Love on Call: A Sweet Fake Fiancé Romantic Comedy

Chapter 6

KAT

Leave it to Aunt Marg to throw an impromptu garden/pool party for all the guests. She sent me a message an hour ago to let me know that things might get loud and I might as well join in the fun.

“All the family will be there.” I read her text again and barely resist rolling my eyes. “Nice.” It’s part guilt trip, part request for me to get out of the unit and enjoy some family time. I can’t blame her for wheedling to get me outside. My parents’ unit is nice and cozy. I love the beachy atmosphere Mom created with soft blue walls and pastel paintings of sunsets around Nantucket gracing every wall. But it would be nice to get outside and away from the computer.

I thumb back a text that I’m on my way and receive an instant thumbs up emoji in response. Good old Aunt Marg. The woman never can resist sticking her nose in our business. She’s been unobtrusive—for the most part—since I came back to Nantucket, but every time I see her, I can sense her need to fix what’s gone wrong. She can’t help it, and I love that she cares enough to try.

The sounds of the party reach me as soon as I open my door. Splashing and screeching burst through the air like balloons popping in rapid succession. Beneath that, laughter and conversations spill out over the fence.

“Rex, if you dump one more bucket of water on Liam, I’m taking you inside for a nap.” Trina’s fierce but motherly tone causes my lips to quirk up in a grin.

“No.” Rex wails and the sound is followed by another splash.

I don’t even try to hide my laughter as I make my way down the sandy path. Roses cover the fence on either side, with the pool’s privacy fence keeping everyone hidden from sight.

Nathan walks my way, the path from his house intersecting mine. He’s wearing swim shorts and has a towel slung over his shoulder. His eyebrows creep up when he hears the noise. “I’m not sure this is a great idea.”

I lift one shoulder and let it fall. “You try telling your mom that we’re not coming then.” It’s easy to goad Nathan nowadays. He’s become even more chill since he and Tim finally started working through their problems, but there are a few ways to get him going.

Nathan backpedals so fast his heel catches in a rut and he stumbles into the fence. “And miss out on Dad’s grilled shrimp burgers? No way.” He shakes his head and grins at the others coming up behind him. Ellie, Preston, Samantha, they’re all there. All my cousins and their spouses together create a group that’s even larger than the one ringing the pool.

My shoulders tense as I realize I’m the only one walking by myself.

Why does this feel like another setup? Everyone here is married except for me and Clay. I narrow my eyes at Marg when she appears at the gate. Her smile is wide and generous as she holds it open. “Come on. No sense in lurking out here.” Bright sunshine bounces off her white straw hat.

We all file in one by one. I can’t help the sudden lump in my throat as I take in all my cousins with their partners. It’s a beautiful sight but it also pinches hard around my heart and makes it ache. Why did I marry Danny so fast? I rushed things without thinking them through. Was I so desperate for love that I ignored everything else? I thought I was in love. Danny was sweet and kind. He made me feel special. I’d never encountered anyone like him before. I chew on my lip and pass Aunt Marg.

Her fingers wrap around my arm, the pressure stopping me in my tracks. “Any sign of Danny?”

I bite back the fear clawing up my throat and shake my head. “None.”

“Good.” She pats my shoulder. “Maybe he’s gone back to the mainland. Enjoy yourself, Kat. You’ve earned it.”

Right. Earned it. What does that even mean?

Moving past Aunt Marg, I spot Clay lounging in a chair near the pool. My pulse skips into overdrive and I replay our last encounter minute by minute. Every touch is seared into my mind. What was I thinking agreeing to a fake relationship with him? It’s not that I’m intimidated by his good looks. I’m confident in my looks and personality, but there’s something about Clay that makes me feel insecure. Maybe it’s because he’s a doctor. Yeah. That must be it. It’s not because he stepped between me and Danny like a knight in shining armor. Or because every time he touches me I feel things that I’ve never felt before. Things even Danny didn’t bring to the surface.

