Practically Perfect Together (The Callahans of Elk Ridge #4)

Chapter 1

Chapter One

Savannah

"M ountain Laurel Lodge offers not just a retreat space, but a transformative experience, Mr. Bennett." I keep my voice steady despite the way my heart hammers against my ribs. One meeting. That's all I need to land this account. "Your executives will return to the office with renewed focus and clarity."

Harold Bennett—seventy-two years old, CEO of Bennett Financial Group, and notoriously difficult to impress—stares at me over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses. The room feels suddenly too warm as he studies the proposal I've spent weeks perfecting.

"The numbers look good, Ms. Carter." He taps my meticulously crafted presentation with one gnarled finger. "But I've seen impressive numbers before. What I need is assurance of lasting value, not just a pretty view and some team-building exercises."

I resist the urge to check my watch. My entire career at McLoyd Event Strategy hinges on convincing tradition-bound clients like Bennett that working with boutique resorts like Mountain Laurel Lodge is better than booking the same tired corporate hotel chains. If I can secure this retreat contract, my commission alone will fund my downtown condo renovation and prove to my former bosses they were wrong to pass me over for promotion.

"Value is my specialty, Mr. Bennett." I lean forward, clicking to the next slide. "I've compiled analytics from our previous corporate retreats, showing a seventeen percent increase in team productivity post-visit."

"Impressive." He nods, but I can tell I haven't won him over yet. "Tell me, Ms. Carter, what do you know about Bennett Financial?"

"Founded in 1978, specializes in retirement planning and wealth management for high-net-worth clients, ranked fourth in client satisfaction for your market segment, and known for maintaining long-term client relationships—some spanning three generations of families." I deliver this without consulting my notes. Research is my superpower.

His eyebrows lift slightly. "And what's our company motto?"

"'Family values, financial futures.'" I smile, feeling the slight loosening of tension in my shoulders. I've got this.

"Exactly." Bennett leans back, folding his hands over his substantial stomach. "Family values are the bedrock of our business model. That's why I'm concerned about entrusting our annual leadership retreat to a... how did you put it? A 'boutique experience' with staff I don't know."

I fight to keep my smile from faltering. "Mountain Laurel Lodge is family-owned and operated by the Callahans. They've maintained this property for generations as well."

"Family-owned." He repeats the words with a nod, but his expression remains doubtful. "That's a good start. And what about you, Ms. Carter? Do you share these values?"

"Absolutely." My answer comes automatically, though my own family exists only in scattered text messages on birthdays and holidays.

"Good, good." He steeples his fingers under his chin. "I've found people who understand family commitment make more reliable business partners. My wife, Dorothy, always says you can tell a person's character by how they prioritize family relationships. Forty-seven years we've been married." His eyes crinkle with genuine warmth. "You understand the value of such commitment, I presume?"

Something in his tone makes me hesitate. Behind those grandfatherly glasses is a shrewd businessman, evaluating more than just my proposal.

"Of course." I nod, maintaining eye contact. "Family is..." I falter, searching for the right words.

"The foundation of everything worthwhile," Bennett finishes for me, his expression softening. "Dorothy's coming with me to this retreat, you know. We never spend a night apart. When you've found that person who completes you..." He trails off with a smile. "You understand, I'm sure. Are you married, Ms. Carter?"

The question catches me off guard. It's not the first time a client has tried to assess my personal life, but it's the first time I've felt my single status might cost me a deal.

"I'm actually—" I start to say "focusing on my career" as I always do, but something in his expectant gaze makes the words die in my throat. He's looking for someone like himself—someone settled, committed, family-oriented.

Someone I'm not.

But this account is too important. My fingers twitch toward my planner, my security blanket in times of stress. Twenty thousand dollars in commission. The validation I've been chasing for years. The chance to finally prove myself.

"—engaged," I finish, the lie slipping out before I can stop it.

His face transforms instantly, breaking into a broad smile. "Wonderful! Dorothy will be delighted to hear it. Nothing like building a life with your perfect match."

I smile weakly, heart racing. What have I done?

"When's the happy day?" he asks, closing my presentation folder with newfound enthusiasm.

"We haven't set a date yet," I say quickly. "We're taking our time with the planning."

"Smart, smart. Too many young people rush nowadays. Though I proposed to Dorothy after just six weeks." He chuckles, eyes twinkling. "When you know, you know."

"Absolutely," I echo, fighting the urge to loosen my collar as sweat prickles along my hairline.

"Well, this changes everything." Bennett stands, extending his hand to me. "I think we have the beginnings of a productive partnership, Ms. Carter."

I rise to shake his hand, relief flooding through me. "I'm thrilled to hear that."

"Dorothy and I arrive Friday for the weekend. A proper site visit before bringing my team." His grip is surprisingly firm. "We'll want to meet your fiancé, of course. Nothing like seeing a happy couple to remind me why I built this business in the first place. Securing futures for families."

The relief freezes in my veins. "My fiancé?"

"Yes, yes. Have him join us for dinner Friday evening. Dorothy will insist once I tell her your news."

"That would be..." Disastrous. Impossible. Career-ending. "...lovely."

"Excellent." Bennett gathers his coat. "We'll finalize the details by email. Twenty-three executives, Ms. Carter. Our core leadership team. Quite the feather in your cap if you pull this off."

