Chapter 6
Chapter
Six
A va couldn't believe the words coming out of her own mouth. Proposing that they actually stay married? The idea was ludicrous. And yet, the more she thought about it, the more it made an uncomfortable kind of sense. Reed was settled here. He had deep roots—his family, his house, a strong reputation in town. Dr. Ciponelli liked him, trusted him, and, most importantly, knew he wasn’t going anywhere. He could be the key to her securing the ED position.
She could also sidestep any embarrassment. If they could just figure out a way to explain their impulsiveness, make it seem less like a drunken mistake and more like a whirlwind romance, it might work.
Reed, however, was laughing like she'd just delivered the best punchline of his life. Full-body, deep belly laughs shook his frame, his head tipped back against the cheap motel chair.
Ava’s jaw tightened. “It wasn’t that funny,” she grumbled, taking a sip of her Diet Coke, the fizz burning down her throat.
He wiped at his eyes, still chuckling. "Oh, but it was. God, Ava, I needed that." He exhaled, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the ridiculous notion from his mind. Then, still grinning, he picked up his phone and started tapping at the screen. “Alright, let’s see about a quickie divorce.”
“You weren’t listening to me,” she cut in sharply. “I was serious.”
Reed’s fingers froze over his phone screen. Slowly, he lifted his gaze to hers, his expression shifting from amusement to disbelief. "You were?"
She let out a frustrated breath, fighting the urge to throw a pillow at his head. “Yes, I was.”
Pushing forward on the bed, she made her case, but the moment she moved, his eyes flicked down. Heat burned in her cheeks as she realized her robe had gaped open slightly at the front. His focus locked on the sliver of exposed skin before she yanked the fabric together and shot him a murderous glare.
“Pig.”
He smirked, completely unrepentant.
Ignoring him, she pressed on. "Ciponelli won’t consider me for the permanent ED doctor position because he doesn’t think I’ll stick around. He assumes I’ll meet someone and move away, like Dr. Freitag did."
Reed frowned, his brows drawing together. “But you’re from Elizabethtown. Your brother still lives here. Where does he think you're going to go?” His expression shifted as realization dawned. “Wait, he thinks you'll get married and leave? Don’t you actually have to have a life for that? Meet someone, date, the whole nine yards?”
The words landed like a sucker punch, and though she knew he hadn’t meant to hit a nerve, she still flinched.
She turned her gaze away, pretending to pick at an invisible thread on the comforter. "I'm busy. The life of a resident doesn’t leave much time for extracurricular activities."
Something in Reed’s face softened, and his fingers brushed against hers before gently wrapping around her hand. The warmth of his touch sent an unexpected shiver down her spine.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I shouldn't have said that. I know how hard you’ve worked. But I don’t think marriage is the answer."
Ava willed herself not to acknowledge the way her hand fit so perfectly in his. She ignored the flicker of something dangerous that lit in her chest at the way he held her. Instead, she forced herself to focus on the plan.
“Dr. Ciponelli already likes you,” she argued. “You climb at the rec center together. You're one of the few EMTs he actually respects. He knows your family, talks about you all the time. And the whole town already knows we got married. We just need to play along a little longer. Just until I get the job. Then, an appropriate amount of time afterward, we say it’s not working out and quietly divorce.”
Reed released her hand and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his jaw as he studied her. The playfulness was gone now, replaced by something more thoughtful.
“I think you overestimate how much Ciponelli actually likes me,” he said dryly. “And won’t he be suspicious if we divorce right after you get the job?”
Ava lifted her chin. “By then, it won’t matter. I’ll already have the position. And I am qualified for it. He’s admitted as much. His concerns are purely personal, which isn’t fair, but I can’t exactly call him out on it. If I don’t get it, Salvini will.”
Reed made a face, and she knew she had him.
Salvini was an arrogant, insufferable ass who disregarded EMTs’ patient assessments and treated the department like his personal fiefdom. No one wanted him in charge.
Still, Reed wasn’t ready to surrender yet. “Your brother will never believe this.”
