A smile slides across Noelle’s face. She stands and hugs him. “Exactly.”
“I’m sorry he treated you so badly. I hated hearing you cry when you would come home from school.”
“Thanks, Witt. I didn’t know you paid attention.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, but it is. It is to me.
Greyson says, “Before I agree to anything, I want to know how we got here and why you chose Matt.”
“Because he’s hotter than a ghost pepper tamale, and Brooks knows Matt’s been there for her when he was ignoring her at the wedding last year. Now leave the girl alone. This is her life.” Their granny has a sparkle in her eyes like she’s proud of Noelle for thinking fast on her feet. “If she needs to prove something to Brooks, then let her.”
Mr. O’Ryan says, “Who in the hell has ever heard of fake dating? Especially with a man more than a decade older. It doesn’t look good.”
Granny raises her arms and rolls her eyes. “Oh, hell, Robert. People have done it since the dawn of time. You want to make someone jealous? Find a guy willing to take you out and show the other one what he’s missing.”
Birdie pats her baby on the back. “Granny’s right. If Matt’s willing to put his dating life on hold for a bit for Noelle, then what’s the harm?”
My dating life is nonexistent. Greyson and Sutton know my reasons, but not J.D. and Birdie. I asked them to keep it between us, and they have.
Mr. O’Ryan lets out a heavy sigh. “Touch my daughter inappropriately just one time, and I’ll skin your ass.”
“I understand. I had no idea Noelle was going to pitchthat we were dating to Brooks. Because we’re not. But I felt at that moment it was the right thing to do to protect her.”
Mr. O’Ryan gives me a short glance before looking at Noelle. “I appreciate that, but sweetheart, why didn’t you come to me and tell me what was going on?”
“I was embarrassed. My teammates were talking behind my back, and what girl wants to tell their dad that their boyfriend has his penis in other people?”
“Well, then tell me.” Greyson looks devastated that Noelle didn’t tell him.
“I came to tell you, but you were gone, and Matt was there instead.”
Sutton leans over, always the executive, and says, “Noelle has lots of people here to celebrate. We need to go out as a family, united behind her and Matt’s dating revelation. We can deal with the fallout later, but Brooks needs to think this is real. Deal?”
Everyone nods. Granny can’t wipe the smile off her face. She loves Sutton like her own daughter.
“All right. Let’s go.”
Standing up, I take Noelle’s hand in mine. “You ready?”
“Thanks, Matt. I owe you.”
Yes. Yes, you do.
And I’m thinking of all the ways I can call in thatI owe you.
SIX
NOELLE
“Everyone’s staring at us,” I say through clenched teeth, ventriloquist style.
My family isn’t altogether on board with our fake dating, but they won’t embarrass me by outing me.
“Those are the looks you get when you say you’re dating a man fifteen years older than you.” Matt places his fingers on my back, touching me with only his finger pads, and guides me to a group of my friends from high school.
He hovers at a comfortable distance to keep up the appearance that we’re dating and turns red when he overhears one girl saying, “Wow, I need an older man. He’s a five-alarm fire that I wouldn’t want to put out.”
I put my hand over my mouth and whisper in her ear, “I know, right? We just recently started dating, though.”
Paulina, Sutton and Greyson’s now-adopted daughter, runs up to me and pulls me over to the side. “Dad is stewing over there. When did you fall in love with Matt?”
