Chapter 9
Nine
River
You know when something happens in your life, and everyone’s talking about it, and they’re dying to talk to you about it, so they can learn more? But the last thing you want to do is . . .
Ding, ding, ding. You guessed it! Talk about it.
What really sucks is that awkward moment when you step into a room and everyone stops chatting as their eyes cut to you.
You can just tell, because it’s written all over their faces, that you were the topic of their discussion before you walked in and interrupted the conversation.
And you already know that each of them is waiting out the other to see who will be the one to crack first and ask you questions.
Yeah . . . that’s happening to me right at this very moment.
I feel awful that what I’ve done has taken the attention away from my sister on her wedding day.
I don’t want anyone to make this day about me.
And not because I’m embarrassed or anything like that.
It’s because she’s been waiting her entire life for a love like this and it deserves to be celebrated without any other distractions.
The door to the bridal suite closes behind me, and my eyes flit over to Aspen sitting in the vanity chair wrapped in a white, silk robe.
I begin to make my way toward her, but both Mom and Katherine cross my path, stopping me as each of them wrap me in a hug.
My mom seems more cheerful. Thank God. Though she’s always been one to give you a good ass chewing, then let the subject drop.
“Your dress is hanging by Aspen’s,” Katherine tells me as I cross the room.
“Thanks. I’ll put it on right before we walk out the door,” I respond then lean down to give Aspen a quick hug.
“Sorry I’m late. Ooh, you smell good.”
“Thank you,” she says as I pull back. “You’re not that late.”
Sitting down in the vanity chair next to her, I begin applying my make up in silence.
If she starts throwing questions at me, I don’t know what I’ll say to her.
I certainly don’t want her to feel guilty that I’m staying married for her sake.
But I don’t want to lie either. How the hell am I supposed to convince her that I wanted to marry Carter when I’ve been openly denying my attraction to him and turning down his advances left and right?
As we’re all getting ready, no one says a word about the stunt I pulled last night.
I'm beginning to think I’m in the clear.
That is, until the stylist is placing the last few bobby pins into Aspen’s hair, and Aspen cuts me a look through the mirror.
I look back at the other girls, seeing them not paying attention to us, and I realize she’s been waiting for the right time to strike.
Well, shit.
I'm twisting the last strand of my hair around the big, barreled curling iron, when she asks, “So. You and Carter, huh?”
“Yep,” I say, bringing the iron down and letting the curl fall beside my face.
“I’ve been trying to convince you to give him a chance for months. Freaking months! You’re all like, ‘I don’t like him . . . blah, blah, blah,’ then you show up here married to him?”
“Yeah, well . . . I’m tired of my life being controlled by my past, so I decided, why the fuck not? And before you get all upset with Carter, just know it was all my idea. I’m the one who proposed. You think that man is gonna tell me no?”
Aspen’s eyes widen in surprise. “Okay first: that doesn’t sound like you at all. And second: I encouraged you to give him a chance, maybe go on a date with him, not run off and get hitched.”
“Aspen, I’ve always had this deep attraction to Carter that I’ve kept hidden from everyone.
I realized last night, for reasons I won’t get into here, that he’s a good man.
We may not have gone on a date by society’s standards, but with all the times we’ve hung out, I think it could be considered an equivalent.
I’ve never had anyone pursue me like he has, and I’m pretty damn sure that I’m in love with him. ”
Holy shit!
Why did I say that? I force my eyes not to widen in horror. Aspen’s worried expression doesn’t surprise me. She knows me better than anyone, and I’m pretty sure she knows what just came out of my mouth is a lie.
Her lips part to say something, but a knock on the door cuts her off. Thank God. Hannah stands from the pink sofa and strides to the door to answer it. She turns her head, making sure we’re all decent before opening the door a little wider.
Carter pops his head in. “Ten-minute warning. The helicopters are in route.”
“Time to put on your dress,” Katherine singsongs, her voice full of excitement as she glides over to where Aspen’s dress hangs.
My stomach does a flip the second mine and Carter’s eyes meet. The way he’s standing there, arms crossed against his chest, leaning against the door frame in that tux, reminds me of a cologne model, which makes me wonder, who’s building his brand?
You are not his real wife River. Why do you care about his brand?
A smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Sure,” I agree, already standing and ready to bolt before I run my mouth any further and dig myself into an even deeper hole that I can’t crawl out of.
Aspen catches me by the arm as I pass her. “We’re going to talk about this when Cal and I get back from our honeymoon.”
I nod, but hopefully, she’ll be too busy to follow up on that. I trail after Carter out into the hallway.
“What’s up?” I ask, shutting the door behind me with a soft click.
He leans against the wall and shoves his hands into his pockets, and I move to the wall opposite him and mirror his pose with my arms folded against my chest.
“Hear me out . . .”
“Dangerous start.” My giggle carries down the hall.
He smiles back, but then his expression turns serious.
“Your dad said something to make me think he’s suspicious, and if I know anything about our friends, they’re suspicious as hell too.
