“That was probably the shortest flight I’ve ever taken,” Ryan said as they headed to baggage claim in the small New York airport. Truth was, there weren’t many flights to compare this one to. She’d only flown twice before, and she was so young, she didn’t even remember them. But she was sure they must’ve been more than the hour-long one they’d just taken.

“Yeah, it’s crazy. You’re in the airport longer than you’re in the air. But it’s still easier than driving. When there’s traffic, it can take up to seven hours.”

“So how far is your parents’ house from here?”

“Only about ten minutes, but I figured we’d stop at the hotel first to drop off our bags and relax for a bit. No sense rushing to get to my parents’. They’ll still be there whenever we get there.”

Ryan was quiet for a moment as she waited for Ben to grab their bags off the belt. When he turned back to her, she spoke. “You don’t want to go at all, do you?” Her tone was playful, but her question was a serious one.

“Nope.” Ben laughed, but it sounded forced. “But I don’t have a choice. I’m trying to look on the bright side.”

“What’s that?”

“There’ll be a ton of good food. So I’m thinking if I always have something in my mouth, I’ll never have to speak to anyone.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna leave me to do all the talking? You really think that’s the best idea?”

Ben stared at her silently as he seemed to contemplate her question. “Probably not,” he said. “You should try to eat a lot too.”

Laughing softly, she shook her head. “I’ll do my best.”

A few minutes later, they were headed out to the lot to find their car. “This is us,” Ben said, unlocking the doors with the key fob.

Ryan stopped in front of the white convertible. “You rented a Maserati?”

“Yeah. Why do you seem so surprised?”

It was actually a valid question. Clearly Ben had the means to rent a nice car, and she knew that his family had money. She doubted he wanted to pull up to their Greenwich, Connecticut home in some sort of mid-sized sedan. “I didn’t know you could rent luxury vehicles from normal rental car places.”

“A lot of airports actually have them ready to go. But White Plains isn’t one of those, so I had to have them bring it down from Boston.” He shrugged. “Sometimes it’s fun to drive a high-end car.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, thinking about how much that probably added to the rental cost.

“Hop in,” he said once he’d gotten their bags in. “Do you mind if I take the top off?” he asked.

“Nope. Topless sounds good to me.”

Ben began laughing before Ryan even realized the implication of what she’d said.

“See? You definitely don’t want me in charge of conversation.”

“Noted,” Ben replied before turning on the ignition, throwing the car into gear, and zipping out of the lot.

Less than twenty minutes later they were pulling up in front of a gorgeous cream-colored building on the water. “This is the hotel we’re staying in?” she asked, her eyes still scanning over the outside of the rooms, each complete with their own private balcony.

“Yup.” Ben pulled up outside and gave the keys to the valet, who took their bags out of the trunk and set them down on the sidewalk. “David and Natasha got a block of rooms, so we’ll be on the same floor as a lot of the other guests. I hope it’s okay that we only have a normal room. I wanted to get us a suite so you’d have some privacy, but I didn’t want to add any more tension to this whole thing by making me look like I’m trying to distance myself from my family.”

“Even though you are?” Ryan teased. She wasn’t sure if Ben even responded because her attention was suddenly focused on the extravagant lobby she’d entered. Complete with a grand piano and shiny marble floors, it was no doubt the nicest hotel she’d ever stepped foot into.

Though she didn’t want to admit that out loud. High-end escorts probably stayed in establishments like this one frequently, or at least occasionally. The fact that she felt so out of place only reminded her of what the next few days would be like. She hoped like hell she could pull it off.

Once Ben checked in, they headed upstairs to drop off their bags in the room and freshen up.

Ben’s phone dinged as they exited the elevator, and once they were in the room, he brought the phone up to his ear to listen to the message. The roll of his eyes told her the voicemail wasn’t good news. A few seconds later, Ben put the phone back in his pocket. “So speaking of how I’m trying to distance myself from family . . .” His voice trailed off as he tossed his bag on the bed.

“What?”

“That was my mom. My parents want us to stay at their house instead of the hotel.”

“Why? I mean, it’s totally your call, but isn’t everyone staying here?”

“Yeah. They didn’t mean for us to stay with them the whole time, only tonight. Apparently the guys have an early tee time tomorrow, and they want me to come.”

“The guys are going out for tea?”

Ben laughed. “No, they’re playing golf.”

“Oh.” God, was she a moron. “I was thinking tea with an a because your family is rich.” Stop speaking.

“You really don’t know anything about sports, do you? Or wealthy people.”

Ryan gave him a look that let him know what a stupid question that was.

“So what do you think? Should we stay there tonight?”

“That’s fine.”

“That’s fine? You’re supposed to say no because it’d be extremely weird for you to sleep in my parents’ house.”

“I can sleep anywhere if I’m tired enough.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Ryan smiled at him. “I know. I’m messing with you. But I do think you should go tomorrow. You said yourself that it looks bad to distance yourself from this stuff.”

