Brikelle rushed down the stairs and into her basement apartment. It was a little dark, and the plaid couches, lacy curtains, and bear and moose decorations were definitely not her style, but she needed cheap housing until she got more established. She’d struggled through school with an early morning job as a janitor for the university, a partial scholarship, and her parents trying to help however they could. Unfortunately, they had five other children to provide for and the price of milk had been low for way too many years. Her dad’s dairy farm in Burley, Idaho, was a great producer, but if you weren’t making the money, you weren’t making the money.

She hurried into her bedroom and started pulling out swimsuits and laying them on her bed. The chest drooped in the red and blue swirled one, the rear was almost worn through in the polka-dotted one. She didn’t love the pattern of the wide pink stripes, but at least it would cover everything, and she wouldn’t worry about Colt seeing something he shouldn’t. “I guess if we’re married it shouldn’t matter,” she said to herself, then laughed. Such a silly farce they were trying to keep up.

Slipping out of her business clothes and into the suit, she threw on a tank top and shorts. She grabbed a towel and checked her makeup—which would probably get all washed off when she crashed on the surfboard—and then hurried back up the stairs. She didn’t know why she was embarrassed to have Colt see her apartment, but if his house was the one that Ike had chased her out of the other day, he was either still living with Mom and Dad, or cabinet installation was an extremely lucrative business.

His white truck pulled up a few minutes later, a shiny blue and white Malibu boat hitched behind it. He jumped out and hurried around to get her door. Luckily, Ike was not waiting to greet her. “Where’s the beast?” she asked, then felt guilty. Ike hadn’t hurt her. He just was so big and loud, it was hard for her to shelve her fears and memories.

“Left him at home. He was ready to run around, and I figured if you were with me he couldn’t chase you up the canyon.”

“I feel empathy for the other runners he’s harassing.”

“You’re the only runner he chases. Told you he was smart.” He took her elbow and assisted her up the step and into the truck. It was really nice inside the cab, with leather seats and touchscreens she wouldn’t know what to do with. Brikelle sank into the plush leather and wondered how she was going to ride home in a wet swimsuit without damaging the finish. Colt jumped into the driver’s seat.

“You don’t have to get my door,” Brikelle said. “Emma isn’t here to monitor you.”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, but you’re about to meet my momma and if she gets wind of me not being a gentleman, she’d take the skin right off my hide.”

“Is that a direct quote?”

“Pretty much.”

Brikelle smiled, but was suddenly nervous. Why was she meeting his mom? They hardly knew each other and the marriage thing was a complete façade. She didn’t need to do a meet and greet with the family. “How’s she going to react when I tell her you sic’d Ike on me?”

He chuckled. “She’ll stand up for Ike, so you’d better be careful. She loves that dog.”

“Oh, great. He’s like the son she never had.”

“She’s got three sons so I think she realizes Ike is actually a dog.”

“Do you?”

Colt chuckled. “Most of the time, but he is a great listener.”

“That is really sad if you have to talk to a dog because you have no friends.”

“Ha ha,” he fake-laughed. “I have plenty of friends, and if I ever get tired of them, I have two brothers, but sometimes a man needs to just spill his guts to his four-legged pal.”

“Talking to a dog is somehow better than talking to yourself?”

He glanced her way with a grin. “Makes me sound not as touched in the head.”

Brikelle laughed. He was fun to banter with, easy on the eyes, and apparently a successful businessman and hard worker to boot.

“What are you thinking?” he asked.

“I was thinking I’d married pretty well.”

He stopped at the four-way stop and turned to look at her. “Even with Ike as part of the package?”

She groaned. “Oh, don’t remind me.”

Their glances got tangled as she studied him and realized that she didn’t think of him as a jerk with a dog anymore. He was Colt, and she was interested in getting to know him.

Someone honked from behind them. Colt hurried to push on the gas and drive through the intersection. They drove south of Eden toward the lake. He pulled through a gate and down a long driveway. A beautiful two-story log home was surrounded by grass and situated a few hundred yards from the edge of the lake.

“Wow, this is a great spot. It reminds me of home.”

“Really? Where’s home?” He parked the truck next to the house, put it in gear, and shifted in his seat to face her.

“My parents have a dairy farm in Burley, Idaho, but our house is right on the Snake River.”

“Nice. But you didn’t grow up skiing?” His eyes were intent on her face like he had all day to learn everything about her.

She shook her head. “We never had a ski boat, only old canoes with holes. We could barely patch them quick enough to stay afloat. Never learned how to paddle fast enough to pull a skier.”

He chuckled.

“I went skiing with friends sometimes, but I never learned to slalom. Surfing was much easier when I tried—popped up the first time—and I even learned how to go without the rope for a little while.”

“Good job,” he said, and she felt her cheeks redden. He gestured toward the house and asked, “Are you okay saying hi to Momma first?”

