The Wedding Hoax (6 page)

“Cole Benton?” a sexy voice called from somewhere in the crowd of people that had stopped to watch them try on rings. Funny, he hadn’t even noticed people gathering, but it made sense since they were the couple of the day. He glanced back to Daisy. Maybe he should have acted the part a little more after all. Was that what she’d been doing looking at him like that? Just playing the part for the crowd he hadn’t noticed, and he’d gotten all weird and freaked out. It wasn’t like he could help it. Shying away from anything marriage-related was instinctual, like a gazelle would know to flee a lion on the prowl.

“Cole, I don’t believe it’s you.” A leggy blonde kissed him on both cheeks and held his biceps tightly.

“Arianna, it’s nice to see you again.” He hadn’t seen her for a couple of years, since before he’d dated Daisy. They’d been a hot item for about six months, but she was another one who’d tried to suggest marriage, and he’d quickly lost interest. Why did they always try to mess with a good thing? Not that life with Arianna had been good, necessarily. It had been fun. She’d been a bit of a wildcard, always looking for the next crazy life experience. He gotten tired of it at the time, but now the thought of being wild and carefree was incredibly appealing.

“It’s been too long.”

“You’re as beautiful as I remember.” He winked. She raised an eyebrow, subtly suggestive.

His thoughts flashed back to their nights together but instead of the usual shot of heat to his groin, his stomach clenched, feeling slightly like he’d eaten bad shellfish. His pulse quickened. Not at all the reaction he expected.

“You always did know the right thing to say to make a girl feel like the only one in a room.” She squeezed his arm playfully, flirtatiously. He opened his mouth to flirt back but nothing came out. He racked his brain for words, finding none.

“So what brings you to the bridal show?” she asked, finally breaking the awkward silence for him.

“I do,” Daisy said, coming up beside him.

Shit
. Cole snapped back into reality noticing there was still a crowd near them. What was he thinking talking to Arianna without even mentioning Daisy?

S
ince when am I not allowed to talk to another woman?

Since when don’t I want to?

Arianna dropped her hand to her side.

He slipped his arm around Daisy, discomfort at the whole situation settling in his chest. Her warm hand on his stomach instantly calmed the anxiety bubbling inside him from his conversation with Arianna.

“Arianna, this is my fiancée, Daisy.”

Daisy shook Arianna’s hand. “Nice to meet you. Any friend of Cole’s is a friend of mine.” She may have said the words, but he heard the truth behind that statement. She wasn’t happy about what she’d seen, but she would cast that aside while they were still in public, carrying on their charade.

“Nice to meet you, too. I was on my way to find my sister.” Arianna met Cole’s gaze. “I’m here with her. As her bridesmaid.”

He didn’t take the bait. Instead he took Daisy’s hand in his again and began pulling her in the opposite direction. “Wish her our congratulations.”

As soon as they were away from the crowd, she tugged her hand free and turned on him, her eyes full of fury. “I can’t believe you.”

He stood dumbfounded as she weaved her way through the crowd away from him, feeling as if he’d been smacked upside the head with a two-by-four.

Chapter Seven

Daisy bit back tears of annoyance threatening to spill. Screw Cole. Screw Mason. And screw this whole stupid marriage plan. It wasn’t worth the headache.

Cole wasn’t worth the headache.

For a second there, trying on rings, she’d almost thought he’d been enjoying himself. Like maybe the next five months wouldn’t be torturous and awkward to get through.

Ha!
She couldn’t be more wrong, obviously.

“Daisy, wait,” Cole called from somewhere behind her.

Why wouldn’t he let her leave in peace? Why did he have to make a scene in front of the people they were supposed to be fooling?

She glanced around for a quicker escape since the front doors of the convention center still seemed miles away. She didn’t want to have this conversation with him out in the open. Seeing a service door off to the side, she made a beeline for it. She stepped into a small hallway that looked as if it led back to some kind of storage room. This would do.

Hearing the door open, she didn’t bother to turn around. She knew it was Cole. His cologne blew past her as the door slammed shut.

“Wow. Our second public appearance and our second lover’s spat. We’re officially batting zero.” Cole chuckled. “I’m sure Mason will be thrilled with us when he hears the news.” He leaned against the wall casually, as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“I don’t care what Mason thinks.” She crossed her arms, hoping it would stop them from shaking.

“What’s this about?” he asked, sounding annoyed. “What did or didn’t I do right this time?”

She didn’t care for his mocking tone. He wasn’t getting away with this as if he hadn’t done anything wrong. “You couldn’t even go five minutes off the market, could you? Was it the ring shopping that pushed you over the edge? Because that wasn’t my idea, if you’ll remember. I said we didn’t have to, and you insisted that we should.”

“I didn’t want to look at rings, but Mason expects us to do that kind of thing.”

“Does Mason also expect us to chat up our exes like we’re not engaged? I can’t believe you.” She threw her hands in the air, frustrated at Cole, at the situation, and at herself for even caring. “You tell me to lower my voice when I mention our business deal, which could have been interpreted as sharing a booth at the show, by the way, and then you have the gall to go and flirt with your sexy ex-girlfriend while I’m still trying on wedding bands.”

