The Engagement Arrangement Read online

  But it had been too late, and Allison blamed her, had accused Brenna of going behind her back to get Dean to ask her to prom when she’d known all along that Allison had liked him, which had been utterly ridiculous. And totally wrong. And had pissed her off—and to be honest, hurt her feelings. So she’d gone to prom with Dean just for spite.

  Of course, she’d had a terrible time, because Dean was a prime douchebag who’d brought booze and had only been interested in getting laid, and thought Brenna would be more than eager to let him into her panties. He’d been so wrong about that.

  Boys. She should have known better. She’d called her dad to pick her up and left Dean in the dust.

  It had been an awful night, and Brenna had lost one of her best friends in the process.

  Brenna often wondered if Allison had hooked up with Mitchell after their divorce to get back at her. Given how long Allison could hold a grudge, it wouldn’t surprise her in the least.

  “Look,” Brenna said. “It’s just a wedding, and four days of events will make for excellent income for us. We’ll deal with it. I’ll deal with it. Mitchell and I are ancient history.”

  “If you’re sure,” her mom said.

  Brenna lifted her chin. “Totally positive.”

  She’d make this work. She’d get through those four days, smile, do her job, be the best bridesmaid she could be, and show Mitchell and Allison that she was thriving and happy.

  But single. She knew Allison would toss several digs in about that.

  She’d have to figure out an angle so she wouldn’t have to hear Oh, poor Brenna can’t get a guy after Mitchell dumped her. She knew how Allison’s mind worked. And Mitchell would just follow along.

  She’d be damned if she’d be gossip fodder for Allison and her friends.

  She needed a plan.

  And she knew just the person to help her.

  CHAPTER

  • • • • • •

  three

  FINN STOOD UNDER a lukewarm shower for about ten minutes, letting the water rinse off the sweat and grit from his body. After today’s work, it felt good. He scrubbed his body down, washed his hair and got out. After drying off, he pulled on a pair of jeans and went to the fridge to grab a beer. He popped it open and took several long swallows of the cold brew, sighing in pure pleasure.

  He was about to sit down and relax for a few when he heard a knock on the door, which surprised the hell out of him. Normally no one bothered him at his place after hours.

  He went to the door, even more surprised to see Brenna standing there. She looked pretty as ever, her hair piled high in a ponytail. She wore a yellow sundress that highlighted her creamy skin.

  “Brenna. What are you doin’ here?”

  She gaped at him for a few seconds, then said, “We need to talk.”

  He shrugged. “Sure. Come in.”

  He shut the door and followed her inside. She turned to face him. “I’ve got a problem and I think you’re my perfect solution.”

  This was new. Normally she avoided him like he carried some kind of plague. “Okay. What can I help you with?”

  “My ex-husband and his wife are going to be here on the property for a wedding next weekend. A wedding where I’m one of the bridesmaids.”

  “Mitchell’s coming here? That’s a surprise.”

  “Tell me about it. Anyway, his wife, Allison, is a friend of mine from high school. Ex-friend, I guess you could say. She and I had a falling-out. She blames me for—well, anyway, that story doesn’t matter. She’s the matron of honor in the same wedding. As you can imagine, it is going to be a nightmare having to be around them.”

  He crossed his arms and studied her. She was pacing back and forth and seemed very uncomfortable. And frantic, which wasn’t like her. Normally, Brenna was cool and had everything under control. Obviously this whole Mitchell-and-Allison thing had her rattled.

  “What do you need me to do for you?”

  She leveled her gaze at him. “I need you to be my fiancé for four days.”

  He arched a brow. “Say that again?”

  “They’re going to be here for four days. Around me all the time. In my business. Driving me crazy. I need you to pretend to be engaged to me so I don’t have to deal with the ‘Oh, poor Brenna is all alone’ shtick from Allison.”

  “Who gives a shit what Allison or your ex thinks? You’re an independent woman, Brenna. And a successful one at that. Look at all you’ve accomplished since high school. You run a vineyard, for Chrissakes.”

  “I know that.”

  “And you sure as hell don’t need a man at your side to prove your worth.”

  “I know that, too. It’s just . . . will you do it or not?”

  He shrugged. “Sure. Do I get to kiss you in front of them?”

  “Absolutely not.”

  He knew that would get to her. “How about holding hands?”

  “I . . . that’ll be fine.”

  “We should set some ground rules.”

  She frowned. “Like what?”

  He stepped forward and smoothed his hand down her arm. “Like knowing whether I can touch you like this.”

  Her breathing increased. He saw it when her breasts rose and fell more rapidly. Not that he watched her breasts or anything, but it was hard not to notice her deep inhales and exhales. She didn’t step away or ask him to stop, so he continued to touch her, keeping his movements light, easing his fingertips across her neck, to her jaw, teasing her earlobe.

  She shivered, but it wasn’t revulsion. It was excitement. He liked that.

  “They’d expect an engaged couple to be familiar with each other’s touch.”

  “Right,” she whispered.

  “So touch me, Brenna.”

  She reached out, hesitated. “You should put a shirt on.”

