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iscussed how the arrangement between them would go. But that had been before she’d fallen in love with Leo, which changed a lot for her in terms of what she wanted in her life and what she was willing to give up for a man who was everything she’d ever desired. But that didn’t mean Leo was on the same page as Peyton when it came to her feelings for him, and that uncertainty was what was holding her back.
She’d clearly seen a definitive change in him since they’d talked about what had happened with Amanda. He seemed lighter, as if a burden had been lifted, as if talking about the past had helped put a lot of it to rest . . . but that didn’t mean he was ready to jump into a serious relationship, or if he even wanted to make that kind of commitment to her. But on the flipside, what if he did but was wary about being jilted a second time, and they both walked away from a sure thing?
She stood up and moved to the dresser and put her dangling crystal earrings on, knowing what she had to do, or it would be her biggest regret in life. The hope that there was a sliver of a possibility that Leo would want more than just this one week with her cemented her decision to take a chance on him. Tonight, when they returned from the wedding, she was going to put her heart on her sleeve and tell Leo how she felt about him. As much as he was afraid of being rejected, her fear was the same, but she also knew that Leo was worth the risk.
Her Skype interview yesterday had gone well, but no firm job offer had been made. They’d promised an answer by Monday, and while she was hopeful for the position, she also knew that she’d give it all up for the one and only man who’d made her heart come alive whenever she was around him. Her life in New York had mostly been about being independent and having a life away from the constant meddling of her parents . . . yet she’d return for Leo if he gave her any indication that he wanted a future with her, too.
Leo walked out of the bathroom, stealing her breath with how hot and handsome he looked, forcing Peyton to put all those thoughts on hold for the next few hours. They had a wedding to attend and a reception to enjoy together, and she wanted their last evening as a couple to be fun and happy and openly affectionate, without anything distracting them. Later tonight, once they returned home and they were alone, she’d tell Leo she loved him.
She was either going to be the happiest girl in the world or the most heartbroken woman on the planet.
* * *
The last time Leo had been in a church for a wedding had been the day another woman had shattered all his hopes and dreams, right along with his heart. He’d been so relieved when Aiden and Daisy had decided to get married in a small ceremony in his mother’s backyard so he didn’t have to mentally relive the nightmare of being left at the altar and being publicly jilted by the woman he’d planned to spend the rest of his life with.
But now, a large church loomed in front of him, with a few hundred guests making their way inside to witness the ceremony taking place between Peyton’s cousin Candace and her groom-to-be, Jake.
Nearly at the front steps leading up into the sanctuary, Leo stopped in place, and Peyton did the same beside him. He was holding her small, slender hand in his as he thought about entering that church and finally putting that part of his past to rest for good. He’d expected nerves and anxiety today, but after sharing with Peyton all the bottled-up emotions he’d held inside of him for so long about what had happened with Amanda, he knew he was going to be absolutely fine walking into the cathedral, because Peyton was by his side.
“Hey,” she said softly, her voice so caring and understanding it made his heart swell in his chest. “Are you okay doing this? Because if not, we can skip the ceremony and just meet my parents at the reception.”
He glanced at her, bowled over by how stunning she looked in a silky-looking purple dress that she’d made herself that accentuated all her curves in all the right places. Her big blue eyes, filled with understanding and silent support, met and held his. She knew exactly what was going through his head, and the fact that she was willing to change their plans to spare him any pain made him want to conquer this moment with her.
He lifted the hand he was holding and kissed the back of it, letting his lips linger on her knuckles for a few extra seconds so he could breathe in the scent of her skin. “I’m absolutely fine because we’re doing this, me and you, together.”
The smile she gave him beamed brighter than the sun setting behind her. “You got this, Leo,” she said, making him believe her words. “My parents are waiting for us over there by the steps. Shall we go join them?”
He nodded and they headed in that direction, then the four of them walked inside and found a pew where they could all sit together. Leo waited for that twist-in-his-gut feeling he’d been anticipating, but it never happened . . . not when the music began playing and the wedding party came down the aisle, and not when the bride in her wedding dress appeared and walked confidently to where her groom stood at the altar waiting for her. The wedding vows were short and meaningful, and Leo squeezed Peyton’s hand as she dabbed at the corners of her eyes with the tissue she’d pulled out of her small purse.
He survived the entire ceremony without getting nauseous and without experiencing the urge to run out of the church, mostly because the oppressive memories of that day with Amanda were no longer tethering him to the past, and he had Peyton to thank for that.
After the bride and groom were pronounced husband and wife, all the guests filed out of the church and headed over to the reception, which was being held at the upscale Hotel del Coronado. Since Peyton and Leo had driven his Mustang separately from her parents’ car, they once again met up with her mom and dad at the venue. The cocktail hour was in full swing when they arrived, and Leo ordered a Jack and Coke at the bar while Peyton opted for a glass of champagne one of the formal waiters was carrying around on a tray.
“What an absolutely lovely ceremony,” Tawny said with a wistful sigh, seemingly caught up in the romanticism of it all. “New York is so far away, but whatever the two of you do, do not even think of eloping. I want the chance to plan my only daughter’s wedding.”
Peyton blanched and nearly choked on the sip of her champagne. “Mom, we’re not even . . . engaged.”
Leo wasn’t sure what she’d almost said . . . We’re not even dating? We’re not even together? We’re not even living in the same city? Any of those would have applied but would have also outed them and their week-long charade. One that had felt much too real.
“Well, after nine months, I’d think that things would be heading in that direction.” Tawny glanced at Leo, and for the first time in their presence, he actually felt uncomfortable.
Carson slapped him on the back. “I suppose this is where I should be asking you what your intentions are as far as my daughter is concerned.”
“Dad!” Peyton said, clearly mortified that her parents were putting him on the spot.
Honestly, Leo couldn’t tell if Tawny and Carson were joking or not. Considering how much they worried about Peyton’s welfare, they probably were being completely serious and he formulated the best response he could at a moment’s notice—while also knowing that Peyton planned to tell her parents that they’d split a few weeks after returning to New York.
He smiled at her mother and father, trying not to let guilt get the best of him for deceiving them the past week. “I care for your daughter and we’ll just have to see where things go from here,” he said, striving for honesty while answering their question.
Okay, Leo wasn’t being completely truthful, because there was no doubt in his mind that his feelings for Peyton ran much deeper than just caring, that the emotions she’d reawakened in him far surpassed fondness and affection and friendship. But she was heading back to New York tomorrow, where her life and career were already established, and where she had a possible job offer waiting for her, and he’d be left behind. He’d learned from cold, hard experience that even love couldn’t keep a person from eventually leaving if that was their intent . . . His dad was a prime example of that. And so w
as Amanda.
And Peyton had always intended to leave. He’d known that from the beginning, had agreed to this fake relationship with an end date in sight. No, he’d never expected to fall hard for his pixie, but that knowledge didn’t change the fact that they would go their separate ways tomorrow. But for tonight, all he wanted to do was enjoy every minute with her.
* * *
The wedding reception and five-course dinner were held in the biggest, most exquisitely decorated ballroom Peyton had ever been in. Clearly, no expense had been spared for the three hundred guests in attendance, and it showed in the delicious meal they’d just eaten that had been prepared by a Michelin star chef, the crystal vases with massive floral arrangements that were on each table, and the up lighting that gave everything a romantic glow.
