Chapter 25 Cateline
CATELINE
After the nightmare at Connor’s family cabin, I half expect him to peel out of the driveway—if it could be called that—and drive aggressively back the way we came.
Instead, he’s quiet, pensive, and ponderous, like he had a breakthrough and only now realizes that behind every cloudy day, the sun still shines somewhere up there in the sky. That the truth is more powerful than lies, silence, or fear.
The way he glances at me makes me warm all over. Like I’m some ray of light. A revelation. I have clouds of my own that I hide behind, namely, my citizenship situation. Why didn’t I get it taken care of, knowing I’ll have to return to France—the place I fled?
Cain reminded me of a barbarian that I once knew. I gave up my career in professional ballet to pursue a college degree. It was the logical and safe choice—and not only because a degree would secure me a 401k. No, Gaston had become possessive, demanding, and dangerous.
I shudder a breath, which breaks the seal on the silence in the Jeep.
“Did you hear the crowd go wild with applause?” Connor asks.
“What are you talking about?”
“Cat, you scored a touchdown.”
“Remember, I don’t play games.”
“Not until you told Cain that you’re my fiancée.” His grin isn’t wolfish. No, it’s something else that I can’t quite define.
“That was because your brother was being—” I look at Connor, now understanding why he is the way he is. Or was. He’s changing before my eyes. He seems lighter, more genuine. Like he’s been dropping baggage left and right.
Connor takes my hand and rubs my grandmother’s ring. “I’ll get you a bigger, better ring. Promise.”
“I don’t need another ring because we’re not really getting married. I can’t marry a student.”
“But the ring is on your finger.”
“The wrong finger. Good save, by the way,” I add.
“See, we’re on the same team.”
I’m about to respond, but pause on his words about being on a team. At different times in my life, I’ve desired marriage, a partnership, a covenant with someone. But I never met the right person. My thoughts poke me sharply in the ribs.
Like with the visa, I ignore them.
“This ring was my grandmother’s. She gave it to me when I was eighteen. I think it was so I had something to barter if I got into trouble. She knew I was leaving. Or perhaps she knew I’d always be single.” Then I realize I’ve shared this out loud. My throat thickens.
I’ve said too much. Gone too far out of my safe zone. Maybe I have been playing a game. Perhaps I am on a team. Team Connor-line? Catnor?
“You’re not single anymore,” he says.
“We’re not really engaged.”
“We are for the next twenty-four hours. Cain’s wedding is tomorrow.” Connor turns to me when we pause at a stop sign. “I cannot begin to imagine who he possibly convinced to marry him.”
“I rarely speak ill of people, but I agree. Though perhaps he’s different around her. People change,” I say pointedly.
Gaze still on me, Connor says, “Yeah, they do.”
Like words on a chalkboard, my objections disappear one letter at a time until all that’s left is dust and us.
Windows down and music up, we breeze along the Blue Ridge Highway.
It’s so beautiful here, I cannot fathom the kind of pain Connor endured growing up.
I shift in my seat so I’m facing him slightly—this big, brawny man.
A man I admire for pulling himself out of that situation and making a life for himself, even if he was a bit of a butt-baring brute at times.
A brutish beast that I think I don’t not love.
A sigh escapes as I let myself realize this itty-bitty fact.
Because I cannot help myself, I say, “My, my Mr. Wolfe, what big eyes you have.”
His lips twist with a smile as he glances at me. “Better to see you with, my Kitty Cat.”
“And what big hands...”
His fingers tighten on the steering wheel as if he’s resisting reaching out and placing them on me.
“And what big teeth.”
He chuckles. “Speaking of, I’m hungry. Otto’s, just down the street here, has the best burgers, Miss Berghier,” he says with perfect pronunciation. “Care to join me for dinner?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
We stop at a roadside stand with tattered menus taped on the windows, serving burgers, hot dogs, fries, onion rings, and about thirty kinds of ice cream. Connor orders us each a Blue Ridge Burger and one order of French fries and onion rings, plus two milkshakes.
We wait by the pickup window, and I ask, “Hungry?”
“Hungry like a bear. I got us each a milkshake, but you have to share yours because I couldn’t decide which one I wanted. The mint cookie is amazing, but so is the chocolate banana strawberry.” With a sigh, he adds, “I forgot how much I love it here.” He looks around sentimentally.
“How do you know I’m willing to share?”
“Think of it as marriage prep. You’ll have to get used to sharing. Milkshakes, passwords, life.”
“Connor, we’re not—”
The girl at the pick-up window calls our number.
