“Yep.”

  “That is still the dumbest thing I have ever heard,” Tausha said, tsking and shaking her head.

  “You have to keep this a secret, Tash. I need you to be my maid of honor and I knew that if I didn’t tell you the truth you would just figure it out anyway.”

  “Your maid of honor? When is this fake wedding supposed to happen?” Tausha said, flustered.

  “This Saturday.”

  “On Valentine’s Day? Oh no, I can’t. Miguel already got a babysitter and we got a hotel, do you understand what I mean? I love you girl, but I’m not giving up a night off for your fake wedding.”

  Amy heaved a sigh of relief.

  “Oh, thank god,” she said, draining her second glass. “We are going to get the marriage annulled after all of his inheritance is transferred anyway.”

  “Good, I guess,” Tausha said, her eyebrows arched high.

  “Thank you for being so cool about all this.”

  “Well, I didn’t say I liked it,” Tausha said, smiling softly now at her friend. “But I promise I won’t say a word.”

  Amy spun the ring around her finger, a habit she had gotten into since it was placed there only a few days ago. In any other circumstance she would have wanted her best friend to be at her side during her wedding, but in this case, it would be better if she wasn’t there.

  “There’s something else, isn’t there?” Tausha asked. She leaned on the bar with her elbow and rested her chin on her hand.

  Amy nodded.

  “You really like him don’t you?”

  Amy nodded again.

  “So what are you going to do, girl? You can’t get married to someone for fake that you like for real!”

  “Don’t I know it,” Amy said, as a buzzing sensation caught her attention. She fished her phone out of her clutch. There was a single message from Owen. His ears must have been burning.

  Justice of the peace booked for 10 am Saturday. Should I get myself a ring and a suit?

  Amy stared at the phone for a moment and then back at her friend.

  “Tash, what should I do?”

  ***

  Owen tossed his phone into his duffle bag and zipped his camo gilly suit all the way up. It was freezing out and he still had a lot of planning to do before the wedding on Saturday, but Dominic insisted on one last hog hunt as a bachelor party of sorts. It wasn’t that he minded going on a hog hunt with his brother, hell, it was one of his favorite things to do. But his head and his heart were preoccupied with one thing.

  He was stupid in love with Amy Grimes.

  In less than a week, they would come together in front of their families and tell the biggest lie either of them had probably ever told, and for what? Well, Owen knew what it was for. Money was always as good a reason as any to lie, right? But the more Owen thought about the plan, and the closer he got to Amy, the more he doubted whether he really wanted to go through with the whole thing after all.

  That kiss. It was the kiss that did him in.

  He could blame the moonlight or the way Amy’s hair smelled or the breeze rustling through the pines, but the truth was, it was his own ego that got him in trouble. Owen Durant, the ladies man of River Ranch, could handle kissing a girl, especially one that practically felt like his own sister. Except Amy didn’t feel like his sister. Maybe she never really did.

  “You comin’ or what?”

  Dominic hopped on his ATV and brought the four-wheeler to life, the smell of gasoline and the crunch of machinery snapping Owen out of his Amy-induced haze. He hopped on his Raptor, parked right next to his brothers, and secured his helmet before his own ATV roared to life. He looked over at Dominic, his teeth glowing in the dark.

  “What are you smiling at, dumbass?” he yelled to his brother over the dueling motors.

  “You!” Dominic shouted back to him. “I ain’t never seen you like this.”

  Owen shrugged.

  “It’s just nerves,” Dominic assured him. “It’ll pass.”

  Dominic revved his engine and sped off down the trail toward their hunting encampment, leaving Owen in the dust.

  “I’m in love with Amy!” he called out over the roar of the engines. A weight lifted off of his chest as he announced it to the world, even if no one heard him.

  Owen threw his ATV into gear and tore off after his brother, his confession lost to the wind, still known only to him.

