Love on Call: A Sweet Fake Fiancé Romantic Comedy

Chapter 5

CLAY

Jogging on the beach of Nantucket is far superior to running on a treadmill. The scenery alone is enough to make it worthwhile. My feet thud steadily against the sand in time with my heart’s rhythm, and the breeze plays with my hair while cooling the sweat beading down my spine.

After a long stretch of beach, the heat of the sun and the occasional sprint causes my muscles to burn. Time to cool off.

I slow my steps, tug my shirt over my head, and throw it to the sand. In three strides, I dive under the first small wave that comes my way. Refreshing cold hits my torso, and I let the waves carry me for a few moments. I break through the surface with a splash, blinking away droplets from my eyes.

The sight before me is picturesque—sailboat masts bob in the distance pointing to the sun, and the vibrant colors of the vessels contrast with the turquoise water. Simply stunning.

I swim several strokes until I’m close enough to grab onto a buoy moored along a pier. With one arm hooked around it, I float on my back, taking in every detail of this small slice of paradise.

And people like Kat get to live here. I’d love to get a beach shack or something on Nantucket. Visit on the weekends. That would be the balance I need in my life. It can’t be all work and no play.

I flip over and swim back toward shore. Soon enough, there’s sand beneath my feet again, and I trudge out of the sea, invigorated and energized.

I haven’t brought a towel with me as I didn’t plan on swimming, but it’s a short stroll to the resort. I collect my shirt from the sand and make my way to the accommodation, taking in deep breaths to regain my oxygen levels after the intensity of the swim to shore.

The scent of roses wraps around me as I climb the stairs to my unit. Just as I’m on the last step, Kat comes out of the apartment next to mine. How convenient. Did Marg purposely give me the unit next to Kat?

Kat startles when she looks up and nearly drops her manilla folder. “Oh, hi, Clay.” Her gaze travels over my bare chest before meeting my eyes. Pretty pink flushes her cheeks.

I wipe my damp hair with my shirt. I wasn’t going to get it wet, but with Kat blushing over there, I reconsider and shove my shirt on in one swift move.

“Hey, how are you?”

She places both hands on her folder in front of her and rocks on her heels. “Good. And yourself?”

“Great. I would jog and swim at that beach every morning for the rest of my life if I could. This place is a slice of heaven.”

Her teeth gleam. “I practically grew up here. Every school break, my parents would take us to Nantucket. This is my home away from home.”

“Where’s home usually?”

She shifts on her feet. “Nowhere at the moment. I’m taking one day at a time. Needed some space from the mainland. It”ll be hard to return.”

A grunt comes from the bottom of the stairs. I turn and a scowling man stomps toward us, his steely glare set on Kat.

I look over my shoulder to find Kat’s face pale as a sheet.

“Is everything okay?” I step closer to her.

She covers her mouth. “It’s my ex. What’s he doing here?”

Her ex? I take a step back, giving her space. “Do you want me to stay?”

She bobs her head and tries to steady her breathing.

He reaches us, and his eyes flicker over me before jerking back to her.

“What are you doing on Nantucket, Kat?” His tone is low and threatening.

“I’m staying with family for a few days.” She tries to sound casual, but I can tell she’s scared. This is not the Kat I first met at the pool who was bold and sure.

“Kat. Come on. You can”t keep running away from me. We need to talk about this.”

“Nothing to talk about.” Her voice is strong, but her grip on the folder trembles.

“I don’t want to do this in public.” He glances at me before advancing.

I step in front of Kat, shielding her from him. “Is there a problem here?” I ask in a no-nonsense tone.

He glowers at me. “This doesn’t concern you. Mind your own business.”

“I believe it does since you”re making Kat feel uncomfortable.”

Kat’s ex scoffs. “Right. Like you’re her hero or something.”

“I”m not looking to be a hero. I’m just trying to make sure everyone is safe,” I state calmly.

He huffs and turns to Kat. “We need to talk.”

