The Engagement Arrangement Page 5

Brenna changed into a pair of capris and a short-sleeved shirt, then slid into sandals and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She met her sisters downstairs.

  “Are you riding with us, Erin?” Honor asked.

  “Yes. I’ll come back here after dinner and pick up Agatha and Puddy.”

  The dogs sat at their feet, tails wagging expectantly.

  Erin waved her hand at the dogs. “Go play.”

  They ran off, nudging each other on the way.

  “The training is going well, I see,” Brenna said.

  “Since I moved in with Jason the two of them are the best of friends. And for some reason training two pups is so much easier. It’s like they try to one-up the other to see which one is the best dog.” She rolled her eyes.

  Brenna laughed. “They’re both the best dog.”

  Erin looked lovingly at both of them as they lay in the hallway wrestling over a toy. “I know.”

  “I’m ready if everyone else is,” Honor said, keys in her hand. “And hungry.”

  They headed out toward the city, stopping at their favorite pizza place. They’d been coming to Hideaway Pizza since they were little, and all three of them agreed it was still the best pizza in the city.

  They ordered iced teas and looked over the menu. The one thing they couldn’t agree on was what type of pizza to order.

  “Paradise Pie,” Brenna said. “I love the chicken and spinach and garlic.”

  Erin shook her head. “Chicken Florentine. The pesto sauce with grilled chicken and mushrooms is the best.”

  They looked to Honor, who sighed. “Why do I always have to be the tiebreaker?”

  “Because you don’t care what we order,” Brenna said. “You like everything here.”

  “That’s true. Then you’ll let me decide?”

  “Absolutely,” Brenna said.

  “Yes,” Erin added.

  “Okay, fine. We’re ordering a small size of both.”

  Brenna shook her head. “Ever the peacemaker, aren’t you, Honor?”

  Honor beamed a smile. “I try.”

  When their server returned, they ordered salads and Honor gave the pizza orders. They rehashed their meeting with the prospective bride and groom they’d met with tonight until the server brought their salads. Brenna grabbed her fork and dove in. She was so hungry and the salad was just what she needed.

  “So, Brenna,” Honor said. “Finn tells me the two of you are engaged.”

  Erin choked on her sip of iced tea, grabbed her napkin and wiped her mouth. “Excuse me, what?”

  Honor continued, “He said you’re going to be engaged next week or something along those lines?”

  Well, hell. She had meant to lay it out in more explainable terms. Damn that Finn anyway.

  “Not really engaged. Just pretend engaged and only for four days.”

  “Pretend engaged?” Erin looked at her. “What the hell is that?”

  “Explain, please,” Honor said.

  “You know I’m in Esther’s wedding next weekend. And now Allison and Mitchell are going to be there.”

  “Right,” Erin said. “Continue.”

  Brenna waved her fork in the air, hoping this would come out in a way that made perfect sense. “Anyway, I know Allison. She’ll be all over me about being single. I don’t want to deal with it—or with her—so I’ve enlisted Finn to be my fake fiancé for the duration of the wedding weekend.”

  Honor and Erin stared at her and didn’t say anything, so she assumed they were in agreement. She went back to eating her salad.

  “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” Erin said.

  “Why, Brenna?” Honor asked. “You don’t need to pretend to be engaged. Who cares what Allison thinks, anyway?”

  “I don’t. Not really. I just want a hassle-free four days. They’ll think I’m engaged and Allison can go away and bother someone else.”

  “Do you really think you’re less than because you don’t have a guy?” Erin asked.

  “No, of course not. I’m doing great. I love my job. I have all kinds of things to keep me busy. My gardening, my books, genealogy research. I love my life.”

  “Again,” Erin said. “Why do you have to pretend that you’re not complete without some fake fiancé?”

  “That’s not what this is about. It’s about not being harassed by Allison, and by my ex-husband who’ll do anything Allison tells him to. Shouldn’t I be spared that annoyance?”

