Love on Call: A Sweet Fake Fiancé Romantic Comedy

Chapter 11

CLAY

As my time on Nantucket comes to an end, it’s imperative for Kat and me to get know each other more so the board doesn”t suspect anything when we meet. She agreed to go on this walk with me.

The wind tousles Kat’s hair as we approach the Sconset footpath. She turns toward me, her smile radiant. “I never grow tired of the Bluff walk. I make it a point to come here at least once a week.”

Displaying my most charming grin, I reach for her hand. “Lead the way.”

She flinches slightly before relaxing and intertwining her fingers with mine.

We pass by some lavish mansions that all seem to have that Old England charm—white framed windows and gray roof tiles. Sprawling lawns and neatly trimmed hedges divide the properties, each with a stunning view of the ocean below.

“So tell me more about yourself,” Kat asks. “What’s something I should know?”

“My life is pretty boring. I mostly work. Go to the gym. Visit family.” I point my finger like a gun when something better pops into my head. “I do play the guitar. Learned when I was a teenager and I pick it up now and then so I don”t forget all together.”

Kat raises a brow. “Are you any good?”

“I’d like to think I”m good enough. But not that amazing to play in a band in front of a live audience.”

“What about an audience of one?” She smirks.

“I can play for you if you”d like. Just need a guitar.”

“My uncle has one. Steve used to play too but his acoustic has become part of the decor for the TV room.”

“Wish I’d known that before our walk. I could’ve included it in—” I swallow my words and mumble, “—never mind.”

“Never mind what? What are you up to, Clay?” She draws out my name.

My cheeks go flamin hot. “You’ll see when we hit the beach.”

Kat gets a mischievous glint in her eye. “Fine. Race you to the shore.”

I drop her hand and pause my steps. “Thought this was meant to be a nice stroll at a walking pace.”

“Not anymore.” She grabs my hand and jerks me forward. “Come on.”

Before I know it, Kat’s got me on an imaginary leash, making me follow like a love-sick pup. We rush past another two mansions before she veers me to a staircase of slate tiles leading to the beach below. My feet jar at the ankles as we pound the steps two at a time.

“Slow down. I’m going to break something,” I laugh.

“Nantucket is for adventures, not playing it safe.”

“Thought it was for relaxing.” My voice tangles with the seabreeze as I follow her.

“You thought wrong.”

We weave through scrub and trees making sand kick from our steps. A clearing opens to a crystal view of the Nantucket waves. Kat jerks my arm one more time and I laugh at her bossiness. I like when she’s in charge. I like it a lot.

When we’re a few yards from the water, she swings to face me, grabs my other hand and pulls me to my knees. She plops into the sand too.

My chest rises and falls as I catch my breath. Kat seems to have an endless supply of oxygen and is able to flash her megawatt smile my way.

“So?” she says.

“Ah, give me a second.” Now the time has come, all my thoughtful planning has skipped town. My brain goes blank. How was I going to make this sound logical? Practical?

Kat’s gaze never leaves mine. She’s waiting for my announcement and soon I’ll be waiting for her reaction. Will she freak out?

“Okay.” I brush sand from my pants. “I had an idea.”

“Yes. Out with it, Clay. I’m in suspense here.”

I rub my hands together like it’s a fantastic plan. “To make it more believable. Our engagement. I got you a little something.” I lean to one side and dig out the jewelry box. I flip it open, and Kat’s eyes go wide as moons.

She slaps a hand to her mouth. “Tell me it’s fake.”

I massage my chin. “I can’t tell you that.”

Kat tilts her head and leans forward. “Clay! You can’t—”

“I already did.”

“Will the jeweler take it back after I’ve used it?”

I shake my head. “Don’t think they do that.”

“It wouldn’t be right to give it to someone else after I’ve worn it. Won’t that be weird?”

“I won’t be proposing to anyone else any time soon. You can keep it as a memento. As a thank you for helping me get the position.”

“What if you don’t get the head of pediatrics?”