“I have nothing more to say to you,” Kat’s voice wobbles and the sound does something to my insides.

“We’ll talk whether you want to or not.” He grabs her arm.

I slap my hand over his and remove its hold from Kat. “You need to leave.”

He tries to pull away, but I hold firm.

“Let go of me, you—” He spits out a string of expletives.

I tighten my grip. “I suggest you leave before I call the police.”

He sneers at me, but finally steps back.

Then his eyes go wide, and his head snaps back. “You”re the guy in the video.”

I look to Kat for some info. What’s he talking about?

“Are you moving in on my wife?” He raises his voice.

Wife?

“I’m not your anything, Danny.” She inches closer to me like my presence is giving her the confidence to stand up to Danny. “We had an annulment as if we were never married.”

Annulment? What on earth went on for the court to approve an annulment?

Danny grumbles. “Who is this guy? Are you sharing a room with him?”

I step in between Kat and Danny and straighten to my full height. “Look, man. Kat has made it clear that she doesn’t want to talk to you. Whatever you had with her before is over. She’s moved on and you need to move on too.” I gesture to the exit path of the resort.

Danny puffs out his chest and locks eyes with me. “Tell me this one thing and I’ll go. Are you seeing Kat?”

I never shift my gaze from his and add conviction to my tone. “Yes. And I won’t leave her side. You can’t cause her pain anymore.” I keep my voice level.

Danny grits his teeth and without another word pivots, jogs down the stairs, and disappears out of sight.

Kat crumples to the ground, gasping for air.

I kneel next to her. “Are you okay?”

She frantically nods and bats away my hand when I reach for hers. “I’m fine. I just need a moment.”

I back off and wait for her to compose herself.

Wow. So that is Kat’s ex. He’s the reason why she’s on Nantucket, running away. And he’s the reason a woman full of confidence and strength can, in an instant, fall into a heap of nerves. Poor woman. What happened in their marriage for her to react like this?

I sit beside her and place a comforting arm around Kat. This time she lets me. I pull her closer, and she rests her head on my shoulder.

“Thanks,” she whispers. “I’m glad you were here.”

“Good thing your aunt gave me the unit next door.”

She manages a laugh. “Yes, very convenient indeed.”

We remain silent for a long minute, before I ask, “What did he mean by the guy in the video?”

“On my social media. I posted a live video, and for a second, you were in the background. It’s frustrating that I can’t get completely free from Danny. When will it end? I’ve blocked him on everything. Now he’s discovered I’m here and came looking for me. I don’t think he has the mental capacity to understand it’s truly over. He’s locked onto the idea that he owns me or something. It’s weird.”

“Danny looks like some hard wires have short-circuited. Can I ask how you ended up with a guy like that?”

She gives a self-deprecating laugh. “He was all charming in the beginning. A perfect gentleman. Told me only after a few dates that he was so in love with me and wanted me to become the mother of his children.” Kat shakes her head. “He was so infatuated. I don’t know why I didn’t see the red flags. He proposed three months after we met and two months later convinced me to elope rather than spend thousands on a wedding.”

“Whoa. That’s quick. Maybe he wanted to marry you before you realized what he was really like.”

Kat jumps back an inch and faces me. “Exactly. He didn’t tell me he had borderline personality disorder. And he wasn’t doing any therapy to improve his mental health. If I’d known how volatile he could be, I wouldn’t have rushed into things.”

“Ah. So that’s why the court approved the annulment. Makes sense now.”

“I didn’t know before we got married, but he knew his diagnosis. We were only married for six months. It took most of that time to get out.” Her gaze snaps toward the stairs. “But in his mind, it’s not over. When will he let me be free?”

“Do you think he’s going to leave Nantucket?”

Her lips twitch. “I doubt it. He knows where I am . . .”

“You need to get a restraining order.”

She takes a deep breath and cups her face. “Oh, that will be a last resort. The guy has enough problems as it is. It’s not his fault he has BPD.”