  “Why? I’m clean.”

  “That’s not what I mean. Your chest . . .”

  “Is what?”

  “Bare.”

  “It is.” He took her hand and laid it on his chest. Now he was the one breathing heavily as the coolness of her palm splayed across his pecs.

  “You’re shaking, Brenna.”

  She snatched her hand away. “I am not. And anyway, it’s not like you’re going to be bare-chested in mixed company.”

  “True enough. But if you start shaking every time you stand next to me, no one’s going to believe we’re engaged. Or anything else.” He picked up her hand and massaged it between his. “You need to relax.”

  “I am relaxed!”

  She’d yelled the words at him, which made him smile. “Are you?”

  “Okay, maybe not. But I just came up with this idea today. It’s not like I’ve had the time to settle it in my head.”

  “You don’t have to do it at all, you know,” he said, keeping her hand between his, getting her used to his touch. “You can just be yourself. Proud. Single. Telling them both to go fuck themselves.”

  She laughed at that, and he felt the tension in her hand ease. But then she shook her head. “No. I’ll have enough to deal with that week without Allison’s annoying voice buzzing in my ears about how I can’t get a man. It’s just four days, Finn. We can do this for four days, can’t we?”

  “Sure we can.”

  “Okay.” She pulled her hand from his and then held it out to his for a regular handshake.

  She was joking, right?

  “Then it’s a deal?”

  He arched a brow. He might agree to do this, but he wasn’t going to make it easy for her. “It’s a deal. Should we kiss?”

  She laughed and headed to the door. “Nice try, but no.”

  She turned the knob and opened the door. “Thanks for doing this, Finn. You’re a good friend.”

  She closed the door behind her.

  Hi
s lips curved and he went into the bedroom to grab his shirt.

  Friend his ass. The way she reacted to him had nothing to do with friendship and everything to do with a woman who was attracted to a man.

  And he wasn’t going to let that one lie. If Brenna wanted to pretend to be engaged for four days, then they were going to have to get close.

  Really close.

  Besides, she could have asked anyone to be her fake fiancé. But she’d asked him. Why was that? He already knew the answer, but did Brenna?

  This was going to be fun.

  CHAPTER

  • • • • • •

  four

  THERE WAS NOTHING more fun than wedding dress shopping, as long as Brenna wasn’t the one trying on said wedding dresses. She’d already had one disaster of a marriage and never intended to make that colossal mistake ever again.

  Erin and Jason, though? They were perfect for each other. Other than her parents, she’d never seen two people more in love. Like, sickeningly in love. She couldn’t help but be happy for her sister. After what she’d gone through with her ex, Owen, Erin deserved some happiness. Even if Owen dumping her two days before their wedding had been for good reasons. They’d all worked it out and everyone was back to being friends now. Owen was just about finishing up with his chemotherapy treatments and seemed to be on the road to beating his cancer.

  Now it was Erin’s time for her happily-ever-after. They had all finished up work early that day, then piled into Mom’s SUV and took off for the city.

  “I’ve already made contact with two bridal shops that are willing to work with me on such short notice,” Erin said. “I’m really lucky because normally they require a minimum of six months, preferably a year.”

  “You’ll have to get a dress off the rack, though, right?” Honor asked. “It’ll be too late to order one.”

  Erin nodded. “Yes, but that’s all right. I can’t have everything I want and I know that. And if the dress needs alterations, I know a wonderful seamstress who’s agreed to do the job.”

  Brenna was glad Erin was so at ease about this. And she knew her sister was organized to the max, so if something needed to be done, it would.

  They got to the first shop forty minutes later and parked in the lot.

  “Are you nervous?” Brenna asked as they all got out of the SUV.

  “Well, it’s not my first time trying on wedding dresses.”

  Brenna laughed. “True. And hopefully it’ll be your last time.”

  “No hopefully about it. This is definitely my last.”

  “It had better be,” Mom said. “My heart can’t take any more stress.”

  Erin wrapped her hand around their mother’s arm. “Trust me, Mom. Jason will be standing at the end of the aisle on our wedding day.”

  “I know he will, cailín leanbh.”

  They walked into the store and were greeted by a tall, dark-haired woman by the name of Alexandra. Erin introduced everyone to her.

  “Erin, it’s nice to meet you and your family,” Alexandra said. “I’m ready to get started if you are.”

  “I am.”

  Erin had told them she’d sent some ideas to Alexandra earlier in the week, so she’d already pulled some dresses for her to try on. They took seats and waited while Erin went into the dressing room.

  The first dress was lace and tulle and looked totally overwhelming on Erin’s slender frame. They all thought it was a no, including Erin.

  The second dress was a very pretty satin and clung to her curves.

  “It’s pretty,” Brenna said.

  “Agree,” Honor said. “It’s pretty.”

  Mom shook her head. “Too plain. You need something more wow.”

  Erin smoothed her hands down the dress. “It is nice and I like the fit, but I agree it needs something . . . more.”

  “Back to the dressing room,” Alexandra said.

  The third dress was entirely too poofy. The volume swallowed her up.