“Sure.” Though it was a little scary to meet the parents when she hadn’t even really dated the man. “Is your dad … not here?”

He looked down at the steering wheel, his knuckles whitening from the pressure of his grip. “You can say hi to him, but don’t feel bad if he doesn’t say anything back. I, uh … I’ll just leave it at that.”

“Okay.” Was his dad socially awkward? How did she ask that? With a shrug, Brikelle pulled up on her door handle.

“Please don’t,” Colt said, just a little sharply.

“What?” She released the handle.

“I told you my mom would cuss me if I wasn’t a gentleman.”

She leaned back into the comfortable seat again and held up her hands. “Don’t want to risk you getting cussed.”

“Thank you.” He grinned at her and then rushed around to open her door. Taking her hand in his, he walked toward the wide front porch. Their joined hands felt so natural, but it was still giving her good chills. This was an odd situation. She kept thinking they were a couple and had to remind herself it was all a sham. She didn’t even know this guy and she really didn’t like his dog—a creature that he was extremely attached to.

The door popped open before they reached it, and a pleasantly plump woman with dark curly hair wearing a bright blue shirt, and even brighter yellow and blue patterned tights, opened her arms. “My boy!”

Colt smiled and kind of ducked his head. “Hi, Momma.” He wrapped his free arm around his mother, his other hand still holding on to Brikelle’s.

She kissed his cheek and gave him a squeeze around the waist before turning to Brikelle. “And who is this sweet girl?”

Brikelle let go of Colt’s hand and extended it to his mom. “Hi, I’m Brikelle.”

His mom opened her arms wide, and before Brikelle knew it she was engulfed in the softest hug she’d experienced since she left home. The older woman smelled like cinnamon rolls and Brikelle couldn’t help but think of her mom, always ready with a hug and a cup of hot cocoa when Brikelle needed to talk.

“You just call me Momma or Big Momma, everybody does.” Her dark eyes twinkled.

“Okay, um, Momma.”

“Oh, you are such a beauty. Where did you two meet?”

“Ike chased her down for me.” Colt grinned, grabbed Brikelle’s hand, and tugged her closer like she was the best prize he’d ever found.

“That old sweetheart. Where is he? I’ve been saving him scraps for almost a week now.”

“Momma, that’s gross. I give him plenty of food.”

“You don’t tell me what’s gross. I’ll send them home with you. Dog needs more than that fancy food you buy him. Nobody should eat out of a bag all the time. Come in and say hi to your daddy. You hungry?”

“No. I picked us up some sandwiches from Eats.”

“Oh, you. What a waste of your hard-earned money.” She led the way into a huge open room with a loft and the most gorgeous kitchen. The island cabinets were a deep mahogany, but the rest of the kitchen was a distressed stained cherry.

“Oh, I love your kitchen,” Brikelle gushed.

“Thank you, sweetheart. My boy remodeled it all for me a few years ago.” She smiled proudly at him. “Best cabinet maker in the state. Oh!” She stopped and faced Colt. “You order me some more of those cards? I gave ’em all away last time we were at your daddy’s doctor visits. Them neurosurgeons make plenty of money to fix up their houses.”

Neurosurgeons? So it wasn’t social awkwardness after all. She wondered where his dad was, and felt bad that Colt and his mom were dealing with some kind of huge health issue with someone they obviously loved a lot.

“The cards are on their way. I’m having them delivered here. You do more with them than I do.” He winked at her and said to Brikelle, “My mom’s my best marketing tool.”

“No problem for me to brag about this handsome boy of mine, and his brothers and sisters have made me just as proud.”

“How many children do you have, Momma?”

“Five—wish it was twenty. The two girls are the oldest and each have a couple of beautiful grandbabies for me, and they opened their own clothing company.” She pointed to her flowing baby doll shirt. “Even made a line of clothes for bigger ladies to help us look good. You know how successful my Colt is, my Tate is a doctor, and my Brody is an investment genius. If you need help with your portfolio, you know who to call.”

“Yeah, I wish I had positive cash flow and needed help,” Brikelle said.

Momma laughed deep and throaty. “I’m sure you will someday, sweetheart.” She turned and called out, “George! Our boy’s brought a pretty girl to meet us. Say hello.”

Brikelle glanced in the direction she’d yelled. She hadn’t even noticed the man in a leather recliner. He was as slight as his wife was round and it was like his long body was part of the furniture. He barely moved, simply blinked at them.

“Oh!” Colt broke from her grip and hurried over to the man. “I thought you might be up in bed. Hi, Dad.” He reached down and gave the older man an awkward hug.

Brikelle melted. He obviously loved his dad a lot.

He straightened, but kept a hand on his dad’s shoulder. “This is my friend, Brikelle.” He glanced over and smiled at her.

