Chapter 21

21

WES

I ’d never been happier my job kept me outdoors. I was on the boat today, isolated from everyone, and my cell phone signal was spotty. I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone.

I stayed out on the water, going through our entire relationship in my head from the moment we met under the slide, the moment I realized I was physically attracted to my best friend, my decision to keep it to myself, and finally to my proposal. Our wedding, the marriage, and everything in between.

I loved Sutton, and I had no idea how she felt about me. At breakfast, she was consumed with the comments on social media and how the truth got out. But I was relieved that someone had outed us. I hoped she’d take it as an opportunity to talk about how we felt. But instead, she was more worried about how it got out than what it meant for us.

I didn’t really care, and I was positive it wasn’t anyone in my family. They wouldn’t hurt me like that. But I wouldn’t put it past her mother. She was the one who read the comments out loud in front of Mrs. Rosesmith. She could have waited until she had Sutton to herself. She didn’t have to make it a spectacle. But I had a feeling that’s what the Rosesmiths did. They liked to hurt each other. I’d happily protect Sutton for the rest of my life from her parents’ toxicity, but I didn’t think she wanted me to.

At the end of my shift, I made my way to shore where a lone figure stood on the dock. I didn’t want to talk to anyone in my family.

My dad helped me secure the line to the piling. I shut off everything on the boat, stored the life jackets, then joined him on the dock. I raised a brow. “Is there a particular reason why you’re here?”

“I heard what happened. Daphne called and explained.”

“It will blow over.” I wasn’t worried about everyone knowing. I was more concerned that Sutton didn’t return my love.

Dad’s brow furrowed. “That’s not what I’m concerned about.”

“And what’s that?” I asked as I followed him to a nearby bench and sat next to him. I could appreciate the beauty of the water, but everything was clouded by uncertainty. Was Sutton done with me and our marriage now that everyone knew it was fake? Would she lose the estate?

“I’m worried about you.”

I shrugged despite the pain. “It was fake, remember? And now we don’t have to pretend anymore.”

Dad huffed out a breath. “I don’t believe that for one second.”

I was a little taken back by his vehemence. “Why not?”

“You’ve been in love with that girl forever.”

The truth of that statement struck me in the chest. “It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t feel the same.”

He raised a brow. “And you’ve had this conversation? ”

“No.” I felt like a petulant child.

He slapped his thigh. “I told you to talk to her.”

“There was never a good time. When I tried at the birthday party, Mrs. Rosesmith collapsed. Then Sutton moved home.” And everything felt like a clusterfuck.

“You’re going to let her just walk away?” Dad asked.

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” A headache brewed at the base of my skull.

“That’s not the man I raised. I taught you to go after what you want. To work hard. Not to give up without a fight.” Dad said each word with inflection.

I nodded, grateful to have him growing up. “You did.”

“Why do you continue to take a backseat in your personal life? You waited for years for this opportunity to come up, and now you’re letting her go. I wondered over the years if it had anything to do with Teddy taking charge after Mom died, and you being his wingman.”

I wasn’t going to touch Dad’s comments about me and Teddy, even if they struck close to home. “It’s what Sutton wants. She didn’t want the truth getting out. It has always been about the estate for her. She’s a Rosesmith through and through. I should have known.”

Dad was quiet for a few seconds, looking out over the water. “You’re a good judge of character. You have to be to do the job you do.”

I nodded.

“When has Sutton ever acted like a Rosesmith? Like her parents?” When I didn’t immediately respond, Dad continued, “She came over to our house after every holiday to escape her family.”

My stomach twisted. She’d never felt good in her family’s company .

Dad leaned his elbows on his thighs. “She went with you to your school’s prom.”

I leaned back, wishing I could be anywhere but here talking to my dad. “Her parents didn’t approve, and I wasn’t invited to hers.”

“She married you and not one of those other men her mother wanted her to date.”

I shook my head. “I was convenient. She trusted me not to want any money out of the deal.”

Dad gave me a look. “I think we both know money wasn’t the deciding factor.”

I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly exhausted from this conversation. “What are you getting at?”

