“Bay,” I whisper. “Does Mrs. Hightower still publish the gossip column in theGazette?”
“Yup.”
I squint at my best friend. “Is she coming over here?”
She chuckles. “You know it.”
Damn. Mrs. Hightower does it under the guise of wanting to announce weddings and graduations and baby showers, but locals sometimes use it as a way to air each other’s dirty laundry.
Aunt Syl reaches over and squeezes my hand. “Honey, you are marrying the hottest man in town. He’s too young for me, of course, but I have eyeballs in my head. If I were your age and marrying him this week, I’d be shouting it from the rooftops. It’s okay to be proud.”
Rhett did say he wants me to sell this.
If this was a real marriage, I’d be proud as hell to be marrying him. He’s a great man. A hard worker and a good provider. Loyal as the day is long.
So when Georgia Hightower sashays over to say hi and asks what I’m doing in town, I tell her something close to the truth—I’m marrying my long-time crush and the man of my dreams.
And if a part of me enjoys playing pretend right now, well, that’ll just be my little secret.
9
RHETT
Staringat the words on the website makes them all run together. I scroll through the post and read it again.
“I’m over the moon to be marrying Rhett Walker! He was my brother’s best friend when I was growing up, and I’ve always looked up to him. We recently reconnected, and sparks flew! Who knew that we were written in the stars? I love him to pieces, and I can’t wait to be his wife. I just wish my brother could be here.”
Guilt, sharp and jagged, tears through me.
Marrying Paige is a terrible idea.
Because I remember the look in her eyes when Danny called her out all those years ago for letting her feelings for me confuse her.
I’m not all that sure it was a harmless crush, like she claims.
Maybe it was more.
I feel like Paige and I are a Pandora’s box rigged with explosives, and one wrong move will make it blow up in my face.
Someone knocks on the bathroom door, and I shove my phone in my pocket as my brothers barge in.
Jace slings his arm over Beau’s shoulders. “Look at Rhett. Our big bro is all grown up.” He dabs at his eyes. “I’m getting choked up over here.”
“Shut up, asshole.” My brothers laugh. I try to adjust my tie, but it’s tight, and I feel like I might choke. I glance at the toilet. There’s a possibility I might hurl.
Beau frowns. “You okay?”
I nod, but the truth is I’m kinda shaken up from reading my “wedding announcement” in theGazette. Paige warned me that Georgia Hightower cornered her at the diner, but nothing prepared me to read about her gushing over me.
I splash some water on my face. It’s all bullshit. It has to be. But it makes me uncomfortable nonetheless.
Mav sticks his head in my bathroom. “We gotta go if you want to be on time for your wedding.” He shakes his head. “Can’t believe you’re doing this. Talk about taking one for the team. At least Paige is awesome.”
Mav would know this because he and Paige grew up together and went to the same college. Really, she’s much more suited to be marrying someone Maverick’s age. Not a divorced single father of two.
What the fuck am I doing?
And why did I think it was a good idea to get hitched without my boys? Since Paige won’t be sticking around after those six months, I figured this transition might be easier for my kids if they didn’t watch me tie the knot. Now, I don’t know.