“George.” There was a pleading note in Momma’s voice. “Can you say hello, please?” She glanced at Brikelle. “Just give him a second, hun.”

Brikelle nodded in what she hoped was an understanding way.

The man glanced at Colt before his eyes focused on Brikelle. She realized they were the same cool blue shade as Colt’s, filled with determination and a bit of frustration. “He-l-llo,” he grunted out.

Momma nodded as if very proud. “Thank you, sweetie pie.”

“Hello.” Brikelle walked over, reached down, and squeezed his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

He smiled in response, and the look Colt gave her warmed her clear through.

Momma grinned at all of them. “You sure you won’t eat with us? I made a huge batch of enchiladas because your brothers said they might come see me tonight.”

“No, save it for the boys,” Colt said. “I’m taking Bri out on the lake.”

Brikelle’s eyebrows rose at the nickname, but she didn’t comment in front of his parents.

“Oh, you kids go have fun.” She shooed them toward the door.

Colt squeezed his dad’s hand again. “See you soon, Dad.”

Colt paused, and Brikelle noticed Momma stiffen, as if hopeful that he’d get a response. The older man grunted and seemed to be concentrating hard. Colt’s shoulders rounded a bit, but he waited patiently. His dad finally muttered, “Colt.”

Colt nodded. “Love you, Dad.” He released his dad’s hand, took Brikelle’s hand, and escorted her to the front door.

They walked onto the front porch and Momma stood by the door. “Come see me again, sweetheart,” she told Brikelle, giving her another brief hug.

“I will.” Brikelle decided right then and there that after she got Emma’s house done and made it through that party next weekend, she was going to go see her parents and family. It wasn’t that long of a drive to Idaho.

She wanted to ask Colt more about his dad, but he was silent and a little stiff as they walked to the truck. She didn’t know how to bring it up without seeming like she was prying.

Colt uncovered the boat and helped her into it. “I’m going to back it in.” He gestured to a short cement ramp. “The Fish and Game doesn’t love us having a private ramp and dock, but nobody can tell Momma no.”

She smiled. “What can I do to help?”

“Just sit there and look pretty.”

Brikelle half-bristled and half-blushed. “I’m not a ‘sit there and look pretty’ kind of girl,” she shot at him.

He grinned. “You’re an all-star at it.” Jogging to his truck, he backed the boat into the lake, then jumped out and unhooked it, plunging into the water and guiding the boat off the trailer and next to the dock. “Would you please hold on to the dock while I park the truck?”

“And if I don’t?”

“Oh, it’s no worry. You’ll just float away and have to drive the boat back to me.”

Brikelle scurried over to grab the dock and he laughed. Within minutes he’d parked the truck and was jogging down the incline to the dock. He climbed into the boat and sat in the driver’s seat, reversing away from the dock, spinning the wheel, and then driving out into the lake a little bit. Brikelle raised her face to let the sun warm her skin. The slight breeze was summery and lightened the stress of the past week. Brikelle forced her eyes away from Colt’s handsome profile to the blue lake and the trees ringing it. Boats zinged by with skiers, boarders, and surfers behind.

“You ready?” Colt asked.

She whirled back to look at him. “Am I ready? Aren’t you going to ski?”

“You’re going to drive the boat for me while I ski?”

“Oh, um, no, well, you could teach me.” She hadn’t even thought of that. How was he going to ski? She’d never driven a boat, but she’d driven tractors and dump trucks. She could figure out a boat.

“Do you want to learn?”

“Try and stop me.”

He chuckled, his eyes full of a warm appraisal. “Why don’t you surf, and then I’ll teach you how to drive?”

She nodded. He stood and got out a rope, secured one end to the tower, and lifted down a surfboard from the rack. It was smaller than a normal surfboard, but was similar in that she simply needed to place her feet on the board rather than slip them into footholds like a wakeboard or a ski. Brikelle peeled off her tank top and shorts and took the lifejacket he offered her. His eyes remained focused on her face and she was grateful he wasn’t ogling her body or noticing how worn-out her swimming suit was.

Brikelle secured the life jacket and leapt into the water. She gasped and surfaced quickly, beating her arms against the water to warm up. It was chilly, even in July. The lake was surrounded by mountains and had been fed by spring runoff. There was no way the water was above seventy, but she’d grown up swimming in a river that was probably colder than this. She could handle it.

She floated next to the boat and Colt stepped onto the wooden platform off the back and slid the board to her, then tossed her the rope. Brikelle got situated with the rope between her legs, reclining back on her life jacket in the water, with her heels resting on the smooth board. Colt pulled slowly forward until the slack was out of the line.

She couldn’t remember what to say. She sat there feeling dumb for a few seconds. Colt gazed back at her. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, sure. You can go now.”

“Hit it?” he asked, a small grin crinkling the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah, hit it!”

