Chapter 13
brEAKING: TANNER LONG CLAIMS VICTORY – AND A KISS Fairness of race questioned
Alaia
I open the door and smile at Tanner. My heart stutters when he smiles back at me but I ignore it. There will be no heart stuttering for my fake boyfriend.
“Happy Fourth of July!”
He kisses my cheek and I notice his hands are full of brown paper grocery bags. My brow wrinkles.
“Did you bring supplies?”
His cheeks darken. “I was taught never to arrive at someone’s house with empty hands.”
“What did you bring?”
“A six-pack of beer for your dad. A bottle of wine for your mom. And two bottles of moonshine for your twin sisters.”
“And what did you bring me?”
His face pales and his jaw drops open. “I… um…Shit. I’ll be right back.”
He whirls around to leave but I catch his arm. “I was joking, Tanner.”
“But I didn’t bring you anything and you’re my girlfriend.”
Not his girlfriend, I remind myself. Tanner Long doesn’t do relationships.
“Fake girlfriend.”
He scowls. “Still.”
“Alaia! Is your boyfriend here?” Beth and Anne shout from inside the house. They’re shouting in unison, which can mean only one thing – they’re going to spend the day trying to freak out Tanner.
“This is your chance. Scamper before they realize you’re here.”
“I think I can handle your sisters.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I open the door and usher him inside.
Beth and Anne are waiting in the living room. “Tanner, meet my sisters. Beth and Anne.”
“Hi!” They speak and wave in unison. It’s completely freaky.
“Nice to meet you both. I brought you each a present.” Tanner hands each one of them a bottle of moonshine.
They inspect the bottles to ensure they’re exactly the same before thanking Tanner. They stare at each other. They’re obviously doing the creepy telepathic twin magic thing.
“Now, we feel bad,” they speak in unison. It’s going to be a long day of this.
Tanner frowns. “Why do you feel bad? You don’t need to give me a present.”
I sigh. “They feel bad because they were going to spend the entire day testing you.”
“Testing me?”
“Switching out their shirts so you get confused as to who’s Beth and who’s Anne. Whenever you think you have it figured out, they’ll lie.”
“We do not lie!”
I ignore the twins. They’re the world’s most accomplished liars. “I’ll help you out. Beth has a tiny scar on her left earlobe from where Anne tried to pull out her earring when she was twelve.”
Beth glares at Anne. “You nearly killed me.”
“You shouldn’t have stolen my earrings.”
“Those hoops were mine. Alaia gave them to me for my birthday.”
They march off bickering.
Tanner chuckles. “They’re even more fun than I expected.”
It feels as if someone punched me in the gut. He thinks my sisters are fun. I’m not fun. I’m the serious one. The boring one, as my sisters tell it.
“You can have fun with them all day,” I manage to say between gritted teeth.
He throws an arm over my shoulders. “I’d rather have fun with you all day.”
“Ahem!” Dad clears his throat as he enters the living room with Mom. “No one will be having any fun today.”
Mom elbows him. “I hope to have fun today.”
“You’re allowed to have fun. We’re married.”
“Dad,” I moan. “He didn’t mean that kind of fun.”
Dad narrows his eyes at Tanner. “I know who he is. I know what kind of fun he prefers.”
“You promised to behave,” I remind him. I sat my family down before Tanner arrived and made them all promise to be nice to him. I didn’t expect my sisters to comply but my dad? He’s usually nice to my dates.
“That was before he put his hands on you.”
Tanner quickly drops his arm. “Sorry, sir.”
Dad barks out a laugh. “Got you!”
I groan and drop my chin to my chest. My family thinks they’re a bunch of comedians. What they are is embarrassing.
“This is not behaving,” I grumble.
Mom smirks. “What did you expect?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. For my parents to pretend they’re adults?”
“I like them.” Tanner sticks out his hand. “I’m Tanner Long. It’s nice to meet you, sir.”
“You can call me Dan, and this is my wife Sally.”
After they shake, Tanner grasps Mom’s hand and kisses it. “It’s lovely to meet you.”
Mom giggles. “He’s a charmer.”
“I brought you a nice bottle of Chablis. And I brought Dan a six-pack of beer.”
“I’ll put this in the refrigerator.” Mom escapes with her wine.
“Can’t let the beer get cold.” Dad follows her.
“And we’ve lost them for at least fifteen minutes.”
Tanner scratches his chin. “It doesn’t take fifteen minutes to put a bottle of wine in the fridge.”
“It does when my parents are alone in the kitchen. A pair of horny teenagers has nothing on them. Why do you think I always knock when I enter a room? You see your parents half-dressed with their hands all over each other more than once, and you learn to knock.”
He chuckles. “I’ll remember to knock whenever I’m in your parents’ house.”
“If you forget, I have bleach available for your eyes.”
“Your family is different.”
“Different?” My nose wrinkles. “You’ve never walked in on your parents kissing before?”
He rears back. “If my brothers and I didn’t exist, I’d think they’d never had sex.”
“Maybe you’re adopted.”
“Nope. I did a DNA test.”
My mouth drops open. “You seriously did a DNA test to prove you weren’t adopted?”
“I did a DNA test because someone dared me to.”
“How did someone dare you to take a DNA test?” The only reason I can think of to take a DNA test is for a paternity suit. Flying pirates. Is he involved in a paternity suit?
I gulp. Is there a woman out there who has his child? Who is forever tied to him in a way I’ll never be.
“Never mind. I do not want to know.” I motion outside. “Come on. It’s beautiful weather. We can chill in the backyard before dinner. Afterwards, it’s time for fireworks.”
