Chapter Eight

Katie had attended the Colburns’ Labor Day picnic nearly every year since she’d started dating Tim. Because he’d been Carter’s best friend, he was always included. After he died, Katie felt privileged to be counted among the Colburns’ family and close friends. This was the first time, however, she’d walked into the backyard holding the hand of a Colburn man.

She’d been here so often that she hadn’t expected it to feel so different this time. She remembered that the first year without Tim had been awkward, too, but she didn’t like feeling awkward now, coming with Carter. It had to be because they were pretending to be in a relationship and lying to all their friends and family.

Donna and Chuck Colburn had raised their three sons in an old Victorian house on the outskirts of Lakeside, surrounded by a couple of acres of property. Katie had picked a lot of apples off the trees in the little orchard out back. The memory of helping Sean do the same before he was too old to climb the branches brought a few bittersweet tears to her eyes.

As an only child, she envied the closeness and sometimes craziness she witnessed when she was their guest. A couple of dozen people gathered in a few small groups, drinks in hand. A portable canopy had been set up for when people wanted to get out of the sun. Several grills were lined up near the deck. Beckett, Noah, and a couple of other guys stood nearby.

“Katie! Carter!” Donna Colburn dashed down the deck stairs and met them in the middle of the backyard. The long, warm embrace from Carter’s mother made a few more tears prickle her eyelids.

“Oh, I’m so happy for you two. I always hoped you’d get together.”

Keep it simple. Katie stepped away, her stomach twisting. She didn’t want to have to keep lying to these wonderful people. “Well, we’ve only had a couple of dates, so…”

Donna grinned. “That’s how it starts.” Her eyes widened, and she grabbed Katie’s arm. She’d obviously noticed the tattoo. “What’s this? Oh, it’s lovely.”

“Thanks. It’s brand new.” Katie was supposed to protect it from the sun, so she’d put a long-sleeved shirt in the zippered tote Carter was carrying. Aside from her shirt, it held a container of oatmeal raisin cookies she’d brought.

Donna studied the tattoo for a minute and then let her glance bounce between Katie and Carter. “I wish I were brave enough to do that.”

“Oh, well…” No one had ever called her brave before.

“Mom? You want to get a tattoo?” Carter sounded gobsmacked.

Carter’s mom shot him a mischievous smile. Then she slipped her arm around Katie’s waist and turned her toward the house. “Come on, Carter,” she called over her shoulder. “Come say hi to your pop.”

A half dozen kids ran screaming past them. Katie remembered those days, when she could never fully enjoy a get-together because she had to keep an eye on Sean all the time. She couldn’t tell who was chasing who today. Or if they were just embracing the joy of running. Right now she was glad she didn’t have to watch them every second or worry about who was going to get hurt.

She climbed the stairs to the deck with Donna, Carter right behind them. His dad sat in his wheelchair surrounded by a group of friends in their late sixties and seventies. Katie recognized most of them.

“Hey, Pop,” Carter said.

“So you finally got that girl before she found someone else,” he said with a lopsided grin. “Wondered when you were going to smarten up.”

Was Burger right? Had everyone already paired them up behind their backs? It felt more than weird to think that his family had.

Carter took Katie’s hand and brought it up to his lips for a quick kiss. “Yep.”

Shivers ran along her skin, buzzing her lips and other spots on her body. She liked those shivers a lot. What was happening to her? She couldn’t forget the touches and kisses were just for show.

“Hi, Pop,” she said. Everyone called Chuck Colburn “Pop.” She gently pulled her hand from Carter’s, then leaned over and dropped a kiss to Pop’s cheek.

“Katie, my dear. You are a sight for sore eyes.” He’d been more of a father to her after her dad passed away than any of the men her mother had married.

Carter put his hand on the small of her back, a light touch, as if he just wanted to keep the connection. She trembled and instinctively leaned into him. He rubbed her back gently as they said hello to the others they knew in the group. Just the tips of his fingers making lazy circles on her back. It was an easy touch. Not comfort so much as recognition. Familiarity, but more than “friend” casualness. More like “friends with benefits” intimacy.

Did he want to have benefits with her? Was this some kind of practice? Or was it simply for show?

