Lakeshore Secrets: The McAdams Sisters - Kate McAdams (By The Lake Series Book 1) (17 page)

“No, I’m engaged to you.” She looked down at the ring on her finger.

“But you’re seeing my sister?”

“No.” He looked insulted. “I would never date one of your sisters. Didn’t Peyton talk to you?”

She leveled a look at him plainly stating she had no idea what was going on. “But you’re planning on being engaged to her?”

“It’s a business deal.”

“So you gave her money to be your fiancée? Like an escort?” That word was kinder than the ones that had come to mind: slut, tramp, whore.

“Well,” he said moving closer. “In those terms that would make you my escort.”

That’s twice in less than a month he had referred to her as such. “Peyton!” Marc jumped back startled by her outburst. “Peyton Grace McAdams where are you?”

She appeared at the top of the stairs. “What are you shouting about?” Then she saw Marc and her eyes lit up. “You’re here.”

“Yes, I’m here and you are
in
here and you were supposed to be
out
there and now our plan has gone to shambles.” Marc accused as she started down the stairs. Kate had never heard Marc talk so quickly, so loose.

Peyton sent them both questioning looks. “Why, what happened?” Kate stepped in front of her and held the ring at her eye level. Peyton gasped. “Why are you wearing that?” Then grabbed her hand. “Wow, this is gorgeous. This is the price of my condo for a whole year.”

“Because you insisted on styling my hair.” She said using air quotes for the word
styling
. “And now apparently I’m a paid escort.”

Marc chimed in at that point and explained the misunderstanding and being caught by his mother and sister. A smirk crossed Peyton’s face.

“This is not funny.” This was a disaster. How could her sister agree, let alone formulate this ludicrous idea.

“It’s a little funny,” her sister said.

“It’s really not.”

“It’s kinda perfect,” Peyton said. “I mean you are a way more realistic match than me. No one will question your engagement.”

“What engagement?” Kate practically screamed. She paused as a realization formed in her head. “Wait a second, did you plan this?”

“Yes, Marc just told you,” she innocently agreed.

Kate shook her head recognizing that not-so-innocent flicker in her sister’s eyes. She turned away. “Unbelievable.”

She walked away from her sister to keep from reaching out and strangling her. Everything was coming together. Her updo, the tape measure, the texting.
Oh Peyton.
When she felt there was enough distance between them, she turned back to Peyton and Marc, who were both watching her.

“You sent me out there on purpose,” Kate accused her sister. “You made some red bag story to throw me and Marc together.”

“I did not.” Liar.

She glanced at Marc. “Didn’t she text you minutes before you jumped me?”

He cleared his throat. “I did not jump you.” He looked at Peyton. “And, yes she did. She also knew my mother would be watching.” He sent her an accusing look.

Peyton threw her hands in the air in defeat. She shrugged her little plan off. “Marc did you actually think anyone would have believed we were a couple?” She waved her hand in the distance between them. “This would have created a mountain of more drama in your family to deal with. With Kate, they’re just going to accept her and not think twice because of your history. See, it’s perfect.”

That was the dumbest plan Kate had ever heard.

Peyton continued as though she were reading an instruction manual. “But we have to mislead Abby and Syd. They can’t know you two aren’t actually engaged.”
Did she really think this plan was going into action?
“Abby is Izzy’s best friend and she would definitely let it slip and Syd’s been hard enough to get on board with this plan that we don’t want to give her a reason to back out now.”

“This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.” She looked at Marc. “How did you let her convince you that this was actually a good idea?” Kate was dumbfounded.

Peyton was quick to explain. “When we met up at his office to construct the set up cost and interest, his family was popping in and out of his office interrupting him the entire time and not for business reasons. So I teased and said he needed someone to distract them and he agreed and one thing led to the next and he said he would drop the interest and I said I would distract his family with wedding stuff.”

Kate crossed her arms. “Which you were never going to do?”

“Take one for the team.”

Kate glared at her sister. “Take one for the team?” She had no idea what she had taken for the team! And after Marc’s accusations she finally had a clear head on the direction of her life and this wasn’t it! “You take one for the team!” Kate’s feet overrode her good sense and she was crossing the room straight towards her sister. Marc caught her halfway around the waist and lifted her into the air and away from Peyton.

Peyton stuck her tongue out as the front door flew open and the rest of her family came waltzing in. “Kate and Marc are engaged!” she announced.