“For someone so smart, you can be dense. Sutton is not like her family. She’s her own person, just like you and my other kids have paved your own way. How many years did I try to put Jameson in the same hole I put you and Wes? He didn’t fit. It didn’t mean he wasn’t a Calloway. We’re all different. And Sutton’s never been like her mother.”

Sutton liked nice things, but she’d never been about status or her name. In fact, she left her last name off most introductions because she wanted people to get to know her before they drew any conclusions.

Dad sighed heavily. “You need to have that talk before you end things. You owe it to yourself.”

A muscle in my jaw ticked. “Mrs. Rosesmith knows. The deal is off. We don’t have to pretend anymore.”

Dad stood. “You were never pretending.”

It was real for me. But that just meant I was an idiot for going along with the plan. “So I talk to her and then what?”

Dad looked out over the water. “You’ll finally know where she stands. You might be surprised. ”

I grunted out a noise of disapproval. There were no guarantees in this life, and I wasn’t holding out hope.

But then I remembered what it felt like when we were alone and how we came together. There was something there. If she didn’t feel it, then I’d walk away.

I followed Dad to his truck. When he opened his door, he climbed inside.

“I’ll talk to her.”

Dad nodded, obviously pleased. “You do that.”

“I’ll let you know how it goes.” I wasn’t holding out hope that Sutton would return my feelings. Even if she felt the same, I was positive her mother was telling her all the reasons why a relationship with me wouldn’t work.

Especially now that everyone knew our marriage was a fraud.

I drove home and showered, deciding to cook some burgers on the grill to keep myself busy. I still needed to work out how to get Sutton alone for a conversation.

A text came through from an unknown number.

This is Sutton’s grandmother. I’d be delighted if you would come to breakfast tomorrow morning at the Rosesmith Estate at eight a.m. sharp.

Was that a question or a demand? Also, since when did she text?

I have some things we need to discuss.

I was curious what Mrs. Rosesmith could possibly have to say to me, and my stomach twisted at the idea that she’d tell me to stay away from Sutton. That I was the one who’d embarrassed the family with our fake marriage. She wanted Sutton with a man who had more money or status.

I added her number to my contacts.

I’ll be there.

Wonderful.

Her grandmother never failed to surprise me. I wondered if I’d misjudged her all these years.

I heard footsteps on the side of the house. Sometimes my brothers dropped in now that I had the outdoor kitchen.

Teddy held up the six-pack of beer. “I brought drinks.”

“You here for my world-famous burgers?” I asked, trying to keep my voice light. I wasn’t in the mood for company.

His lip curled in disgust. “I wouldn’t say they’re world famous. Edible at best.”

He set the bottles on the table, and I shook my head. “Who invited you anyway?”

Teddy grinned. “I invited myself. I heard that your arrangement went viral.”

I groaned. “Dad already talked to me.”

“So you don’t need anyone else to. I can relax and enjoy these burgers.”

I raised a brow in his direction. When had Teddy ever kept his mouth shut when he had an opinion on something?

I’d walked the straight and narrow after Mom died so his talks were usually reserved for Jameson and Daphne.

I always did what was expected of me, not wanting to worry Dad more when he was grieving. It was easier to emulate Teddy than to be like Jameson.

“I’m not in the mood for a lecture.”

Teddy sat heavily on the couch. “Good. I’m not going to give you one. ”

I raised a brow. “I don’t believe you’re just here for dinner.”

He rubbed his stomach. “I’m starving.”

How could I get him off the topic of me and Sutton’s situation? “Dad’s talking about moving Charlotte into the cottage.”

Teddy leaned forward with a frown. “I thought that was the deal if her probationary period went well.”

“Dad’s pissed because you won’t sit down to go over the numbers, and you didn’t cooperate with her to hold the Santa visits and other stuff.” He’d stonewalled Charlotte at every turn.

“Do we need an official time to go over it? Dad sent it via email. It’s there for anyone to see.”

“I think he wants us to discuss it like adults. We’re running a business together.”

“I don’t think we need a marketing person. It’s a waste of money we don’t have.”

I moved toward the table. “Charlotte wanted to do more, and you threw up roadblocks. I think her idea to have a Santa for pictures was a good one.”

“We didn’t have time to organize most of the things she wanted to implement.”