I frown. I see it as two different things. She needs to be safe, no matter what. Danny is responsible for getting the help he needs. Kat needs to protect her own mental health. Living in fear of Danny showing up at any moment is going to affect her. The way she was shaking earlier is proof that it has already taken its toll.

I gently lift Kat’s chin and lock eyes. “I told Danny I wouldn’t leave your side. If he’s here on Nantucket, he won’t get a chance to get to you.”

She gives me a small smile. “You don’t have to do that. You’re on vacation.”

I tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I want to be here for you. Make sure you’re safe.”

A tear pools on her lower eyelid and she pulls away, fidgeting with her fingers. “Thanks.” Kat collects the papers that had scattered to the ground.

I help her and we slip the forms back into the folder together.

“I have so much work to do.” She straightens and pushes her shoulders back. “I’ll work in Steve and Marg’s house. I’ll be fine there.”

I nod. “I’ll walk you.”

As we make our way through the resort, I look at her with newfound respect. Despite everything that’s happened, she’s still able to hold her head up high. I’ve only known her for a few days, but already I feel more protective than I ever have before for anyone. It’s not my place to tell Kat what to do, but maybe she needs someone who’ll be there for her.

We arrive at her aunt”s place, and Kat walks inside without saying anything. I follow her in and watch as she puts her stuff down on the kitchen table and organizes her papers.

“Are you going to be okay here?” I ask.

She peeks up at me and nods. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Well, I’ll come check up on you later.”

“Sure.” Her voice is soft.

As I turn to leave, she calls out, “Wait.”

I swing around.

Kat walks up to me, goes on her tippy toes, and kisses me on the cheek. “I just want to say thank you,” she says. “For everything.”

I’m taken aback by her sincerity, and before I comprehend what I”m doing, my arms go around her waist in automatic response, and I draw her into a hug.

Her warmth seeps into my damp shirt. I hold her close against my chest. It might be the wrong thing to do, but in the circumstances, it seems so right. She needs someone to hold her and tell her that everything will be okay. And I’m that someone. For a moment, I forget that we barely know each other and that this is just a hug of comfort. A hug between strangers.

“Well, butter my biscuit.” Marg”s voice rings out, making me do a double-take away from Kat. “I never imagined my little match-making would work so fast.”

Kat places a hand to her chest. “Aunt Marg, I didn”t know you were a ninja. Scared the living daylights out of me.”

Marg wags a finger from side to side, grinning. “What”s going on here, hey?”

“Oh.” Kat darts a glance my way and back to her aunt. “Clay’s offered to be my fake boyfriend until Danny leaves the island.”

“Danny”s here?” Marg shoots her fists to her sides. “What”s he want?”

“Said he wanted to talk.”

Marg crosses her arms. “You don”t need to give him the time of day. You owe him nothing, Katrina. Nothing.”

“I know. I told him so.”

Marg drops her arms. “Goodness gracious.” She lets out a heavy sigh and shakes her head. But slowly, a smirk appears. “So, you’re hugging and practicing your ‘fake relationship.’” She uses air quotes.

I bite my bottom lip. What has Kat got herself into? Maybe she shouldn’t have told her aunt about me acting as bodyguard. Marg seems quite pleased with herself.

Kat eyes me like she’s unsure how I feel about the idea. Am I really going through with this?

I take her hand in mine. “Yep. Gotta be convincing for when Danny sees us together. We can’t be all awkward around each other. Needs to look genuine.” Inside I’m laughing at my ridiculous excuse to hold Kat’s hand. Has my everlasting singleness brought me to this point that I’ll grasp at any inkling of a possible relationship?

Kat squeezes my hand and faces her aunt. “Yeah. It’s just for a few days. But maybe Danny’s left already, and we won’t need to worry.” She drops my hand, along with my heart.

I was looking forward to playing boyfriend. Wouldn’t mind it becoming something real too.