Sheila gasped again. “He asked you to be his fiancé, thinking it’ll keep him from losing his kids.”
“How would being engaged guarantee he wouldn’t lose his kids?” Joy finally scooped out a bite of ice cream but focused again on Debbie.
“She threatened him with a costly and messy custody battle. He needed to let her know an expensive court case wasn’t a threat.” The words came out in a rush.
“He’s using you for your money?” Sheila frowned. “Wow, I never thought he was that type.”
“He’s not. He could care less about my money. But he needed to do something to protect his kids.” Debbie held up a hand. “You guys can’t tell anyone the truth. If his ex finds out, it could really mess things up for him.” Debbie picked at her fingernails. “And don’t tell Mom and Dad, please?”
“Why not?” Sheila asked.
Joy nudged Sheila’s shoulder. “Why do you think? She’s afraid they’ll be disappointed in her.”
Bill and Alice Wheeler had always loved their children unconditionally, but there had been a few times in Debbie’s life where the choices she’d made had disappointed them. Choosing to marry Keith at such a young age instead of going to college had been one of those times. Marrying Peter had been another one, because they thought she’d only done it for the money.
Not only would her whole family think she was impulsive, they would think she was irresponsible and foolish. Nothing screamed desperate like getting engaged to a man she’d only known for a few weeks.
Sheila gave her a sympathetic look.
Joy dropped the spoon that still held ice cream on the counter and grabbed Debbie’s left hand. She studied the ring on her finger. “So this is all pretend?”
No doubt joy and Sheila recognized the ring as one Debbie used to wear frequently before she decided to make some lifestyle changes.
Debbie pulled her hand away before nodding and lowering her gaze. She didn’t want to see her sisters’ disappointment.
Sheila let out a dramatic sigh. “I’m sorry, Sis.” She waved a hand in the air as she continued to talk. “I still think getting engaged after only knowing someone for two weeks is crazy, but you and Austin would make the perfect couple. And he already has kids. You’d finally get to be a mom.”
Debbie had already considered that. She couldn’t help herself. If this engagement was real, she and Austin would end up getting married, and she could be a mother to the three kids who made her days richer and fuller than she’d ever dreamed. But if the last eighteen years had taught her anything, it was that life rarely turned out the way you wanted.
She’d had her share of disappointments over the years, and the last thing she wanted was to open herself up for more, but she couldn’t help wishing she and Austin and his children had a future together.
Joy finally picked up her spoonful of ice cream and put it into her mouth. A glint filled her eyes as she savored the sweetness.
Debbie braced herself. Joy only ever got that gleam in her eyes when she was planning.
“It’s only pretendfor now.”
Debbie did not miss the emphasis Joy placed on the last two words.
“This will give you even more opportunity to spend time together,actinglike an engaged couple. Who knows what feelings might develop.”
“Yes!” Sheila clapped her hands. “Just like all of those romance novels where a couple falls in love while they’re pretending to be in a relationship.”
Debbie rolled her eyes at Sheila. Her sister was such an incurable romantic. She had read her share of romances over the years, but each time she missed her chance at her own happily ever after, she’d become more and more disillusioned.
While her sisters plotted and planned ways Debbie could win Austin over by throwing herself into her role as his fiancé, she searched for ways to protect her heart from the man and children who held the power to break it.
CHAPTER21
Austin resisted the urge to pop his knuckles yet again as Debbie slid forward on her camp chair and rotated her body to look around. He knew who she was looking for, and he also knew she wouldn’t find them.
“Are you sure you gave Cheyenne the right address?”
“Yes.”
“And you told her I’d have extra camp chairs for them?”
“Yep.” He’d also told Debbie not to bother, but she hadn’t listened.
