Page 101 of Heart Breaker

Wes looks sheepish. “Was it that obvious?”

“I figured it out at the engagement party,” Jesse says.

“You absolutely did not.” Madeline elbows his side. “You thought they were going to kill each other.”

Just then Poppy comes running across the yard, Stella close behind. “Why’s everybody yelling?”

Ford crouches down beside her. “Because Uncle Wes has some good news.”

She looks up at Wes with wide eyes. “What news, Uncle Wes?” she asks.

“Well,” he says, smiling down at her. “The good news is that I really love Auntie Lottie.”

“Well, yeah. You’re married to her,” Poppy says dramatically, looking at Wes like he’s lost it. “And also, you look at her like Daddy looks at Mommy.”

Ford and Landyn look at each other, the love between them palpable.

Poppy throws her arms around my legs. “And since you guys are married, that means Aunt Lottie is going to stay forever.”

I glance at Wes to find that his eyes are already on me. He flashes the most heart-wrenchingly handsome smile and my heart soars right through my chest.

“Yeah, Pops.” He ruffles her blonde curls. “That’s exactly the plan.”

THIRTY-SIX

Lottie

Dad settles into his recliner, remote in one hand and a cup of green tea in the other. Mom curls up on the sofa, absentmindedly folding the throw blanket across her lap.

“Thanks for dinner, Mom,” I say as Wes and I join them in the living room, the last of the dishes loaded into the dishwasher. “You didn’t have to cook, we could have brought something over.”

She dismisses the suggestion with a wave of her hand. “Do you really think I’m going to have you two over for dinner and not give you a home-cooked meal?”

Wes and I sit together on the love-seat opposite them, close enough that our knees touch. Close enough that his hand finds mine and he gives my fingers a reassuring squeeze.

We had spent the better part of the afternoon talking through what comes next. But it wasn’t really a decision at all. We both agreed that if we were going to build a marriage that was real, it couldn’t be built on the biggest lie we’d ever told.

My parents believe we got swept up in a whirlwind romance and made an impulsive decision to get married after falling hard and fast for each other. The truth is so much messier than that.

Our wedding hadn’t started with love, it had started with an agreement. Well, an argument and then an agreement. It was meant to be a solution to a problem. But a lot has changed since then, and my parents deserve to know all of it—even if it disappoints them. Our fake marriage has become painfully, beautifully real, and if we are going to build a life together, we don’t want its foundation to be a secret we’ll spend years trying to outrun.

I swallow hard and glance at Wes. His expression is calm and steady, and it reminds me of the way he looked at me the day he promised he’d never let me face anything alone.

He nods at me, his gray eyes saying, I’ve got you.

I look at my dad and the happiness I’ve felt for the past few days falters. He’s thinner than he was a week ago. The hollows under his cheekbones are more pronounced, the skin beneath his eyes bruised with deep purple shadows that no amount of sleep could erase. Even sitting in his favorite recliner seems to take more effort than it used to, his shoulders slumped against the cushions. His smile is still there, it always is, but it doesn’t quite reach his tired eyes anymore.

He catches me looking at him and offers a reassuring grin, the kind he’s worn my entire life whenever he wanted me to believe everything was okay.

“It’s made my entire night seeing the two of you so happy,” he says, looking from me to Wes.

“We are, Dad.” My throat burns as I feel the weight of his gaze. “We need to talk to you both though,” I say, my voice breaking on the last word.

He nods, his expression as calm as ever. “Then start wherever you need to start,” he says softly. “I’ve got all the time in the world.”

My chin wobbles. God, I hope he’s right. Two tears spill over before I can blink them away. Relief crashes through me so suddenly it almost hurts. I’ve been carrying this secret for so long that the thought of finally setting it down makes my chest ache.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”