Chapter 6 #2
Harper clears her throat, and Tamra shifts her vision to her.
“Well, there’s no way to guarantee the Northern Lights will be on display the night of your wedding, but it is a good time of year for them.
Beyond that, you should know that it can dip below freezing at night in October.
I’m not sure if you plan on wearing a traditional wedding gown, but if so, you might find it to be on the cold side.
” She laughs, but it’s forced, not the real laugh I heard that night.
Tamra frowns. “Oh, I didn’t think about how cold it would be here. Of course, it’s Alaska.”
“Maybe we have the ceremony inside, but during the reception we can be sure to take a few shots outside? Even if there are no Northern Lights, it will still be beautiful,” I say, hoping Tamra will just agree and it gets us out of here faster.
My suggestion perks her up. “That’s a great idea. I knew there was a reason I’m marrying you.” She leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
My eyes zero in across the desk at Harper, and again, I feel like an asshole. Our eyes meet briefly before she tugs hers away.
“Indoor ceremony it is. How many guests are you expecting? That will determine what our options are.”
“Oh, I hadn’t considered that yet.” Tamra lists off the names of friends and family, keeping a mental tally of who she thinks would travel for the wedding. “Who do you think will come from your side?”
I shrug. “My parents. And Hudson and Palmer.”
Tamra drops my hand and shifts in her seat to better face me. “Aren’t you going to invite the guys from the fire station? What about people who work for your parents at the ski resort?”
I’m trying to limit the number of people who get drawn into this farce, and unlike Tamra, I don’t come from the type of family where I feel beholden to invite certain people because of their social status.
Yes, my parents own a ski resort they inherited from my grandparents, but it’s a small one and not as lucrative as it once was.
One of the reasons I’m in this chair now.
“I don’t want any of my coworkers to feel like they have to spend the money to fly out here, and I’m pretty sure my parents will feel the same about everyone who works for them.”
The corners of Tamra’s mouth pinch in, and it’s clear she doesn’t appreciate my answer. She faces Harper, who tries to play it off as if she wasn’t watching our exchange.
“All right then.” Tamra inhales to regroup. “Best estimate is around one hundred people, I guess.”
Harper notes it in her computer. “A hundred people will limit the number of places we can look at, since we can’t consider smaller venues or restaurants. And what about the ceremony? Do you want a church wedding, or do you want to have it in the same place as the reception?”
“Definitely not a church,” I answer, and Tamra whips her head in my direction.
I’m not religious, but either way, I’m not saying real nuptials to my fake fiancée in a church of all places.
“I like the idea of having it all in one place. Seems simpler.” I shrug, as if not wanting a church wedding has anything to do with the fact we’re not marrying for love.
“All right then,” Harper says.
“Okkaayy, I’m fine with that.” Tamra forces a smile and runs her hand down my arm.
Jesus, she’s laying this on thick. In the three years we were in a real relationship, she rarely showed me any affection.
“I know you’re familiar, Finn, because of Hudson’s wedding, but Tamra, are you at all familiar with Glacier Point Resort?” Again, she only concentrates on Tamra, ignoring me.
“That’s where we’re staying,” Tamra says, then cocks her head. “Wait, did you plan Hudson’s wedding too?” She turns from Harper to me. I really hope she doesn’t see Harper glaring at me.
“Yes,” Harper answers.
I blink and look at Tamra. I could leave it at that, but it only stacks another lie to my list. “Actually, Harper’s cousin was the bride.”
Tamra inhales a breath, but I never see her release it. Her back goes straight, and her hand wraps around the armrest until her knuckles are white. “Oh, so you’re telling me you two know each other already.”
“We met in passing,” Harper says. “Nothing memorable.”
My hands clutch the armrests of the chair until I’m white-knuckled. What a perfect pair Tamra and I are. “Yeah, nothing worth mentioning.”
Our eyes meet across the desk. Though we’re lobbing grenades at each other, I still fucking want Harper with her anger pointed in my direction.
“The reason I ask is because my uncle owns the resort, so I have a bit of an in. I’ll make a call and see if they can accommodate not only the wedding but also enough rooms for your guests.” Harper’s fingers move across the keyboard.
“Oh, thank you, that would be wonderful. There’s something else I wanted to ask. I would love to develop an itinerary of fun things to do in the area for our family and friends while they’re in Lake Starlight. Would you be able to help with that?” Tamra asks.
“Great idea. I can brainstorm a list of activities, and depending how adventurous your guests are, my uncle and twin cousins run an adventure tour company. I’ll check what they might have available during that time of year.”
“Oh my god, this is so awesome, Harper. Is your dad the mayor? You have an in with everyone in this town. Isn’t this great, Finn?” Tamra’s smile only grows wider. She’s obviously ecstatic that she’s going to get everything she wants. The only thing missing is a groom she loves.
“Wonderful.” I plaster on a fake smile.
Tamra’s phone rings in her purse. “Sorry, I thought I turned the ringer off.” She fishes it out of her purse and looks at the screen. “Shoot, sorry.” She stands and puts her finger in the air. “I’ve been expecting this, but I’ll be super fast. Sorry.”
“Go. No problem.” Harper waves at her to take the call and not to feel guilty for wasting her time.
Tamra takes her purse and phone outside with her. I’m not surprised Tamra interrupted wedding planning to take a business call. That’s why she’s marrying me after all. But it means I’ve been left alone with Harper, who is now glaring daggers at me.
I understand why she’s upset, but I don’t know why she’s acting as if I’m the enemy. Does she actually think I was lying when I said I was single the night of Hudson’s wedding?
“Something on your mind, Harper?” I arch an eyebrow and lean back in my chair, bringing my leg up to rest my ankle on my opposite knee.
She leans back in her chair as well, crossing her arms. “You don’t find this entire situation untenable? Sitting here with the woman you slept with while you were on a break from the woman you’re about to spend the rest of your life with?”
I lean forward and rest my arms on my thighs. “Yes, it’s uncomfortable, but I wasn’t lying when I said that we were over at the wedding.”
She cocks her head. “Explain to me how you go from things being over to planning a wedding in a month.”
Damn it, I should have been more affectionate. She suspects something is up with this quick marriage. The only reason I wasn’t touching Tamra and pretending that I love her was because I didn’t want to shove it in Harper’s face.
I play off her remark with a shrug. “There’s nothing to explain.
We love each other. We’d been together three years and hit a rough patch.
Realized how empty our lives were without each other, and when we got back together, we decided we didn’t want to waste time before taking the next step. ” The lie tastes bitter.
“So, that makes me what? Your rebound?”
I have to get her off the scent that there’s anything questionable about my engagement. “Yeah.”
Something changes in her demeanor the moment the word leaves my lips. Some of the fiery light leaves her eyes, and I hate myself for being the one to extinguish it.
Harper nods. “All right then.”
I almost take it back, tell her the truth—that I haven’t been able to stop thinking of her since she left my bed that morning. But even if I were single, pursuing a future with her wouldn’t be wise. She’s everything I want, but nothing I can handle.
Harper’s office door opens, and a fresh breeze blows in. “Sorry about that.” Tamra walks back in and joins us.
This time when she sits beside me, I’m the one to show affection.
I pick up her hand and kiss her knuckles as though I couldn’t bear to be parted from her for that short amount of time, all while I avoid diverting my gaze to Harper’s.
That’s not to say I don’t feel her staring at the side of my face.
Pulling off this fake wedding just got a shit-ton harder.