She could hear him chuckle as he pushed the throttle forward. She crouched and stood up with the board pressed against the balls of her feet. It was so smooth that before she knew it she was up and standing on top of the board, skimming along the water. “Wahoo!” she screamed out, then threw back her head and laughed.

Colt glanced back at her with a grin.

Brikelle felt like she was floating behind the boat. She pushed her feet forward and back to move herself a little bit and finally got confident enough to pull herself to “the sweet spot,” where her friends had taught her she could surf without holding on to the rope. Cool water splashed onto her legs and the wind rushed past her.

She felt the slack in the rope and knew she was there. It was a little unnerving being this close to the back of the boat, but with an inboard motor, she was in no danger. She liked that even though there were other boaters zooming past, she didn’t feel the bumpy water coming from their wakes.

“You want to toss the rope in?” Colt asked her.

“Can I?” she hollered back.

“Go for it.”

Brikelle waited another minute, getting more slack in the rope and testing if she was really surfing. The wind created by their speed lifted the hair from her face and neck, the sun touching her shoulders, and the distinctive smell of algae and her peach-scented shampoo from her wet hair all added to the moment. Water sprayed into her face and she tried not to “drink the lake,” as her dad would say. She turned the board a little bit with pressure from her feet. Her abs and the muscles in her thighs tightened as she wobbled and recovered.

All the stress of decorating a multi-million-dollar home, debating if she should fake a marriage, wondering if she could make it to the next paycheck and really succeed as an interior designer, were carried away in the wind along with the droplets of water in her hair.

Colt glanced back and gave her a thumbs-up. Brikelle got brave and tossed the rope onto the boat’s padded bench. She swayed a little bit, but then she realized she really was in the perfect spot, surfing behind the boat with no rope. She gave another whoop and heard Colt’s deep laugh in response. Pumping the board with her front foot to stay in the right spot, she rode the wave for a long time, loving every second of it.

She felt herself falling back and within seconds she was in the wake, and then there was no resistance and she was sinking. Exhilarated from the fun ride, she was only slightly let down that it was over as water rushed up to her chin. Colt whipped the boat around and stopped next to her. He hurried to the back of the boat as she set the surfboard on the wooden platform.

“Thank you! That was so much fun!”

“It looked like you were having fun.”

“I loved it!”

His cheek crinkled as he smiled. “Guess there are some benefits to being married to me?”

The memory of their two kisses in front of Emma surfaced quicker than the board had popped out of the water when she’d finished surfing. Brikelle’s cheeks burned. She climbed out of the water and sat on the edge of the padded seat, slowly removing the life jacket. Kissing Colt was a benefit she shouldn’t be dwelling on. “So once we break up, do I get fifty percent of the boat?”

His mirthful look slipped. “Sorry, wasn’t included in the prenup.”

She forced a smile. He pulled a red and blue beach towel out of a side compartment and handed it to her as she realized she’d left her towel in the truck. “Thanks.” She wiped the water off of her face and arms.

Colt watched her, then moistened his lips. He stood quickly, took her life jacket, and set it over a seat. Then he lifted the board and re-secured it before coiling the rope. “Okay. You ready for your driving lesson?”

“Sure.” She secured the towel around her chest and followed him to the pilot’s seat.

He sat on the seat and gestured for her to come closer. Brikelle’s breath hitched. Where was she supposed to go? Colt took the guesswork out of it by gently grasping her hips and directing her in front of the steering wheel. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, and her breath caught.

“This is the throttle.” He placed her hand on the lever. Brikelle hoped he didn’t notice that her hand trembled from his simple touch. “Push it forward and you go forward, pull it back and you go in reverse.”

“Simple,” she squeaked.

“Yep. There’s no brake, so if you want to stop you have to go into reverse quickly.”

“Sounds too … technical.” She swallowed hard. “I won’t stop.”

“Sometimes you have to stop.”

Brikelle knew it might just be her imagination, but it felt like they were talking about something completely different than boating. “What if I don’t ever want to stop?” she managed to get out through quick pants of air. She didn’t want to stop their farce of a marriage and she didn’t want to stop being around him.

Colt stood behind her so that his body was flush with hers. He wrapped his hands around hers and gently lifted them off the steering wheel, which she’d unconsciously clung to, then slowly spun her around. Her eyes were focused on his chin, and when she tilted her head back, his eyes glinted a bright blue. “I hope you don’t have to stop, then,” he whispered.

Slowly, deliberately, he lowered his head and captured her mouth with his. Joy and desire intermingled with the warmth of his lips. It was even better than their first two kisses because they were doing it by choice, not to keep up an appearance for Emma.

“Oh,” Brikelle moaned against his lips. Colt smiled before intensifying the kiss. Brikelle wrapped her arms around his lower back and held on. Colt’s hands moving over her back dislodged the towel and it dropped to the boat deck.

