Chapter 8

 

Camden hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the food came and he started eating. “This is really good,” he said.

Kenzie had stayed on his side of the booth after Mason had left, which was distracting him a little more than he’d thought it might. The heat from her leg seeped into his own. “Yes.” She looked up at him. “Better than I thought it would be. Or maybe I’m just that hungry.”

He chuckled. “Those hors d’oeuvres were good, but not very filling.”

As they ate, he tried not to look at Kenzie, but, like a magnet, she kept pulling his gaze back to her. She was more relaxed now. Maybe getting rid of Mason had her back to her old self.

He still wasn’t very happy about how she’d gotten him to go, but he could understand her desire to have this time with her sister before dealing with her ex. He was her ex, right? The question of if they were still married had his stomach in a knot.

Although he didn’t know why he was so upset about it. Kenzie had made it clear that she didn’t want anything to do with dating a man with money. And he had an obscene amount of money. That’s the word she’d used. He vowed never to let her find out. He’d be her pretend boyfriend now, and then travel back to Virginia, disappearing back into his life. Kenzie would probably leave Richmond anyway. She was a self-proclaimed nomad.

“What are you thinking?”

He hadn’t realized he’d stopped eating. He picked up his fork, trying to decide what to tell her. “I’m thinking about what I’m going to do on Monday.”

Curiosity filled her eyes. “What are you going to do?”

He smiled. “Nothing important. Go home. Back to work.”

She slowly nodded. “Uh huh. Back to work.” She looked like she didn’t quite believe that’s what he was thinking about, but stabbed a piece of shrimp and bit into it.

Tessa slid onto the seat across from them. “There you guys are. What’s going on? Is that guy really your husband?”

Kenzie shook her head vehemently. “Definitely not. I saw the papers myself. The marriage was annulled.”

“So what’s he doing here?”

“He wants me to go to some family gathering with him and pretend we’re still married.” Kenzie’s eyes grew wide and she laughed. “That sounds like some movie plot or something!”

Tessa giggled. “Yes, it sounds crazy.” She looked down at the table. “When did you marry him?”

Kenzie blinked, probably noticing the same hurt expression Camden could see on Tessa’s face. “It was over a year ago. It was stupid. I never should have done it.”

Tessa’s gaze lifted. “Why did you, then?”

Kenzie shook her head. “A lot of dumb reasons. I thought I loved him. He swore he was madly in love with me. He also convinced me that if we married quickly, then he could satisfy his father’s wishes and get his million-dollar inheritance.”

“Another overdone movie plot.” Tessa laughed, although it seemed forced. Tessa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Why didn’t you invite any of us?”

Kenzie flinched. “I’m sorry. It all happened so fast.”

Camden wanted to console her, but stayed where he was, trying to ignore the heat from her leg, which was now pressed up against his.

“And you didn’t want Mom there.” Tessa’s voice was so quiet, it had been hard to hear her. Camden shot a glance at Kenzie, who was looking down at her hands.

“Mom wouldn’t have approved of the short engagement. Or the small wedding.”

“She would have been ecstatic about his inheritance,” Tessa said.

Kenzie nodded. “I know. And I guess a small part of me wanted to show her how normal I’d turned out. Marrying a guy with money. We were going to live in L.A. and he was going to work at his father’s office. I guess I wanted her to see I’d finally succeeded at something. Done something she would have considered as right.”

Camden couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Kenzie married Mason so she could please her mother? What kind of a sick hold did that woman have on her? He tried not to clench his teeth together. He picked up his soda and drained the glass.

Tessa frowned. “You shouldn’t listen to her. Mother has impossible expectations.” She rolled her eyes.

Kenzie leaned forward. “What do you mean?”

“This whole wedding has been a nightmare. The food we picked out is too bland. The decorations are too Martha Stewart. You wouldn’t believe what she said about my dress.”

Kenzie’s eyes widened. “What did she say?”

“It’s too revealing. I look like a hooker.”

Camden swallowed back a cough. Kenzie’s mouth dropped open. “She actually said the word ‘hooker’?”

Tessa nodded her head slowly, and then both sisters burst out laughing. Kenzie slapped her hand over her mouth. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry. That must have been awful.”

“She’s been horrible. I don’t know if it’s stress or what, but nothing pleases her anymore.”

Kenzie slid her plate back. “And I thought it was just me.”

“Oh no. It’s not just you, although lately you have been taking the brunt of it. I don’t know whether to thank you or hide you under the table.”

Kenzie held up a hand. “The table. Please. I need a little shielding.”

A giggle erupted from Tessa. “Maybe I’ll join you down there.”

Camden wanted to offer up a solution, maybe suggest they tell their mother to stuff it, but he kept his lips closed. That hadn’t worked too well last time.

“What happened with Mason? Why did you get an annulment?”

Kenzie’s face flushed. “I caught him with another woman.”

“What? How long had you been married?”