“Have you met Anita’s parents?” Donna gestured to the handsome man with thick salt-and-pepper hair and the well-dressed woman with a big smile sitting next to Pop. “Tony and Patty Delgado. They’re old friends.”

“You do not have to put so much emphasis on the old,” Tony Delgado said with a laugh. His thick accent reminded Katie that Anita’s father was from Spain, and he was now here in the States to help take care of his ex-wife Patty, who suffered from Alzheimer’s.

“This is our middle son, Carter, and his girlfriend, Katie.”

“It’s great to meet you,” Katie said. “I like Anita a lot.”

“Are you still living in Philadelphia?” Carter asked.

“Yes. Anita mentioned this picnic, which your family has every year and asked if I…if we could come. This will be the longest Patty has been away from the memory care facility. If it goes well, I hope we can stay in Lakeside longer when we come back for the wedding.”

Beckett appeared and clamped his hand on Carter’s shoulder. “I’m the man and don’t you forget it.”

Katie turned to Carter with a curious frown. He jabbed his brother with his elbow. “Ignore him. He thinks he should be Noah’s best man. And I told him it was going to be me.”

Donna laughed and rolled her eyes. “Oh for heaven’s sake. You boys will find anything to fight about.”

“If your oldest son would make up his mind and let us know,” Carter said, “then we wouldn’t have to fight about it.”

“You’d find something else,” Donna said with a sigh.

“She’s right, of course, but that’s not what I’m talking about this time.” Beck laughed and slapped Carter on the back. “I’m talking about being the best man at your wedding.”

Carter cleared his throat and glanced at Katie. “It’s way too early to be talking about weddings.”

“We’ve only had a couple dates,” Katie said in a rush. She’d never thought his family would take things this seriously. “We don’t know—”

“You’ve known each other forever. What more do you need to know?” There was a buzz of agreement from the group around them.

Carter stiffened. “This isn’t the time, Beck.”

“Hey, I’ve got it.” Beckett laughed and elbowed Carter. “Why don’t you and Noah have a double wedding and then I’ll have to be the best man?”

Everyone laughed, but Katie didn’t feel like joining in. What would all these people think if they knew she and Carter were only pretending to be dating? That she wasn’t really his girlfriend? That they were lying to everyone they loved?

Pop shook his finger at Beck. “You shouldn’t talk about weddings before the man has proposed. It’s bad luck. Not to mention rude.”

“Sorry, Pop.” But Beckett grinned mischievously at them before he trotted back down the stairs.

Carter took Katie’s hand and tugged her away from the group. “Ignore Beck. He’s always been a pain.”

“I know.” But it was so hard to ignore.

“Pop is doing so well today. His speech seems clearer. I think he does better when he’s around people. I don’t think it’s good for him to be here alone all day every day with only Carrie around.”

“His mind is certainly working fine,” Katie agreed. “I’d think chatting with customers would be good for him. That’s if the thought doesn’t make him too anxious. If he hates it, if he’s too embarrassed or stressed, it’s not going to help him at all.”

“You’re right. We won’t know unless we try. That’s one of those things Pop used to drill into our heads. I’m going to talk with Beck and Noah about bringing him in once or twice a week to start. Just to visit, you know. If things work out, we could offer Carrie some work in the office on the days Pop’s there. She might be willing to pick up some of the odd office jobs that need doing. It’ll be extra money on top of what she gets as Pop’s aide, and we’d get the extra work done.”

“You’ve been thinking about this for a while, haven’t you?”

“Worthington was in again the other day, and we agreed on some more services I can handle for him. The extra wages for Carrie won’t be a problem. It might work out.”

“I think it sounds like a good idea.”

“Let’s see if we can catch Noah and Beck before the meat gets on the grill.” Carter took her hand again like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It felt like the most natural thing in the world. And that couldn’t be good.

“Look at you all dressed up,” Carter said to Noah when they reached his brothers. Carter and Beck, like most of the guys there, were wearing casual shorts and tees—Katie was too for that matter. Noah’s khaki shorts appeared to have been pressed, and he wore a short-sleeved white, buttoned-down shirt. “You’re going to get filthy manning the grill in that outfit. Or are you here only as mayor today? Going to leave the grilling to Beck and me?”