I remove the ring from the box and collect Kat’s hand. “Don’t worry about it. I want you to wear my ring.”

Kat frowns. “Are you sure about this?”

Never been so sure about someone in my life. But I can’t say that to Kat. She’ll bolt and run into the sea.

I offer a reassuring smile. “It would be my pleasure if you’d do me the honor of being my fake fiancée. How about it?”

Kat flips her head back and laughs to the sky. Her giggles carry away in the wind. “This is wild. I can’t believe you talked me into this.” She flexes her fingers. “Go on. Put it on. Yes, I’ll be your fake fiancée.”

I slip the ring over her knuckle and like I’ve seen in a million movies, I instinctively cup the back of her neck and draw her lips to meet mine.

Kat’s laughing at first, but her mouth softens and her lips part. It’s like the street proposal all over again. Electricity is crackling between us and neither Kat nor I are stopping it.

My other hand threads through her wavy hair and Kat lets out a soft sigh. Her arms go over my shoulders and I close the space between us, drawing in the sweet scent of roses and sunshine. The kiss lasts a few more seconds but Kat must’ve come to her senses as she pulls back and sits to the side.

She glances to the ocean and back at me. “You’re good at the fake kissing thing.”

My smile breaks free. “Thanks. Think we can try that at the picnic.”

She shoves my shoulder and jumps to her feet. “Try that in public and I’ll get Rex to karate chop your knee.” Kat laughs and starts running down the beach.

This woman. I’ll fall in love with her if I don’t be careful. She’s everything. Everything I want.

KAT

Pam, Melanie, and Trina stand beside me as we wave goodbye to Clay. My heart does a funny little flip and I miss him even though he’s still in sight. This is crazy. Utter madness. I raise my hand and sunlight bounces off the ring he slid onto my finger yesterday. The fluttery feeling escalates until it lodges in my throat. What would it be like to be engaged to Clay for real? I know almost nothing about him, but that hasn’t stopped me from feeling insanely attracted to him.

“Ready?” Trina loops her arm around mine and pulls me away from the dock.

I blink away the sudden vision of me and Clay as an official couple and force my lips up into a smile. “Sure.” There’s a false brightness in my voice that has Trina narrowing her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” She leads me toward a series of shops, Mel and Pam hurrying to keep up with Trina’s powerful stride.

“Nothing?” I wince when my voice pitches the statement into a question and shake my head. “It’s nothing.”

“Nuh-uh. You can’t get away with that here. Not with me.” Trina thumbs her chest. “Sports reporter, remember? I can sniff out a story faster than Rex can eat a whole sleeve of cookies.” Which is remarkably fast, as I found out a few days ago when the kid snuck into the kitchen and absconded with his illicit booty.

Pam, Dalton, and Clay had the situation under control in minutes, which was remarkable considering the kid’s rather new diabetes diagnosis. He still didn’t understand why he couldn’t have the cookies.

“Are you worried about Danny?” Melanie asks when Trina stops outside an ice cream shop.

I move off the sidewalk and ease into the shade between two buildings after checking that no one—especially Danny—was lurking in the shadows. “It’s nothing.” I grin at Trina’s raised eyebrows. “Really.” I twist the ring around my finger. It feels wrong there, like I haven’t earned it. Clay said I could keep it after, but I know I won’t. I don’t need the reminder of another failed relationship, even though this one is fake.

Pam sets her mom glare loose on me, her folded arms and downturned mouth encouraging me to give in and admit the truth. “You’re practically our sister now. You might as well start talking. We can stand here all day.”

“Not me.” Melanie fans herself with her hand. “I’m roasting. Let’s go inside where it’s cool. Or head down to the beach.”

“If you’re worried about Danny, don’t be.” Trina pins me with her own fierce glare. “He’d be a fool to bother you with the three of us around. We might not have the physical strength, but we make up for it in sheer stubbornness and I for one have no qualms about giving him his marching orders.”

The other two women cheer and fist pump the air, drawing attention from a few couples shopping two stores down.