“We do this year. That’s why Dad wants to get her on board. Charlotte is smart, and everyone loves her. She’s going to get scooped up by someone. She isn’t going to stick around and market for a small Christmas tree farm.”

Teddy scowled. “Ya think?”

I gave him a look. “You know I’m right.”

He tipped his beer back. “Yeah maybe.”

“Give her a try. It can’t hurt anything. Her salary is mainly living expenses.”

“I don’t want her living on the farm. ”

“Why? Afraid you’ll have to see her too much?” I lifted the top of the grill to check the burgers.

“Do you know she says ‘Happy Sunday’ or ‘Happy Tuesday’? Who’s says that? Who’s happy all the time?”

“I think it’s nice.” She lifted everyone’s mood.

Teddy groaned. “It’s too much. She’s too much.”

Sutton had always been a lot, but I loved every piece of her. She was the best part of me. I touched my chest where the pain was the sharpest.

When I heard another crunch of leaves and snap of twigs, I let my head fall back. “Can’t a guy get privacy around here?”

Jameson smirked as he came around the corner, waving his phone in the air. “It’s not every day you go viral.”

“I don’t need to hear about it,” I singsonged back, then returned to check the patties on the grill.

Jameson sat next to Teddy. “There’s a new video. You should see it.”

“I don’t want to see any more of what they’re saying on social media.” I’d perused the comments last night, and some were mean. Sutton’s followers felt duped, and I couldn’t blame them.

Jameson grabbed the remote for the TV and turned it on.

I breathed a sigh of relief that he was going to let it go, and this wasn’t going to be some sort of Calloway brother intervention.

I carefully moved the grilled patties to the platter. I’d need to grab plates if we were going to eat out here.

“First I want to apologize—” Sutton’s voice came over the outside speakers.

“What?” I asked, turning to find Sutton’s beautiful face filling the screen. Her expression was one of regret. Her eyes looked red and puffy like she’d been crying.

Sutton cleared her throat. “I want to apologize for lying to all of you. You’ve become important to me over the years. I adore sharing my life with you, and I need to be honest.” She drew in a sharp breath. “My grandmother put a stipulation in the will that I had to marry to inherit the estate, or it would be sold. You know how much I love the house and the grounds. I wanted to host more tours and events there so everyone could enjoy it. I wanted it to be marked as a historical residence. I didn’t want it to be razed to make way for a housing development. And I wasn’t dating anyone at the time, so I decided to marry someone to satisfy the stipulation.”

Sutton looked down, and I felt her pain. I couldn’t believe she’d decided to apologize publicly. It made sense for her platform, but it took guts.

“I went on numerous dates, vetting prospective husbands, and I didn’t like any of them. But then my best friend, Wes, proposed that I marry him, and it was an easy decision.”

Sutton looked away from the camera. “You should know how Wes and I met. We became friends when he introduced himself to me under the slide one day at recess. You see, I wasn’t great at making friends back then. And he was my first one. Over the years, we grew closer. I even went with him to his prom. But I never told him how I really felt about him.”

My heart skipped a beat.

Sutton raised her gaze and looked directly at the camera. “You see, I’ve been in love with Wes Calloway since he asked to be my friend under that slide. It might have been a kid’s love, but it built over the years.” Sutton shook her head. “ Then we got married, and things became real quickly. Nothing about our marriage was fake. We were in a relationship whether we wanted to admit it or not. And my deepest regret is not telling him how I felt when we were together. I’m not sure he’ll listen to this now. But I had to tell everyone the truth. I’ve always loved Wes. I want a future with him if he’ll have me. And now because Wes doesn’t do social media, I can’t be assured he’ll see this, so I have to find him and tell him myself.” Her eyes filled with tears.

Sutton went on for a few more seconds about not wanting to betray her followers, but that she understood if they unfollowed her.

But I couldn’t get past what she’d said— Sutton loved me? And she always had.

Jameson clicked Stop on the video so that Sutton’s face still filled the screen. “What are you going to do about it?”

“I don’t even know what to think.” Sutton just said everything I wanted to hear, but she’d done it online. She hadn’t told me herself.

“ Your wife just declared her love to you in the most public way possible,” Jameson said.