  “Absolutely not,” Erin said as soon as she looked at herself in the mirror.

  Even Alexandra wrinkled her nose. “You’re right. Let’s move on. I think I have one you’re going to love.”

  After Erin left, Brenna turned to her mom and sister. “Have you noticed she’s trying on dresses that look absolutely nothing like her first wedding dress?”

  “Can you blame her?” Honor asked. “She wants nothing to remind her of that first disaster, including the dress.”

  “It was a beautiful dress,” Mom said.

  “Yes, it was,” Brenna said. “But it wasn’t the right dress. Or the right guy.”

  “True that,” Honor said.

  Brenna knew how that felt. She’d had a lovely dress for her first wedding. If she was going to get married again—which she wasn’t—the last thing she’d want to wear would be anything resembling her first dress. It would seem unlucky somehow.

  “She’ll pick the right dress,” Mom said. “The one that’s meant to be hers.”

  A few minutes later, Erin floated out on a dress that made them all gasp. A white crepe with off-the-shoulder lace sleeves, it clung to her body and floated down to a mermaid shape, with a lace cathedral train. When Erin stood up on the platform with her back to them, they all gasped again.

  The back was adorned with see-through lace and crepe buttons and Brenna could swear this dress was made just for Erin because it fit her as if it had been created for her body. If it was going to need alterations, they would be very minor.

  “Damn,” Honor whispered.

  Brenna caught the telltale glitter of tears in Erin’s eyes as she stared at herself in the full-length mirrors.

  “Erin,” their mother said. “That dress is breathtaking.”

  She finally turned. “I love it. I love it so much.”

  “It’s perfect, Erin,” Brenna said.

  “It’s you, honey,” Honor said. “It fits you perfectly and you look like a princess.”

  Mom nodded. “I agree.”

  “Isn’t it amazing?” Alexandra asked. “The alterations on this would be minimal. And she looks like a million bucks in this dress.”

  Brenna couldn’t argue.

  Mom stood up and went over to get a closer look, then took Erin’s hand. “Well?”

  “I can’t imagine loving another dress as much as I love this one. I can see myself wearing it when I marry Jason. This is the one.”

  They all clapped and Brenna and Honor got up and went over to her to hug her. Erin changed, filled out the paperwork and paid for the dress.

  “While we’re here we should look for dresses for you two and for Mom,” she said.

  Brenna rolled her eyes. She was going to be a bridesmaid again. Not her favorite thing, but she’d do what she had to do since her sister was the bride-to-be this time.

  In the end, it hadn’t been difficult at all to find dresses. Erin had already chosen her bridesmaid colors, and the store had a wonderful inventory. Honor and Brenna tried on a few and found a couple of styles that looked amazing on both of them, which was quite a feat considering they had two completely different body types. Brenna was curvier and taller than Honor, but Erin said as long as the colors of the dresses were the same, they could wear different styles. She wanted Alice in the wedding as well, which meant once Alice flew back to town from Los Angeles she’d have to come and pick out a dress as well. But the fabric and color would be the same and the styles were similar, and now that was taken care of with a minimal amount of fuss. Even Mom had found a dress she liked. All in all, a good shopping day.

  After that they were starving, so they hit up a restaurant in the city and celebrated with margaritas.

  Brenna raised her glass. “Here’s to finding a wedding dress, Erin.”

  Erin raised her glass as well. “I’ll definitely drink
to that.”

  They sipped their drinks and rehashed their workdays, then put in their food orders.

  “Erin, you crossed quite a few things off your wedding to-do list today,” Honor said. “Wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses, mother-of-the-bride dress. That’s a huge accomplishment.”

  “It is. More than I planned to accomplish, actually. I’m ahead of schedule now. We could probably move the wedding up to September.”

  Honor frowned. “That’s not funny.”

  Brenna laughed. “Actually, it’s pretty funny.”

  “That’s because you only have to supply the wine. I have to do everything else.”

  Erin grasped Honor’s hand. “Hey, not true. I told you I’m handling all of this.”

  “As if I’d let you. You’ve had enough stress already. Just being the bride is stressful.”

  “And I’m not one of your typically scheduled brides. I’ve got this, Honor. I’ll handle it.”

  “We’ll all handle it,” their mom said. “As a family. It’s not one person’s job, Honor. It’s not just your job. It’s all of ours. Understood?”

  “Yes, Mom,” Honor said.

  “Hey,” Erin said. “When we meet on Monday I’ll astound you with my wedding checklist. You’ll see how much I’ve already got checked off. Jason and I are nailing down cakes and a deejay this weekend.”

  Mom looked from Erin back to Honor. “See? Not just your job.”

  Honor raised her hands in acquiescence. “Fine. Okay. I can see you do, in fact, have this, Erin.”

  Erin smiled. “Good. So stop stressing over me. I’m not doing this alone. I not only have all of you, I have Jason, who for some reason is totally pumped about wedding planning.”

  Brenna grinned. “Because he’s crazy in love with you.”

  “He is. Isn’t that amazing?”

  “Not so amazing,” Mom said. “It’s what you deserve.”