Bryce

"You're distracted tonight."

I look up from the cue ball in front of me and see Kieran across the pool table, his brow furrowed. We're at the Mother Lode Saloon, one of our favorite places in town where we can be ourselves.

"Just planning my next shot. You got a date or what?"

"You are my date." He laughs. "But you've been planning that shot for the last three minutes. Although I'd call it a lovesick stare more than anything."

My face heats up. "Shut up."

"And that's why you're defensive about it." He cocks his head toward the cue ball. "Take your shot. Then we can sit down and talk."

I call my shot before sinking the 8-ball into the side pocket. It was an easy shot so there's no need to celebrate, just as there'd been no need to stand there and "plan" my shot. I hate to admit it but Kieran's right. I haven't been paying attention to the game at all. I've been too busy thinking of that damn kiss.

A group of people take over the pool table as soon as we head toward an empty booth. I'm surprised Kieran's not lining up some woman to take home for the night but then, neither am I. As far as I'm concerned, it's guy's night.

"You and Giana doing okay?" he asks. "You could have brought her along, you know. I wouldn't have minded, you being engaged and all that."

"That's because you wouldn't have lasted more than five minutes being the third wheel."

I did consider inviting Giana but after that kiss, the only option for me was to walk away. It's one thing to pretend we're engaged in front of my parents, but it's another thing when we're alone. I know I'm not pretending about my feelings for her and in my gut, I know she likes me just as much. So why are we pretending the attraction isn't there?

Is that why I'm scared? Because I know what I'm feeling is unlike anything I've never felt before? That when she looks at me, my heart races and all I can think of is how she'd feel in my arms, how her lips will taste on my tongue, and how perfect we are for each other.

"She had other plans tonight," I lie. "Besides, it's boy's night out. Why? You bored with me already?"

"If you keep up that lovesick look of yours, I will be soon."

I scoff. "What lovesick look?"

"The one that you've been wearing the moment we walked in here." He flags a server and orders two beers. "So is everything good between you two?"

"Everything's great."

"Then what's bothering you?" Kieran asks. "The wedding? Because one of the guys at the station has a sister who owns that floral shop on Main Street. She told him your mother called wanting to know if you guys already placed an order. A big one. Got the poor girl excited but alas, no one's called."

I roll my eyes. "That's exactly my problem. Mom's too excited about the wedding."

"You got a date set?"

"No."

"Have you told your mother to step away?"

I laugh. "You don't think I have? She actually asked Giana to meet her for coffee this afternoon, then proceeded to ask about the wedding plans. If I hadn't come straight from playing golf with Parker, who knows what would have happened?"

Kieran frowns. "What's the problem? So you have your mom helping out."

"More like taking over." I pause as the server sets our beers on the table. "Anyway, Giana and I want to take our time, you know?"

"You didn't waste your time getting engaged. One minute you were taking Fran home and the next minute, you're engaged to someone we never heard of." He shrugs, smacking his lips together after he sips his beer. "But I get it. Just because we hang out all the time doesn't mean we have to know everything that's going on."

Kieran's normally not nosy but I get his concern. He and I had hung out the night I took Fran home. And he's right. My engagement came out of nowhere. But what's done is done and as far as my parents are concerned, especially Dad who's been impressed with me since this all started, it's working. No way am I letting go of the pretense now.

"Thanks, man," I say. "I just don't want my family to scare her away."

"Look, I don't care what everyone says about you and Giana being engaged and all that, whether it's sudden or not, but hey, that's life. Sometimes you just have to grab things by the balls, none of this waiting around and all that shit. You don't owe anyone anything, not even us, your buddies." Kieran lowers his voice as he continues, "Although I do expect to be part of the wedding party, whether you elope or not."

By the time I get back to my townhouse two hours later, I'm feeling a lot better. Parker and Tai joined us after their shifts at the hospital were over and we played two more games of pool. This time, I was focused and it felt good simply being around them. No talk about upcoming weddings or parents butting into my business, just good clean fun with my buddies.