  Chapter Twelve

  The day of the Grimes-Durant wedding was fast approaching and both the bride and groom were holding fast to their ends of the bargain. Amy had spent two whole days back home in Vero Beach tying up loose-ends at work, taking care of chores at home, and trying her hardest not to think about how she actually loved Owen.

  With a little guidance from his mother, Owen had ordered a small reception dinner and a cake for twelve, hired a photographer, secured a justice of the peace, and even got himself a ring and rented tux. All in all, he was pretty impressed with his own quickie wedding planning abilities. When Amy was set to arrive Wednesday afternoon, all they would have to do was apply for their marriage license and they would be ready to wed.

  Much to Amy’s chagrin, Owen’s mother, sister, and her own mother had all conspired together to throw her a combination bridal shower/bachelorette party the night before the wedding. Amy wanted to avoid parties or gift-giving of any kind, simply because she knew that in a short amount of time, they were going to have to give them back. But there was no stopping the force that was Debbie Durant and Rhonda Grimes when it came to party planning.

  Amy blew back into River Ranch at just after 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, still fully in denial of her emotions. Owen was already waiting for her outside the Lake County courthouse, leaning up against his truck and wearing his usual uniform of tattered baseball cap, jeans, and a long-sleeve tee. Amy wore her favorite puff-sleeve polka dot dress from Dries Van Noten for the occasion, and shook her head when she regarded Owen’s casual ensemble.

  “I should have known better than to dress up,” she said, greeting him with a smile as she got out of her car.

  Owen looked down at his work boots and jeans.

  “Should I have worn something nicer? I got a tux for Saturday,” he said, defensively.

  “No, you look fine. You look great,” she said, staring at the ground more than at him.

  “This is your last chance to back out,” he said, looking up at the courthouse. “You still wanna do this?”

  Amy looked at him and shook her head. She thought of her condo in Colorado and what it would be like to have it paid off. She thought about all of the kids that would stomp through the woods behind the Durant estate, enjoying their summers just as she and Owen had. She thought about Uncle LeRoy, probably laughing down on them.

  “I do,” she nodded. “I mean I will. I will say I do. I mean… let’s go get this over with.”

  Owen laughed through his nose and followed her into the courthouse, her black patent pumps clacking on the sidewalk in front of him.

  “When this is finished I’m going to have to get us matching T-shirts that say ‘Let’s Get This Over With.’”

  She looked over her shoulder and shot him a dirty look as she gripped the courthouse door handle. Amy finally looked Owen in the eye for the first time since their practice kiss on that chilly night not so long ago.

  “Are we still going to be friends after all this?” she asked, still pausing at the front door.

  “I don’t see why not,” Owen said. “Amy, you’re always going to be my best friend.”

  Amy smiled and let out a sigh of relief.

  “Good. Now let's get in there and pretend to be in love.”

  ***

  After paying the courthouse fees, Amy and Owen escaped into the late February afternoon with a marriage license in hand. They were one step closer to being legally wed and they walked out to their respective vehicles in silence. The sun was hovering just above the horizon, meaning that they only had two more full days to get everything in order. Amy leaned up against her car, shivering in her thin dress and wishing she had brought a coat.

  “I booked a hotel for our honeymoon, right on Bourbon Street. We’ll be able to watch the Mardi Gras parade from our balcony,” Amy said.

  “Oh yeah,” Owen said, sucking in a deep breath. “I almost forgot about that.”

  “You agreed!” she reminded him. “I already had to give up snorkeling for this. I’m not going to miss out on New Orleans too.”

  “It’s just that travelling makes me nervous. I get all edgy if I have to be in a car or a plane for too long.”

  Owen shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned up against his truck.

  “Well, it’s only an hour drive to Tampa, and then less than two hours on the plane,” she said, giving him a half frown. “It really bothers you that much?”

  “Yeah,” he said, kicking at a pebble. “I tried to get on a plane to head out to Vegas for Dominic’s bachelor party and ended up having a panic attack in the airport.”