Noah seemed distracted. He smiled at Carter and Katie, but he didn’t take the bait. But then he never seemed to squabble like Carter and Beckett did. His gaze kept sweeping over the place. Probably looking for his fiancée.

“Well, I think you look handsome,” Katie said, and Noah returned her smile. “Where’s Anita? I haven’t seen her yet.”

“I think she’s inside. She should be out soon.” Noah kept glancing toward the house, as if he could will the woman he loved to get out there and be with him. Katie felt a little twinge of envy even as she reminded herself that she wasn’t looking for someone to love.

“Hey, guys,” Carter said. “Got a minute? I want to talk to you about something.”

“Sure,” Beck said. Then he noticed Katie’s arm. “Hey. Nice tat. When did you get that?”

Beck wore full sleeves on both arms. He’d gotten all the ink back in his wild days.

“A few days ago. I love it.”

Beck nodded. “Still hurt much?”

“Hardly at all.” It was like a mild sunburn. She’d thought it was going to hurt much worse. She’d already started thinking about getting another, but she hadn’t told anyone that. It was liberating to know she didn’t have to tell anyone about it. That she could plan anything she wanted and she didn’t have to run it by anyone else first.

“Did Burger do it for you?”

She nodded. “He was great.” Looking around the crowd there, she couldn’t help remembering what the tattoo artist had told them. How many people here thought she and Carter had been friends with benefits for years?

Noah barely glanced their way. He was focused on something or someone behind Carter. Then he smiled and gave a short nod. “We’ll have to talk later, guys. Excuse me.”

He walked past them. Katie turned and saw that Anita had finally come out of the house. Noah met her as she descended the stairs from the deck. She wore a pretty ivory sundress and held something in her hand. Katie gasped. Was that a length of lace? Noah’s twin seventeen-year-old daughters stood at the top of the stairs wearing pretty sundresses, too. Were they carrying flowers?

Katie let out a small squee, and Carter glanced at her in confusion.

“Hey, everyone!” Anita shouted. The buzz of the crowd died down immediately. “We’re so glad to have so many friends and family here today. So we thought what the hell.” She glanced at Noah with a silly smile on her face.

“We’re getting married!” Noah shouted. “Right now!”

“What?” Beckett cried out.

“Carter! Beck! Get over here. The two of you are my best men.”

Katie smiled as Carter and Beckett nudged each other as they made their way to the beautiful deck that had been built off the back of the house. She was tearing up already, and the ceremony hadn’t even started yet.

“Sarah and Hannah are my two maids of honor,” Anita announced. She and Noah walked back up the stairs hand in hand. Sarah placed the lacy veil on her head, and Hannah handed her a small bouquet of wildflowers. Pastor Bill from the Lakeside Community Church stepped up.

“Gather around, everyone. This shouldn’t take too long.”

The bride and groom looked so happy. Carter and Beckett stood tall and proud next to Noah. Sarah and Hannah made such a pretty picture next to Anita. Katie was overwhelmed by the picture they made.

Picture.

Katie yanked her phone out of her pocket and began taking photos. Moving carefully through the crowd, she did the best she could with the only equipment she had.

Ginny sidled up to her and whispered, “I can’t believe it.”

“You didn’t know?”

“No idea. I can’t believe they kept it a secret.”

“I can’t believe they didn’t give me a heads-up. I could have had more than my cell phone to take photos.”

“I bet they didn’t want you working today.”

“Probably.” She framed another shot of the wedding party. “I can’t help it, though. I want them to have some photos to remember this day.” She noticed other guests taking pictures with their phones, too, so she realized it wasn’t all on her shoulders. It wasn’t on her shoulders at all.

One more picture. She was thrilled for Noah and Anita, of course, but more and more Katie felt the pressure of the lie. Her gaze slid from the happy couple to Carter. He glanced at her as if he’d felt her stare. When he sent her a slow smile, her tummy tickled. Oh, this was bad, so bad. She didn’t know which feelings were real and which weren’t anymore. Did it feel natural to be with him simply because everyone kept saying they were meant to be together?

She took the picture and forced a smile before she shoved her phone back into her pocket. She finally had the time she needed for herself, so what was wrong with her? A fist shouldn’t be tightening in her stomach from the fear she could lose it all again. This was a fake relationship, dammit. There shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

There had to be a way to take control of this situation.

