The Unintended Fiancé (Captured by Love Book 4) (17 page)

*****

E
rin’s heart skipped, before galloping in her chest. She quickly averted her gaze from the big doors of the ballroom—and from Brad, who’d just arrived to the Carmichaels’ charity ball. No doubt he’d be making his way to Rick’s table, where Lexie and her other best friends were also seated.

Thankfully, she was with the Grants at their family table. She and Brad wouldn’t have to suffer the awkwardness of having to sit together when they hadn’t really spoken to each other yet since they’d split up. That was her fault. She just hadn’t been ready yet, because she’d been missing him like crazy. She was scared she’d beg him to give them another chance if she heard his voice.

But tonight, having an agenda that would hopefully work for both her and Brad’s benefit, she was positive she could keep her composure. Luckily, Tristan was all for helping out and promising to keep the secret to himself.

Tristan’s grandmother’s engaging laughter attracted her attention.

“Oh, I can’t wait for the dancing to start,” the eighty-something lady said to her husband. “That’s about the only fun you give me lately.”

“Is my nan behaving herself?” Tristan whispered as he sat down next to Erin, having come back from greeting other attendees.

“Yes,” she said with a grin.

“I have to warn you to brace yourself for some suggestive teasing from her. She’s been wanting me to find a girlfriend for years.”

“She already asked if you and I are dating. I said we just both happened to be dateless tonight and have decided to come to this event together. I couldn’t lie to her face.”

“I can guarantee you she won’t be stopped by that comment, especially since we’re doing some acting tonight. Just ignore her when she gets too pushy.”

“Don’t you two look lovely together,” Tristan’s grandmother interrupted. “Whispering sweet nothings to each other.”

Tristan rolled his eyes. “Don’t make Erin feel uncomfortable, Nan. She’s our guest at this table.”

“Aw, you know that’s not my intention. Anyway, do you know that there’s going to be a bachelor and bachelorette dance auction tonight?”

“Dance auction?” Erin and Tristan said together.

“Yes. Marilyn has managed to convince the Carmichael boys—I believe through their wives—that it would be another great way to raise money for the kids.”

“Marilyn,” Tristan grumbled under his breath.

Erin sighed, dreading the thought of standing in front of over three hundred people. “We really don’t have to participate, do we?” she whispered to Tristan. “It would be voluntary, I’m assuming.”

“I’m most certainly not getting up for it. But I don’t like our chances when Marilyn gets that mic and calls on all single boys and girls,” he said dryly.

She made a face. Yes, Marilyn wouldn’t let go until each unattached person was participating. It was what made her so effective with these things. “I’ll have to tell her about our little secret, then. She’d have to excuse us from taking part.”

“Yes, please. Thank you,” Tristan said with relief.

She looked around for Marilyn. Last time she saw her, she was still chatting with the other guests.

Oh, there she was, talking to a group of young ladies who looked horrified. She chuckled. No prizes for guessing what Marilyn was informing them right this moment. She’d wait for a better opportunity to talk to Tristan’s cousin.

Would Brad join the auction?

She was tempted to glance at his table, but forced herself to sit still. This wasn’t the time to be making cow eyes at him. In fact, there would never again be a good time to throw yearning looks his way. She doubted that their friendship could withstand it if Brad thought she wasn’t getting over her feelings for him.

B
rad returned to his seat, a fake smile on his face. Some woman in a green dress had just won one dance with him tonight, and she’d been very generous with her winning bid. It was great for the charity, but it hadn’t exactly been a fun experience being up on the stage with the other bachelors.

Erin hadn’t bid for him. Not even a single dollar. Perhaps that was to be expected, but it still stabbed at his chest, especially since she was sitting with Tristan.

He’d been excited all day about tonight, albeit a little nervous. He’d thought he’d have the chance to spend some time with Erin, even if among family and friends. But no. She was at a different table with another man—who didn’t join the bachelor line-up on stage and wasn’t at all prodded by Marilyn to do so.

What the hell did that mean? Had Erin and Tristan started dating? How could Tristan do that to him? They might not be very close, but they were still friends. How could Tristan make a move on his girl, and so soon after he and Erin had broken up?