  “No,” she said, her eyes growing wide. “You never told me about that.”

  “Well, it’s embarrassin’,” he admitted.

  “I’ll be right there with you,” she reassured him. “We’ll both have a couple of scotches in the bar airport and it won’t be so bad. You’ll see.”

  “I just don’t want you to get upset with me if I freeze up at the airport,” he said, jangling his keys. “You’re so used to it all. I feel bad if I would be holding you back.”

  “You wouldn’t,” Amy said, and walked his way. She leaned up on his truck next to him. “Sometimes you just need someone to help you get over your fears. Like when I fell out of that tree. You didn’t let me stop climbing trees right? You made me get up there and try again.”

  “Yeah, but you were a kid. I’m a grown-ass man. I should be able to go somewhere new and not freak out.”

  “There is no should. We’re not robots. We’re all built differently,” she said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He looked down at her hand and she pulled it away as though she had touched fire.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of all this wedding talk,” she said, changing the subject. “What’s there to do in River Ranch these days instead of shoot at things and get drunk?”

  Owen looked down at her, crossed his arms, and snorted.

  “I have a few ideas.”

  ***

  “I should have known. Oh no. Hell no.”

  Amy stared daggers at Owen as he handed her a helmet and removed the dustproof covers from his ATV.

  “Why not? I’m gonna drive. All you gotta do is hang on.”

  “First of all, it’s dark and totally dangerous,” she said, her lower lip poking out in disapproval.

  “I ride around back here in the dark all the time. There’s only a few potholes and they’re small,” he said, throwing her a wicked smile.

  “Second of all, this is a $600 silk dress and I am wearing heels,” she said, shaking her head.

  “Well, you’re gonna have a cool half million this time next month,” he said, snapping the helmet on his head. “You can buy a dozen new dresses.”

  “How can you ride around on this death trap but be too scared to fly?” she asked, reluctantly fitting the helmet to her head.

  “Because,” he said, swinging his leg over the four-wheeler. “It’s my land and my machine. I’m in control.”

  “Oh my god,” she said, gingerly scooting into the seat behind him. “Okay, but just one lap or something.”

  “We’ll see,” he said, revving the engine.

  Amy’s breath caught in her throat and she instinctively wrapped her arms around Owen’s waist. She was wearing a dress and straddling him from behind and the whole situation felt completely inappropriate. She loved it just the same.

  “After one loop, you’ll be begging me for more!” he shouted over the rumble of the engine. “You ready?”

  “I guess!” she shouted into his ear.

  “Alright then let’s go!”

  Amy’s head snapped back as the ATV lurched forward into the night down a hollowed out path through the woods. Owen had lied; there were tons of potholes and the ATV seemed to catch every one, bouncing them up and down along the path. Despite the frigid February wind stinging her cheeks and the fear of falling off constantly at the back of her mind, Amy felt herself letting go and enjoying the dark, sweet smelling woods as they whizzed by. In truth, she just enjoyed leaning into Owen’s back and being close to him.

  By the time they had circled back to the massive garage outside of the Durant estate, Amy’s cheeks were chapped and her hair was matted to oblivion. The rumble of the ATV engine had left her ass feeling numb, but otherwise she felt exhilarated, and just a little bit closer to Owen than before.

  “Okay Durant,” she said, taking off her helmet. “You got me. I guess I can see the appeal.”

  “It’s fun, right?” he laughed, beaming back at her. “You wanna go again?”

  “No, I need to get to my folks’ house,” she said. “I have an appointment with a tailor tomorrow morning to get my dress taken in, and then I have to find a local hairstylist.”

  “Aw, more wedding talk,” he said, cutting his engine.

  “What!” she said, exasperated. “If this is going to look legit then I need to act like I care!”

  “No, I appreciate all of your effort,” he nodded. “I’m just teasing you.”

  “Your mom and sister have a little thing planned for me Friday, so I’ll probably see you then,” she said. “What are you up to until then?”

