Chapter Six
Flynn
"Let's get engaged!" I said, watching Cedar's expression shift from surprise to incredulity.
"You can't be serious."
I held her gaze with a deadpan expression. "I've never been more serious in my entire life."
Cedar's eyes narrowed. "Flynn, what's going on? You laughed at me when I first suggested this idea. I beat myself up for even letting it cross my mind."
I leaned against her desk, crossing my arms. "I know; I shouldn't have dismissed it so quickly. But I took some time to think, and I believe it could work."
Cedar raised an eyebrow. "What made you change your mind?"
"I realized, as you said, this could be a win-win situation. You get to avoid Devan's unwanted attention, and I…well, I get to keep my position as CEO."
A hint of a smile played on Cedar's lips. "And what makes you think I'd be willing to do this?"
"Because you'd rather be around me than any of these geezers who can't respect a woman's personal space," I said. "Plus, we have fun together, and we're comfortable around each other."
"Okay… so, what's the plan?"
"Uh… I don't know… what do engaged couples do?" I might have sounded like I was joking, but I was dead serious. I'd never really been in a proper ‘dating’ relationship. I just didn't have time for that kind of commitment. The only female friends I had were Ciara, Cedar, my sister, and a few business partners—not even sure if my sister or those partners counted as friends—but that was it.
"Well, for one thing, they go on dates and attend social functions together," Cedar replied, biting her lower lip.
"We probably should get our parents involved… oh, and speaking of parents…" I stood from my seat, turned to Cedar sitting in her swivel chair, and dropped to one knee.
Cedar's eyes widened. "Flynn, what are you doing?"
I wasn’t sure why, but there was a flutter in my chest as I pulled out a small box containing a ring. I knew this was all pretense, but nothing had ever felt so right. Maybe I was just that good an actor.
"Officially proposing." I opened the box and extended it toward her.
"You know you don't have to be so dramatic, right? There's no one watching."
I ignored her protest. "Miss Cedar Amelia Rowan, will you do both of us a favor of being my fiancée?”
The most beautiful smile I’d ever seen spread across her face as she stood and held out her hand.
"I thought you said I was being dramatic?"
"Well, I can't pass up any opportunity to be a true thespian. Now put that ring on my finger before I change my mind," she chuckled.
I rose and gently slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly, almost as if it had been made for her.
"It's beautiful," she whispered, admiring the ring. "When did you get this?"
"Actually, I've had it for a while."
She raised a brow.
"My father gave it to me on my birthday. He couldn't wait to see me get married."
"Oh my… I can't take this, then. It's special," Cedar said, already trying to pull the ring off her finger.
I covered her hand with mine. "Don't. I want you to have it."
She looked from the ring to me. "Are you sure?"
"Yes," I replied, nodding. "I believe my fiancée should have the best of everything." I grinned.
"Careful… someone might actually think you mean those words."
The atmosphere felt charged, and if I’d responded with the thoughts in my head, Cedar might have ended up returning the ring. Instead, I simply smiled and went back to my seat, relieved to put some distance between us.
"We’ll need to lay some ground rules," I said, forcing myself to sound businesslike.
Cedar nodded, returning to her seat. "What kind of rules?"
I took a deep breath. "Firstly, we need to establish boundaries. We're not really in love, so there's no need to pretend when we're alone."
Cedar chuckled. "Like what you just did?"
I forced a laugh of my own. "Yes." I was grateful she hadn’t taken it to heart; that rule was more for me than for her. I needed something to rein me in—I couldn’t risk ruining our friendship.
"That’s fine. I don’t think it’s necessary, though. It's not like we’d actually fall in love or anything."
I raised an eyebrow. "You’re that confident, huh?"
Cedar shrugged. "First, I know myself, and I’m pretty sure you’re not exactly the romantic type. Plus, you’re like a brother to me. Always have been, always will be."
"Thank you!" I replied, throwing my hands in the air. "That’s exactly what I told Heather, but she wouldn’t believe me."
"Heather’s back? I’ve missed her. Also, why were you two gossiping about me?"
"Yes, she is. She asked how you’re doing. One thing led to another, and I told her about your date and how I had to come whisk you away… then she tried to say something about us dating. Of course, I told her she was being delusional."
"Oh…"
"Yeah. So, we’re on the same page: no romantic entanglements, no expectations."
Cedar nodded. "Right. What else?"
I sensed a slight shift in her demeanor, but she bounced back quickly. Maybe I was imagining things. I decided not to ask and pressed on.
"Next, we need to decide who knows and who doesn’t," I said, relaxing into my chair. "We can’t have everyone finding out it’s a sham."
"Agreed," Cedar said. "My colleagues already think we’re engaged, so it’s best to keep up the charade at work. But our families…?"
"I think we should tell my sister," I said. "She’s discreet—she’ll keep our secret and watch out for us."
"How about your Mom…?"
"Definitely not," I replied immediately.
"Alright. For my family, no one needs to know. Otherwise, it defeats the purpose."
I nodded. "Okay. The fewer people who know, the better. I’m thinking my secretary might need to know since she’ll be scheduling us together often—but we’ll play it by ear. If we have to tell her, we will. But for now, let’s keep it between us and my sister."
"Sounds good," Cedar said, her eyes searching mine. "Anything else?"