  “You should be,” Honor said. “But you know we’ll have your back. We wouldn’t let Allison give you a hard time.”

  “At the expense of the bride?” Brenna asked. “Allison is Esther’s matron of honor. We have to keep the bride happy, and me bitch-slapping the matron of honor won’t make Esther’s wedding the one of her dreams, will it? This is my solution.”

  Honor looked to her. “You have a point. Not a great solution, but a point.”

  “Well, damn.” Erin chewed thoughtfully for a minute. “Okay, your idea might be a dumb one, but I’ll support you.”

  “So will I.”

  “Thank you.”

  Their pizzas arrived and they dug in. Brenna felt a lot better now that her sisters knew about her engagement arrangement with Finn, and that they supported her, even if it was reluctantly.

  She’d still have to inform her parents, which she knew was not going to go over well. But her parents would go along with the plan, probably as reluctantly as her sisters had.

  Erin picked up her phone and sent a text, then smiled when she got a ping in return.

  “Jason said he’s jealous we had pizza.”

  “But I’ll bet they had greasy burgers,” Brenna said.

  Erin sent another text. It took a few minutes for Jason to reply, and then Erin nodded. “They did.”

  “Just as good, then,” Honor said. “Nothing beats a great burger, followed by beer and pool.”

  “We should go meet them and play some pool,” Erin said.

  “Why would we want to do that?” Brenna asked.

  Erin shot her a look. “Because it’s fun? Because Jason’s there and I might want to see him?”

  Honor shrugged. “I like pool.”

  Brenna rolled her eyes. “Fine. We’ll go.”

  “Great.” Erin smiled. “But first I want to eat another slice of pizza.”

  They finished eating, paid the bill and climbed into the car, then drove a couple of miles over to the pool hall and went inside.

  It was nicely air conditioned, and there were plenty of pool tables to accommodate the crowd. Fortunately there weren’t a ton of people there, so Jason and the other guys were easy to spot.

  Erin went right over and put her arms around Jason, who seemed surprised and happy to see her.

  “Hey, babe. I’m glad you came.”

  “We were close and I thought I’d kick your ass in a game of pool.”

  “Oh, you did, huh? Well, you can try.”

  Brenna watched Finn prepare to take a shot. Actually, she was watching the way his shoulders bunched up as he leaned over the table, the deftness of his fingers as they curled around the cue, the muscles on his forearm as he steadied for the shot, and wow, why was she even interested in every part of his body anyway?

  She looked around the place, trying to zero in on a guy—any guy—who might capture her interest. There were several good-looking men in the place. One or two actually looked her way. One gave her an inviting smile.

  She felt nothing. No spark, zero interest. Not like when Finn came up and stood close to her giving her a smile of his own, the kind of smile that made a woman’s insides quiver.

  “Hey,” he said.

  Just one word. Insides. Quivering.

  Damn that man.

  She turned away and smiled at Clay. “How�
�s it going?”

  “Good.”

  “Is Alice in L.A.?”

  He nodded. “She has a few meetings, but she’ll be back this weekend.”

  “Sorry I’m late. I hear I missed burgers.”

  They all turned to see Owen, Erin’s ex-fiancé, walk in.

  “You also missed two games already,” Clay said. “Which you’d have lost anyway.”

  Owen laughed. “You’d like to think that.”

  “Hey, Owen,” Erin said. “How are you feeling?”

  “Good, thanks. Finished up another round of treatment this week so we’ll see how the testing goes. Every time I do a round I’m hoping I’m finished.”

  “We all hope that,” Honor said, grasping his arm and holding on to it. “You look good.”

  He smiled at her. “Thanks. I feel pretty good, too.”

