Page 19 of A Little Bit Engaged
The moment Cara recognized the car—he’d texted her a picture of it—she hurried over and slid into the passenger seat. The door slammed shut. She winced. “Sorry.”
He was the one who should be apologizing. “How was work?”
Her gaze darted around. “Quiet.”
As Brody pulled away from the curb, he had to ask. “Any trouble?”
“A grouchy customer couldn’t find the book she wanted, but other than that, no. There weren’t any reporters, photographers, or sketchy types out for a story.” She faced him. “How about you?”
“I had a few calls, but nothing that can’t wait.”
“So we survived day one.”
“At least the morning.”
She glanced at the time on the dashboard. “That’s better than I thought I’d do.”
He didn’t like the way her shoulders drooped. Maybe he could cheer her up. “Now the fun part begins.”
“Fun part?” She sounded dubious.
Not that he blamed her. “I made an appointment with the wedding place you mentioned. They’re expecting us in fifteen minutes.”
Cara sucked in a breath.
Okay, maybe this didn’t qualify as her idea of fun. “It’ll be fine.”
She rubbed her forehead. “Is planning a fake wedding necessary?”
“My publicist thinks so, if we want to make the engagement appear legit.”
She rubbed her hands together. “Guess more people pretend to be in relationships than I realized.”
She sounded resigned, not upset. That was progress. At least, he hoped so. “We’re going to make this work.”
Brody said the words for both their benefits before raising the volume on the car radio. He hit the scan button until music played.
The drive passed in silence other than the Top 40 hits playing. The quiet wasn’t uncomfortable, but that didn’t surprise him. When they were younger, Cara never felt the need to always be talking.
He parked in front of a sign that read The Bay View House. It was a picturesque wedding venue in Pacific Heights. “Ready?”
Cara bit her lip before she unbuckled her seat belt. “Let’s get this over with.”
Brody met her on the sidewalk. The blue sky provided a movie-worthy backdrop for the elegant Victorian. “You mentioned attending a wedding here.”
“A former coworker got married in a beautiful garden wedding on a gorgeous day like today. Though that was in the summer, not March.” A wistful expression formed on her face but then vanished. “She said the Bay View House offers everything a bride and groom need for their special day. Not that we’re actually getting married, but it sounds like a one-stop shop that might make things easier.”
“Easy works for me.”
“Same, but…” Cara’s complexion paled. She wrapped her arms over her stomach. “I still can’t believe we’re here. Pretending is one thing, but planning a wedding that won’t ever happen?”
Wanting to comfort her, he slid his arm around her waist. “It will be okay, babe.”
She stiffened.
He didn’t let go of her. “What?”
“You…” Her voice cracked. “You’ve never called me that.”
