He groaned. “Come on, man. Maddie’s only inviting a couple friends in serious relationships. She’ll kill me if you show up with some hookup and ruin the vibe. Sorry, but we’ll do a guys’ trip this fall or something.”
That wouldn’t be soon enough. After Grandfather’s bizarre ultimatum, I needed to be on that yacht. If that meant pretending I was in a long-term relationship, so be it.
“She’s not a hookup,” I lied, thinking about what I’d do if this were a company decision—which it basically was. “We’re serious.”
He snorted. “Bullshit. You’ve never had a serious girlfriend in your life. If you expect me to believe?—”
“It’s not a joke, Harry.” A spike of hunger to get that promotion surged, and suddenly I knew exactly how to play this. Closing my eyes, I said the stupidest words that would ever leave my mouth. “I’m marrying her.”
speed bump
. . .
Cade
Shocked silence thrummed down the line, and I waited patiently for my brother to process the bomb I’d just dropped.
“What—What did you just say?” Harrison eventually choked out.
This was a terrible idea.
I thought quickly, weaving together an easy lie. “We’re keeping it quiet until she can tell her family in person, but I’m getting married.”
The last thing I needed was our mother hearing about this, but I’d say whatever it took to get on that yacht.
“…To who? What the hell, Cade?” He gave a short, incredulous laugh, before his tone turned cutting. “If you had a girlfriend, I’d know about it. You would’ve brought her to my wedding.”
My lips formed a thin line. “We weren’t engaged then. It was still new.”
Very new, apparently.
“But…Wait. What?” He stumbled over the words, sounding dazed. “What’s her name?”
I swallowed a few colorful curses and closed my eyes, racking my brain. But I couldn’t think past the first name that popped into my head.
Screw it.
“Ellie,” I said, barely refraining from cringing as I forced my eyes open. “Her name’s Ellie.”
The second her name left my mouth, I wanted to shove it back in. What the hell was I doing?
“Ellie,” Harrison echoed slowly. “Huh. Can’t really picture you with an Ellie.”
What did that mean?
He made a strangled sound. “But if you’re engaged, then why haven’t I met her yet?”
I said the first excuse I could think of. “She’s shy.”
“Shy?”
“You’ll meet her on the trip,” I said. “If this means we’re invited now?”
The line went quiet until Harrison muttered a curse. “Maddie will kill me for messing with the guest list last minute, but yeah. Yeah, of course you’re in. I need to meet this…fiancée.”
He murmured the last word like he couldn’t believe it was real, and I didn’t blame him.
I was already regretting this.