“I didn’t plan on running into an ex here and I wasn’t trying to flirt.”

“Smiling, cheek kissing, arm holding, telling her how beautiful she is…”

He shrugged. “I can’t help it if she flirted with me.”

“Right in front of the woman you’re supposed to be engaged to. Smooth, Cole. Great way to show everyone how in love we are.” She rolled her eyes to emphasize how much of an idiot he’d been, in case he hadn’t gotten the hint yet. She wanted to make sure that point came through crystal clear.

“You’re jealous of Arianna?” He laughed quietly.

“I am not. I’m annoyed, not jealous. Got it?” She stepped closer to him.

“Got it.” He raised his hands like he was defending himself. “But you have to admit, your behavior right now does tend to lead me to believe you are actually jealous since you’re acting in a jealous-girlfriend sort of way.”

She was not jealous. That implied that she had some sort of feelings for him, which she did not. Nope. He could go and flirt with whomever he wanted to right after they were done with this charade.

“You’re the one who promised me you could keep it in your pants. And here you are, two weeks later, already chatting with your ex. Damn it, Cole. I’m not going to let you ruin this for me. I need this investment.”

“First, I was simply being polite and saying hello to an old friend. I didn’t agree to become an asshole for our business arrangement.”

“You didn’t have to sign a contract for that,” she mumbled.

“That wasn’t nice,” he said. “Second, I have at no time taken it out of my pants for a woman since making that promise to you. But now that you’ve brought it up, I’m a man, and I have needs. Sooner or later those needs are going to have to be met. So…” He smirked suggestively.

She stepped away from him until she leaned against the opposite wall. “You, Cole Benton, are a jackass. If you think for one second I’m going to get into bed with you because you can’t get with anyone else for a while, you’re dead wrong.” She shook her head, hoping it might clear away some of her anger. But it didn’t help.

He was still the same playboy asshole he’d always been. The few nice moments she’d had with him had been nothing but him trying to satisfy a simple male need or playing along with their charade. Nothing about him or the vibes he’d sent her had been real. Only a couple of weeks, and she was already getting hurt by him.

She couldn’t go through this again.

“The playboy might have put a ring on my finger, but he’ll never stop playing the game, will he?” she asked. “This was a mistake. I don’t know why I ever thought we could pull this off.”

He narrowed the gap between them, trapping her back against the wall. “I’m doing the best I can, Daisy. It’s hard to suddenly be someone I’m not because a piece of paper and a ring tell me I have to.” He ran his hand through his hair, looking as frustrated as she felt.

“I’m sorry that being with me is such a hardship for you. Maybe it’s best if we call this whole thing off now before it goes any further. Maybe Mason will let us keep the first part of his investment. It’s better than nothing at least.”

Cole pressed his hand against the wall beside her, leaning on it while his other hand forced her chin up to look at him. “No. We’re not giving up on this. We both need it. I let Arianna flirt with me out of habit, nothing more. I’ll try harder from now on.”

His gaze penetrated into her, deeper than she wanted it to. It took her breath. “And I was only joking about fulfilling a need. I’ve gone without sex before. I can go a few more months without. You know I would never pressure you into something like that.”

She couldn’t help but smile. The need to lighten the intensifying moment between them forced her to joke when it was the last thing she actually wanted to do. “Did the playboy just admit to having a dry spell? Where’s the photographer now to get this moment documented?”

When she giggled, his thumb brushed across her lower lip. Her breath caught in her throat, and she choked on her laugh.

“I won’t pressure you. I’ll go the whole time on your terms to make this deal work,” he said, his tone serious and low. “But I’d never tell you no if you came looking.” He brought his lips to hers, barely grazing them with a kiss.

His touch, the look in his eyes—all of it made her head swim. This was another reason why going through with this commitment was a bad idea. She already couldn’t stop the reaction she had to him every time he looked at her or touched her or…kissed her.

If she went through with this, she was bound to walk away with a broken heart bigger than the investment check. No amount of money could prevent the pain she already felt on the horizon. No. She couldn’t do this. Not for Cole. Not for her store. Not for the money.

Falling for him had hurt too much the first time. She couldn’t bear the pain a second time.

She turned her head, breaking their kiss. “Don’t. I can’t do this with you.”

He hovered over her. “It’s okay. We’re allowed to do this. We’re engaged, remember?”

She shook her head. “No. I can’t do this. Any of it. I’m breaking off the deal. Six months of my life isn’t worth it.”

“Daisy, don’t ruin everything. Let’s talk about this and come up with a way we can work it out. I have too much riding on it to let you go.” He stepped back, finally giving her some breathing room and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ll stay away from you the whole time, except for in public. We can do this. Daisy, I—”

“No,” she cut him off, “I just can’t.”

“Why not?” he demanded, his frustration breaking through his otherwise-calm facade.

Because I can’t get hurt by you again.

She bit her lower lip and cursed herself for letting her old feelings for him affect a decision for her business. But she couldn’t ignore the knowledge that she was not only signing up for money, but for a heartbreak that left her shattered last time.