Sure, Kieran ended up going home with a girl but what's new?

As I set my phone on my bedside table, I notice an incoming text from my father, sent while I was shooting pool.

Dad: Reminding you about family reunion next weekend. Bring Giana. Oh, and looking forward to your proposal on Monday.

Shit. I'd forgotten all about the reunion.

I check the time. I can't believe the guys and I ended the night before midnight. With Parker needing to get home to Ava, it made sense he always left the party early. But me? What made me decide to call it a night?

Oh, right. The kiss.

Bryce: Hope I didn't wake you.

I send the text before I can stop myself. If she answers, great. If not, it's okay, too.

Giana: You didn't. I was reading. What's up?

Bryce: Just wanted to wish you good night.

Giana: Good night to you, too.

Bryce: The reunion is next weekend. Dad reminded me about it tonight.

Giana: Do I need to be there?

Bryce: Yes, you do. I hope you didn't have plans.

Giana: No, that weekend's free.

Bryce: Can I call you?

Giana: Sure.

"That's better," I say when she answers her phone on the second ring. As much as I enjoy texting as the next guy, I've missed hearing her voice. "What were you reading?"

"Just a book."

"What kind of book?"

"A romance."

"Is this like the ones that made you think there'd be sex involved in our arrangement? The one with the rich guy and a woman in financial distress?"

She giggles. "In a way, yes. But this one is different."

"How different?"

She doesn't answer right away but I can hear the covers brushing against something. "Shouldn't you be partying with your friends?"

"Been there done that and now I'm home, in bed talking to you."

"That doesn't sound too exciting."

I fold my arm behind my head as I get comfortable under the covers. "Oh, but that's where you're mistaken. The night just got exciting."

"You're just bored."

"Maybe I am. Maybe I'm not. Or maybe I just wanted to hear your voice," I say. "So tell me about this book you're reading. What's it about?"

"It's about this girl who pretends to be this guy's fiancée," she begins. "Things seem to be going well for them and before they realize it, they're falling for each other."

"Do they end up together?"

"I haven't gotten to that part yet but I'm hoping they do," Giana replies. "You know, to meet romance genre expectations and all that."

"What happens if they don't... end up together?"

"Then it's not a romance," she replies. "It's simply... life."

"What would you like to see happen to this rich man and this girl who's pretending to be his fiancée?"

"I'd like to see them both happy... with or without each other," Giana replies. "Sometimes those happy endings fit better in a book than in real life."

"What makes you say that?"

She sighs. "It's been my reality for years, Bryce. It just is."

"It doesn't have to be that way."

"True, but I guess I'll have to wait and find out," she replies. "Anyway, what you want, Bryce? As far as your life is concerned?"

I think for a moment. When did our phone call turn serious? "I want to make my father proud of me. I want my family to be proud of me, and not see me as the spoiled brat I've been acting these past few months."

She laughs. "Just months?"

"All right. I meant years," I reply, chuckling. "But maybe I was just bored out of my head and I needed something to feel alive. But even that wasn't working."

"What is working?"

"Us," I reply before I can stop myself. "I mean, this arrangement has opened my eyes to how it feels to do something good with my life. To have a mission, a goal." To actually care for someone other than myself. "What about you? What do you want?"

"I just want to do a good job," Giana replies after a long pause. "Anyway, it's late and I have to sleep. I'm helping my grandmother with some stuff tomorrow. I'll see you on Monday for the proposal, okay? Good night, Bryce."

"Good night, Giana."

I hang up and stare at the ceiling for a few minutes. I should have told her that it's not just how my father sees me that matters to me. How Giana sees me matters, too, if not more. I want her to be proud me. I want her to know that I can get things done on my own, too, that I'm someone she can be proud of standing next to her.

I get out bed and head to my home office. I pull up our proposal and flip to the first page, going through the details of the project. It'll take more than just being her boss to make her proud of me. I want her to see me as her partner.