Twenty-three executives. Small in number but massive in influence. All hinging on a fiancé who doesn't exist.

"Looking forward to it," I manage, my professional smile firmly in place as I escort him from the conference room.

As soon as the door closes behind him, I slump against it, pressing my forehead to the cool wood. I need a fiancé. Fast. And not just any fiancé. I need someone charming enough to impress Harold Bennett, convincing enough to fool his wife, and connected enough to the lodge to make sense.

* * *

I find Jules Callahan in the lodge's main office. If anyone can help me navigate this disaster, it's the sharp-minded woman who married into the Callahan family. She’s bent over a stack of invoices. When I knock on the door frame, she looks up with a smile that quickly shifts to concern.

"You look like you just saw a ghost," she says, setting down her pen. "Bennett meeting didn't go well?"

"Oh, it went well." I step inside, closing the door firmly behind me. "So well that he's bringing his wife this weekend for a site visit before finalizing the contract. And they want to have dinner with me and my fiancé."

Jules blinks. "Your... fiancé?"

"The one I don't have." I sink into the chair across from her desk, finally letting my professional mask slip. "The one I accidentally invented when Bennett started going on about family values and long-term commitment."

"You told a potential client you're engaged?" Jules's voice rises slightly, though her expression is more amused than judgmental.

"It just came out." I press my fingers to my temples. "He was talking about his wife of forty-seven years and looking at me like my answer determined whether I was worthy of his business, and I panicked."

"Savannah Carter, queen of meticulous planning, panicked?" Jules leans back, a smile tugging at her lips. "I'm not sure whether to be concerned or impressed."

"Be helpful," I plead. "This is a twenty-thousand-dollar commission, Jules. And I need a fiancé by Friday night."

Jules purses her lips, tapping her pen against the desk. "You could just tell him the truth."

"That I lied to secure his business? That would go over wonderfully." I open my planner, already flipping to Friday's page as if a solution might magically appear there. "If I cancel now, I'll lose the account and probably my job. McLoyd Event Strategy doesn't take kindly to failure."

"So you need a fake fiancé." Jules nods slowly, as if processing a complicated equation. "Someone charming enough to be convincing, connected enough to the lodge to make sense why he'd be here, and available enough to pull this off on short notice." A smile spreads across her face. "I know exactly who you need."

Something about her expression makes me pause. "Who?"

"Jameson Callahan."

My stomach drops. "The activities coordinator? The one who wears flannel to business meetings?"

"The very same." Jules's smile widens. "He's single, charming as they come, and literally works here. It makes perfect sense why your 'fiancé' would be at the lodge during your meeting."

I've seen Jameson around the lodge during my previous visits. Always surrounded by laughing guests, always with that easygoing smile, usually with a massive golden retriever at his heels. The kind of man who seems to float through life on a cloud of natural charisma and unearned confidence.

"Absolutely not." I shake my head firmly. "He's... he's..."

"Handsome? Charming? Perfect for the role?" Jules supplies helpfully.

"Unpredictable." I close my planner with a snap. "I need someone who can follow a script, not someone who thinks life is one big adventure. Besides, why would he even agree to help me?"

Jules leans forward, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Because he needs help with something too. The lodge is trying to secure a partnership with Altitude Adventures for corporate team-building packages. Jameson's been pushing for it for months, but he needs someone with experience in corporate contracts to help finalize the deal."

"Someone like me," I say flatly.

"Exactly like you." Jules taps her finger on my planner. "A simple trade. You help him with his contract, he helps you pretend to be madly in love for a weekend."

"I don't know..." I bite my lower lip. The idea of trusting my career to someone who wears hiking boots to dinner makes my stomach twist.

"What other option do you have?" Jules asks gently. "Hire an actor? Try speed dating to find a real fiancé by Friday?"

She has a point. I've built my career on solving problems efficiently, and this—however ridiculous—is the most efficient solution.

"Fine." I exhale slowly. "Where is he now?"

Jules checks her watch. "He's setting up for the sunset bonfire. If we hurry, we can catch him before the guests arrive."

I follow Jules through the main lodge, my mind racing to create a list of instructions Jameson will need to follow. We need a believable backstory. Rules of engagement. A clear exit strategy.

As we approach the large stone patio that overlooks the mountain range, I spot him arranging logs in a massive fire pit. Even from a distance, everything about him stands in stark contrast to my carefully structured world, from his casual stance to the way he whistles while he works, utterly unconcerned with the passing of time.

"Wait," I grab Jules's arm before we step outside. "Maybe I should talk to him alone. Create some boundaries from the start."

Jules looks skeptical. "Boundaries aren't really Jameson's strong suit."

"Then it's important I establish them immediately." I square my shoulders. "This is a business arrangement, nothing more."

"Whatever you say," Jules gives me a look that's far too knowing. "I'll leave you to it. But Savannah? Jameson may seem all fun and games, but he takes his responsibilities seriously. Don't underestimate him."

With that cryptic warning, she turns and walks back toward the lodge, leaving me alone to approach the man I need to convince to be my fake fiancé. A man who is currently tossing logs around like they weigh nothing.

I take a deep breath and step onto the patio. It's now or never.

And I never, ever fail at a business negotiation.