Ava winced, pulling out her phone and staring at the long list of missed calls and texts. “He already knows about it,” she admitted. “Divorce won’t fix that problem. If we stay married, at least we can tell him we’re committed to each other.”
Reed let out a low, disbelieving laugh. “We lie? Tell him we love each other?” His tone was flat, skeptical.
A sharp twinge of guilt curled in Ava’s stomach. She had never lied to her brother. After their parents died, Noah had put his entire life on hold to raise her, sacrificing his own plans so she could have hers. Through all of it—grief, struggle, rebuilding—she had always been honest with him.
This would be the first time she lied.
But the alternative? Letting him think she’d made a reckless mistake with one of his closest friends? That would be worse.
She swallowed. “I don’t want to ruin your friendship. It would kill him if he thought you took advantage of me like this.”
Reed let out a short bark of laughter. “It was your idea!”
Ava gave him a slow, smug smile. “Do you really think he’d believe that?”
“Damn it, Ava.” His jaw tightened.
She just arched a brow, letting him stew in his frustration.
“And what about my family?”
“That’s your call.” She couldn’t tell him to lie to his family, to betray their trust in him, but if they knew the truth, she didn’t think this would work.
After a long moment, he exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fine. We pretend we’re in love. That we planned to get married without telling anyone. You think they’ll buy that?”
She tapped a finger against her lips, considering. “We had to hide dating. Why not hide wedding plans too? Either way, everyone’s going to be mad that we didn’t tell them. We need to own it.” She gave him a pointed look. “Honestly, I expected you to lean into this more.”
Reed arched an eyebrow. “Because I like to take risks?” He scoffed. “This is a little beyond my usual comfort zone, generous as it may be. But I see your point.” He sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. “I don’t want to lose Noah as a friend. And he’s going to be pissed. We need to get our stories straight before we head back. Test them out on Rachel and Kyle first.”
Ava’s stomach sank.
Shit. She had completely forgotten about them.
“ Y ou got married?” Rachel’s voice cut through the breakfast buffet, loud enough to make heads swivel in their direction.
Ava winced, heat crawling up her neck as she lunged forward to clamp a hand over Rachel’s mouth. “Keep it down,” she hissed, shooting a glance at the older couple at the next table, who were now openly staring.
Rachel pulled back; her brows arched in exaggerated disbelief. “Like you’re the first people to get married in Vegas,” she scoffed. “We did it yesterday. I’ll bet I could throw this croissant and hit three other newlyweds.”
Ava sighed and slid into the chair across from her friend, unfolding the crisp napkin onto her lap with more care than necessary. They agreed to meet for the breakfast buffet, though she didn’t think she could eat a thing, between what she’d eaten in the room and the knot in her stomach from the news she had to share with their friends.
But she pasted a smile on her face. “Fine. Point made. Yes, Reed and I got married last night.”
Rachel leaned in, her expression shifting from disbelief to intrigue. “And you had the honeymoon too?” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Was it great?”
Ava groaned, picking up her spoon as if she might actually use it as a weapon. “I am not talking about that with you or anyone else.”
Rachel sat back with a dramatic huff, crossing her arms. “Fine. Then at least tell me how this happened. Because last I checked, you and Reed weren’t even dating.”
Ava exhaled slowly, reaching for her orange juice, giving herself a moment to figure out her next move. She knew Rachel wouldn’t buy any pretense that she and Reed had been secretly in love. Rachel knew her too well. She’d see through every excuse, every half-truth. Which meant Ava had to loop her in—and pray she kept the secret.
She set her glass down carefully and met Rachel’s gaze. “Do you remember when we were twelve, and you were dying to sneak out to see Tommy Orbach? I covered for you, lied to my parents, and then helped you sneak back in later that night?”
Rachel frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly. “That was almost fifteen years ago.”
Ava narrowed her eyes. “You owe me.”
“Isn’t there a statute of limitations on these favors?” Rachel asked.
“Not really,” Ava replied. “You paid up on one favor, but you still owe on the other.”
Rachel’s frown deepened, suspicion flashing in her eyes. “What did you do, Ava Spencer?”