She didn’t want to tell him the truth about why she needed out of the deal. Telling him she would get hurt again would only succeed in letting him know how much he’d affected her before. And it would only give him the power to do it again. She had to be strong, keep her resolve, and commit to her decision. She was getting out of this deal before it was too late.

Her cell phone rang loudly in her pocket, saving her from having to say anymore. “Hello,” she said without bothering to check the caller display. She’d talk to anyone right now. Anyone except the man standing in front of her.

“Daisy? It’s Samantha.”

Her heart sank. Samantha only called when something was wrong with her mom. “What is it?”

“I took Helen into the hospital.”

She didn’t ask for details. It didn’t matter what had happened or why. “I’ll be right there.”

“Is everything okay?” Cole asked when she hung up the phone.

“Mom’s in the hospital. I have to go.”

“I’ll come with you.” He took her hand and squeezed it. The warmth of his touch was comforting, and she wanted more than anything to have someone by her side right now…every time her mom had a setback. But that person would never be Cole.

She pulled her hand back and started for the door. “If you really want to help, take care of the booth for me.” She didn’t miss the look of hurt on his face at her rejection.

She couldn’t linger on his feelings right now. She’d deal with Cole and Mason later after she knew her mom was okay. Until then, her only goal was getting to her mom and finding out what happened.

…

Helen smiled as she walked into the hospital room. Daisy scanned the area quickly, assessing the amount of machinery needed during this visit. She saw only the most basic equipment by the bed and instantly felt her shoulders relax. Whatever had happened to put her mom in the hospital again, it couldn’t have been too bad.

“Are you okay?” she asked, coming to the bedside and kissing her mom on the cheek. “What happened?”

“Just a little leg pain. No big deal.” Her mom patted her cheek in an attempt to comfort her. It didn’t work.

Daisy eyed Samantha, knowing if anyone would give her the full story, it would be the nurse.

“It was more than leg pain,” Samantha said, not waiting for Daisy to ask the question. “She had pain and some swelling in her good leg. I couldn’t be sure that it wasn’t a blood clot, so we came in. They’ve run some tests, and it looks like we overdid it with her exercises this week.”

“So there’s no clot?” Daisy pressed. A blood clot was always a concern with her mother’s limited mobility. And one wouldn’t be considered a simple setback. Blood clots could be fatal if untreated. Samantha had done the right thing bringing her mom in for testing.

“No, there doesn’t appear to be. But they want her to stay overnight to be safe.”

She collapsed into the chair beside the bed and held her mom’s hand, massaging it as she always did to help with circulation. Every stroke of her thumbs eased the stress in her shoulders more. Her mom was fine. A night of observation was nothing compared to what they’d been through before.

Her phone rang. She quickly pulled it from her pocket and sent the call to voice mail, but not quickly enough to miss seeing Cole’s name flash across the screen.

What the hell was she going to do about him?

An hour ago she’d been set on leaving him and Mason behind and breaking their deal. But that was before her mom had ended up in the hospital. A new round of medical bills would show up in her mail, and she’d have to find a way to pay them. How many more times would her mom end up in the hospital? How would Daisy pay for her care without the help of Mason’s investment?

“You can take the call if you need to. The nurses say cell phones are fine in this area,” her mom said.

“It isn’t important.”

Her mom glanced down to the ring on Daisy’s hand, examined it. “I saw it was Cole. I thought he was important to you? I did just attend your spur-of-the-moment engagement party to the man, didn’t I?”

Was he important to her? Maybe. Maybe not.

“I’m sure you’re thrilled to have an excuse to add more pictures of him to your room for scenery, aren’t you?”

Samantha shrugged. “I wouldn’t turn them down.”

“Nonsense. He’s going to be my son-in-law soon. I can’t see anything but my daughter’s future husband in him anymore.”

“It’s a pity, really. We’ll have to find some other hunk to put in a frame.” Samantha winked, clearly joking.

“Maybe you can get a couple of good pictures of Cole’s friends at the wedding. I wouldn’t want you to have to go too long without some solid man candy around.” Daisy rolled her eyes. She was glad to see her mom in good spirits. But how long would that good mood last if Daisy bailed on her deal and had no money to pay for medical care?

“How are wedding plans coming along?” her mom asked.

“They’re good. I’m picking out wedding dresses next week with Cole for the big Chicago bridal show.”
If I decide to go through with this.

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to let the public pick out the dress you’ll wear on your big day.”

“I’m picking out the options, so I’ll only include ones I’d be okay wearing. Besides, it will be fun and less stressful to have the decision off my shoulders.”

“As long as you’re happy, dear. That’s all that matters to me.” Her mom smiled and used her good hand to tightly grip Daisy’s. Sometimes she forgot how strong her mother really was, both physically and mentally. No one else she knew could go through a stroke and still see the sunshine in every cloudy day.

Could she really turn her back on her mother’s care because she was feeling too weak to deal with Cole? Wasn’t her mother’s health worth the pain of a possible broken heart? Shouldn’t she be the one to bear the burden for a while so her mother didn’t have to take on any more?