“Oh.” Brikelle gasped again, blushing furiously and trying to back up. His hands on her bare back were much too intimate. They were not married, no matter what they wanted to pretend, and she didn’t know this guy well enough to know what boundaries he had. She backed into the steering wheel and had nowhere to go, but Colt sensed her intent and released her.

Brikelle didn’t move, though. She was captivated and a little bit terrified by the hungry look in his eyes. It gave her a thrill of excitement she’d never experienced with a man before. Glancing over Colt’s strong frame and handsome, but mature face, she realized he truly was a man. Having recently graduated college, she’d dated a lot of great guys, but they weren’t like this. Colt was in control of his life, successful, and smoking hot. “How old are you?” she said before reason could stop her. She slipped out from behind the steering wheel and to the passenger seat.

Surprise washed over his features, but then he relaxed. “Twenty-nine,” he said.

Seven years older than her? Whoa. That wasn’t an insane gap for a married couple, though. Right? She shook her head. What was she thinking? They weren’t married!

“You’re about twenty-two?”

“How did you know?”

“You said you’d just graduated.”

“Is that too big of a gap for a married couple?”

His eyes glinted mischievously and he stepped closer, sweeping his hand between the two of them. “This is too big of a gap for a married couple.”

Brikelle blinked at him. “What?”

“This space between us.”

She took a tentative step closer, and he smiled before reaching for her. Then she was in his arms again, and she really didn’t care about age or fake marriages or anything but continuing to kiss him for a good, long time.

Hoots and hollers and then screams of “Colton Jepson!” broke them apart.

Brikelle tried to step away, but Colt held her fast. “Friends of yours?” she asked, looking to the dock by his parents’ home, where two men were holding slalom skis high in the air and yelling at them.

“Unhand the beautiful lady and come pick up your brothers!” one of them yelled.

“Brothers,” Colt muttered. He finally released her, and she sat in the seat next to him as he put the boat into drive and they cruised over to the dock.

Brikelle patted at her hair, which was drying and frizzing; then she tried to swipe under her eyes, but if there was mascara there it was going to be there until eradicated by makeup remover. This was not a great way to meet his brothers, but it kind of surprised her that she hadn’t been worried about Colt seeing her like this. How had she gotten so comfortable with him so quickly?

The men on the dock were unerringly handsome, like Colt, but it was crazy how different their coloring was. The taller one had the most beautiful mane of dark red hair Brikelle had ever seen. It framed his tanned face and his eyes were a brilliant blue like Colt’s. The other one had blond hair and larger muscles than Colt or his other brother, though they all had very nice builds.

Colt eased in next to the dock and the blond grabbed the side of the boat. The redhead jumped in, and the blond pushed off before leaping in. They set their skis down in the back of the boat and sidled up next to Brikelle. They were both grinning at her like the Cheshire Cat.

Colt put the boat into drive and muttered, “Brikelle, meet my brothers.”

The blond stuck out his hand first. “Brody. Nice to meet you, Brikelle.”

“Thank you, you as well.”

The redhead stepped up to her. “Tate.” He shook her hand firmly, and then both men simply stood there and stared at her like she was a phenomenon they needed to study.

Colt eased the throttle back and the boat coasted to a stop. “Who’s skiing first?” he asked.

“You know there are more important things than skiing going on at the moment,” Tate said, pushing a hand through his gorgeous hair.

“Is that real?” Brikelle asked before she could help herself.

“What?” Tate kind of startled.

“Your hair color.”

Colt and Brody both started cackling. Tate pulled a face at them, then winked at her and brushed his hand through his hair again. “These luscious locks are a hundred percent natural.”

“And the women love them,” Brody taunted. “You should see the nurses at the hospital. ‘Oh, Dr. Jepson. I just love your hair.’”

They were all laughing at his high-pitched imitation. “Hey, don’t be jealous that I draw the women in,” Tate said.

“Ha!” Brody laughed. “I’m not jealous that they want to know what brand of shampoo you use. They think you’re one of them or something.”

Tate pushed at Brody and tried to shove him overboard, sending the boat rocking. Brody was built like a tank, though, and stood his ground pretty well.

“So, Tate’s obviously the doctor and Brody is the financial genius?” Brikelle asked.

“Somebody met Big Momma.” Brody grinned and folded his thick arms across his chest. “She takes proud to a whole new level.”

“I think it’s sweet.”

“Women usually do,” Tate said in a voice that left no doubt he knew how great his mom was.

“So, you skiing?” Colt asked his brothers. “Or did you just drive up here to work your jaws?”

“We’ll ski after we find out who this lovely lady is that you were smooching.” Tate raised a dark eyebrow in a challenge. “I talked to you a week ago and heard no indication there was a beautiful addition to your world.”