…

The champagne flowed as freely as the beer. Instead of the usual hamburgers and sausages, Carter and Beckett grilled steaks provided by the wedding couple. Katie had stepped in to relieve the new groom of his normal Labor Day grill duty so he and his new bride could mingle.

Carter found himself sneaking peeks at Katie in between flips. He couldn’t help but notice the way her shorts cupped her fine ass. Why hadn’t he ever really noticed that before? Or the way the sun made her golden hair glow. Or the way her musical laugh made him feel like all was right with the world.

“I can’t believe they kept the wedding a secret from everyone,” Katie said when they had all the prime beef laid out on the grills.

“I can’t believe I had to be a co-best man.”

Carter rolled his eyes. “Give it up, Beck.”

“I think it was romantic.” Katie met his gaze, and he could have sworn he saw desire there. She cleared her throat. “Your parents really didn’t know, either?”

“They were completely surprised.” Carter was way warmer than he could blame on the sun or the hot grills. “Hers, too. I guess the only ones who knew beforehand were Sarah and Hannah.”

“And they only found out when they got home from college on Saturday,” Beck added. His expression went on sudden alert, and his glance darted around until he saw his preteen daughter, Holly, safely laughing with her cousins. His expression softened with love and relief.

Too bad Sean hadn’t been able to come home for the weekend. But he was much farther away and he’d told Carter he was working all weekend at a local gym. Good for him. He’d grown up so fast.

What would it be like to have a child of his own? In many ways, Sean felt like his son. But still, he was Katie’s son. He was Tim’s. The longing to raise a family, to have a child of his own, filled Carter’s chest. He’d never expected to feel this way. He wanted a family like he’d had growing up. Before he’d be too old to see his kids graduate from high school.

He grabbed one of the thick steaks and flipped it over, slamming the other side down on the grill. The flames flared. The meat sizzled. Was he actually thinking of marriage? A wife and babies? A wife?

“I think Noah wanted to get married today just so he didn’t have to be bending over a hot grill all afternoon,” Beck complained.

Katie laughed, and Carter couldn’t take his eyes off her curves, her bright smile, her wild hair. He hadn’t thought often about getting married, but when he did, when he ever imagined a wife by his side…it had always been someone like Katie.

He watched her head over to the cooler under the maple tree. She reached into the ice, and he couldn’t help but notice the flash of cleavage when she leaned over. When she straightened back up, she held three bottles of beer. She sauntered over and handed one bottle to Beck, then turned to Carter. Was that a spark of mischief in her eyes? “You’re looking mighty hot, Mr. Colburn.”

“Thank you,” Beck quipped, but they both ignored him.

She held the bottle out of his reach. “What’ll you give me for this cool, refreshing bottle of beer?”

He liked this teasing Kat. Did she just want to practice her flirting style? Was she putting on a show for the crowd? Or was this for real? Whichever way, he shrugged lazily. “I can give you a ride home.”

Amusement lifted the corner of her mouth. “You’re already giving me a ride home.” She ran a cold bottle along her forehead, down her jaw and throat, and along the smooth skin all the way to that cleavage he’d been admiring. He almost moaned.

He cleared his throat. “I’ll get you a piece of cake.” He knew her sweet tooth well.

She sent him a look of mock-outrage. “I can’t take the first piece of wedding cake.” She twisted open one of the bottles without losing the other. Then she took a deep swallow.

He couldn’t take his eyes off the long length of her throat that was exposed when she tipped her head back to drink. The dampness on the front of her T-shirt molded the fabric to her curves. The slickness of her wet lips tempted him to taste. A primal growl filled his chest. He might have let it escape if they’d been alone.

One long step brought him close enough to grab the unopened bottle from her hand, wrap his arm around her waist, and look into her startled eyes. “I’ll give you this.”

And he crushed his lips to hers.

Hot? There was no comparing how hot he’d been a moment ago from the sun and the grill, and the heat that now hardened his body from Katie Kat’s mouth on his. Her lips were wet and sweet. The tang from the beer flavored her kiss with an addicting taste and made him long for more. She pressed up against him with a whimper, and he hardened even more.

“God, guys, can you at least wait until we get the meat off the grill?”