I turn my face away from the curious onlookers and grin. “I appreciate that.”

“Do you think he’s still on the island?” Melanie takes a paper fan from her back pocket and waves it in front of her face. Her flushed cheeks encourage me to lead them down the sidewalk toward Ellie’s bakery. I wait until we’re out of earshot before I answer. “I haven’t seen any sign of him. Even Nathan and Preston say he must have left after Clay’s proposal.” I spin the ring again, my hands tucked in tight to my stomach. I admitted to Marg that the whole thing is a farce, and she helped me tell the rest of my family. I’m not sure if I should admit the truth to Pam and the others. They’ve treated me like family, and part of me doesn’t want to ruin that. But the dishonesty sits heavy in my stomach.

Pam pulls the door open at Ellie’s and ushers us inside. The delicious smells crash over me and my defenses lower. I’m safe here. Even if Danny sought me out at the bakery, there are too many people around for him to get close. I want this nightmare over once and for all. What will it take to convince Danny to leave me alone for good?

“I’m worried for you.” Trina says it in that no-nonsense way of hers.

Of all the things I expected her to say, that wasn’t one of them. “Why?” Does she think I’ll be disappointed in my marriage to Clay? As far as they’re concerned, this is the real deal. I have to tell them the truth.

“Without Clay here, Danny might think he can try again.” Melanie grabs a seat at the empty table in the back. The same one Clay sat in the last time I helped Ellie.

Why does everything remind me of Clay? This is Nantucket, my home away from home. It has tons of good memories for me, and they’re being tainted by Danny’s foul temper and now my feelings for Clay. “I’ll be fine.” I try to shrug but the movement is stiff and unnatural.

Trina catches it and her frown deepens. “You should go to the police. Get a restraining order.”

A sigh presses against my sternum. “Why does everyone keep saying that?” I hold up a hand to stop them and continue. “It’s a good idea, in theory. When have you ever known a piece of paper to stop a man like Danny? If anything, knowing I’ve gone and done that will enrage him even more.” A glancing pain thrums in my temples.

Ellie spots us from behind the counter and rushes to plate up a stack of treats, along with coffees.

I should go help her, but it all weighs on me so much that my feet are stuck to the floor.

“You’re not listening to yourself.” Trina plants her palms on the table and leans toward me. “If you get the restraining order and Danny violates it, he’ll go to jail. Then you’ll be safe and there’s a good chance he’ll be forced into getting help for his mental state.”

The idea intrigues me...until I remember the look in Danny’s eyes when he confronted me and Clay. A shudder wracks my spine. “I doubt Danny is even on the island anymore. A restraining order isn’t necessary.”

“Denial.” Pam’s voice is so quiet I almost miss it. “You’re burying your head in the sand, Kat. That’s not healthy.”

“Yeah, well.” I grab a cookie from the platter as Ellie sets it on the table. “Neither is faking an engagement with Clay so Danny will leave me alone and Clay has a better chance of getting the job he wants.”

Stunned silence greets my outburst. The delicious cookie turns bitter and dry in my mouth. I take several gulps of coffee to wash it down and rub my eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tell you like that. It’s just. You’ve all been so nice, and I don’t deserve it. This whole thing is fake.” I tug on the ring, ready to rip it off my finger and throw it.

Mel grabs my hand and wraps it in both of hers. “Don’t do that. Don’t push us away. It doesn’t matter. We all see that you and Clay have feelings for each other.” She grins at Ellie. “And as someone who once threw my wedding ring away in this very bakery, I don’t recommend it.”

A laugh bursts out of me and I sink into the chair, all the fight draining away. Everyone knows now. Everyone but Danny and the people Clay hopes to impress.

Worry nibbles at me. How am I going to convince a hospital board that Clay and I are the real deal? My tendency to want to avoid trouble makes it difficult enough without adding the extra strain of a fake relationship to the mix. I can’t even bring myself to face Danny or get a restraining order. A groan works its way up my throat. The picnic is going to be a disaster.