Chapter 4

CHAPTER

FOUR

Merrick

I watch as she drives away, barely able to contain my smile. Seeing her reaction to me, well, let's just say this little arrangement is going to be a lot more fun than I originally anticipated. I thought we'd hang out, go to the wedding and that would be it. Turns out, it's going to be more complicated, and after our little run-in tonight, I can't say I'm mad about it. Courtney's reaction to me... that's what's going to make this fun. The increase in her pulse, her accelerated breathing, and her eyes. She gives everything she's feeling away with her eyes.

I didn't expect to run into Courtney and her mother tonight, but I'm suddenly glad I did. Aside from the fact my brothers are going to give me shit, but that's nothing new. Then again, razzing me was inevitable the minute I offered my assistance to the beautiful Courtney. The woman I hardly know. All week they've been riding my ass about just admitting that I wanted her. She's beautiful, but that's not what this is about. I really was just trying to help her, but tonight, she changed that. She's not unaffected by my presence. Flirt should have been my middle name, well, mine and that of my twin brother's. I'm going to have fun with this. Maybe I can bring the gorgeous, shy Courtney out of her shell a little. Give her the confidence to stand up to those who are trying to dictate her life. Her mother seems nice enough, but she's the reason this charade started. We all know looks can be deceiving.

Turning, I head into the restaurant and make my way to the table in the back where my brothers are seated.

"You get your girl all settled?" Ryder asks.

"I walked your wife's employee to her car like the gentleman that I am." The entire table erupts in laughter, and I can't hold my grin. "I'm a gentleman, dammit."

"Uh-huh," Rushton says, rolling his eyes.

"A gentleman that plays the field," Sterling offers.

"Hey now, no throwing stones. Every single one of you taught me to be the way that I am. You can't place blame on me. I'm the baby." I grin. It's been years since I've played the "I'm the baby" card. There are mere minutes between my twin, Maverick, and me. As the youngest of nine, I've used that excuse a time or two. Maverick has as well, claiming since we share a birthday, we get to both be the babies of the family.

He's not wrong, but still, that title belongs to me.

"Oh, here we go." Orrin, my oldest brother, laughs. "Mom's not here to fall for that shit." He chuckles.

"For real though," Brooks says, "what's going on there?"

I sit back in my seat. "Nothing. I walked into Jordyn's boutique to drop off a table that Dad fixed for her, and overheard Courtney talking about her mom razzing her about needing a date for her sister's wedding. I'm unattached." I shrug.

"So you offered yourself up?" Declan asks.

"Pretty much." I don't tell them that she told her mom we were dating. I don't keep much from my brothers, but that feels too personal. Besides, technically, that's Courtney's story to tell. Ryder eyes me and gives me a subtle nod. Of course his wife would tell him the entire story.

"She's gorgeous," Archer comments.

"You kiss your wife with that mouth?" I fire off at him, making them all laugh.

Archer tosses a balled-up napkin at me, shaking his head, but there's a grin tugging at his lips. "You know what I mean."

"Ramsey likes her," Declan speaks up. "Says she's going to be good for you." He flashes me a grin. As if I didn't know my sisters-in-law and my cousin were conspiring to find ways to make me fall in love with Courtney. As the last Kincaid brother standing, they're making it their mission in life to find me the happiness they have with my brothers and Deacon.

"If we were dating for real, maybe. This is just a ruse to get her mom off her back, and a date to a wedding. Nothing more." Well, maybe after her reaction to me tonight, it might be a little more. Lots of flirting is in my future. I want to help open her up, bring her out of her shell, and help her be more assertive. She shouldn't have to hide behind a fake date or boyfriend to anyone. Hopefully, during our time together, however long that might be, I can help her with that.

I don't know why I want to. It's just this gut feeling I need to be there for her. I can still hear the despair in her voice, the defeated slump of her shoulders as she confessed what she'd told her mother. I was able to help her, so I did. It's as simple as that.

"So you pretend to date her?" Maverick asks, his voice quiet so as to not give the details away to anyone who might be listening.

"Yep. We'll hang out a few times. I'll spin her around the dance floor at her sister's wedding, and we'll conveniently not work out." I shrug like it's easy. It will be easy. They're the ones making it complicated.

"You seemed pretty into her." Maverick's eyes find mine.

Fucking twin logic. Maverick and I have this weird thing where we know what the other is thinking and feeling. It's eerie as fuck, and it's how I knew Stella was more to him than even he realized. This isn't the same.

"That's the point."