Beck’s shout reminded him of where they were. Carter released her, and she stumbled away. Katie avoided looking at either of them and turned back to the grill. He did, too. Before he grabbed her and put his mouth on her again.

Friends stopped by now and then to have a chat and check on how the steaks were coming. It made the time go by faster, but all Carter wanted was to taste Katie again. She pretty much ignored him. Yeah, that teasing earlier must have been for show.

Ginny came over with a tray to collect some of the steaks. “What is it about weddings that brings out the stupid in people?”

Carter kept his mouth closed and his eyes on the grill.

“I don’t think people need help being stupid,” Beck told her.

“Look around. I bet seventy-five percent of the adults here are going to have sex tonight. Just because it’s a wedding. And there’s all these feelings in the air.”

“Not me,” Beck said. “I’m going home with my daughter.”

Ginny huffed. “I’m going home alone.”

Carter didn’t say anything. And neither did Katie. She flipped another steak, and so did he. Beck and Ginny turned to stare at them.

“Oh, I…I’m not having sex tonight,” Katie blurted. Her cheeks were red, and Carter knew it wasn’t entirely because of the heat of the grill.

“Me, neither,” Carter said, because he had to say something.

“Who are you two trying to kid?” Beck asked. “I witnessed that kiss. It was as much body as lips.”

“Oh, man. I missed another kiss?” Ginny whined. “Come on. Kiss again. I want to see it.”

“There are a lot of hungry people waiting for steaks,” Carter reminded her.

Ginny turned to leave with the heavy tray, then looked back over her shoulder at them. “Not fair.”

Carter glanced at Katie, and her grin gave him hope that he actually might be having sex tonight.

…

Katie never thought she’d experience a kiss like the ones she’d shared with Carter. The heat. The hunger. Sure, she and Tim had been young when they’d done their kissing, and the kissing had been fun. Hot. Kinda crazy. But those two kisses? Impromptu. In public. With Carter.

They were amazing. There were emotions involved that she hadn’t expected. Hadn’t wanted. And still wanted again. Ginny was right. There was something in the air at a wedding, and instead of trying to push it away, what if she embraced it?

She’d been trying to figure out how she felt about the way Carter’s kiss made her hungry for more. Working her frustrations out at the grill just made her hot and sweaty. Beckett was going to get whiplash looking back and forth between the two of them with that shit-eating grin on his face. Then Ginny had to bring up sex.

Now she wanted sex. Tonight. With Carter.

She’d flirted with him. Nudged him enough to get him to grab her and kiss her with a passion she hadn’t expected. She’d done that. Maybe she was getting her confidence back.

Hell, yeah, she was. And it wasn’t because the picnic had turned into a wedding. It wasn’t because all their friends and families thought they belonged together. It was because she was owning her emotions, taking charge of her needs. Even if their relationship was fake, the confidence she’d gained was real.

Finally, all the steaks were done and off the grill. She sat at a table with Carter and Beckett. Carter’s chair was so close to hers, their thighs brushed. When her plate was almost empty and she was trying to come up with some small talk-slash-flirting to try on Carter, Noah and Anita came over and sat across from them.

“Congratulations.” Katie hopped up and gave them both a hug. “I haven’t had a chance to say more than two words to you guys. How does it feel to be married?” Just because she didn’t want to get married didn’t mean she couldn’t be happy for her friends.

Anita shrugged. “The same. I was happy this morning. I’m happy now.” She leaned over and kissed Noah on the cheek. “And it’s all because of this man.”

Katie sighed and took her seat again. Carter pressed his thigh against hers. She pressed back. “That’s so sweet. Are you guys taking a honeymoon?”

“Heading up to Niagara Falls for a week,” Noah told her.

“Does that sound cheesy?” Anita made a face. “We thought…unconventional wedding, conventional honeymoon.”

“I think it sounds perfect.” Balancing conventional and unconventional seemed to be what Noah and Anita did best.

“You will make it out of the hotel room long enough to see the waterfalls, right?” Beck laughed.

Noah didn’t bother to reply to his youngest brother’s teasing. He looked at Carter. “Before we leave. You wanted to talk?”

“Yeah.”

