AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m so sorry, Wade.” A pang of sympathy hits me in the chest, not only for him but also for his child. I peer out the window and watch the hills roll by. I know what it feels like to grow up without a parent—my sister and I grew up in the foster system because my parents couldn’t care for us.
Suddenly, this fake fiancée charade feels a whole lot more important.
“So, you’re hoping having a fiancée will get you back into good graces with them?”
“Exactly.” He smiles.
“I have to say, your impressive list of celebrity girlfriends might have been more fitting for your billionaire family.”
He laughs, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Nah, they’re not like that. I mean, sure, their fifty-thousand-acre ranch is luxurious, but aside from that you’d never know they’re billionaires. In fact, come to think of it, none of my previous girlfriends would fit the bill. Even my ex-wife, who still lives in town, doesn’t fit in that great. But our relationship was so shallow. We never talked about serious stuff. And if I’m honest, I only married Harper because I was dumb and drunk at the time.”
“Oh,” I say, waiting for him to elaborate further—but he doesn’t. “Well, I’ll do my best to play the part,” I reply, though I can’t help but feel a little guilty about the whole thing. “I’m not sure lying to them is the best solution…” I mumble.
“Don’t worry about all that. Just play the part, Callie Walker, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“If you say so.” I sigh.
After a few moments, the car becomes uncomfortably quiet, so I decide to break the silence. “So, tell me about this wedding. Your fiancée should probably at least know a thing or two about who’s getting married.”
“My oldest brother Sawyer is marrying his wife, Bailey.”
“Don’t you mean his fiancée, Bailey? They aren’t married yet.” I smirk.
“No, actually. Sawyer and Bailey are already married. They were on that reality TV show, Meeting at the Altar that aired a couple of months ago. Apparently, Sawyer wants to give Bailey a more traditional wedding since the show’s wedding was nothing fancy—and they couldn’t have guests. It’s technically a vow renewal ceremony.”
“Ahh, that makes sense. I heard about that show. The contestants are paired by experts and get married sight-unseen, right?”
“Exactly. Funny enough though, they were not strangers.” He smirks. “They actually knew each other back in high school. Bailey couldn’t stand him though and she hadn’t talked to him since. I watched the wedding episode when it aired, and the look on Bailey’s face, when she saw Sawyer at the altar, was priceless. He went in for a kiss, and she stuck out her hand for a handshake instead. It was the most awkward interaction I’ve ever seen.” He chuckles.
“Oh my gosh! That sounds like my worst nightmare! Wow…” I shake my head. I can’t imagine ever agreeing to marry a stranger. Apparently, I only agree to pretend to marry strangers.
“Right?” He looks over at me before continuing. “They were somehow able to work through their differences, though … and now they’re expecting a baby girl.”
“Aww, well I’m glad to hear it all worked out for them in the end. I’m excited to meet them. What about your other siblings?”
“I have two other brothers: Hunter and Carson. Both are total cowboys—they live and work on my family’s ranch. Both were also recently married—Carson married his best friend’s little sister last year, and Hunter ended up marrying their wedding planner.”
“Ahh, so you’re the only one not married then?”
“Yep,” he replies. “What about you? Tell me about your family.”
“Well … I actually don’t have much of a relationship with my parents. I grew up in foster care. But I have one sister named Beth. She and I are really close.”
“Oh, wow. I’m sorry to hear about your parents. What happened? If you don’t mind me asking?”
“My mom got pregnant with me at sixteen. When her parents found out, they kicked her out. She and my dad moved in together as teenagers and did their best to make ends meet, but then they got pregnant with my sister. They both eventually turned to drugs and alcohol to cope with the stress of having two kids at such a young age, and it became a lifelong habit.” I sigh, feeling the familiar weight of sadness that comes with recounting my past. “No other family members were willing to take us in, so that’s how we ended up in foster care.”
“I’m so sorry, Callie. That couldn’t have been easy.”
“It’s okay, really. I’m just glad my sister and I got to stay together through it all. She’s my rock. Now, she’s married with two kids.”
“It’s cool you and your sister are close. I bet you’re an awesome aunt.”
“I try to be.” I nod, grateful for the topic change. “I love kids, and I especially love being an aunt. They make life so much more fun.” I smile at the thought of my two little nieces. “It’s so great to see her providing the life for her kids that we didn’t get to experience. I’m proud of her. And I look forward to having kids of my own someday. I’ve always dreamed of having a big family.”
Wade smiles and nods, and then becomes quiet. We drive in silence for a while, as I try to count the trees passing by the window.
I ponder over the fact that I’ve never been this forthcoming and honest with a man so quickly before. I don’t know if it’s because he was so open and vulnerable with me, or something else, but it feels nice to be able to openly discuss my past with someone and not feel judged in the slightest.