Maverick nods, but the look in his eyes tells me he's not buying what I'm selling. My brother is still the fun-loving man he's always been, but loving Stella has calmed him down, and he shows more of his serious side. His dad side is showing. Ada and the twins, Lacey and Ryan, have mellowed my brother, but the connection we have as twins remains the same.

"I better get home," Maverick says, standing. "Stella's with all three kids on her own." He tosses some money on the table for the tip and grabs his bill. "See ya." He strolls to the counter to pay, and the rest of us stand and do the same, following him.

I'm pulling into my driveway when her text comes through.

Courtney: I'm home.

She's been home, which means she forgot to text me. If we're going to pull this off, she needs to do better. Sure, it's just a text message, but she needs to be all in, just as I've vowed to be for this to be believable. That means texting her caring boyfriend when she gets home, so he doesn't worry. She might not be mine for real, but while we're pretending she is, I'll treat her as I will my future wife.

Grabbing my keys, I head inside the house and drop down on the couch. Instead of texting her back, I hit her contact info, press Call, and put the phone to my ear. It rings once, twice, three times before she answers.

"Merrick?"

"You forgot, didn't you?" I ask her.

"Yeah." She sighs.

"We have to sell this, Courtney. If it's going to work, we have to be all in." I don't do anything half-assed. Our family motto is to work hard, love harder. This is going to be work, and I'm stepping up to do what it takes, but she has to be with me. This is for her, after all.

"I know. I was actually planning to call you tomorrow, even before we ran into each other tonight."

"Yeah?" Why does that make me want to smile?

"You don't have to do this, Merrick. I know that I've put you in an impossible position, and I wouldn't blame you if you backed out."

"I'm not backing out." There is zero hesitation or uncertainty in my reply. "Are you?"

"I should." Her reply is quiet.

"Are you?" I don't realize I'm holding my breath, waiting for her response until she gives it to me.

"No. Not if you're not. I will, though, if you need me to. I'll call my mother first thing and tell her it was all a lie. This is going to be more than just hanging out a few times and then going to my sister's wedding. My mother, she's amazing, and I love her, but she hovers and nags, and she means well, but she's... a lot, Merrick."

"It's three months."

"Three months you'll never get back. You didn't sign up for family dinners and to be drilled with questions by my mother."

"What about your dad?"

She chuckles softly. "He's laid-back, the complete opposite of my mom. When they say opposites attract, that's my parents to a fault. He loves me, but he also trusts my judgment. If I tell him you are who I want, and that we're together, he will accept that without question. The only time he wouldn't is if he thought you or any man weren't good to me."

"I'll be good to you, Courtney." My voice is husky to my own ears as I will her to believe me. I don't know why it's so important to me, but I need her to know. "I'm in this for you. Whatever that looks like."

"Why, Merrick? I don't understand."

I ponder her question, and I don't have a simple answer. "You seemed distraught. I hate it when a woman is upset. Just ask Ramsey, my mom, or my sisters-in-law. You looked on the verge of tears, and I don't like your tears. I'm able to help you, and I want to." I realize I said her tears and not the tears of any woman, which is true, but I don't like hers either. That's also my truth, one I don't understand and can't explain. All I know is she needed me, and it's within my power to make things easier for her, so that's what I'm going to do.

"Are you sure? Merrick, I'll never be able to repay you."

"I'm sure, Court. I already told you I need help with my place. We'll be spending time together to do that and that will only help sell this relationship."

"What if you meet someone?"

"What if you meet someone?" I toss her words back at her.

She scoffs as if the idea is the wildest one she's ever heard. "It's not like I have men lining up to date me. I'm a quiet bookworm. There's nothing about me that excites the men in this town."

"Don't. Don't do that. No one talks like that about my girl, not even her." I keep my tone light, but I hate that she's talking down about herself. Fucking social media and society, making her feel less than. Any man would be lucky to call her his for real.

"Like you'd date the bookworm," she huffs.

"I'll have you know, my brothers' wives all love to read. In fact, I've heard a few comments that it helps spice things up." I don't have to see her face to know that she's blushing. "They don't give details about their wives and intimacy, but I can come to my own conclusions," I add.

"Stop." She's laughing, and I don't hate the sound as it filters through the line. I only wish I could be there to see and hear it in person.

"What? How do you think we got here?" I ask her.

"Merrick!" she shrieks, and I wonder if that's how she would sound as I pushed inside her.

No. I can't let my thoughts travel there. It's too dangerous. I'm helping her out of a jam, not seducing her. "Fine," I grumble good-naturedly. "I'll keep it PG. For now," I tack on, knowing she's going to be affected by my words.

"So, we're doing this?"