  “Oh, just doing some work for Durant. I have a meeting with my lawyer about setting up the foundation. It’s going to take a long time to get things off the ground. I really can never repay you for helping me do this to move everything forward.”

  “You could make it a million dollars instead?” she teased, kicking a little dirt his way.

  “Nice try,” he said. “I’ll make it seven-fifty if I don’t have to get on a plane.”

  Amy pondered for a moment and then shook her head.

  “No deal, you’re going on a vacation with me,” she said.

  They both stared at their feet. The warmth of Owen’s body against hers was beginning to wear off and Amy shivered as the chill of night set in.

  “Well, I guess I’ll see you Friday, and then it’s the big day,” she said, looking over at him expectantly. Her rational side knew that she should just get in her car and go home. Her good sense told her that she should just suck it up for two more days and finish this whole thing so she and Owen could collect and go back to their normal lives. But her irrational side… her irrational side wanted to ask for another practice kiss and then maybe a little bit more. Her irrational side said half a million dollars be damned.

  “You better get going before you catch your death out here,” he said, a puff of vapor escaping from his lips.

  “We could go in and get warm by the fire?” she ventured.

  Owen shoved his hands deeper in his pockets and thumbed his nose.

  “You wanna go sit by the fire pit with me?” he asked.

  “Why not?” she shrugged.

  “Thought your parents were going to be up waiting for you,” he smiled.

  “They’ll understand,” she said. “I’ll just tell them I’m with my fiancé.”

  Owen looked back at her and ran his fingers along his jawline as if in thought. She couldn’t quite tell in the dark, but his smile almost looked a little sad.

  “Alright,” he finally said. “If you ain’t still worried about messin’ up your fancy dress, come help me get some firewood.”

  With that, Owen disappeared into the dark with Amy trailing right behind.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I’ve been trying to tell my dad and Uncle LeRoy forever that they don’t need me to run the IT side of the business anymore.”

  Owen swigged from a bottle of Apple Jack before passing it to the left. Amy accepted the too-sweet liquor and put her lips to the bottle, wincing as the fire hit the back of her throat.

  “Ugh,” she shuddered. “I almost forgot how bad this stuff was.”

  Amy passed the bottle back to him and stared at the fire. It was still chilly out, but between the roaring fire pit and the shared bottle of apple-flavored whiskey, Amy wasn’t minding so much anymore.

  “So why don’t they let you outsource your IT operations? I don’t see what the big deal is. ViruSmart can work with whoever you pick to run things,” she said.

  “Dad thinks it's just an excuse for me to stomp off in the woods all day. I think he’s the one that got in Uncle LeRoy’s ear, if you ask me.”

  “I’m sorry,” Amy pouted, starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. “I thought things were good between you and your folks.”

  “They are good,” he said, nodding. “But they don’t understand me. Mom and Dad are more at home at the golf course club or on the greens. Plus I went to school and got my degree and they think I should use it, I guess.”

  “But what about Dominic? He works on the ranch doesn’t he?”

  “It’s different with Dom. I’m the oldest and I finished school. I’m the eldest Durant so it’s all up to me.”

  Owen passed the bottle back to Amy. Her eyelids were getting heavy, but she didn't feel like moving. Owen was finally opening up to her and talking about things he never mentioned in twenty years of friendship. She wasn’t about to leave while he was freely shooting off his mouth. Whether it was the Apple Jack or the stress of the impending wedding, Owen was extra chatty, and Amy just drunk enough to take advantage.

  “Owen, why didn’t we ever date in college?” she asked, passing the bottle back to him. His gaze caught hers; two dark pools flickering in the firelight. He took another sip before opening his mouth again.

  “Well, I didn’t know that you wanted to.”

  Owen sat up straight in his chair and offered the bottle back to Amy. She waved it away.

  “Course I did, you dummy,” she said, and yawned. “Why do you think I followed you around like a lost puppy every summer?”

  Owen snorted.