Ava dragged in a breath and let it out in a quiet rush. “Here it is. Okay, so you already know I got totally drunk and did a crazy thing. Marrying Reed was certifiable. I don’t even understand how it happened. But, here’s the worst part. We’re staying married. At least for a while.”
Rachel blinked. “What?”
“It’s for the ED position,” Ava continued quickly. “Ciponelli keeps passing me over because he thinks I’m going to run off with the first guy who winks at me. If he sees me as ‘settled,’ I have a real shot. It’s stupid, but you know how he is. This marriage could secure it for me.”
Rachel didn’t say anything. Didn’t move. The silence stretched between them, and Ava could practically hear the gears turning in her friend’s head.
Finally, Rachel leaned forward, her expression unreadable. “You’re seriously going to stay married for a job? Then just get divorced like it doesn’t matter? Ava, Ciponelli won’t like being deceived, and your brother—oh my God. Noah is going to lose his shit. Reed is his best friend. This could ruin their friendship.”
A pang of guilt twisted in Ava’s gut, but she forced herself to shake her head. “Not if I take the blame. I’ll say it was my fault—working too much, not being around enough. Whatever. We’ll come up with something plausible. Reed won’t be blamed.”
Rachel let out a sharp breath and ran a hand through her hair. “Divorce is never clean, especially not in a small town. I speak from experience. My parents’ divorce is still screwing with my siblings and me. You know that.”
Ava’s stomach tightened. She did know that. She’d been there when Rachel’s parents split, had seen firsthand how the fallout had fractured their family. The messy fights. The whispered conversations. The tension that never quite faded.
But Rachel wasn’t done. Her gaze sharpened. “And Reed? What’s in this for him? Why would he agree to this?”
Ava hesitated. That was the part she hadn’t fully figured out. Why had Reed agreed? Was it just to help her? Or was there something more?
She shook the thought away and forced a neutral expression. “That’s between us,” she said smoothly. “We agreed, and that’s all that matters. But you and Kyle are the only ones who know. And I need you to keep it that way.” She softened her voice. “Please, Rachel.”
Rachel eyed her for a long moment before letting out a resigned sigh. “I guess it’s better than working with Salvini. None of us like him. Arrogant ass.” She crossed her arms, her mouth tightening—then, suddenly, her eyes narrowed. “But I have another bone to pick with you.”
Ava frowned. “What now?”
Rachel jabbed a finger at her. “Didn’t we agree to always be in each other’s weddings? I made sure you were here for mine. I was right upstairs, Ava. You could’ve called me. Instead, you went with some random stranger as your maid of honor? Do you know how weird that looks?”
A fresh wave of guilt crashed over Ava. In the rush of last night’s chaos, she hadn’t even considered that part. She reached across the table and grabbed Rachel’s arm. “I’m so sorry. It wasn’t intentional. We were drunk and not thinking straight. You’ll be my maid of honor in my next wedding. I promise.”
Rachel arched a brow, then smirked. “Or…we could just recreate it now.”
Ava groaned, but relief spread through her. Leave it to Rachel to get on board with the cover-up.
At least she knew she could count on her best friend.
“ A re you sure about this? I mean, I know you want in her pants, but marriage is a big step.”
Kyle sipped his beer, his sharp gaze never leaving Reed even as he kept his voice low, ensuring his new wife and Ava wouldn’t overhear their conversation.
Not that he needed to worry. The women were lost in the flashing chaos of the slot machines, their laughter, and excited squeals drowned out by the constant chime of jackpot bells and the hum of the casino floor. The air smelled of stale cigarettes, spilled cocktails, and the desperation of people gambling away their last twenty dollars.
Rachel had made a big deal about “teaching” Reed and Ava how to act like a real couple, throwing herself into the role of deception coach with way too much enthusiasm. She had been annoyed at not being included in their wedding, and Reed had worried for a minute that she’d derail the entire plan out of sheer principle. But then Ava had mentioned Salvini—the universally hated doctor—and Rachel had immediately changed her tune. Apparently, he wasn’t any more popular with the nurses than he was with the EMTs.
Whatever it took to get Rachel on their side and keep their secret.
