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“Wow?” I frown, searching his eyes for more meaning. Wow could mean many things. From amazement to mockery and everything in between.
“Yeah,” he says, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I thought, wow. How isthisthe woman Liz told me about?”
“You’re just being kind because I’m paying you to be here,” I say, offering a slight smile. “The truth of all this is that I’m quite pathetic and no one out there is ever going to believeyouare datingme.”
“Why? What makes this coupling so unbelievable to you?” He frowns like he genuinely doesn’t understand.
“My god, Nate. Look at us,” I say, whirling around until I’m facing the mirror. “Something here doesn’t fit.”
He takes a deep breath as he studies our reflections carefully. “You’re right,” he says.
“See?” I hold up both my hands, relieved he’s admitting it too. Maybe now we can figure out a way to leave before this lie gets any bigger.
“I do.” He lifts a hand and tugs the tie from around his neck. “The blue of this tie looks hideous next to your dress.” He pulls it free then shoves the length of it in his pants pocket. “Much better,” he adds with a nod. “Don’t you think?”
He flashes me a smile, and I can’t help but laugh. “No. That wasn’t what I meant at all.”
“Then what? I think we look pretty great together now that god awful tie is out of the picture.” He places his hands on my shoulders and leans a little closer, keeping his voice nice and low. “And I’ll tell you something for free, Delaney. If I hadn’t been meeting you to talk business the other day, I would’ve found a way to talk to you. And then I probably would’ve asked you out. So before you go listening to disparaging comments from passive-aggressive people, remember that. Because you areexactlythe kind of girl I would go for.”
He releases me and steps back, giving me a meaningful look via the mirror before he slips from the powder room, leaving me with my thoughts and the echoes of his words. Can I believe they’re true? Or is he really justthatgood of an actor?
As I touch up my makeup, I come to realize that it doesn’t matter. Because if the man can come in here and makemebelieve he finds me appealing, then it gives me the courage to trust that my family will believe him too. I’m not sure I’ll have the gall to continue this farce for the sake of the cruise, but maybe, just maybe, I can get through Thanksgiving unscathed. I’ll worry about the rest of this tomorrow. For now, I’m just going to go out there and allow myself to feel special with a gorgeous man on my arm—regardless of how he got there. I can pretend too.
NATE
When Delaney steps out of the bathroom, I entwine my fingers with hers and offer her an encouraging smile before we enter the room her relatives are gathered in. I’m offering moral support while also trying to reassure her that she’s more attractive than she gives herself credit for. It pains me to see a beautiful woman so down on herself that the slightest insinuation from her mother rocks her confidence like that. It’s unjust and undeserved, and at the very core of it, you can be damn sure the reason she feels that way is because she wasn’t told she was pretty enough as she was growing up, so she’s unaware of her worth. I feel like part of my job here should be to show her that. So I intend to be the best damn boyfriend she’s ever had. So good in fact, that she might not want to let me go when this is through.Can’t say I hate that idea…
“Liam, the dentist!” A dark-haired guy a few years older than Delaney—her brother, I’m guessing—announces our arrival like this is some kind of sideshow entertainment they’ve all been waiting for. I bristle slightly.
“That’s me,” I say as he approaches, and Delaney makes the introductions official.
“This is my oldest brother, Tony,” she says, releasing my hand as Tony holds his out to shake mine.
“Tony.” I greet him with a nod as I take it.
“Nice to meet you, man. This is my wife, Lucy, and our two kids, Mitchell and Anna.” He points them all out and they offer up a little wave and a smile. “And this is Tommy—yes, we’re twins—he and I were actually taking bets over whether you were real or not.” Tony laughs then gives Delaney a wink, making my protective instincts burn even brighter. I kinda want to hit him for that.
“Why wouldn’t I be real?” I ask, trying not to squeeze his hand too hard before I release it.
“Oh…no reason,” he says with a smirk as he steps away.I think I hate this guy.
“For what it’s worth, I was bettingforyou. Not against you,” the next brother, Tommy, says as he slides in to take the place Tony just vacated. “I’m Tommy, and it’s nice to finally meet you.” He shakes my hand and smiles.
“You too,” I say, deciding he’s my favorite in the family so far.
“You sure this guy’s good enough for you, sis?” he says to Delaney as he releases my hand then hugs her hello.
“I wouldn’t have brought him if I didn’t think so,” she says with a somewhat relieved smile. “Where are Tarryn and the kids?”
“Home. Cory wasn’t feeling too great so I’m going it alone this year.”
“Oh no, give them my love,” Delaney says as she rubs his shoulder with genuine affection.
“Of course, and they send theirs. Tarryn was bummed she wasn’t going to get to meet your Mr. Right.”
“Oh gosh, don’t go putting that kind of pressure on him, Tommy,” Delaney says with a roll of her eyes. “You’ll send him packing.”
“Wild horses couldn’t drag me away,” I interject, sliding a hand around her waist and pulling her in close. It feels right having her there. Like my side was made for the purpose of tucking her in and keeping her next to me.