“You enjoy fireworks?” he asks as I lead him to the back porch.
“Smuggler’s Hideaway has the best fireworks in the world.”
“You know what? Based on everything I’ve seen on this island since I arrived, I’m not questioning you.”
“Smart man.” I wink at him.
We settle onto two chaise lounges next to each other.
“It must have been cool to grow up here,” Tanner says.
Is he making fun of me? I open my eyes to study his face. He appears genuine.
“It was. Smuggler’s Hideaway is magical.”
“I thought you wanted to leave.”
“I’ll move for work, but this island will always be my home.”
He smiles at me.
Click.
I groan at the sound of the camera. “Dad.”
“What?” He blinks in an attempt to appear innocent. It’s a waste of time. I know better. “It’s a beautiful picture. Trust me.”
I grunt. My family knows this relationship is fake. I was forced to tell them when Mom threatened to phone venues to check availability for our wedding. She didn’t. But it was close.
“My parents know,” I confess once Dad wanders off to photograph the twins doing cartwheels.
“Know what?”
I lean forward to whisper. “About our arrangement.” He opens his mouth but I hurry on before he can speak. “It’s not my fault. I had to tell them. Mom was already making a guest list for our wedding.”
“It’s fine. My teammates know as well.”
My eyes widen. “All of them?”
“Only my close friends.”
“I guess neither one of us is any good at following the rules.”
“I didn’t actually tell my friends. They guessed.”
“They guessed?”
“They know I don’t do relationships.”
My stomach drops. Good reminder. Tanner doesn’t do relationships. This is fake. No matter how good he looks sitting in the backyard with my family.
“It’s time for the Smuggler’s Sack & Chicken Dash,” Beth and Anne shout as they hurry toward us.
“I’m afraid to ask,” Tanner mumbles.
I stand. “It’s fun. And I’m going to kick your ass.”
“Hold on. I’m a professional athlete. I will win any contest with the word dash in it.”
“Not this one,” I sing.
He follows me to where the twins are holding up two potato sacks and two rubber chickens.
“Um, what’s going on?”
“It’s the Smuggler’s Sack & Chicken Dash,” the twins repeat.
Beth holds up the potato sacks. “You have to hop to the tree and back in a potato sack.”
Anne waggles the rubber chickens. “While holding a rubber chicken.”
“If you fall, you have to get up while staying in your sack.”
“And if you drop your chicken, you have to start again.”
Tanner stares at them. “Is this for real?”
I nab a sack from Beth and get in. “What’s wrong, Tanner? Are you chicken? Bwak! Bwak!”
He snatches the other sack. “I’m not chicken. I’m going to kick your ass.”
“I’m the reigning champion five years in a row.”
“What do I get when I win?”
“A kiss from Alaia!” Beth shouts.
I glare at her. My sisters are such shit stirrers. “It doesn’t matter. I’m going to win anyway.”
“I’m motivated now,” Tanner mutters.
I shiver at the promise in his voice. Does he want to kiss me? Does he want to feel my lips? Taste me? The way I do him.
I force those thoughts away. The Smuggler’s Sack & Chicken Dash is serious business. I intend to keep my crown.
“Are the contestants ready?” Mom asks.
Tanner drops his chicken into the sack.
I point my chicken at him. “He’s cheating already.”
“What?”
“You have to hold the chicken,” I explain.
He tucks the chicken under his arm like a football. I have a different tactic. I bite the chicken’s leg. Holding the chicken in your mouth is allowed. I know because I made up the rules.
“Ready. Set. Go.” Mom feigns a gunshot and we’re off.
Tanner rushes forward. I take my time. Rushing will result in falling down or dropping your chicken.
Sure enough. Tanner makes it halfway to the tree before he falls over. I nearly laugh before I remember – I have a rubber chicken in my mouth!
“Get up, Tanner! Get up, Tanner!”
I glare at my sisters. I should have known they would encourage him. They’ve probably been plotting my loss in the race since I won last year.
I pass him laying on the ground and make it to the tree before he does. Victory is mine!
“Go, Tanner! You’ve nearly caught up to her.”
I glance behind me to check where he is. Mistake. I hop forward but my legs are now twisted. I stumble, spit the chicken out of my mouth, and end up sprawled on the ground.
Tanner hops by me. Benny decides it’s time to make an appearance and begins licking my face. I push the dog away. “Knock it off, Benny.”
“Tanner’s the winner!” Mom shouts as he crosses the finish line.
“Let me help you up, loser.” Tanner extends his hand. I consider spending the rest of the day laying here. But I don’t. I accept his hand and he pulls me to my feet.
He wraps an arm around my waist and draws me near. “It’s time for my winnings.”
“This is fake,” I growl at my twin sisters.
Beth winks.
“Sure, it is,” Anne says.
“Go ahead, honey,” Mom shouts. “A bet is a bet.”
“You really should listen to your mom.”
“Fine.” I tap my cheek.
“I want a real kiss.” His eyes darken as he stares at my lips.
“It’s a bad idea.”
“Darling, I’m the king of bad ideas.”
I don’t get the chance to speak before his lips meet mine. Sparks explode in my stomach at the slight touch and I gasp in surprise. He doesn’t hesitate and thrusts his tongue inside.
I moan when his taste hits me. It’s everything I expected. And feared. Because now I want more. I want to kiss Tanner when my parents and sisters aren’t around. And see what happens.
I’m not supposed to lust after my fake boyfriend. But here we are.