  The whole situation with Owen had been a disaster. First him walking out on Erin practically at the altar and disappearing on her, only to find out he fled because of his cancer diagnosis and not handling it well at all. But after they talked it out they both realized they weren’t right for each other anyway. And Erin forgave him, which Brenna gave her a lot of credit for because she didn’t know if she could have done that. The rest of the family had come around as well. The important thing right now was for Owen to get well. Being mad at him for dumping Erin was one thing. Losing him was not acceptable.

  They’d all been friends since they were kids. You just didn’t abandon a friendship, especially once Erin had explained that Owen breaking up with her had led her to Jason, whom she loved more than anyone she’d ever loved before.

  Sometimes things worked out right in the end, even if they started out all wrong.

  “You gonna try to play?” Finn asked.

  Brenna arched a brow. “Oh, I’ll play. And I’ll beat you.”

  Finn shaded a crafty smile at her. “We’ll see, lass.”

  Once the guys finished their game, they grabbed another table and formed two teams. Honor, Owen and Clay played at one table, and Jason, Erin, Brenna and Finn played at another.

  Brenna had been taught to play pool by her dad, and she loved the game. She’d played in college, too, and for some reason guys seemed to think women weren’t good at pool.

  They were wrong.

  She won the first game. Erin won the second.

  “Shit,” Jason said after Erin sank the last ball. She batted her lashes at him.

  “Maybe you’ll get lucky on the next game,” Erin said. “Or maybe not.”

  Finn gave them a run for their money on their third game, because he wasn’t a slouch, either. Neither was Jason. They were all pretty evenly matched.

  In the end, Finn won that game. He turned and gave Brenna a smile.

  “Good game,” she said.

  “I’m out.” Erin put up her cue. “I’m tired and I need to go get the dogs.”

  “We’ll go,” Honor said.

  “No need,” Jason said. “I’ll drive her back to the house to get the dogs.”

  “You sure?” Brenna asked.

  “Hey, I have to follow my lady home and make sure she gets there safely.”

  Erin rolled her eyes, but leaned against Jason. “Unnecessary, but thanks.”

  Clay left, too, leaving just Honor, Owen, Brenna and Finn. They ended up grabbing drinks and sitting at a table.

  “How’s your energy level, Owen?” Honor asked.

  “Better now than it was at the beginning of treatment. I’m back at the brewery and, other than appreciating naps more now than I ever have before, I’ve been getting my stamina back.”

  “Hey, never discount a nap,” Honor said. “They’re good for you.”

  “Trust me, I listen to my body now. And I’ll feel even better when the chemo is done with. My numbers have looked really good, so I’m hoping I’m reaching the last of the treatments.”

  “We all hope that,” Brenna said.

  Honor looked over at Brenna and Finn. “We should hit up the Screaming Hawk now that Owen is back to work.”

  “I’m always down for beer,” Finn said.

  Brenna nodded. “I like beer.”

  “Great. We’ll make a plan and do it.”

  “I’d love to see you there. I’ve . . . missed my friends.”

  “Hey, you’re still our friend and that’s not going to change,” Honor said.

  “Thanks. I know that, but I’m trying to stay out of the way. Jason and Erin need their time together.”

  Brenna couldn’t imagine how awkward it must be for Owen. His breakup with Erin meant also breaking up with a family he’d been a part of since they were children. And with his cancer treatments, they hadn’t seen much of him lately.

  She didn’t envy his position.

  “We’re Erin’s sisters,” Brenna said. “We’ll always be there for her. But we’re your friends and that isn’t going to change, Owen.”

  “I appreciate that. More than you know.”

  “Hey, buddy,” Finn said. “We’ve got your back. And I’ve got a need for some of that crisp lager you serve.”

  “I’ve got it. You just have to show up.”

  “Then we’ll make a plan,” Honor said.

  Now that Honor was in charge of scheduling it, Brenna knew it would happen.

  They finished their drinks and everyone got up to head out.

  Owen hugged Brenna and Honor, then said good-bye to Finn and left. Finn walked with them to their vehicle.