“One week.” Kenzie sank a little in her seat. “We were still on our honeymoon.”

Tessa looked appropriately shocked. “I can’t believe it. Did you deck him?”

“I should have.”

Camden almost offered to do it for her, but pressed his lips together.

“You better believe you should have,” Tessa said, her eyebrows raised. “I can’t believe he’d cheat on you, on your own honeymoon.”

Kenzie sighed and splayed her hands on the table. “Just goes to show, he never wanted to marry in the first place. He did it for the inheritance.”

“So I guess you told him to take a leap, then?”

A guilty look came over Kenzie’s face. “Kind of.”

Tessa squinted at her sister. “What does that mean?”

When Kenzie didn’t answer, Camden spoke up. “She told him if he stayed away from the wedding, she’d think about going to his family reunion.”

Tessa slapped the table, making the silverware clink. “You can’t do that!”

“I’m not going to say yes. I just wanted him to leave me alone until after the wedding.”

Tessa frowned. “You’d better not be thinking of giving in to him. He’s going to keep coming back to manipulate you.”

Camden nodded. “Tessa’s right. You can’t give in. He’ll keep using you. Hurting you.”

Tessa pointed at him. “Yes. Listen to your boyfriend. He’s smart. You have to cut all ties with Mason and let his family know you’re no longer married.”

Kenzie cringed. “I’m no good with conflict.”

Camden studied her. That’s why she’d been living out of a tent. She wasn’t experiencing the sunrises. She was running away from her problems. “It will only get worse if you don’t,” he said quietly.

“Yes. He’s right,” Tessa said. “It’s best to get it all out in the open. What’s the saying? The truth will set you free?”

“More like, the truth will humiliate me.” Kenzie scrubbed a hand over her face.

Tessa cocked her head at her sister. “You have nothing to prove to them, or to Mother. You’re a wild success, and nothing Mother says can make it not true. In fact, Eric’s mother cornered me after she realized you’re the one who designs Ken Z Jewelry. She’s been trying to order a piece, but you’re always sold out online.”

Kenzie looked at her plate. “I don’t want to flood the market with too many of one style. I only make a limited number, then I discontinue it.”

“Well, she really wants one, but she can’t afford to buy it from someone else. Do you know what your jewelry sells for in the secondhand market?”

Kenzie’s head snapped up. “No.”

“She said this piece is marked for three thousand in your Etsy store. An art dealer in Soho wants twelve thousand for the same piece.”

Kenzie scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”

“No, that’s the way the art world works. You know that. Low supply and high demand drives the prices up.” Tessa gave Kenzie a satisfied smile. “You should have seen Mother’s face when Veronica said that. Mom almost swallowed her tongue. And then she couldn’t stop talking about how talented you are as an artist.”

Pink colored Kenzie’s cheeks. “She said that?”

Tessa nodded. “You’re suddenly the successful daughter. And I’m the one marrying an attorney who hasn’t even made partner yet.” A frown crossed her face.

Kenzie laid her hand on Tessa’s. “Don’t get wrapped up in trying to please her. You know it won’t ever work, and you’ll end up like me. Doing crazy things without thinking about them.”

“You’re right.” Tessa slid out of the booth. “I’d better start getting ready for tonight. Bachelorette party. You’ll be there, right?”

Kenzie smiled. “Of course.”

Tessa pointed to Camden. “And you’re partying with Eric?”

He smiled. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

Tessa leaned a little closer. “Make sure he keeps the festivities PG, okay?”

He chuckled and folded his napkin. “No strippers. Got it.”

Tessa grinned at him. “You’re my new favorite person.” She gave them a half-wave as she walked away.

They were done with their food, but Kenzie made no move to stand up. He touched her shoulder. “You okay?”

She gave him a weak smile. “I’m fine.”

“Did hearing about how your mother treats Tessa upset you?”

She didn’t answer right away. She fiddled with her purse strap. “I thought I’d be happy, finding out my mother isn’t singling me out, you know? But for some reason, I’m not.”

He traced the skin on her shoulder, then down her arm, until the electricity from touching her got to him and he pulled his hand back. “You know how it feels to be a target. You aren’t happy because you know how your sister feels.”

“Yes. I guess you’re right.”

He bit back the words he wanted to say. Something about standing up to her mother and not letting her do that anymore, but he didn’t want to start another fight or drive a wedge between them. Instead, he said, “Let’s go swimming.”

She snapped her gaze to his. “What?”

“There’s an indoor pool and an outdoor pool here. Let’s see which one is better.” He gave her a sexy smile, hoping that would convince her.

Her lips twitched with a smile she held back. “I have been dying to get out of this dress.” Her cheeks colored. “I mean . . . that didn’t sound right.”

He held back a chuckle. “Of course I know what you meant.”

She grinned. “We might need to try each pool a couple of times to be sure we know which is the winner.”

“Definitely.”