MALIA
The ceremony is gorgeous.
Carlie is gorgeous. Her dress is a crocheted lace, spaghetti strap bodice with a v-neck and mounds of mounds of tulle in the skirt like she’s a princess. Her hair is in long, loose waves around her shoulders, and she wears a crown of cream and light pink flowers. And the thing that makes her look most radiant is her ear-to-ear grin as she stares up at Law Card.
And maybe the way he stares back at her, besotted.
Caleb has his hand over the back of my chair during the ceremony, and once when I look over at him, I see that his eyes are wet and he has the most contented smile on his face.
Caleb has told me a little bit about Carlie’s ex, the things he put her through, and how difficult it was for her to trust that Law was everything he said he was. Caleb’s concern for her and his gratitude that she found someone like Law has been apparent in those texts between us. Everything in me warms at his care for his sister.
And just when I think that I have totally and completely fallen for him, his niece, Ruby, climbs from her dad’s lap farther down our row and into Caleb’s, nestling against him. He tuckshis free arm around her, while keeping his other arm around me, and kisses the top of her head. She reaches up, pats his cheek, and then pulls his head toward her so she can kiss his cheek—only she can’t quite reach and gets a corner of his chin. It’s the most precious thing.
“Oh,” I can’t help sighing, and Caleb looks up at me, smile widening. My eyes have probably turned to hearts.
He drops his hand and squeezes my shoulder. He leans over, lips brushing my ear. “Secret weapon,” he whispers.
Target acquired and all my defenses obliterated. I mean, if I had any against Caleb to begin with.
“It’s working,” I whisper back.
His breath flutters over me as he silently chuckles.
We stand and cheer after the officiant pronounces Carlie and Law husband and wife, and Law dips her low to kiss her. Caleb whistles for them, making Ruby cheer and clap and ask him to do it again. Which he obviously obliges. I glance down our row to see Ruby’s mom, Jenna, clapping, but I also catch her watching me. She smiles knowingly. I quickly look away.
Ruby abandons Caleb for Jett when we make our way out of our row to head to the restaurant. “He’s her favorite,” Caleb tells me.
He slides his hand down into mine as we head out of the sun-lit building where the wedding was and down a path in the garden. The day is warm for February, hovering close to seventy, and the sunshine seems to make everything around us sparkle.
The reception is in a restaurant that’s part of the venue. The tables that surround the dance floor are draped in long white tablecloths that spill onto the floor. The chairs also have white covers on them. The centerpieces are pale pink and cream peonies and another pink flower that has a fern-like look that I’ve never seen before. Even the Edison bulbs that hang from the ceiling are casting a rose-gold glow. Everything is so elegantand soft and romantic. I guess I thought having a wedding on Valentine’s would mean everything was a little cheesy, but this really isn’t. It’s breathtaking.
“You said Ava planned this wedding?” I ask Caleb after a few moments of gazing at everything in awe.
“Yeah. A woman from a firm in Atlanta that she used to work for helped as well, since Ava isn’t a wedding planner anymore,” he replies.
“This is fabulous. And beautiful.”
“Carlie was over the moon when Ava volunteered to do it.”
We’re seated at a table near the front, like at the rehearsal dinner, and once again paired with Jenna and Devin, but with their kids this time, as well as a Pumas player and his wife who Caleb introduces as Will and Ellie Pemberton. Dinner is a little hectic as Caleb helps his sister with her kids, and I end up in conversation with Ellie.
“Malia Lang,” she repeats when I introduce myself. “CEO at Vire Gaming.” She gives me animpressivenod.
My brows furrow. She knows who I am? I glance back at Caleb to see if he heard what Ellie said, but he’s distracted by something his nephew has asked. Caleb assumes I’m a high-level manager at Vire, and I’ve let him. I need to tell him. Next week? When the wedding is over and his feelings about the setups have subsided. But part of me can’t help but be worried what he’ll think when he finds out I’m that girl his mom wants him to end up with.
Ellie laughs at my expression. “I make it a point to know all the female power players in Houston.”
“Me?” I can’t help the scoff in my tone. I’m very aware of how difficult it is for women to get into positions like mine in tech, but maybe I’m so used to my family believing my job isn’t a big deal that I’ve started buying into it, at least a little bit.
“Oh, definitely you,” Ellie declares.
Her husband leans across her, or maybe he just leans. He’s a huge man. Then Joe Jr.’s voice is in my head.It looks like he’s leaning. “Ellie’s a Bennet,” he says, as though that should explain everything. And it does. She’s the daughter of the owner of the Pumas. If she’d been introduced to me as Ellie Bennet, I would have known the name right away. “She always wants a finger in the pie if it can help a sister.”
“Good to know,” I say. Ellie is involved in all sorts of philanthropy in Houston, plus she’s a brilliant businesswoman in her own right. She’s a good connection to have.
“Caleb did my family a pretty big favor. You’re welcome to call in chips anytime.” She beams at me.
I don’t bother to downplay my connection to him. It’s part of our act, after all, and after today, I’m hoping all this faking will be real.
