Agreeing to be my fake boyfriend is one thing. But my fake fiancé? That’s something completely different.
And this afternoon is the first event since ourengagementwhere we’ll be around my whole family.
It’s enough to make me turn and run.
“Has anyone told you that you worry too much?” Simon’s lips pull up in a smirk. This seems to be a tell of his.
“Doing this in front of the town is one thing. Convincing my family? Entirely different story,” I mutter, more to myself than anything.
Simon pulls me up short, not letting me head to the picnic with just the Winchester family.
“You don’t think they’ll believe us?”
“We’re going to have to sell it.”
Simon cups my cheek in his strong hand. My skin heats immediately at his touch. He drops his head closer to mine. His lips are so close, I could press up on my toes and kiss him.
“I think we did a pretty good job selling this the other night, no?”
Considering we got Mrs. Bush to back off, I’d say we did a good job of it.
“It’s okay to admit it. I’m very easy to like.”
“Stop it.” I push Simon off me, but his playfulness helps cut the tension inside me.
“C’mon, love.” Simon wraps his arm around my shoulder and pulls me down the trail to where the cookout is. “I have some Winchesters to impress.”
Easier said than done.
Walking around to the field behind the lodge, we find everything done up perfectly. Over the last few months, Gemma has been making sure the ranch is in tip-top shape for her wedding. Not that it is ever in disrepair, but if there was even a dot of paint needing to be touched up, it’s been done.
String lights crisscross overhead as Old Betty—Gramps’s infamous red truck—is filled to the brim with ice and drinks in its bed. One of the local BBQ joints is serving up every kind of meat you can think of.
It smells delicious out here.
“What the hell are you two doing together?” Pierce draws up short as he sees the two of us, still standing on the outer fringes of the group.
“Nice to see you too, mate.” Simon punches his shoulder.
“Why are you two together?” He wags a finger between the two of us, confusion drawing his brows together.
“I think we’re going to blow his mind,” Simon whispers into my ear so only I can hear.
“We’re dating,” I tell Pierce, matter-of-factly.
“No fucking way. I’d know if my best mate was dating someone.”
“Not dating.” Simon drops his hold on me and links his hand with mine. “Engaged.”
Pierce just blinks back at the two of us. Stunned would be the word to describe him.
“I think we broke him,” I whisper to Simon.
“We definitely did. Should we just leave him here?”
“Fuck off, you two. This is all some big joke.”
Simon squeezes my hand. It’s a show of solidarity, but it makes me feel like I have a true partner in this.