"Yeah, we're doing this."

"Dinner with the parents?"

"I guess so," she exhales into the phone.

"I'll set something up with mine too. In fact, you should just come to Sunday dinner. We try to do it as much as we can at Kincaid Central."

"That's the building connected to the boutique, right?" she asks.

"Yep. It's Jordyn's story to tell, but she came into some money and wanted a boutique and a place for all of us to be together comfortably for gatherings. There are a lot of us, and with all the new additions of babies to the family, the extra space is very much appreciated."

"She's told me a little of her story."

"She and my brother fought like hell for their happily ever after. I'm happy for them."

"Jordyn and your sisters-in-law call you the last man standing."

I groan. "I'm aware. They're going to go crazy with this, just a warning."

"I can handle it. It's the least that I can do with how you're helping me."

"Court, babe, my sisters-in-law are relentless. They have to be since they're married to my brothers. They're going to hound you that this—that we could be more." It's only fair she, too, understands what she's getting herself into. "It's going to be you and me against the world for the next few months. Are you up for the challenge?"

"Yes."

She didn't hesitate to give me her answer. "All right then, girlfriend." I grin. "Set up something with your parents. You can come to Sunday dinner with me."

"When?"

"Sunday." Did she not hear me?

"As in the day after tomorrow?" she gasps.

I chuckle at her reaction. "That would be Sunday, yes."

"That soon?"

"We have three months to sell this, no time like the present. In fact, we should hang out tomorrow."

"We should?" she asks.

"Definitely. We're going to have to get comfortable with one another if this is going to be believable." My mind drifts to the way her eyes heated and her breathing picked up when I got close, placing my lips against her skin.

"Right. Right," she agrees, and I imagine her nodding as if she needs the action to convince herself.

"We can meet for lunch and spend the day together," I suggest.

"The day?"

"Do you have plans?" Something doesn't sit well with me, thinking she might have a date or something. I mean, she told me she wasn't dating, but I have this overwhelming need to make that clear. "While we're doing this, it's just us. No other dates. I'm yours and you're mine for the next three months. I won't settle for anything less." We might be pretending, but I won't be made of as the sad, pitiful fool that Courtney cheated on.

"I would never." I hear the indignation in her tone.

"Then it's settled. You'll come to Sunday dinner with me and then you'll set up a time with your parents."

"Do they know? I mean, I know Jordyn knows, and I assume Ryder. Do the rest of them?"

"Do they know that we're pretending? Yeah, they know. You'll be able to relax and not worry about the stress of convincing them you want me." She mumbles something that sounds like "like I'd have to pretend," but I'm not sure. Regardless, the comment that I think I heard makes me smile.

"We will need to practice, so be prepared for me to treat you as I would if you were truly mine."

"What does that mean, Merrick?" There is a slight tremble in her voice.

Does she think I would hurt her? "It means I'll be holding your hand. I might even need to kiss you."

She inhales sharply. "But they know."

"And we need to practice to convince your family."

"But—I don't want them to think less of me." Her confession is quiet.

"Never. I'm not going to exploit you, Courtney. I'm going to play the part you've asked me to play. I don't half-ass anything, even if that means we pretend in front of my family."

"Maybe we should just... not. I can call my mom and confess my sins."

"Does the thought of my hand on yours or kissing me repulse you so much you'd confess to her?"

"No, it's not that. Not at all," she's quick to assure me. "But—you have to kiss me."

My mouth hangs open in shock as anger courses through me. "And you think that's going to be a hardship for me? Do you actually think that me getting to have a gorgeous woman on my arm, calling her mine, touching her as if she's my world, and tasting her lips is a hardship? Think again, Courtney. I thought I said no more?" My voice is stern, because fuck me, I hate that she thinks any time with her would be a chore for me. She's gorgeous, and her personality is sweet as fucking apple pie. I'm sure she tastes just as sweet. I lick my lips with the thought of being able to find out for myself without the usual strings of a relationship.

It's not that I'm against them, but they are a lot of work and if I don't see forever with the woman, I don't waste my time. My efforts will be for my wife, and well, Courtney, apparently.

"Lunch tomorrow?" she asks softly.

"I'll be at your place at noon." She doesn't ask me how I know where she lives. Willow River is a small town.

"I'll be ready. Thank you, Merrick."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, sweet Courtney."

"Goodnight."

I wait for her to end the call before I drop my cell phone on my lap. I've never in my life waited for someone to hang up before me. I refuse to think about that. This is just a weird situation we've found ourselves in. It's only natural I treat her as I would someone who was special to me, all things considered.