He moved closer to her, slapping her ass lightly and pulling her against him. “Don’t use my words against me,” he scolded playfully. Then he pulled back enough that he could lock eyes with her. “You sure you don’t mind if we stay there tonight? I mean, it’s totally fine if you don’t want to. I’ll tell them you’re not up for it—”

“And you’ll stay there by yourself?”

Ben’s glare didn’t do a thing to stop her smart-ass smile. “Fine. We’ll both stay.”

After relaxing for a bit, the two changed clothes and packed a small bag with what they needed to take and then headed back down to the lobby.

A few minutes later, the valet helped her step down into the car, and Ben slid in beside her. He turned to look at her as he buckled his seat belt. “You ready for this?” he asked.

“Sure,” she lied. She was surprised at how calm her answer sounded, how confident. Maybe she’d be better at this than she thought. “You?”

She could see his grip on the wheel tighten at her question. “Not even a little bit,” he said.

And that’s when it hit her. This wasn’t just about playing some role, pretending to be someone she wasn’t so his parents would get off his back about settling down and he could impress his asshole brother who’d stolen his high school sweetheart.

She could see in his eyes why he’d wanted someone to come with him in the first place. He didn’t want to do this alone. And she wasn’t going to let him.

* * *

“Are we going to get out?” Ryan asked him as they sat in the car in his parents’ driveway. They’d been parked for at least five minutes before Ryan had asked the question, and the fact that she’d waited that long told him she understood how fucking awkward all this was for him. When he’d received the invitation to the wedding, he’d wondered if the cardstock was sharp enough to slit his throat with. Because part of him would have rather died than attend this wedding. It didn’t really get much worse than watching the brother who hates you marry the reason he hates you in the first place.

A part of him had always thought that Natasha and David would get sick of each other and break up. He’d never expected those two assholes to last. But here they were, deciding to grow into old assholes together forever and ever and create little asshole children eventually who—

Jesus, he needed to get a grip. He was already calling their kids assholes and they hadn’t even been born yet. Or conceived, for that matter. Why would you think about that?

And the truth was, neither one was actually an asshole. Not deep down anyway. At least he didn’t think so. Could he blame Natasha for falling for someone other than him while she was away at college? People moved on all the time. But they usually didn’t move on with their significant other’s sibling.

And though Ben had gotten in a few good punches—okay, really good punches—the brothers hadn’t been able to get past it. It wasn’t like they were children and David had stolen Ben’s favorite toy dinosaur. His brother had stolen his girlfriend. It was something he’d never apologized for, and Ben was sure he never would.

He just needed to accept that this awkward-as-fuck, cordially distant relationship was how the two of them would most likely interact for the remainder of their future. At least he had Ryan with him.

Ryan.

It wasn’t until Ben caught a glimpse of Ryan out of the corner of his eye that he realized she was still staring at him as she waited for an answer. “Yeah, let’s go,” was all he said. Then he opened his door and walked around the front of the car to open Ryan’s door too.

Without giving it any thought, he took her hand in his and led her up the stone path to his parents’ front door. He stopped when he reached the step but didn’t ring the doorbell or knock.

“What are you doing?” Ryan asked, squeezing his hand so lightly that it made him wonder if the movement had even been a conscious one.

“Deciding whether to walk in.” He could hear his family’s voices coming from the back of the house, and he could see his mother through the glass door, though she hadn’t noticed him yet. “For some reason, it seems weird to ring the doorbell when I see people inside.” It wasn’t like it was a stranger’s house, for Christ’s sake.

“Weirder than standing in front of the home you grew up in and staring inside like a stalker?”

“Okay, maybe you have a point.”

“I say we knock and then walk right in without waiting for someone to answer.” Then she brought her hand up and tapped her knuckles on the glass.

“Guess that’s what we’re doing then,” he said, his lips tight as he looked wide-eyed at her. Then he put his hand on the handle and pulled it open. “Hey, we’re here,” he said, unable to think on such short notice of any other way to announce their arrival. He walked through the foyer slowly on their way back to the kitchen, where his family was getting ready for dinner. They were huddled around the island that held several chafing dishes.

“Benjamin,” his mom said, walking over to him from where she’d been talking to Natasha and David. She put her hands on either side of his face and gave him a kiss. “I thought you weren’t coming in until later tonight.”

“I told you when I talked to you that our flight landed around four.”

“I’m sure you did. Things have been so crazy lately with all the wedding preparations that I can barely keep anything straight. Thank goodness for Isabella, or nothing would get accomplished.”

“Who’s Isabella?”

“The wedding planner. She’s been a blessing. I’d forget to breathe if Isabella didn’t remind me. Speaking of forgetting things, are you going to introduce me to your girlfriend?”

