Page 28 of Wild Lies

“Is Kade running late?” Rachel asks, pulling me out of my own head.

I blink, trying to refocus my attention as I look up at her. Tonight, Kade and I are putting on what I hope will be our last performance. We were only supposed to be pretending for the wedding, and I honestly didn’t think past it, but the fact of the matter is that as long as my family are in town, we have to keep up our lie. We’re too far in, so coming clean isn’t an option at this point.

“He said he’ll meet us there,” I reply, standing to hug Rachel. She’s dressed in a pink summer dress that cinches her in at the waist and makes her sun-browned skin glow. “You look so pretty in this color,” I compliment her.

She steps back, holding on to my hands as she takes in my white and navy floral co-ord outfit. “Says you. You’re looking positively sexy, Chlo.” She waggles her brows at me.

I feel the blush heat my cheeks as I brush her off. “Don’t, my ego might get too big if you keep stroking it.”

Rachel chuckles, wrapping an arm around my waist before resting her head on my shoulder and growing serious when she asks, “I saw you talking to Maddie?”

“Yeah. She wants to talk about a potential job offer. And apparently, I have you to thank for that?”

As we reach Ollie by the front door, Rachel steps back. “You deserve to be happy, Chlo, and this place seems to agree with you, so I put in a word with Maddie yesterday.” She shrugs. “It’s the least I could do given you came here for me.”

Emotion clogs my throat and I look down at my feet as I shuffle them. I don’t know what to say, so simply croak out, “Thank you.”

She squeezes my hand before releasing me and looping her arm through Ollie’s. I follow them out of the building, climbing into the back seat of their rental car and staring out the window as we drive to the restaurant a town over. They don’t seem to mind my silence as they quietly chat amongst themselves.

I don’t think she quite realizes the magnitude of what she’s done. Rachel referring me to Maddie might be life-changing. I wouldn’t have to leave. I could see where this thing between me and Kade could go, while making the kind of change I’ve wanted to make for so long. The truth is, fashion photography isn’t where my heart is and I’m not sure it ever was.

So many things in my life have been done in the hopes that I’d win my parents’ approval, even when I’d cut them out. My mom likes fashion, so I got a job at Glow. It was a magazine I remember her reading when I was a kid. Then there was dating Paul; he loved investing and so did my dad, so I went out with him, even though I’m not sure I ever really felt a connection. Well, not anymore. This job—if I get it—will be something I do all for me for the first time in my life. I sit with the feeling of excitement for a moment, waiting for it to change to the anxious nervousness I usually feel when I’m doing something my parents would disapprove of. It doesn’t come.

We’re seated at our table when Kade arrives. Rachel and Ollie are enamored with each other, which is a given since they’re newlyweds, so I watch Kade as he follows the waitress across the room. He looks delectable, dressed in a white shirt and black pants with his still slightly damp hair combed back. I get a flash of his damp hair between my legs as he feasted on me at the creek the other day and a rush of heat fills my cheeks as I shuffle in my chair to ease the ache building in my core.

When he reaches the table, he thanks the waitress before bending to kiss me. “Hey, buttercup.”

My breath hitches. It feels so natural, like he was made for me. He’s just playing his part, I remind myself even as I wish he wasn’t.

“Hey,” I murmur, inhaling his clean, masculine scent as I run my hands over his shoulders and down his arms.

Too soon he straightens, turning to greet Rachel and Ollie. “Sorry I’m late,” he says, taking his seat and reaching for my hand. He interlaces our fingers and adds, “I got stuck at work.”

“What do you do for work, Kade?” Ollie asks, turning toward him.

Without missing a beat and looking much more at ease than I feel, Kade replies, “I run a ranch with my brothers. How about you?”

Ollie nods as Rachel and I share a look. This might just be the most boring dinner in history and we both know it.

“That’s hard work. I work in investment banking; I guess that’s kind of boring in comparison to you. What do you do on your ranch?” The question is asked with genuine curiosity because, unlike my parents, Ollie doesn’t look down on people.

Kade flashes me a grin before running a hand down the front of his shirt and replying, “We’ve got our fingers in a lot of pies, so to speak. Obviously we have the ranch, but there’s also the rodeo sponsorships, breeding contracts for our cattle, land leases and agricultural things too. It’s busy and we’ve worked to expand it over the years so we can leave behind a legacy.”

Ollie’s brows lift, as I’m sure mine have too.

“That’s quite the operation you’ve got there,” Rachel responds. “And not to take away from what I’m sure is a thriving business, but I’m more interested in how you met my sister.”

We all break out into laughter, but mine sounds strained and a little panicked to my own ears as I try to remember what we told Aunt Liz yesterday. It was something about online dating, I’m sure.

Kade squeezes my hand reassuringly, as if he can sense my alarm. “We met online actually. It was a happy coincidence that your wedding was happening in the town I live in, believe it or not.”

I lean into him, brushing my fingers down the side of his face before cupping his cheek. A silent thank you for stepping in and saving my ass yet again. Kade captures my wrist, holding me in place as he presses a kiss into my palm. For a moment, I get lost in the fantasy of him being mine and wondering if he’d always be this affectionate or if it’s just because of the lie we told.

When Rachel clears her throat, I drag my attention away from the intensity of Kade’s stare and look at her, my eyes a little wide and I’m sure with a whole lot of lust swirling in them. There’s a smirk on her lips as she looks down at her menu before turning to the server I hadn’t even noticed was standing beside the table and placing her order.

When our orders are placed, I stand, announcing, “I’m going to freshen up.” I need a second to myself, to get my head back in the game.

“I’ll join you,” Rachel replies, placing her napkin on the table and pushing back her chair.