…

But before Carter could say anything about Pop, Noah continued, “I know I’ve left you guys in the lurch at the business. There’s some notes on my desk, mostly about scheduling jobs and manpower and a few other things. If you two could just split up the stuff until I get back, I’d appreciate it.”

Carter held back a groan. There was no way he could say no. There was no way he’d get everything done at the office, either.

“Of course, no problem,” Beckett chimed in while Carter sat there with his mind whirling and the words stuck in his throat.

Carter shook himself. “You can count on us, but there’s something else we need to talk about, too.” He looked around. There wasn’t anyone within eavesdropping distance. “About Pop. Mom mentioned he’s been kind of depressed sitting at home all week.”

“I’d be depressed, too if I had to sit home alone every day,” Anita said.

“Pop says he doesn’t want to go into the shop,” Noah pointed out. “I’ve tried a few times, and he’s flat-out refused.”

“I know, but look how great he’s been doing today,” Carter replied. “I think if we could get him out of the house and into Colburn and Sons, if he started interacting with people and stopped worrying and obsessing about what he can’t do, then…”

“He might get out of his own way,” Anita finished. “I think it’s a great idea.”

Noah frowned. “I don’t want to try to make him do something he doesn’t want to do. He’s our father. Not a child.”

“But he hasn’t even tried. Didn’t he always tell us not to judge something until we’d given it a try?”

…

Katie had kept quiet so far. After all, Pop wasn’t really her dad, even though he felt like it. She loved the way Carter was sticking up for Pop, even when he seemed to be going against his father’s wishes. She was about to add her agreement when Beck joined in for the first time.

“What about Carrie?” Pop’s aide had been with him for over a year now and had been a godsend.

“If it works out with Pop, maybe she’d be interested in picking up some of those odd office chores while he’s at the shop. I’ve heard she’s good with computers. Business has been good lately. I can contribute enough to cover her extra work. We’ve talked about hiring a floater for a while now.”

“Sounds good,” Noah said. “But the first hurdle will be talking Pop into giving it a try.”

The Colburn sons looked at one another, as if waiting for someone else to volunteer.

Katie glanced around and saw that most of the guests had left. Carrie was following Donna into the kitchen, leaving Pop sitting on the deck alone.

“Pop has a soft spot for me.” Katie rose. “Let me broach the subject to him. You know, feel him out.”

Carter smiled, grabbed her hand, and pulled her down for a quick brush of his lips over hers. “Thanks.”

Another kiss. She hadn’t been expecting that, but then, they’d agreed to keep up the pretense, even with family. She was almost ready for those shivers that accompanied it. She smiled back and then joined Pop on his corner of the deck. She sighed as she sank into the chair beside him. “Wow. What a great day.”

Pop grasped her hand. “Wonderful day.”

“There were a lot of people here today I haven’t seen in a while.”

Pop nodded his agreement.

“I don’t know if I should tell you this.” Katie leaned over, almost whispering. “But I heard people today saying how much they missed you. So many of them miss seeing you around town. Around the showroom.”

Pop nodded again. “I hadn’t realized how much I missed seeing people, too. I used to spend all day talking with people.”

Katie gave a little shrug. “No reason you can’t do that still.”

“Look at me.” He nodded to his right arm that lay useless in his lap. “Listen to this stupid mouth of mine. It’s not the same.”

Sure, his words slurred a bit, but it hadn’t stopped him from talking all afternoon with his friends. “It won’t be quite the same, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t have a great time.”

She could see the cogs working in his brain. He frowned, but she was pretty sure it was mostly put on this time. “I’ll scare away the children.”

“Ha. You don’t fool me. Kids were crawling over you all day.”

Pop gave her a one-sided shrug. “Maybe.”

“Maybe you’d like to come in a few times a week?”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s not the best idea.”

“You won’t know unless you try. You can hang out in the showroom, talk the customers into spending lots of money.”

He laughed. “That would be worth a try.”

“Good.” She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. “Those sons of yours love you. They want you to be happy.”

He took her hand again before she could stand. “So you and Carter. I’m very happy for you. I was afraid that was never going to happen.”

Keep it simple. “Yeah, well, I’m still not sure it’s the best idea. Carter’s been my friend for so long. I don’t know if we should be throwing romance into the mix.”

Pop smiled when he threw her words back at her. “You won’t know unless you try.”