Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Maybe blurting out my imaginary relationship status to my nagging mother wasn’t the best idea.
Declaring that I’m dating my boss’s brother-in-law, well, that was just wishful thinking and a lot of panic.
To my embarrassment, they both overheard me. But Merrick not only offers to be my plus one, he agrees to fake date me for the next couple of months leading up to my sister’s wedding.
The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to deny that every look, every touch, is making him more a part of my life than I’m prepared for.
The pain of thinking about walking away from him when it’s time doesn’t feel pretend. It feels real… too real.
Merrick
Courtney’s sister is tying the knot, and her mom is relentless about her finding a date and settling down. In a moment of panic, she claims she’s dating me.
To save her from the awkward situation and ease the pressure, I suggest we fake a relationship until the wedding. I figure we can hang out, show up to the wedding, and go our separate ways.
But as we start spending more time together and meeting each other’s families, the lines between real and pretend blur.
What was supposed to be a simple agreement starts to feel genuine. I’m unsure when it happened, but this relationship is suddenly the real deal, and I don’t want it to end. I want us to stay real.
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
CHAPTER
ONE
Courtney
Have you ever wanted to escape? Not forever, but for a break from life? That’s not too much to ask for, right? That’s all that keeps running through my mind as I listen to my mother drone on and on about how I need a date for my sister’s upcoming wedding.
“Courtney, are you listening to me?” my mom asks, her tone disapproving.
“I’m listening,” I assure her. Thankfully, she can’t see me roll my eyes.
“You can’t go to your sister’s wedding alone. You’re not getting any younger, Courtney. I mean, Chloe is two years younger than you and she’s getting married.” I can hear the displeasure in her tone.
My mom is great. Both of my parents are. My dad is a teacher who’s very chill. I guess he has to be working with teenagers all day. He teaches high school math and science. He and my mom are opposites in that way. My mom is... not chill. She’s a worrier by nature. She works for the city of Willow River in the water department.
When my mom gets her mind set on something, it consumes her. Hence the reason she feels as though I need a date for Chloe’s wedding. The wedding is three months away. I have time. To make matters worse, my sister is starting to agree with her, but for different reasons. Chloe is twenty and is marrying her high school sweetheart. She started dating Rodney when she was fourteen and he was sixteen. Something my mother also stressed over, but here we are, and she couldn’t be happier about the union. Anyway, Chloe wants me to find the love and happiness that she has with Rodney. She’s half camp Courtney and half camp Mom. Dad, well, he’s Switzerland.
That’s great for Chloe and Rodney. I’m happy that they know their love is solid, and I know those two are meant for each other. Everyone who knows them will tell you the same thing. They’re going to go the distance.
However, at two years older, I’m twenty-two, not forty-two. I don’t see the urgency of finding a man and settling down. My mother wants grandkids, and she knows that Chloe and Rodney are taking their time on that front while Rodney starts his career. He’s twenty-two, my age, and just graduated from college. Rodney works on computers. I’m not exactly sure what he does, but I know he’s going to excel at it because he’s a wiz, and his entry pay is nothing to shake a fist at. My sister and her future husband want to be husband and wife for a few years before they have kids.
My mom sees me as complacent. I went to community college and got a two-year associate's degree in arts. It’s basically useless. Knowing what you want to do every day for the rest of your life is a big deal. Chloe’s a medical assistant and loves it, but needles—no thanks. Besides, I’ve been working here for Jordyn for a couple of months, and I love it. She’s a great boss, and I love helping customers find the perfect gift or outfit when they visit the boutique.
It’s not that I don’t want to be married and settled down. I just don’t see the urgency.
“Mom, there is nothing wrong with me going on my own. I don’t have to have a date. Besides, I’m the maid of honor. I’ll be too busy taking care of Chloe’s every need to entertain a date.” I cross my fingers, hoping she finally buys the excuse I’ve been giving her nonstop.