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“Meet my family. Come with me to monthly dinners at their house. Then the engagement party, rehearsal dinner, wedding. That’s it.”

“I’m in.”

I blinked at her. “I…you are?”

“Totally. And it’s not even the kidney thing. I would have done it anyway.”

I pulled my face back. “You would? Why?”

“I would have given an eye to have a date to my best friend Alexis’s wedding last year. Some rando named Doug followed me around the whole time with a guitar. He sang me ‘More Than Words’ by Extreme. Twice. I seriously debated faking my own death just so it would end sooner. Nobody should ever be forced to go to a wedding alone.”

She drew a smile out of me, but then I went serious again. “Are you sure?” I asked.

“Very sure.”

I peered at her. “Thank you,” I said. “This takes so much stress off of me.”

“Good. We gotta take care of that kidney.”

I made an amused sound and she grinned.

“So when’s the first thing?” she asked.

“Tonight.”

She blanched. “Tonight?!”

“It’s family dinner night. Jeremiah and Amy won’t be there. They’re invited, but it’s her dad’s birthday. It’s the only event where you won’t have to meet my family and my ex at the same time. We can wait until the engagement party if you want, but it might be a lot, meeting everyone at once.”

She pursed her lips, thinking, then nodded. “Okay. I can do tonight. Are you picking me up?”

“I’ll pick you up.”

She took a step closer and looked at me. “Jacob, I am going to be the best girlfriend you’ve never had.”

Chapter 18

Briana

I’d had to cancel on dinner with Alexis. I couldn’t explain to her why I was suddenly honor bound to be somewhere else tonight, so I just told her the second truth. I had a date with a hot guy. She was more than happy to go home early on those grounds. Plus I think she missed Daniel.

I ran home after work and got ready. Alexis had done Benny’s dialysis for me before she left, which was perfect because I was on a tight turnaround. I picked a cute gray top with some jeans. Did my hair and makeup, and Jacob picked me up in a black F-150 at exactly eight o’clock.

I was going to do anything he needed to make this fake-girlfriend thing work. I was about to put on an Oscar-worthy performance the likes of which Hollywood has never seen. I was so committed I would tattoo his name across my boob. Pose for fake engagement photos if he wanted them. Hell, I’d fake a damn wedding.

I saw him arrive in the Ring Doorbell, so when Jacob came up the walkway to get me, I was already coming out. I didn’t want to invite him in to see the time capsule I currently lived in.

“Hey,” I said, squeezing out the crack in the door and closing the screen behind me.

“Hey. Ready to go?”

He was wearing jeans and a thin black V-neck sweater with the sleeves rolled up. Very handsome.

“I brought a bottle of wine,” I said, holding up a chardonnay.

“They’ll love that,” he said, slipping his hands in his pockets.

He looked a little nervous. His jaw was tight.