Brikelle’s face was burning.

“How’d you meet?” Brody put his hands under his chin and fluttered his eyelashes at them mockingly.

Colt slung his hand around her waist and his arm brushed the skin of her back. She had to force herself to concentrate on what his brothers were asking. “Ike chased her up the canyon and I rescued her.”

“Rescued her from Ike?” Brody barked a laugh. “That wussy dog couldn’t hunt a rabbit.”

Brikelle’s eyes widened. Wussy dog? “Have you seen Ike? That dog is terrifying.”

“Terrifying?” Brody shook his head. “Sorry, Brikelle, but that dog is a total wimp. He wouldn’t hurt a mouse.”

Brikelle tossed her hair and pinned him with a look. “Well, he almost attacked me and you can laugh all you want, but I have no desire to be within half a mile of any huge, scary dog.”

Brody laughed louder, but Tate’s eyes had grown serious. He took her hand and tugged her away from Colt. His voice dropped low and he said in a sincere tone like a doctor consulting a mental patient, “Were you attacked as a child?”

Brikelle’s body started to tremble. She looked into Tate’s eyes, so similar to Colt’s, and pointed to the faint scar running down the side of her temple. “Y-yes.”

“Oh, Bri,” Colt murmured from behind her. He came to her side and gestured his brother away. “Drive for a bit, Tate.” Colt escorted her to the back of the boat. He sat her on the cushioned seat and then scowled at Brody, who was approaching. “Go sit by Tate,” he commanded.

“Bossy big brothers,” Brody muttered, but his eyes were full of compassion and regret. “Tate and I can get out of here if you need.”

Colt’s eyes swept over her face. Brikelle shook her head. “I’m fine. You all are making a big deal out of this. It happened a long time ago and I’m fine as long as I stay far away from dogs.” She took a long breath. “I’d love to see you ski.”

Colt gestured with his chin to Brody. “That’d be good. Ski.”

Brody pulled off his T-shirt and buckled up a vest. He grabbed his ski and jumped into the water. Within seconds he yelled “Hit it!” and the boat smoothly lifted him out of the water.

Brikelle pivoted so she could watch him skim across the wake, shooting a spray up each time he turned. “He’s good,” she murmured.

Colt took her hand between both of his. “Bri.”

She looked down at their joined hands. “Nobody calls me Bri.”

“Really? What do they call you for a nickname?”

“Usually Kell.”

“I like that, but I think Bri fits you.” He squeezed her hand.

“I like that you have a nickname for me.” She chanced a glance at his face.

He smiled gently. “I’m so sorry about Ike, Bri.”

She shook her head. “No. I’m sorry I overreact to dogs. You’d think as an adult you’d get past childhood fears, but …” She focused on Brody cutting behind the boat. “It’s pretty horrifying, still, when I get close to a dog, especially one chasing me when I bike or run.”

“What happened?”

Her memory was blessedly pretty foggy, but she could still remember lots of sharp teeth, pain, ripping of skin, and the terror. The terror never left when a dog was close. “A neighbor’s pit bull attacked me on the way home from the bus stop. My brothers fought him off, but it was bad. I had so many stitches.” Luckily the scars had mostly faded. The worst one was the one on her temple, and there were some on her abdomen that were still long, white bumps.

“Oh, Bri. And of course that fear has always been there.”

She loved that he understood, even though he had a dog. “Yes, unfortunately. And it hasn’t helped that I’ve been bitten and chased a few times out running or biking.”

He nodded and gripped her hands tighter. “I wish I could change the way I acted when I first met you and since then. I’ve been so insensitive about your reaction to Ike. Leave it to Tate to figure it out in two seconds,” he muttered.

“No, it’s okay.” She shook her head. “Well, you were kind of insensitive, but how would you have known? You probably thought I was such a brat.”

“No.” He gave her a gentle smile. “Okay, I did. I’m sorry. I was just being defensive for Ike.”

“You really love that dog.”

He shrugged. “He’s gotten me through some tough times.”

Brikelle wanted to know more, but the boat jerked and hit a wave at the same time. Brikelle bounced and slid closer to Colt. He automatically wrapped her up in his arms. “You need to stop doing that,” she admonished.

“What?”

“Hugging me all the time.” She looked around to see Brody in the water and Tate spinning back to pick him up.

“Well, you are my wife.” His eyes twinkled at her.

“What?” Tate yelped and spun around to stare at them as he cut the motor.

Brody pushed his ski up onto the wooden deck and climbed up, shaking water out of his hair.

“She’s your what?” Tate asked again, striding to the back of the boat and standing over both of them.

“What’s going on?” Brody asked from behind them, water dripping from his suit and hair.

“Colt just called Brikelle his wife.”

“Come again?” Brody said.