Marc looked down at her.

“I’m going to skin her,” she told him before her sister’s screaming excitement overruled and she was pulled away from Marc and into their arms. She should have stopped it right there. She should have told them their sister’s ridiculous plan instead of listening to Peyton go over the business plan and Marc explain the transaction and payment plan.

The women were ecstatic about their new business adventure. Everyone was on board, even Sydney seemed to let down her uncertainty of the shop. They were officially in business...and Marc was shelling out the cash.

A lot of realities had transpired about Marc, one of them the same as his dad: he thought money could buy him anything, including a fiancé.

He made his way across to her. His tone was low. “I like Peyton’s plan, you at my side instead of her.” He winked at her. “We mesh better.”

“Marc this isn’t going to work.”

He took her hands in his rubbing his thumbs along the length of her fingers. “Kate, I’m sorry about what I said at the hotel up north. I was under a lot of stress with my uncle.”

“Your father,” she softly corrected.

He paused before speaking again. “Yes, my father. I snapped at you and there’s absolutely no excuse for my behavior. Maybe lack of sleep,” he offered referring to their time in the cabin. She couldn’t muster up a smile. “I’m sorry.”

“Did you ask Carl about our conversation?” She already knew the answer, he was still talking to her, he knew nothing.

“I don’t need confirmation to know when I’ve been an ass.”

Her lips curved upwards, and then the smile vanished. She couldn’t fall for this. She had to put some distance between them and now. “You should have asked him Marc.” Her tone was cold. “Because I’m sure starting your new relationship with him he would have told you that six years ago your father...Robert...offered me money to leave you. And I took it.”

The softness in his eyes cleared as his body stiffened, even the fingers around hers became rigid. “What?”

She swallowed hard. Spit it out and he will end this fake engagement quickly and you can both move on with your lives.
This is your decision.
“He offered me a large sum of money and all I had to do was stay out of your life.” She held her breath, surprised it all came out as easily as it had, unfortunately it didn’t make her conscience any lighter.
That’s because it’s only half the story.
“And I took it Marc. That’s why I left you and didn’t say a word. Because your dad offered me a new opportunity.”

“How much?” His stone cold tone and stare almost made her crumble.

She was reluctant.

“How much was my love worth Kate?” Your love is priceless, but that’s not what this was about.

She closed her eyes as she answered. “Half a million.”

He said nothing. She stole a glance through one eye and he was glowering down at her. “Where is it?” He looked furious.

“It’s gone.” After paying for all their schooling and setting her life up she never touched it again, and then at the hotel she wrote Carl a cheque for the remainder. He hadn’t cashed it yet, but he was in possession of it.

The room closed in around them. Kate felt like the air was being sucked away, making it hard to breathe.

“You have no money.” It was a statement but she shook her head regardless.

“You can’t pay for this business.”

Her heart jammed. Maybe she was too rash to fill him in and now her sisters might lose a dream that hadn’t formally began. “No.”

“So you
need
my money?”

“We need your investment.” Her voice was quiet but she tried to not slink away into the cracks of the walls like a frightened mouse.

“I need a fiancée.” No he didn’t. He leveled a cold look at her. “Well I guess we’re a pretty amazing forgiving couple.” Damn it.

Who was the fool now? If he had ever suspected she had left with a push from Robert, he surely hadn’t been ready to hear it from her cold, emotionless lips.

First, Peyton had played him like a fiddle and succeeded. As ridiculous as the plan may have sounded to Kate, her sister had described it as an essential resolution required to eliminate the background noise in his life. He was drowning in the resort. The last few weeks had been a sea of wild emotion and all the Caliendo women were swimming around like piranha’s attacking him every second they spotted him. They couldn’t find it in themselves to acknowledge and accept that he was fine. He wasn’t some little emotional roller coaster that needed checking and oiling before every start up. He was
fine
.

He had also been fine with the new plan; in fact he had been thrilled since she hadn’t taken any of his calls. That was until Kate revealed her true self. She was just like the rest of them−after his money.

Half a million dollars! What a lifestyle she had lived for six years and now she’d run out. Gone, squandered it away and now he was her ticket back to the lavish lifestyle. After their first run in at the resort she must have known he still loved her.
Loved her! How was that even possible
! That was the reason behind seeking him out at the Crystal Hotel...it had been strategized. The cabin and the intimacy they shared was a means to get into his bank account.