He slumped in his seat, mightily pissed off at himself. Of course Tristan didn’t know how he felt for Erin.
No one
knew about the extent of his feelings for Erin. He couldn’t really blame anyone else for his current predicament.

“Alright, everyone,” Marilyn’s voice said through the loudspeakers. “It’s time for the bachelorettes to get up here.”

Brad glanced at Erin. She wasn’t getting up. In fact, she was leaning close to Tristan as she whispered something in his ear, with Tristan’s grandmother looking on in approval.

“Hey, you okay?” Lexie asked.

“Why didn’t you tell me that Erin was here with Tristan?” He’d been trying not to ask that question all night, but his crankiness was getting the better of him.

“Would it have mattered?”

“Come on, Lex. Erin and I may still be adjusting to what happened, but we’re still friends. I was expecting her to sit with us tonight. I don’t like being surprised like this.”

Lexie sighed. “Sorry. I did think about telling you, but since you didn’t even ask if Erin was coming tonight, I thought you didn’t want to know. I’ve made it a point not to talk to either of you about the other unless you specifically asked.”

“So they’re here as each other’s date?”

“Yeah,” Lexie said with a shrug. “It’s good for Erin not to look alone tonight, you know.”

Well, Erin certainly didn’t look alone. In fact, she seemed to be having a great time. With Tristan. Fuck.

He swivelled in his seat to pretend to watch the bachelorette dance auction, trying to ignore the heavy compression in his chest. Erin was truly moving on, and any joy remaining in him had just evaporated.

Damn it. Regardless of how it might be perceived, he would try to dance with Erin tonight. It could be his only chance to take her in his arms again and give her an indication that his problems might be close to being solved, with Warren’s help. Perhaps then she might hold off on this getting-over-him business?

Christ, now he wasn’t making any sense. How would doing that continue to protect Erin?

“Are you going to bid on anyone?” Gavin asked from the other side of him.

“I’m going to lay low. I don’t want any more attention from anybody here.” Besides, he didn’t want Erin to miscomprehend that he was interested in any of the single girls on stage—
if
she was even thinking about him at all.

“Good idea,” Gavin answered, keeping his voice low enough that no one else could hear. “I have some more bad news. There are already some whispers here tonight that it might have been Erin, and not you, who was responsible for your break-up.”

“You’ve spoken to some people about this?”

“No. I have someone else working the room tonight. She’s floating around, chatting with people and trying to pick up something that might be of interest to us.”

He nodded, appreciating Gavin’s thoroughness. “What are they saying?”

Gavin smiled mirthlessly. “There’s some talk that she might have cheated on you. Even Kevin’s name was mentioned.”

“That’s crazy,” he growled.

Gavin shrugged. “What they can see is that she’s here on a date with someone else a mere three weeks after your engagement was called off.”

Brad narrowed his eyes at Erin’s direction. How could she not see that her actions tonight weren’t doing her any favours? She was supposed to be the wronged one in their relationship—not him. Sure, she didn’t know what was being said behind her back, but couldn’t she be more careful for her own sake?

He turned to Lexie. “Apparently, people are starting to think that Erin was the bad person in our relationship.”

“Oh, really?” Lexie said, her eyes rounding.

“Yeah,” he said accusingly. “So didn’t you girls think of that consequence when you let Erin come here with Tristan?”

“No.”

“Talk to her, Lex,” he ordered. “And tell her that she’s being gossiped about right now because she’s with another man so soon after our engagement had ended. There’s still time to mitigate this situation.”

“Why are you so angry?”

“Because...” He took a deep breath, calming himself down.

“Because what?” Lexie asked gently.

“Because we’re trying to minimise negative rumours, and she’s not helping.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to her after this auction.”

With a resigned sigh, he turned his attention back to the stage, although his mind wasn’t on the goings-on happening on it.

How could no one else—including Erin herself—not have thought of the repercussions of Erin being Tristan’s date tonight? He had to fix this somehow. He hadn’t broken up with her for nothing!

*****

B
rad watched surreptitiously as Lexie chatted with Erin in a quiet spot near a big ornamental plant.