“Okay, you two calm down.” Colt scooted to the side of the bench, pulling Brikelle with him so they were out of Brody’s way. He climbed into the boat and stood next to Tate. Both of them glowered down at them.

“What’s going on here, Colt? You told me two weeks ago that you were still dealing with … crap from you-know-who.” Brody pushed water out of his blond hair.

“That’s enough, Brody.” Colt pulled her closer, but his tone of voice made her shiver. Who was you-know-who?

Brikelle felt defensive for a man she didn’t even know very well and uneasy at the way his brothers were looking almost mad at the both of them. “It’s just a fake marriage.”

“I’m so confused.” Tate’s blue eyes narrowed.

“We got placed in an odd situation and we’re just pretending to be married until next weekend.” Colt gave her arm a squeeze, but his voice was still tight. “It’s no big deal.”

“No big deal?” Brody shook his head. “I know you need someone, bro. You haven’t been the same since you lost Cally, but this isn’t the way to remedy the situation, taking advantage of Brikelle like this.”

“Cally?” Brikelle turned to Colt, whose expression had frozen, and his hand went slack in hers. She wanted to tell his brothers to go ski again so she could talk to Colt alone. Who was Cally? Her stomach dropped. Colt had somebody he’d lost and he wasn’t over her? A chilly breeze swept over her. She wanted to help him, but at the same time was suddenly panicky. What if he couldn’t recover from this Cally?

“You’re fake-married and she doesn’t even know about Cally?” Tate asked quietly.

“We don’t …” Colt sputtered. “I barely know her.”

“Then why are you kissing and hugging her?”

Colt looked down at her, beseeching her with his eyes.

“Oh, no, these are your brothers. You have to explain.” Somehow, it was breaking her heart that even though he was still touching her, he seemed to have distanced himself and was claiming he barely knew her. True, they didn’t know each other well, but they had kissed quite a few times and it had been brilliant. And who the heck was Cally?

Colt started explaining in a low voice. “This older lady who we’re both working for assumed we were married and Joshua, the main contractor, asked us to play along for a while so we could get a whole load of jobs.”

“You’re a sell-out liar?” Brody asked. “What happened to my straight-laced brother who I’ve always looked up to and has worked his butt off to be successful without any help from anybody?”

Colt shook his head. “It’s not like that. I haven’t actually lied and we’re going to straighten the lady out soon.”

Brody and Tate both looked sternly at him.

“Okay, you’re right.” Colt released his grip on her. “It’s just, this is a really big deal for my guys. I’ve got a slow spell after this huge job and I don’t want to have to lay somebody off. Plus, Brikelle is just out of college and it would be a huge in for her. I promise you I didn’t lie. Joshua did the lying and it was already a mess before Brikelle or I could open our mouths.”

Brikelle felt bad for the way his brothers were grilling him. “Don’t look at him like that. He’s not doing this for himself, but for me and his crew,” she said.

Brody relaxed his stiff stance and Tate blew out a breath.

“Okay, okay,” Brody finally muttered. “I guess if you have to be fake-married you did a good job picking a wife.”

Brikelle wasn’t sure if she should thank him or how to react.

“I’m skiing.” Tate pointed at Colt. “Maybe it’s time for you to have another serious conversation and tell her about Cally while we’re distracted; then you can ski and we can all eat. You went to Eats, right?”

“Yeah, but Momma’s going to get grumpy if you don’t eat her enchiladas.”

Tate grinned. “Always room for an Eats sandwich and Momma’s enchiladas. Wouldn’t dare upset Momma.”

Colt relaxed into the padded bench as Tate got ready to ski and Brody moved to the front to drive. Brikelle sat quietly next to him, the closeness they’d gained from him understanding her dog fears was gone.

The boat started up, and within seconds Tate was skiing.

“I’m sorry,” Colt began, clasping his hands together. “I’ve been much too … casual with you. And my brothers are right, it’s not a good situation.”

Brikelle stiffened. She’d gotten comfortable with him much too quickly and now he was going to pull away from her. They weren’t even together in the first place, so why did she feel like a balloon that had just been popped? “I didn’t mind the casual,” she admitted.

A ghost of a smile flashed across his face. “Neither did I.”

“Who’s Cally?” she asked.

He glanced behind him. Brikelle also turned and watched the fluid movements of Tate’s skiing. “Tate’s not cutting as deep as he could.”

She recognized the deflection, but let him have the time to compose himself. “He’s still an amazing skier.”

“He should be, with all the time we’ve spent on this lake.”

“Are you a good skier?”

“I guess you’ll see in a few minutes.” He forced a smile, but it fell flat.

“I’d really like to hear about Cally first.”

Colt blew out a breath. “Curse Brody for bringing her up.”

“Did she … die?” Brikelle whispered.