Kyle, on the other hand, was going to be harder to win over. He wouldn’t spill the truth; Reed knew that much. But Kyle was sharper than he let on, and right now, he wasn’t convinced this plan wasn’t a complete disaster.
“Don’t be crude. That’s my wife you’re talking about,” Reed said mildly, lifting his own beer to his lips.
Kyle huffed out a disbelieving laugh and shifted on his barstool, the worn leather creaking beneath him. “Yeah, and maybe you can explain how you went from barely speaking to married. ‘Cause I gotta be honest, I’m not making the connection, brother.”
Reed grimaced. “Alcohol and too much fun. You and Rachel made it look good. Besides, we were never barely speaking. We work together. She was off-limits. You know my rule.”
“Yeah, yeah. Never date where you work. Smart rule.” Kyle took another pull from his beer, shaking his head. “I think marrying is worse than dating, especially when you go into it planning to divorce. Divorce is messy, Reed. Messier than a breakup. Just because you come from a happy home doesn’t mean this will be clean.”
Reed didn’t answer immediately. His gaze drifted across the casino floor, locking onto Ava.
She was laughing, her golden hair spilling over her shoulders as she threw her arms around Rachel in celebration. The flashing lights of the slot machine reflected in her bright blue eyes, and her face was relaxed, unguarded in a way he had never seen before. For as long as he had known her, Ava had always been wound tight—through school, through her residency, through every grueling shift. She was always pushing, always striving, always holding herself to some impossible standard.
But now?
She looked happy. Free.
And suddenly, he knew exactly what he brought to this marriage. He wasn’t just offering her stability or a shared lie to manipulate her boss. He could give her this. A reason to let go. A reason to breathe.
Kyle let out a groan and scrubbed a hand down his face. “Oh man. I know that look. You’re in it for the long haul. You’re hoping she’ll fall for you and make this real.” His expression twisted with disbelief. “You don’t even know if this marriage would work, Reed.”
Reed exhaled slowly. The girls whooped again as lights flashed on their slot machine, and Rachel grabbed Ava, hugging her tight over whatever small fortune they had just won.
“I’ll find out, won’t I?” he murmured. “Isn’t that what marriage is supposed to be? Learning each other in a whole new way?”
Kyle gave him a flat look. “Usually people have dated, maybe even liked each other before they get married. This is a bad idea, man. Do you honestly think you can fake it in front of everyone back home?”
Reed tipped his beer back, swallowing down the truth along with the last sip. Fake it. The words sat heavy in his chest.
“I thought that’s what today was for,” he said, forcing a smirk. “Rachel’s boot camp for clueless newlyweds.”
He and Ava had spent the day doing everything a couple was supposed to do—holding hands, stealing kisses, playing the part. Rachel had been relentless, dragging them from casino to casino, through every tourist trap on the strip, making them interact like a couple in love so they wouldn’t fall apart under scrutiny.
Reed had pushed Ava’s boundaries more than once, draping an arm around her shoulder, guiding her with a hand at the small of her back. Every time, she stiffened like he’d just announced he was taking her to the guillotine. It had taken everything in him not to call her out, to remind her that if she wanted to sell this, she had to at least pretend to like having his hands on her.
She had failed. Spectacularly.
Rachel and Kyle had laughed so hard they nearly collapsed, and they hadn’t even started drinking yet.
Kyle snorted, shaking his head. “You guys were pathetic. You won’t fool anyone, especially not your family. And definitely not Noah.”
Reed’s jaw ticked at the mention of her older brother. Noah had an uncanny ability to see through people’s bullshit. He was a straight-shooter, and if he even suspected Reed and Ava’s marriage wasn’t real, he’d call them both on it in front of everyone.
Kyle leaned in, voice dropping. “So, tell me the truth. Why did you really do this?”
Reed slouched against the bar, his eyes drifting back to Ava.
His wife.
She turned at that exact moment; her face still lit with laughter, and when her gaze found his, something in her expression softened. For a fraction of a second, she wasn’t Ava the resident, Ava the overachiever, Ava the woman he wasn’t supposed to touch.
She was just Ava.
And, for better or worse, she was his.
“She needed me,” he said simply.