“Sorry,” he said, feeling like an idiot. “This is Ryan.”

Ryan extended her hand, but his mom didn’t take it. Instead, she reached her arms around Ryan so she could give Ryan what looked like a gentle hug. “It’s so lovely to finally meet you.”

“It’s great to meet you as well, Mrs. Williamson. You have a beautiful home.”

“Oh, thank you. I’m sure Ben will give you a tour later. And please, call me Beverly. Ben hasn’t told me nearly enough about you, but I’m sure the next few days will provide us with enough opportunities to get to know one another.”

Ryan let her warm smile be her reply, and Ben wondered if Ryan was as nervous as he was about his mother’s eventual interrogation. Ryan was either a better actress than he realized, or she was more confident than she’d initially been at the prospect of having to pretend to be someone she wasn’t.

The next few minutes consisted of the rest of the introductions, and Ben was thankful that it had only been his own family there and not Natasha’s. He told himself it would have been too overwhelming for Ryan, but the truth was it wasn’t only her he was worried about. Especially since she seemed more than capable of interacting naturally with everyone, including David and Natasha. And Ben wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Ben and Ryan filled some plates with food before heading over to the family room to eat. He was thankful his parents had opted for a more casual meal experience, though it didn’t make the situation any more comfortable. It occurred to Ben that of the two of them, he should be the one speaking, but he didn’t have much to say, so he took a bite of his roll instead. His reluctance to start up a conversation didn’t mean that Ryan had to speak to them, so he sat in guiltless silence as his brother and dad discussed a new restaurant nearby, and his mom and Natasha showed his grandmother and aunt pictures of Natasha’s dress.

“Come over here and see it,” his mom said, gesturing for Ryan to get up from the chair and sit next to her.

Ryan set her plate down on a nearby table and made her way over to the couch. Ben tried not to be obvious about watching them, but he knew that Ryan, at least, could tell. Every so often he’d catch her eye as he glanced over at her. But nothing about her demeanor or expression suggested she felt awkward or out of place. It was actually the opposite. Somehow, as Ryan sat between women she hadn’t even known fifteen minutes ago, she seemed more comfortable than Ben ever seemed when he visited.

“So what’s going on with that guy you went to college with? He’s coming to the wedding, right?”

The voice was Ben’s father’s, and the unexpected question made Ben jerk his head toward him. “What guy?”

“The baseball player.”

“Gabe?” Ben asked, knowing damn well his father knew Gabe’s name.

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

Ben took a sip of his water and placed his empty plate on the table. “Yeah, he’s coming. And what do you mean what’s going on?” Knowing Gabe’s personality and history, Ben had no idea what his dad was referring to. It honestly could’ve been anything.

“His leg. He’s injured, right?”

“Yeah,” was Ben’s only reply.

“Huh.” His father nodded slowly, making Ben wonder what he was thinking. Though he knew he’d find out soon enough. “Is it serious?”

Ben shrugged. “He needed surgery. He’s all right, though.”

“How long’s he going to be out?”

Ben couldn’t tell if his dad was simply trying to make conversation, or if he had another reason for asking. Though the reason for his dad’s question didn’t change the fact that Ben would have to answer it. “Depends. There’s a chance he’s done for good.” The irony of being honest about Gabe’s leg while lying about . . . basically everything else was not lost on him.

His dad shook his head. “That’s a shame,” he said, sounding genuinely sorry about it.

“It is. But Gabe seems okay with it, actually. He hasn’t made a final decision, but I know he’s at least considering retirement as an option.”

His father leaned forward to grab his drink from the coffee table. The action looked stiff, painful almost. He took a sip and settled back against his brown leather recliner. “Guess that’s the downside to abusing your body like that. That’s why it’s always good to have a backup plan.”

And there it was—the reason for his father’s inquiry about Gabe’s recovery. He wasn’t asking because he cared about Ben’s friend’s health, or about whether he’d return to the game that he loved. His dad had asked about Gabe to prove something.

Take a look at Exhibit A: Gabriel Torres, an otherwise healthy young man whose career came to a sudden and devastating end as a result of constant physical injury. Ben could almost hear how his dad would sound in the courtroom. Except this wasn’t one of his cases, and Gabe wasn’t some piece of evidence his father could use to convince Ben that he’d made a horrible mistake by choosing a dangerous sport as a career.

“I wouldn’t call it abuse. It’s a game. We know there’s a chance of injury when we decide to play.” Ben wasn’t sure why he’d even bothered to reply. Unlike his dad, Ben knew better than to think that he could change someone’s opinion about the topic. Ben opened his mouth to speak again, but Ryan’s voice stopped him.

“You feel like giving me that tour now?” she asked. “I’d love to see the rest of the house.”

“Absolutely,” he answered, standing and walking over to where Ryan still sat on the couch with the other women. He extended a hand for her to take and helped her up. “Where do you want to start first?”