Colt did smile then. “No. She’s just my …” He pushed a hand through his hair. “We’ve been friends since we were in kindergarten. I was smitten with her from the start and we’d committed to love each other forever by the time we were in the eighth grade.” He focused in on Brikelle. “I just assumed we’d get married after we both finished college, but she had bigger plans than Eden Valley and … me.”

“She broke your heart?”

“Just changed my plans.” He rubbed his thumb across his clasped palms.

“Where is she?”

“Chicago.”

“What does she do?”

His smile was definitely forced now. “Interior design.”

“Oh. And she’s doing well?” She didn’t like sharing a career choice with a woman who had hurt Colt.

“From what I hear.”

“How long ago did she leave?”

“It’s been five years,” he muttered.

Holy cow. This guy was damaged. “And you haven’t dated?”

“I’ve dated. I just haven’t found anyone I wanted to … get serious with.”

She nodded. Her chest tightened, and she clasped her hands together. “I can see why you’d apologize for kissing me when you’re obviously still in love with Cally,” she said stiffly.

His head snapped up. “That is not why I apologized.”

She tilted her head and lifted her eyebrows.

“It has nothing to do with Cally. I apologized because my brothers called me out on the fact that I’m not treating you with respect. You deserve to be treated, like my momma trained me to treat a lady. You deserve to be taken on original dates, taken on expensive dates, kissed when I have earned the privilege of knowing you well enough to have earned your trust. I apologized because I stole what I didn’t deserve.”

Brikelle reared back slightly. His speech and the fervor behind it had her heart thumping a little faster. Maybe he was over this Cally person. He seemed to really care about Brikelle, and not for the sake of getting steady work from a billionaire. She laid her hand over his, and he turned his palm up and interlaced their fingers. “I accept your apology, and as your wife I think you can have the right to take me on all those dates and earn the privilege of kissing me.”

Colt grinned, sending tingles throughout her body.

The boat eased to a stop. Once again, the skier was done, and rather than watch the athletic performance, all Brikelle had done was focus on Colt. “Your turn, bro,” Brody called back.

“You okay if I leave you alone with these two?” Colt asked.

“I don’t think they’ll bite.”

Brody laughed loudly at that. “You never know.”

Colt stood and slid his shirt off. Brikelle had just watched both his brothers do the same thing and they both had nice builds, but somehow it was completely different with Colt. His muscles were smooth and just manly and attractive. His stomach wasn’t some washboard like he wasted all day doing ab workouts, but it was flat and defined and her eyes were darting from his stomach to his chest to his shoulders. It was all eye candy, and she’d just found her sweet tooth.

“You wanna borrow my GoPro?” Brody asked from behind her. She turned to see him grinning. “You can take the view home with you.”

Brikelle rolled her eyes and said, “I was just thinking I could recommend a good waxing specialist for that patch of hair on his chest.”

Tate and Brody both rolled with laughter. Colt arched an eyebrow at her. “You don’t like my hairy chest?” It really wasn’t that hairy, just a nice bit that she found rather attractive. She didn’t really get into guys that waxed and shaved themselves.

“I was teasing.”

He zipped up his life jacket so she could stop staring so unabashedly. “Okay. Let me show you how to ski.”

Tate and Brody both laughed again at that. Brikelle moved to a side seat so she could watch him better. He slid into the water with his ski and Tate threw him the rope. Brody started the engine and pulled the slack out. Colt yelled “Hit it!” and Brikelle was mesmerized by the way his lean body cut through the water. He was obviously very athletic and he would cut so low that his shoulder looked like it was skimming the water, or he’d put his fingers out and touch the spray.

“He’s showing off,” Tate said.

Brikelle hadn’t noticed he’d sat so close to her. “He’s unreal.”

“Yeah.” He paused for half a beat. “Hey, don’t worry about the Cally thing. He’s smart enough to realize she isn’t worth the pain. I used to worry she’d show back up and he’d fall into her trap again, but now he has you.”

Brikelle kept her eyes on Colt, but couldn’t help asking, “He still loves her?”

Tate didn’t answer. Finally she glanced at him. He met her gaze and shrugged. “Did you have a first love?”

“Back in high school. Now it seems really dumb to me.”

“Those two were basically promised from the time they were five. Hard to let something like that go.” Then he muttered under his breath, “And that brat assumes he’ll wait until her hair turns gray and her teeth fall out, and she finally decides she’s ready to settle down.”

Brikelle was taken aback by the vehemence in Tate’s voice. It was reassuring that his brother didn’t seem to like this Cally person, but wouldn’t Colt wait for the girl he’d sworn himself to? She hoped he was over Cally, because even though this whole marriage had been thrown on her, she really wanted to get to know him, see if there was a chance they could date and have a connection, something real. She focused on the water skier who had gone from the owner of a scary beast to someone she liked being around, and especially liked kissing. Hopefully there was someplace their relationship could go.