  “See you at the house,” he said.

  “Okay,” Brenna said, feeling a little weird that he was waiting for them to leave like this was some kind of date, which it wasn’t.

  Honor just smiled and said thank you, so they climbed into their vehicle and headed back to the house.

  “You and Finn make a good couple,” Honor said as she drove.

  “We are not a couple.”

  “The way he looks at you tells me otherwise. And I saw you watching him every time he took a shot when we were playing pool.”

  “I can hardly ignore him. He’s part of our group.”

  “Yes, he is. But no one else in our group stares at his ass. Except you.”

  “I did not stare at his ass.”

  Honor went silent and it irked her.

  “Nothing’s going on between Finn and me.”

  Honor’s lips curved. “Okay. I believe you.”

  “I mean, sure, he’s incredibly hot and all, and that accent is enough to make any woman fall into a dead faint at his feet. He’s around all the time and it was just convenient to ask him to pretend to be my fiancé because we know each other so well and he wouldn’t get the wrong impression. And he gets me and my weird quirks, you know?”

  “Of course. Perfectly reasonable.”

  She crossed her arms and stared out the window, feeling irritated with her sister but not understanding the reason for it.

  “Why would it be a bad idea for you and Finn to get together, Brenna?”

  “Because I don’t want to.”

  “You don’t like him?”

  She’d be lying if she said she didn’t have an instantaneous chemical reaction to Finn whenever she saw him or was around him. But those feelings were new and made her feel raw and just a little bit scared. She hadn’t had feelings like that for a guy in a very long time.

  “I like him just fine. It’s just that he’s different from the guys I usually date.”

  Honor let out a soft laugh. “You find fault with every guy you’ve gone out with since you and Mitchell got a divorce.”

  “Finding a decent man is difficult.”

  “Not when he’s right in your own backyard. Like, literally.”

  She shook her head. “Finn and I are not a good match.”

  Hono
r drove through the gates of their property. “Why not? He’s fun and attractive and smart and a good guy. And everyone in the family adores him. He obviously likes you. What would be so wrong about giving it a try with him?”

  Brenna shifted in her seat to face her sister. “And what happens if I do give it a try and it doesn’t work out? Does Dad fire him?”

  “Of course not.”

  “Exactly. Then I have to face that weirdness every day. No, I know better than to have a romance in my own backyard. I’ll restrict my dating life to well outside the grounds of the family property lines.”

  “I can see your point there. But what if it could work out and you didn’t give it a chance? You could be missing out on something—on someone—amazing, Bren.”

  “I just don’t think I can take the chance on failing again. I haven’t been lucky in love.”

  Honor pulled in front of the house and parked. Finn was leaning against the porch rail. She smiled and reached out to squeeze Brenna’s hand. “Maybe your luck is about to change.”

  They walked toward the stairs and Honor walked up. “Night, Finn.”

  “G’night, Honor.”

  Brenna stopped. “You didn’t have to wait for us.”

  “I wanted to make sure you got home safely.”

  “Well, thanks.” She started up the stairs, then stopped, compelled by . . . something she couldn’t name. She turned to him. “You do realize that you and I are not . . .”

  He cocked his head to the side, waiting.

  She walked down so she was level with him. “We’re not . . . actually dating or anything.”

  “Noticed that.”

  “Okay, I just wanted to make sure that was clear.”

  “Are you asking me out, Brenna?”

  She frowned. “Of course not.”

  “You want me to ask you out.”

  “No. I don’t know. Why? Were you going to ask me out?”

  “I’d like to take you out. Would you go if I asked you?”

  “No. I don’t know. Maybe.”

  He laughed. “That’s a lot of answers to one simple question. Go on a date with me, Brenna.”

  Her stomach was doing a wild dance and her pulse fluttered all over the place, which it absolutely did not do whenever a guy asked her out. She was always calm and rational when it came to dating. Why was she never calm or rational around Finn?