Bless Nantucket and its romantic charm. I’m in a fake relationship with the handsome doctor. Heat blooms in my stomach and spreads outward. He saw me fall apart with Danny and still looked at me with appreciation. I expected scorn or sarcasm after I could barely hold my folder thanks to my shaking hands. How could Danny’s presence affect me so severely? It’s like no time at all has passed since the last time I saw him in court. He’d been calm that day, but just the night before he’d ranted and raved about how much he loved me. The flipping back and forth wrecked me.

Liam and Adam play a game of water basketball with Rex while Dalton looks on from the side of the pool.

I stop to take in the whole scene and Trina crosses from the side gate to stand beside me. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. Fine.” I answer automatically to deflect attention and keep from nose-diving into my problems.

Trina follows my line of sight and her lips quirk up in a lightning quick grin. “You and Clay seem to have hit it off.”

“He’s a great guy.” That’s easy enough to admit. I dig my sunglasses from my pocket and slide them into place.

Trina focuses on my face, tiny lines fanning out from her eyes when her smile widens. “Yeah, he’s something else. I keep hoping he’ll find someone to settle down with.”

What is it with newly married couples trying to marry everyone around them? They’re all happy and in love. Great for them. I really, really need them to leave me out of it.

“Not you too.” I groan and turn away, grabbing a bottle of water from the cooler. I’m not meant for love and marriage. Danny ruined that for me. Even if I found someone I could trust, I’d always have that lingering doubt in the back of my mind.

Trina follows when I make my way over to a table and sink into the sun-warmed cushion. “What does that mean?”

I gulp water and then point the bottle at Marg. “Aunt Marg is already trying to set me up with him. After all that with Danny...” I trail off and shudder. “Clay’s just being nice. He’s pretending so Danny will leave me alone.”

A tiny groove appears between Trina’s brows. “I think I’m missing something here.”

Ugh. Me and my big mouth. She probably didn’t know anything about Danny. Which means she didn’t know that Clay offered to be my fake boyfriend. If I keep talking, I’m going to make everything worse.

My phone rings and I spot Tim’s name on the screen when I retrieve it from my pocket. I grimace an apology at Trina and answer. “Hey, Tim. What’s up?”

“Why didn’t you call me?” His voice has that gruffness to it that says he’s annoyed. “I took a stroll through Danny’s socials today. He’s on Nantucket.”

“Yeah, I know.” I rub my forehead with my free hand and stand, mouthing ‘sorry’ at Trina as I make my way to a secluded corner where I won’t be bothered. “He found me.”

Tim sucks in a breath and I wait for a blistering string of curses but silence rings in my ears for several heartbeats. “Have you gone to the police for a restraining order?”

“No.” My heart races so fast it feels like hummingbird wings in my chest. “I don’t have any reason. He just said he wanted to talk.”

“Which means he’s stalking you,” Tim growls. “I swear, Kat.” A deep sigh tells me he’s worried. “Get a restraining order. You have more than enough reason. I know the law and can assure you that they’ll issue the paper without any trouble. You need this.”

What good is a piece of paper against Danny? I almost ask, but if I do that, Tim will be on the next ferry to Nantucket. He might be a tough guy who has trouble showing his vulnerabilities, but he is also the guy who shows up when he’s needed. Maybe that wasn’t always the case, but it is now.

“I’ll let Nathan know to keep an eye out.” Tim’s voice brings me back to myself.

“Aunt Marg already knows. I’m sure she told him.” I almost tell him not to bother, but the look in Danny’s eyes scared me more than I want to admit. Trusting that he’ll stay away is dangerous. I need to be on my guard. “I have someone to be my bodyguard if I go to town.” Calling Clay my bodyguard is a bit of a stretch, but telling Tim he’s my fake boyfriend is out of the question.

Tim grunts, which is about as close to an agreement as I’m going to get.

“You don’t need to get Nathan involved.” Sweat gathers between my ear and the phone, making it slick. Gross. I lower my phone and tap the speaker button.

Tim scoffs with enough force to make me wince. “Too late. I’ve already sent him a text. Do not go anywhere alone.” He pauses. “Promise me.”

I consider my options. I can promise and mean it, or I can lie. Both have their downsides.

“She promises.” Clay’s smooth voice rolls out behind me.

