“You’ll see.”
She patted his shoulder. “It’ll be fine, boyfriend. Or should I start calling you something gross like Lukey Bear?”
He grimaced.
“Poor baby, it’ll all be over soon. Let’s get in there and get it over with. Unless you just want to hang out here and make out.”
“You don’t know what they’re like.”
“Are they mean?”
He shook his head. “More like well-meaning. Obsessively so.”
“There are worse problems than a family who loves you and wants you to be happy,” she said, arching an eyebrow.
“I realize that. I’m just having trouble thinking of any right now.”
She pinched him. “I thought you were this big, tough, manly guy. And here you are cowering in the driveway because you’re scared of a little family get-together.”
“I’m not scared.”
“My mistake.” Harper glanced out the window and made a chicken noise.
He sighed and reached over to ruffle her hair. “Come on,dear. Let’s get this party over with.”
“Dear? Seriously? Is that the best you can do?”
They approached the house by way of a meandering walkway. He slung an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. He smelled like a spices and sawdust. Harper tried to quell the pitter pat of her pulse. It was just a fake relationship. Nothing to get physically excited about. They were doing each other a favor, not actually banging like red-blooded adults.
“Ready?” he whispered in her ear.
Harper was suddenly the nervous one. “What if they don’t like me?” she whispered back.
“Now who’s scared? Trust me, you could have two heads and a criminal record and they’d still want to like you.”
“Because I’m awesome?”
“Because I’m fake dating you.”
Harper snorted.
“Actually that gives me an idea,” he said. “Mind if we have a little fun with this?”
“Oh, way ahead of you. We met online two weeks ago in the Craigslist missed connections,” she said.
“I just couldn’t say no to your topless profile picture.” He guided her up the walk.
“Don’t be modest. That shot of you in just a toolbelt was pretty spectacular.”
They stepped up onto the wide front porch and Harper saw the lace curtain twitch.
“I think they’re watching us,” she said without moving her lips.
“Uh-huh,” he answered through a jaw-straining fake smile.
Luke pushed the bright red Craftsman-style door open without knocking and found the entire family — all eight of them — standing awkwardly in the airy foyer.
“Hi guys.”
