.” Kayla looked at Devon, her eyes narrowing. “What happened?”
“I made up this fake engagement excuse so women will leave Mike alone.” Devon blurted out the story and finished with, “and Mike wants me to act the part of his fiancée until after your wedding is over.”
Kayla’s eyes got really, really big. Then she snorted and laughed. “That’s outstanding. No, really.”
“Um…I don’t follow. You’re happy about this?”
“I am. There’s a hiccup in the accommodations, and we’re a room short. The hotel is fully booked, but my uncle and aunt need a place to stay. The hotel is saying there truly are no extra rooms. My mom is dealing with it,” Kayla explained in her typical rapid-fire manner as they walked toward the hotel lobby.
“What do your uncle and aunt have to do with Mike’s and my dilemma?”
“You, my dear friend, have again solved my problem.”
Devon’s skin started to itch when Kayla’s expression turned devious. She was all too familiar with that expression. Kayla was up to something.
“Why do I get the feeling I won’t like what you’re about to tell me?”
“Stop worrying. It’s going to be perfect. You’ll share Mike’s suite with him, and my uncle and aunt can take your room.” Kayla waved her hands in the air like the Good Fairy scattering around fairy dust to make everything perfect.
“Kay-K, I don’t think your brother will go for this.”
“My workaholic brother won’t even notice another human sharing his room. He’ll be too busy. As long as you remain quiet, it’ll be fine.”
A wave of sadness crashed over Devon. Mike’s family had never seen him for the authentic hero he was, then or now. “This isn’t a good idea.”
“I wouldn’t suggest the move if there were another option. Please, Devy, I need that extra room.”
Devon didn’t have much choice. Kayla’s parents were paying for this luxury trip, a vacation Devon couldn’t afford on her own. The all-inclusive resort boasted five restaurants, three pools, a workout center, a five-star spa, and more. The place even had a juice and ice cream bar. “Okay, fine. You win. Whatever will help.”
“You’re the best friend ever.” Kayla skipped up the steps to the lobby. “Let’s go find my mom and tell her we found an extra room. She’ll be too distracted to ask where you’re sleeping, so we won’t need to tell her about you and Mike.”
“What if Mike refuses to let me stay in his room?”
“I’ll just tell him he doesn’t have a choice. I already have two cousins staying with me.”
Devon supposed she could always sleep on the floor or in the bathtub. The whirlpool in Kayla’s room was large enough.
What had she gotten herself into?