God, Erin looked really stunning tonight, and it was taking all his self-control not to approach her and say hello.

He frowned as Erin shook her head at Lexie, a stubborn expression on her face. Clearly, she was disagreeing with what her friend was telling her.

With a deep breath, he walked towards them, looking around. Surely, no one would make a big deal of him saying hi to an ex. He had to make sure Erin understood the gravity of the situation.

“Hi, Brad,” Erin said with a smile when he joined them.

“Hi,” he said, his heart beating like a drum. This was the first time in weeks that he’d heard her voice and, even though it was just a friendly greeting, it was like a soothing balm to his ravaged heart.

“I think you’re overreacting,” Erin said nonchalantly.

His brows lifted. “Overreacting?”

“Yeah. So what if a handful of people are gossiping about me? I bet even if I turned up here alone, they’d still gossip.”

“The point is, they wouldn’t be saying nasty things about you if they thought you were the wronged woman. Being all sweet with Tristan gives them a different impression,” he said, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

“I was actually more concerned of the talk that would go around if you and I both came alone. I mean, people might think there’s a prospect of a reconciliation when there isn’t one. But you have a point. I’ll try not to look too sweet with Tristan,” she said, giving him a conciliatory smile.

He stared at her, his heart aching like hell. So she really was dating Tristan?

“So does Gavin have any suggestions on how to deal with this?” Lexie asked.

“I’ll talk to him again,” he said. “I do want a minute with Erin, if you don’t mind, Lex.”

Lexie frowned. “Is it a good idea for you two to be seen chatting alone?”

“Probably not,” Erin quipped. “Anyway, I’m sure Lexie can listen in, Brad. She knows everything that’s going on, anyway. Unless, you’re gonna berate me further for my lapse in judgement,” she added in a teasing tone.

“No,” he said, repressing a sigh. “I just wanted to see how you are.”

“I’m good! Really. Everyone knows it was hard for me initially, but because I know you have good intentions, it’s easy to get over the whole thing. Don’t worry about me, Brad. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

His heart withered some more. “As long as you’re happy,” he murmured, forcing a smile.

“Like I said, don’t worry,” Erin said cheerfully. “Anyway, I better rejoin the others. We wouldn’t want more gossip, would we?”

“You go ahead,” Lexie said. “I just want to discuss something with Brad.”

Brad followed Erin with his eyes as she walked away from them. From the upbeat way she moved, there was no reason for him to disbelieve her declarations.

“Are you happy, Brad?” Lexie asked softly.

“As happy as I can be considering the situation I find myself in,” he answered, opting for some truth.

“And what situation is that?”

“What do you mean?”

“What specifically is depressing you?”

He snickered. “Do you have to ask? You know the whole story.”

“Not the
whole
story, by the looks of it. Are you regretting letting Erin go?”

“No,” he said definitively, looking Lexie straight in the eye. He’d never regret protecting Erin’s career and livelihood. His heart might be breaking to pieces, but he wouldn’t change any decision he’d made in the past. Anything different and they would have had an unhealthy relationship, destroyed by his guilt and self-recrimination.

“Okay. I just thought... Never mind. Shall we mingle?”

“Yes,” he said, dreading the thought. Unfortunately, he couldn’t go home yet, even if he wanted to. Better show everyone he was unaffected by Erin and Tristan being together tonight. That would hopefully further alleviate any negative criticism levelled on Erin.

He’d never thought he’d be this... in love to want to be making huge sacrifices for another person. And it had never occurred to him that he could be this gutted over losing someone.

Well, didn’t he say he never intended to get married anyway? Perhaps he was caught in a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Argh. He shouldn’t be thinking this way, or he might as well find a hole to crawl in.

“You look like shit,” a voice said behind them.

“Rick!” Lexie said, slapping her fiancé’s arm.

“Well, he does. He’s obviously in some pain but is keeping it all in.”

Brad smirked. “What are you? A psychologist? How do you know?”

“Because I’ve seen that look in the mirror many times before, when I thought I couldn’t be with Lexie,” Rick said, putting an arm around his fiancée and kissing her temple.