“Welcome back to our special live episode of Married at First Meet.”
Zander and Duke straightened up.
“I’m your host, Lisa Throw, the envy of every lady out there as I sit with two of the most smashing men to ever grace this stage, the Benton twins.”
Sparks were shooting in every direction as Zander pieced together what Duke shared. And though he hadn’t finished his thought, Zander could use what he already shared: Duke had lied on his submission papers for the selection process. Beyond that, he’d said Zander was more likely to get picked for the show. Which meant he could have answered in the way that Zander would.
But what exactly did that mean? His insides seemed to figure it out before his brain. Stirs of warmth, excitement, and the overwhelming feeling that this was the answer he’d been wanting all along.
If Duke filled out the submission forms as if he were Zander—and who knew a man better than his own twin—then it meant Zander was, in essence, both the man science matched her up with and the one she had feelings for.
Another rush of adrenaline carried this idea to new heights, until he recalled the part that had made Kat angry in the first place. Because despite who said what on whichever questions they’d answered, only Zander lied straight to Kat’s face about who he was, day after day.
Lisa was shifting the audience’s attention to another video clip. Once it started to play, Duke leaned back in, but Zander stayed him; they were live now, and their microphones were on even as the video clip played. The Bentons had already learned how things could go awry when both Winston and Duke mumbled words that weren’t meant to be heard by their viewing audience.
Zander set his eyes on the clip and forced his breaths to slow.
And there she was, sitting in the spot where they’d declared their love for each other. Zander recalled the feelings coursing within him at that time, and mused they’d only grown deeper in the days since; nearly all he’d done was think of Kat. Of how he could respect her wishes to be left alone, like Marsha had warned him, though he’d desperately wanted to explain why it’d been so hard to tell her.
“Duke Benton has surprised me in a million ways,” Kat said in the video. Hearing her call him Duke only added to the upset within him.
“And here we are, just halfway into our honeymoon, and I can honestly say that I’ve fallen in love with him.” Kat laughed and shook her head. “It probably sounds crazy, but there’s a reason I felt so good about the experiment. And that reason is…well, it was meant to lead me to him.”
Boy, did Zander feel the truth of that in every part of his being. Yes, however crazy the series of events had been, they had to be part of a divine plan that put him with her.
The recording hurried on a bit, and suddenly it showed Kat’s brow furrowing as the hum of a motorboat grew in the distance. She came to a stand next.
A sick dart of regret sank into Zander’s chest as he witnessed it—lines of worry creasing her brow, unaware of the devastation that awaited her. How might this have ended had Zander just told her who he was?
The video faded to black.
“Let’s welcome the gorgeous woman who made smarts sexier than ever, the lovely Kat Morgan Benton.”
The audience clapped. The cameras panned. But that spot on the stage remained still.
“Kat?” Lisa came again.
Panic erupted within Zander as he looked to Lisa, then back to the corner where Kat had stood only moments ago. She’d been there, waiting to step on. He’d seen it for himself.
“On second thought,” Lisa said, tapping at a hidden earpiece, “due to a moment of technical difficulty, we need to take one last short break, but please don’t go anywhere. You won’t want to miss the conclusion of tonight’s live broadcast.”
Chatter broke over the crowd, only adding to the chaos within him.
Zander feared he already knew what the conclusion might be. He’d given Kat a way out, hadn’t he? Perhaps she’d taken him up on the offer after all.
* * *
Kat stared at the screen in the greenroom while Marsha fiddled with the mic attached to her dress.
“Zander probably thinks I took off,” Kat mumbled, recalling the look on his face when she didn’t step onto the stage.
“You’re right,” Marsha said, “poor guy.”
Kat was still holding on to her balloon of hope. And in truth, it felt as if she’d latched onto another as well. Watching her declaration of love had filled her with a renewed level of trust, not in the program, but in herself. Kat knew happiness when she felt it. And as leery as she’d grown where her feelings were concerned, she was finding faith in them once again. She just hoped it was enough to forgive Zander and give him another chance. As of now, she still wasn’t sure she could do it.
A lanky kid stepped into the room. “You called?”
Marsha shot him a glance. “Yeah, would you mind grabbing her another mic? Something’s wrong with this one.”
