Zander moved his gaze across the room. Camila, James’ wife, dropped her gaze. Betzy dodged it too, suddenly taking interest in Sawyer’s tie. Zander locked eyes with Sawyer in time to see him gulp and shift.
“You know how live TV works,” James said. “We all do. The show is airing footage leading up to this even as we speak, with a live host who reminds viewers—before each commercial—that the countdown is on. There is no getting out of this without catastrophic backlash.”
“Dude,” he said. “Did everyone know that he wasn’t going to make it but me?” Zander shot to his feet and waved toward the tux hanging on the armoire. “Was this all for show? Get Zander here, make him think Duke would make it in time, and when he doesn’t, beg him to step in and take his place?”
Grandma approached him with the wave of her hands. “Shh,” she pleaded. “We can’t let anyone catch wind of this. Just listen…”
His chest contracted like a tightening fist. “I can’t believe you’re in on this.”
“I can’t believe it either. But the fact that I am should tell you something.” Her blue eyes locked on his as she took hold of his elbow. “Duke is willing to step up and take responsibility for this. He is, and he plans to do it as soon as he gets here. All we need is for you to stand at the altar, say I do in his place, and…get us through this live production that half of America is waiting for.”
“Exactly,” his mom said, coming up alongside him. “All you have to do is get through the wedding.”
“But what if he can’t get here before tonight?” Zander asked.
“Then I’m sure he’d be here first thing in the morning.”
Zander’s eyes widened. “First thing in the morning? You’d expect me to pull this off through their wedding night? You do know what that means, right? Did any of you think about that? I’m surrounded by crazy people right now.”
Betzy rushed in. “I doubt couples from this experiment are…consummating the marriage on the first night.”
“I agree,” Camila added, coming up behind Betzy. “They don’t even know each other yet. Under conditions like these, that expectation is probably out the window.”
“For the females, anyway,” James mumbled.
Sawyer chuckled under his breath. “Right.”
A knock sounded at the door. “We go live in exactly eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds,” came a female voice. “Our bride is on the other side waiting to walk. We need our groom at the altar and his family in the pews, please.”
Grandma Lo ran over to the closed door and hollered a reply. “Thanks, Marsha. We’ll be right out.”
“Who’s Marsha?” Michael asked.
“Marsha Langston,” Grandma said. “The producer.”
Zander thought back over the last few years as a new spark of frustration tore at his mind. “I thought Duke was really getting his crap together. He was…” A flashback of Winston’s funeral came to mind. “He changed after Winston died. He grew up. Or so I thought.”
“You’re right,” James agreed. “Which is why I think he signed up for this thing. And of all the people who tried out—of all the men out there who just want to find the person who’s right for them—they picked Duke. I have to think there’s a reason for that.”
Zander caught nods of agreement from across the room. All the way down to Michael, who was the only one still seated.
This was a new sort of desperation. For the first time since the issue arose, Zander realized a second motive behind the family’s desire to make the wedding happen. One that wasn’t protecting the Benton name, rather preserving Duke’s shot at love.
But did they want that more than Duke did? Would Duke really follow through if Zander stepped in for him?
He turned to Grandma Lo. “Can you get him on the phone for me? A video chat.”
“We’re running out of time,” she hissed, but she pulled out her phone just the same.
“I won’t do it until I know Duke’s committed.”
“How will you know?” Michael challenged.
Zander knew exactly how. “You’ll see.”
Grandma put her phone on speaker as it started to ring. Two seconds later, Duke picked up. “Did he say yes? Is he going to do it?”
Grandma passed the phone. “I’ll let him answer that.”