"One more thing," I said, my voice serious. "We need to set an endpoint. When do we plan to… ‘divorce’?"
Cedar’s lips curled into an easy smile. "You’ve thought this through, haven’t you?"
"I have," I replied. "Six months? A year?"
Cedar shrugged. "A year sounds good. We can reassess then."
I nodded, extending my hand. "Deal?"
Cedar took my hand. "Deal."
We shook on it, sealing our agreement. As we released each other, Cedar smiled.
"I never thought I’d say this, but… fiancé, you’re not so bad."
I grinned. "Likewise, fiancée. Likewise."
Our eyes locked. For a moment, I wondered if we’d just made a massive mistake.
***
Five hours!
That’s how long it took for news of my engagement to Cedar to become the top story in Kailua. I couldn’t count the number of congratulatory messages I’d received—along with questions and requests for exclusive interviews with my “fiancée.”
Before the workday ended, Nelly handed me one of the local papers. My picture made the front page, under the headline: “CEO OF J-KINGS HOLDINGS GETS ENGAGED IN SECRET!”
When I finally pulled into my driveway, exhausted from the day’s events, I found my mother and sister waiting on the front porch.
"Flynn, darling! Is it true?" my mother asked the instant I stepped onto the porch.
I sighed, knowing I couldn’t dodge her questions. "What’s true, Mom?"
"Don’t play dumb, bro," Heather chimed in, brows raised. "The news of your engagement to Cedar Rowan is everywhere."
"Well… we wanted it to be a surprise."
My mother’s face lit up. "Oh, Flynn, I’m so happy! Cedar’s such a lovely girl. I’ve always thought so."
"Yeah, thanks, Mom."
"When did you two start dating?" Heather asked, curiosity etched on her face. "A few days ago, you insis—"
"We’ve known each other for a while, but things recently got serious," I cut in before she could finish.
"How serious?" my mother pressed, eyes shining.
"Serious enough that we decided to take the next step," I replied, trying to sound convincing.
Heather frowned. "Why are we just hearing about this now? You’re usually more open with us."
My mother nodded. "Yes, Flynn, why the secrecy?"
I shrugged. "After Ciara’s passing, we decided to keep things quiet for a while… we wanted to wait until after her funeral."
My mother’s expression grew thoughtful. "I understand. But now that it’s public, I need to call Cedar’s parents! This is wonderful news."
Her excitement made me feel awful for lying, but what could I do?
As she hurried off to spread the word, Heather turned to me, eyes narrowed."Let’s talk," she said, heading toward Dad’s study.
We settled into the gray leather armchairs, surrounded by the familiar scent of old books. My mother rarely came in here; the room held too many memories of my father.
"Spill," Heather demanded in a low voice.
"Spill what?" I asked, feigning ignorance. Heather was quick-witted; I knew she already suspected something was off.
"Come on, bro. You were totally opposed to the idea of being with Cedar. Now you’re engaged? Nope. Something’s up. Talk."
I stayed silent, letting her curiosity grow.
"Wait, did you knock her up, and now you have to marry her?" she blurted.
I burst out laughing at the absurdity. "No, Sis. Nothing like that."
"So, why?"
"You have to promise this stays between us," I said.
"Cross my heart, pinky swear, scout’s honor—take your pick. Now spill."
I told her everything: the power struggle at the company, Cedar’s predicament, our fake engagement, and our agreement.
Heather listened closely, her expression shifting from curiosity to shock."So, let me get this straight," she said, "you’re pretending to be engaged to Cedar so you can secure Dad’s shares and help her avoid some creep… but you’re not actually in love?"
I nodded.
"What if you fall in love with her?" Heather asked.
I chuckled. "We already discussed that. It’s not going to happen."
Heather raised an eyebrow. "You seem awfully sure. What if Cedar develops feelings for you?"
"I don’t think that’ll happen either," I replied confidently.
Leaning in, Heather lowered her voice. "Maybe this is the path to love, Flynn. Maybe you need to pretend in order to find the real thing."
I shook my head, smiling. "Just keep this secret, okay?"
She sighed, reluctantly nodding. "I’ll keep your secret. But what if Mom finds out?"
"She won’t," I said. "And even if she does, I’ll handle it."
Heather’s expression softened. "You know I’ve got your back, Flynn. But be careful, okay? You know what’s at stake if this gets out."
"It won’t. Don’t worry."
She nodded. "Okay. When are you calling Mr. Fletcher? Isn’t it best to move quickly?"
"I’m sure he’s already heard about the engagement. He’ll be in touch soon." I eyed my sister. "You’re not asking about Uncle Will?"
She shrugged. "What’s there to ask? He betrayed us. End of story."
"You don’t seem surprised," I said.
"Flynn, I’ve worked with all kinds of people in all kinds of places. I’ve seen and heard it all. I’m not easily surprised anymore."
"I see…"
"Yeah. Now, onto more important things… What’s Cedar like these days? I know the basics, but it’s been a while."
"Smart, beautiful, and stubborn," I replied, smiling.
Heather grinned. "Sounds like your type."
I chuckled, thinking back to our conversation. I couldn’t help noticing that Cedar really was my type. But we had an agreement—no romantic entanglements, no nothing.