The realization enraged him. What did she think he was going to do with that confession? Eliminate her part of the arrangement and again walk away leaving her with his money? Hell no! She could stick around and play the part he was promised and he was certainly going to make it unpleasant for her.

He was so damn mad he’d hardly been able to drag himself back to the suite to get ready. That’s why they were running well over a half hour late for supper with their families. As they reached the restaurant she slipped her hand around his, for the purpose of this sham but he felt a pang of cool anger slice through his body.

This was the worst idea ever. His breaking heart wanted to call it off now but retribution seemed to override his heart. But he still stole another glance at the mid-length black evening dress that wrapped unlined lace around her arms up and around her neckline revealing her silky skin playing peek-a-boo with her cascading curls.
Beautiful.
And she knew he thought so.

Everyone was in the restaurant waiting when they arrived; his family on the left and her family on the right. There were two seats left for them, smack dab in the middle across from his parents.
His parents.
That was still odd to put into one sentence and stare at a man he had been raised to believe was his uncle.

Izzy and Abby made a commotion when they arrived.

“Here are the love birds finally,” Izzy teased. “What took you two so long?”

“Oh, you know what took them so long,” Abby chimed in.

Laughter erupted around the table. It was better they pictured them wrestling in the sheets then the reality: she was after his money.

“Make your announcement already so it is official,” Izzy demanded and they were in the spotlight.

Marc was just about to sit down, paused and stood back up. He grabbed Kate’s fidgeting hand and pulled her to her feet wrapping his arm around her waist and noticing her muscles tensed under his touch. “Kate and I bumped into each other in the sauna over a month ago, which I am sure you all remember.” He flashed a bashful grin. “The part we left out of the story was that our hearts bumped together again in that small space after all these years of being apart.” The women at the table awed loudly with romance twinkling in their eyes. “And after our snowstorm stay in the cabin we rekindled what we both thought was long gone.” He paused in case Kate wanted to add anything to the story. She didn’t
. That won’t look suspicious.
“We couldn’t live our lives apart another second so I proposed to Kate and she said yes.”

The table erupted with noise, all the Caliendo’s unable to sit still jumped to their feet and came rushing around the table to hug the bride and groom to be. The McAdams joining in on the charade that left only Peyton roll-playing.

“Oh, my gosh!” Izzy cried as if this was the first time she had heard the news. “I knew it! I knew you were still in love with her,” she insisted at her turn. Kate’s eyes found his and beyond that fake smile he saw a sadness he couldn’t explain. He wouldn’t let her see his sadness so between his fake smiles he shot her looks filled with the resentment she would understand. “Thank goodness you didn’t listen to me and hide in your office!”

“I’m so happy for you my pining brother,” Violet teased squeezing his shoulders extra-long.

“Congrats son,” Carl said, throwing him off a bit with the term but he liked the sound of it.

“I’m very surprised,” Emma whispered for only him to hear. “But congrats,” she said louder with a smile.

“That means we are getting another Aunt,” Violet’s kids were saying. He heard them introduce themselves formally and politely to Kate. She smiled and shook each of their tiny little hands until Violet encouraged hugs.

His mother held him the tightest. “There was a click between you two. I figured it was just a matter of time. I’m honestly the happiest mother right now.” Her blue eyes were brimming with tears. Wait until this game was over, the tears would roll like wild dice.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss,” Izzy squealed as everyone was finding their seats.

Kate glanced at him looking overwhelmed. He smiled down at her, a goofy grin for everyone else as he reached with his hand and cupped the side of her face pulling her lips to his. It was short and yet the tiny touch sent heat straight to his groin. How irritating.
Remember she deserted you for money, cold hard cash in her pocket.

“I want to throw the two of you an engagement party,” he mother said just as he knew she would. “Immediately.” That sounded like a perfect idea to him. “Kate we could start planning with Violet and have this event thrown together in a couple weeks.”

“Mom, you’re overwhelming her,” Violet said. “Why don’t us girls just have lunch tomorrow, when I have my schedule book,” she shot a glance to her mom. “And we will discuss it.” That was also exactly what he had counted on.

“This is girl stuff,” his mom clarified being just as she claimed, the happiest mother. He couldn’t agree more.

“The McAdams girls have another announcement to make,” he said loud enough to catch everyone’s attention. “Peyton has all the details,” he turned the announcement over to Peyton who dived into their well-planned business adventure and he could breathe without speculating eyes.