“Who’s that?” Tim makes a noise that’s as close to a growl as I’ve ever heard. “Kat, answer me.”

“That’s Clay.” I catch Clay’s smirk. “He’s acting as my bodyguard.”

His smile falters a bit at that but he crosses his arms and widens his stance. “No one is going to hurt her. I’ll make sure of that.”

“I’ll make sure of that,” Tim says darkly. “Kat, send me his info. I’ll run a background check.”

I eye Clay and almost take Tim off speaker but it’s too late now. “Not happening, Tim. I made a mistake with Danny. I know better than to go down that road again. I don’t need you to run a background check.” Because I’m not letting Clay get close enough to hurt my heart. I let myself get carried away when I kissed his cheek. That can’t happen again. I’ll let Clay walk me around town and keep Danny at bay, but that’s it. My heart is mine and mine alone. I will not let it get broken again.

“I wish you’d called me.” Tim sighs. “I could have been on the next ferry.”

My throat burns with emotion that I tamp down before it creeps into my voice. Tim wouldn’t appreciate hearing me blubber over how much he’s changed this last year. He’s always been there for me, even if he fought tooth and nail to keep his brother and his parents at arms length.

“You’re right where you need to be,” I remind him after I’ve regained control. “Fighting injustice is what you do, Tim. You’re needed on the mainland right now. I’ll be fine.”

Clay’s nostrils flare and his arms flex. Muscle pops out across his torso, reminding me of what hides beneath the baby blue t-shirt. He might be barefoot and dressed for the pool, but one look in those dark eyes and I know that he’d drop everything in an instant to protect me.

It’s a weird feeling, knowing that Clay would protect me—a complete stranger. He’s a bit more like Tim than I realized. Both have high-profile careers and while Tim fights injustice in the courtroom, Clay hasn’t hesitated to put himself in the way of physical harm. Tim would do the same if he was here. Only Tim wouldn’t have to pretend to like me.

“Call me if anything changes.” Tim’s voice turns muffled. “Gotta go. Clay, look out for her or you’ll answer to me.”

Tim ends the call before Clay can respond. He offers a tiny grin. “I like him.”

“Yeah.” I clean my phone screen and set it on the table while I drop into a chair. “He has that effect on people. You either love him or hate him.” That’s not as true as it used to be, but I’m too emotionally drained to delve into the intricacy that is Tim.

Clay takes the seat across from me. Warm hands envelop mine and he rubs his thumbs over my knuckles. “You’ll get through this.”

I know. I’m made of some pretty tough stuff, even if I did fall apart at the shock of seeing Danny. He surprised me, that’s all. I want to say all those things, but the words stick in my throat. Clay’s soft touch helps settle me in the moment, and I work to push aside thoughts of Danny and the possible trouble lingering on the other side of the fence surrounding me. “What a mess,” I mumble under my breath.

Clay lifts my hands and kisses my inner wrist before pulling me to my feet. “Come on. Let’s go have some fun.”

Fun. How long has it been since I truly stopped worrying and let myself relax? I’m safe and surrounded by family. There’s no way Danny can get to me here.

Grinning despite the nausea curling up the back of my throat as I think about having to walk to town tomorrow, I let Clay lead me to the edge of the pool.

Nathan focuses on his phone, then waves it at me with a stern expression.

Great. Between Aunt Marg and Nathan, they’ll all know about Danny by the end of the party. I won’t have one person watching my back, I’ll have all of them keeping an eye on me. It’s touching but also slightly stifling to know that they’ll need to know my every move.

Clay steps into the water and lifts his hands toward me. “You coming in like that or is there a bathing suit under there somewhere?”

The words are a challenge and a reminder that I came here to have fun.

Grinning so hard my cheeks hurt, I peel off my oversized shirt and kick my sandals off to the side, then shimmy out of my cutoffs to reveal the black one-piece swimsuit I chose for today. With Clay staring up at me, his mouth hanging open in a state of shock, I slide into the water and plant my hands on top of his head, dunking him before he realizes my intention.

He comes up laughing, and I know right then that I’m in over my head. Because that laugh is one that I’d like to hear every single day for the rest of my life.