Page 6 of Fake It For Him

It was a Monday, the only day of the week that this place was closed to the public, and it was too damn quiet. I’d have preferred hustle and bustle, not space and time to get hit by the oaky smell of the place and to lose myself in memories I’d rather not have.

The nostalgia and sensory overload were almost too much. Damn near brought me to my knees. I was about to turn around and get the hell out of there when the door to the head office opened and a smiling, cheerful, gorgeous young woman emerged.

The only fucking person for whom I would endure the torture of being back here opened her arms and squealed when she saw me. “Cal, you’re here!”

My baby sister rushed over to greet me, her long brown hair trailing behind her as she broke into a run. She hugged me, and for just a moment, my rough edges were softened and I squeezed her back. “Hey, Freya. God, I’ve missed you.”

“You wouldn’t have to miss me if you’d come around more often.”

She clung to me for much longer than a normal hug, but I didn’t pry her off or try to get her to let go. Because of everything that had been going on with my family for the last four years, I didn’t get to see her nearly often enough.

When she finally let go, she kept her hands on my shoulders and looked me over like some kind of mother hen. “You need to stop working out and start eating more junk food. You’re way too bulky now.”

I laughed, examining her tiny frame in return. “You’re not really one to talk. Have you ever even seen a cheeseburger?”

She scoffed, trying to hide a smile, and she shook her head. “I’ve been watching what I eat. If you must know.”

There was a weirdly excited glint in her eyes as she said it, but before I could ask, I heard a familiar, deep voice coming from inside of the main office. Dad was obviously finishing up in there, which meant I had to ask her something else first.

“Do you know what’s going on? Were you summoned here like a lap dog too?”

Freya’s dark eyebrows shot up and she stuck her tongue out at me. “I’m the reason you’re here, silly.”

I arched an eyebrow at her as confusion set in. “You are?”

Two more people emerged from the main office then. The first was a sharply dressed man with silver hair and an epic beard and mustache. My father.

The second was a carbon copy of my father, but in a younger man’s body. My brother, Finlay Reid. The good son. The one who never stepped out of line and was destined to become the shining star our parents wanted him to be.

Three years younger than me, we had the same dark hair and brown eyes, but I was the rogue to his golden boy. The troublemaker to his goodie two-shoes.

My father’s black-brown eyes came up to meet mine, resignation in them but no longer any anger or disappointment. At least that was something.

Finn stopped in his tracks when he saw me though, a red flush appearing on his cheeks as his jaw tightened and his eyes narrowed. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Freya wanted me to come,” I retorted, stepping up to our sister’s side and slinging my arm around her shoulders. “She was just about to tell me why.”

Finlay’s spine snapped straight. His fingers rolled into fists at his sides like he was going to take another swing at me. I smirked at him.

Bring it on, little brother.

Dad sighed, stepped between us, and raised his hands in front of each of our chests as he tried to diffuse the rapidly mounting tension. “Let’s keep it civil, boys. Your sister wanted both of you here and you’re not going to ruin this for her.”

“Ruin what?” I asked as Finn rolled his eyes.

“Whatever this is about,” he said, his gaze on Freya’s now. “We could’ve talked about it alone and sent him an email if it was something he needed to know about.”

“Really? Him? I have a name, you know. And I did you a damn favor. It’s about time you realized that. How stupid are you?”

Finn’s broad shoulders went rigid, but I could take him if he came at me again. “I’m not stupid and you didn’t do me a favor. You’re a man-whore who⁠—”

Freya groaned. “Can you guys just get along this one time? For me? I asked you here to plead for your cooperation and none of us are leaving here until I get it.”

“Why?” Finn and I asked in unison.

I stepped away from her so I could see her face. She was brimming with excitement now. Her face was alive with it. A smile she wasn’t trying to hide anymore broke free, and her dark eyes twinkled and her shoulders moved up.

“Because I’m getting married,” she announced, her voice several octaves higher now than usual. “I want both of my brothers to be there. It’s not negotiable, but I won’t allow your disagreement to get in the way of my big day.”