Was it selfish to want her to say it again but this time in person?

The slider to the basement opened, and Sutton walked out. “I hoped I’d find you here. Did you see—” Sutton paused when she saw herself on the big screen.

I ground my teeth. “Jameson just played it.”

She crossed the room and stood in front of me. “Everything I said in that video was the truth. I love you, Wes. I wanted our marriage to be real, and I think it was. We were just too stubborn to admit to ourselves or anyone else.”

I was barely conscious of my brothers grabbing the platter of burgers and taking it inside. I hoped they’d make themselves scarce. “You love me?”

“I do. But there’s just one problem.”

She moved closer but didn’t touch me. “I don’t know how you feel.”

“If you have to ask—” I bit out.

“I need to hear the words, Wes.”

That had always been our problem. Neither one of us was willing to say our feelings out loud. We were afraid of the consequences, but Sutton had already told me and the rest of the world.

I cupped her cheek. “I love you, Sutton. I have since the day I met you under that slide.”

Her eyes shined with unshed tears.

I stepped forward so that we were touching. “I love you too. And you’re right; our marriage was real in every way that counts.”

Her hands wrapped around my neck as my lips lowered to hers. It was like coming home again. I never wanted to be without Sutton. She was everything to me.

She pulled back slightly. “Can you show me how much you love me?”

I grabbed her hand and towed her inside where the kitchen was empty. “If anyone’s here, get out. I’m showing my wife how much I love her.”

I heard the front door slam, and Sutton giggled.

With a growl, I lifted her so that her legs wrapped around my hip. It wasn’t bridal-style this time, but it was fitting. I couldn’t get enough of this woman. I carried her up the stairs and to my bedroom where I carefully lowered her to the comforter.

Sutton was in our bed, spread out for me to devour .

I pulled my shirt over my head. “Let’s not spend another night apart.”

Sutton shook her head. “Never.”

“ My wife lives here.” I emphasized each word.

“I’m proud of being your wife and living in your home,” Sutton said, her tone filled with emotion.

I lowered the zipper to my jeans. “No more moving back to your family’s estate when we fight or something else happens.”

Her lips curved up. “Never again.”

I had more stipulations like talking after a fight and not going our separate ways, but there was plenty of time for that. For now, I wanted to show her how much I loved her. I’d been holding back before, but I didn’t need to anymore.

I shucked off my jeans and briefs, then peeled off her leggings. She reared up to remove her sweater. When she was in nothing but lace panties, I moved over her body, dropping kisses on every spare inch of skin I passed.

I wasn’t in a hurry. I had all night to consume her, to make her mine. I kissed her, my cock nestling against the lace. She was hot and wet. And it was all for me.

I sucked one nipple into my mouth, then the other, until she was writhing beneath me. Then I hooked my fingers around the lace and pulled it slowly down her legs. When she was bared to me, I spread her legs wider, then licked her slit.

She arched into my mouth and I anchored my hand on her pelvis to hold her in place. My cock was hard and aching for her. But I wanted to drive her higher before I entered her.

Her skin was flush, her eyes wild with lust by the time I wiped my mouth and sat up, holding the base of my cock at her entrance .

“I love you, Wes.”

The truth of her words washed over me. I’d been waiting a long time to return that sentiment. And I’d never get enough of hearing her say it. “I love you.”

Then I thrust inside her, joining us together. This was the first time we’d ever been honest with each other and ourselves about our feelings. Everything felt more heightened, intense, and I was quickly racing toward an epic orgasm. But I forced myself to slow down, to savor the moment.

Sutton surprised me by tweaking her own nipples, her gaze fixed on mine. It was like she was issuing some kind of challenge, waiting for my reaction.

“I want you to touch yourself.”

Desire flashed in her eyes as she moved one hand down the center of her body until she was touching her clit. I could feel it at the base of my cock with every pass. Watching her chase her pleasure was too much.

When her muscles tightened, and her body arched, her head fell back and her eyes fluttered closed, I let go. Her walls spasmed around me, drawing out my orgasm. I lowered myself until my weight was resting on top of her. She held me tight to her.

When I eased to the side, I was too tired to get up and grab a washcloth. I just wanted to be close to her.