We each take a tray and I lead us to an empty picnic table with an umbrella.
“Uh, could we sit over there?” he asks.
“I need a little shade. I’m not used to the strong sun and humidity here.”
“Oh, right.” He hesitates and then sits, placing the tray with our food at an odd angle.
I draw it between us. He slides it back into place. I bring it closer and he pushes it back to where it was.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Um, we can take our food off the tray and leave it there.” His tone is shady, like he’s hiding something.
“But the table is dirty. I’d rather have the tray between us.”
“You’re so fussy.”
“Says the guy who wants to marry me,” I tease.
“Alright, alright. Fine.” To my surprise, he relents.
I set the tray between us and we dig in. The hamburger is cooked medium rare and is topped with bacon, caramelized onions, and blue cheese.
I’m halfway done when Connor says, “You like it?”
Around a mouthful, I answer, “I love it. It’s the best thing—” I remove my elbows from the table and set the burger down, then wipe my mouth.
“Someone forgot her manners.” Connor leans in. “I promise I won’t tell a soul.”
“Ha ha.” I grin as I pick up my burger. “But it is almost too good to put down.” But I do set it down when something scratched into the picnic table catches my eye. I trace my finger over the letters C-O-N-N-O-R, followed by a plus symbol and the name Anna.
He swallows thickly and leans back.
“I see your misbehavior started early.”
“And there I thought you were going to ask me who Anna is.”
“Who is she?”
“Anna was my high school sweetheart.”
This information does something strange inside. On the one hand, it’s nice to know Connor got to experience a first love like that. On the other, I feel strangely jealous of her—she probably got to be all of his firsts, including his first kiss.
Then again, we are talking about Connor “Wolf.” He’s kissed a lot of women, but I sense Anna was for real, while the rest were fill-ins, trying to give him what she did, which begs the question, why is she a footnote in his story and not on his “team?”
He sets down his burger and says, “If you’re wondering what happened—?”
“You don’t have to tell me. Remember, I’m your coach,” I say, regretting it but also knowing I should at least attempt to keep things professional between us.
“My fiancée has special privileges. You get insider info, team secrets.” He winks.
“Just don’t tell me anything about Declan, Chase, or Grey. I’ve seen enough.”
He chuckles. “Anna and I dated in high school. Classic football player cheerleader story. Did you have those in France?”
“We had a variation,” I say, thinking darkly about dance and Gaston.
“As you saw, Cain and I were, er, are rivals. Even back then, we despised each other. Or more precisely, he had a vendetta against me. One night, after a big game, we were at a party. And in case you’re wondering, yes, Cain is older and still went to high school parties.
The creep probably still does. Anyway, I found him and Anna hooking up. ”
Giving the girl the benefit of the doubt, because where I sit, there is no contest between the Wolfe brothers, I ask, “Is there a chance that he forced her or—?”
Connor leans back in the chair and crosses his arms. His biceps strain against the cotton hem of his gray T-shirt. “That’s the thing, I confronted her the next day. She said she’d always liked Cain, but he was older. I was easier. Easier to fool, I guess.”
I reach across the table and draw Connor’s hand loose. “I’m sorry. That’s so hurtful.”
“She ruined love for me.”
“That’s not true. She’s the one missing out. You’re better off without her anyway. I bet now she’s a real troll. A big wart on her nose, hair on her chin, missing teeth, and smells like low tide.”
Connor chuckles. “See? We make a great team.”
I’m afraid we do.
We finish our dinner and then drive to a nearby hotel.
The receptionist recognizes Connor and makes a big football fan fuss, drawing the attention of a couple of other guests.
I hang back while he signs a few items and then takes selfies with the fans.
He gets an A+ for being personable and polite. No signs of the Wolf in sight.
From across the room, I watch him carry it off with ease, as if his brother doesn’t hate him, he didn’t have the promise of young love, and then have it shattered, leaving his heart broken. Meanwhile, he’s been walking around on the shards all this time.
Until now. He seems different. Like our time together has helped him pick up the pieces and fit them back in place.
I agreed to be his fake fiancée because there’s no way I’d truly fall for him. That’s ridiculous. His eyes land on me after he smiles at the camera, sending a spark of warmth through me.
Just as I join Connor and he hefts our bags to bring them to our rooms, a guy dressed in tactical gear approaches. In a word, he’s intimidating and I prepare to take shelter, but the two instantly exchange a bro hug.
“What are you doing here, Andrew?” Connor asks the guy with a massive beard.