If we want to keep this whole charade believable, like Teagan asked us to, we might need a few . . . coordinated moves.”
“Coordinated moves?”
“Exactly,” he says, looking a bit nervous. “Some subtle PDA.”
“Define subtle.”
“You know . . .” He scratches the back of his neck. “Hand on the small of your back. Whispers in your ear that make you laugh for no apparent reason. Maybe a kiss or two thrown in . . .”
“A kiss or two?!” My brows raise in surprise.
“Kitten, it’s gotta be believable.”
I groan, covering my face with my hands, “I can’t believe I married you.”
I feel the warmth of his body as he moves in close to me. Taking both of my wrists in his, he uncovers my face. His voice drops low as he teases me. “What a lucky man I am. I can’t believe you married me either.”
“By accident.”
“Still counts.”
I huff a breath. Fuck. Teagan said we had to sell it. I sat there and lied to Aspen’s face and told her I was in love with him. She’s not gonna believe that if we’re not affectionate.
“Fine. We can pretend we’re nauseatingly in love for one day.”
He shakes his head. “One year. We see these people every day. We have to fake it so hard that we believe it ourselves.”
I think about what he just said, and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s right.
My eyes flit between his, and my stomach flips all over again.
The way he’s looking at me could almost convince me that he already believes it.
A door closes, the sound echoing off the walls of the hallway, making me jump.
Carter and I both turn our heads to see who’s coming.
My dad rounds the corner and stops mid-step when he sees us.
Carter places the tips of his fingers against my chin and guides my head back to him.
He combs his fingers through a stray hair, tucking it behind my ear, then presses his lips to my forehead.
His kiss lingers for a moment, and my eyes flutter shut on instinct.
My heartrate skyrockets, and goosebumps spread down my arms.
“You look beautiful,” he whispers, then caresses my cheek. “I’ll see you at the altar, baby.”
My lips part, and my chest rises and falls with each rapid breath. By the time I open my eyes, he’s already walking down the stairs.
Dad’s gaze trails after Carter before settling on me, his face unreadable as he strides toward me.
“Hi, bug.” He wraps me in a hug.
I’ve missed him so much since I’ve been gone.
“Hi, Dad. You look handsome. I’m glad you made it.” I give him a small smile.
He nods but doesn’t offer a smile in return and my heart drops. I hate disappointing my dad.
“I wouldn’t miss Aspen’s wedding.” His gaze flicks toward the staircase again, then returns to mine as he continues, “Wouldn’t have missed yours either, had I known about it.”
His hands drop and disappear into his suit pockets, but his eyes stay locked on mine.
“I know. I’m sorry. We didn’t plan it. It just… it just kinda happened,” I stutter. “W-We thought a small intimate ceremony, just the two of us, was perfect. It felt right.”
“Did it?”
“Yes,” I say quickly. “I know it seems sudden, but . . .”
He sighs, raking a hand through his hair, and stepping back, like he needs the space to breathe. Like I’m testing his patience.
“River . . . I haven’t even heard of this Carter guy, and after Jaxon—”
“Carter’s nothing like Jaxon. Like, at all.”
“Oh, he better not be.”
His worried expression deepens the fine lines at the corners of his eyes and makes him look a little older.
“Carter’s a good man, Dad,” I admit for the second time today.
He studies me for a long moment, then gives a slow nod. “I only want for you to be happy. If he fucks up, it’ll be the end for him. I can’t go through that again, bug.”
My throat tightens at the thought of how worried my dad must be. I wrap my arms around him and place my head on his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat.
“I appreciate that you’re trying to protect me, Dad, but you don’t need to. Not from Carter. We’re happy. Can you cut him a break? Try to get to know him. I think you two would really get along.”
My dad squeezes me tight and asks, “So, you love him? This wasn’t one of those drunken mistakes in Vegas?”
My pulse thumps in my throat. I inhale slowly. Fake it ‘til you make it, right?
I nod against his chest as the lie easily escapes my mouth. “I really do. I wouldn’t have married him if I didn’t love him.”
Dad’s hum is barely audible over the sound of the helicopter blades cutting through the air above us. The rotors pulse in the distance, growing louder and louder as the aircraft draws closer to the landing pad nestled behind the venue.
One by one, the guys round the corner, adjusting their cufflinks, straightening lapels, and laughing. Cal leads the guys, all of them looking handsome in their black tuxes. Especially Tucker. He looks like a little man with his hair styled like Cal’s and sunglasses resting on his nose.
The group passes us, but Cal stops and gives my dad a friendly pat on the back. “You riding with us?”
He nods and then pulls back just enough to look me in the eyes. “Alright then. It’s time. I’ll see you out there.”
“Be nice to Carter, Dad.”
“We’ll see.”
He kisses the top of my head, then bounds down the stairs, following behind Cal.
I just lied straight to my daddy’s face, and as I stand at the top of the stairs watching him leave, I wonder to myself how the lie rolled off my tongue so easily.