Boyfriend for Hire Read online

  “Mr. Right. I haven’t said anything to Jason yet. I don’t know how Brody will take it. It’s been a couple years since they split up, but honestly, I think he’s still hung up on her,” Cherry whispered as they got closer to the others.

  All eyes were on them as she and Cherry approached the circle. Talk about awkward. Her father rose from his chair, came over and put his arm around Tawny’s shoulders, steering her next to Ivan.

  “Ah, querida, you look ravishing.” Ivan took her hand in his, raised it to his lips, and brushed a kiss across the back.

  “Ivan, what a surprise. My mother didn’t mention you would be joining us. I take it you’ve met everyone. Can I get you anything to drink?”

  “Simply seeing you quenches my thirst.”

  Behind her Cherry made gagging sounds, which Tawny ignored. “That’s so sweet.” If not a little, okay, a lot cheesy. She tugged her hand free and stuck both behind her back before he tried anything else. Turning, she greeted their other guest. “David, if I’d known you were going to make it tonight, I would have brought the new batch of cookies Mrs. Spinelli made you.”

  He held his ground between Jason and Gramps. “No worries. I can stop by and pick them up later. Or we could share them or these.” He held up a bakery box with a wicked twinkle in his eye and mischievous grin that told her he would be happy to jump into his role as pretend boyfriend. Although she wasn’t too sure she wanted the relationship to be fake anymore.

  It wouldn’t go anywhere. Short-term was David’s middle name. In it for the good times and gone the minute things turned serious, although maybe a few weeks of no-strings fun wasn’t such a bad idea. She could use a little more play, a little less work in her life. Or at least that was what everyone kept telling her.

  “Are those the vanilla with chocolate buttercream frosting?”

  “Yep.”

  A small groan slipped past her lips.

  Mama guided Ivan to an empty chair next to her dad’s. “David is practically Tawny’s brother. His best friend, Jason, is marrying Cherry, who has been Tawny’s best friend since the first day of school. See, we are one big family.” She laughed like a schoolgirl crushing on the new boy.

  So wrong when it was your mom. Not to mention casting David in the role of her brother. Eww. Especially when the visions floating through her head were not of loving sister-brother moments.

  “Tawny, get Ivan a drink. Can’t you see the man is hot?”

  Yeah, because he came to a summer party dressed in a three-piece suit.

  “I’ll get it. T, you want water or beer?” David asked as he inspected the inside of the cooler sitting a foot away from her mother.

  “Beer.” Not that it would help. Maybe if she drank a six-pack she could blur this night from her memory before it went any further.

  David twisted the cap off her bottle and handed it to her before tossing Ivan’s to him. He had set the bakery box on the picnic table, and her eyes kept straying to the words on the side: Come Sin with Us. She’d like to do exactly that with David, definitely not with the pretty boy whose gaze found her every now and then as he chatted up her brother. David, on the other hand, stood by her side, body angled toward her as he answered Jason’s questions. Every few seconds his hand brushed her side, back, arm, always letting her know he was there.

  Out of the corner of her eye she watched her parents. Her mother had her head bent close to her father’s head, whispering, but the hands, pursed lips, and darting glances in Tawny’s direction gave the topic of their discussion away. Once again, she’d disappointed her mother.

  Tawny laughed at something the guys said, taking her cue from their reactions, and shook her head at Cherry’s quizzical look. This night was about her friends, and she wouldn’t spoil their celebration.

  Grams stepped to the side of the open kitchen door to let Alex out and yelled, “Food’s ready.”

  “What about Brody and Mateo? Shouldn’t we wait for them?” Cherry got up from her chair of honor and told Jason she was going to help carry the food out.

  “Sit, niña. This is for you, tonight you relax and have fun. Mateo is stuck in traffic, and that Brody . . .” She sighed. “He’s probably still at his office. If we wait for him, we’ll all be old and turned to dust.”

  Without waiting to be told, Tawny headed to the kitchen, aware of her daughterly duties. She’d made it to the steps before she realized David was right behind her. “David, what are you doing?”

  “Helping.”

  “Such a good boy.” Her mother patted his cheek, actually patted it like she did to Tawny’s nephews. “You go sit, relax with the other men.”

  “Ma’am, my mother would kick me in the arse if I sat on mine while you ladies did all the work.” He bent over a bowl on the table, taking a deep sniff, and smiled. “Besides, you gorgeous creatures should be the ones relaxing. This is a spread fit for a king.”

  The women laughed and Grams kissed David on the cheek, making him turn several shades of red. Together they got all the food outside in record time. Amazing how fast the work went when someone strong enough to carry trays helped out. They had set up several tables to accommodate the large number tonight, plus the food.

  As she and David sat the last tray of food on the table, Jason stepped up to David and clamped his hand on David’s shoulder. “Uh, Dave?”

  Tawny and David turned to see a stressed look on Jason’s face and followed his gaze to the gate. She studied the trio entering the backyard. She’d not met any of them yet, but guessing by their features they had to be David’s parents and Brody’s mom. The taller woman with the darker hair and streaks of gray had to be Mrs. Nichols. Even from this distance she’d recognize those soulful eyes of Brody’s.

  Interestingly enough, the other two looked like a couple as they walked close enough for shoulders to bump. David’s mom’s face brightened up when her gaze landed on her son, but it only lasted a fraction of a second as she made her way across the lawn. At no more than five-four, with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes, she could have passed for David’s sister. Except he didn’t have siblings. The man, Mr. Farber, was an older version of the son, with hair the same shade of dark blond, nearly a foot taller than his ex-wife, and a build she wouldn’t have expected of someone who drove a truck for eighteen hours a day.

  She heard David mutter “this should be fun” before he and Jason met them halfway. Hugs were passed out, the men shook hands, and then Jason made the introductions to the rest of the group.

  Mrs. Farber and then Mrs. Nichols wrapped both guys in hugs and had to wipe the corners of their eyes as they talked to Jason. Then they wrapped Cherry in their arms and more tears leaked. Clearly they were thrilled to see one of their boys finally take the plunge.

  “We’re so glad you could make it,” Tawny squeezed out between hugs from the women.

  “Are you kidding?” Mrs. Farber asked. “I wouldn’t miss tonight even if I had to walk here. My car is acting up. Thankfully Scott swung by and picked me up, and then we stopped to get Dena,” she explained.

  “Mom, if you’d called, I would have picked you both up,” David said. “I’ll stop by tomorrow and take a look at the car for you.”

  “Oh, no need. Your father already figured out the problem and fixed it.” She blushed as she looked at her ex-husband. “We just figured since he was already there, well, no point taking two cars.”

  Tawny’s mom invited everyone to sit and eat before the food got cold.

  As the others made their way to the food table, Tawny leaned into Cherry and whispered, “They don’t look or sound like two people who hate each other.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. Maybe they buried the hatchet?”

  “At least it wasn’t in each other.” Tawny grinned and offered drinks and her place at the “grown-ups’ table” to the parents.

  All three declined and said they’d sit at the other table and help with the little ones. George, Alex, and the kids had claimed the larger
of the two round tables and made room. Tawny had really hoped Matty would have been there already, then she could have sat with him and avoided Ivan. Cherry and Jason sat at the picnic table and motioned her over to join them. As usual, her father sat at the end, like the laird of the castle. The Ryans were between her dad and Cherry with Jason at the end.

  On the other side was a space next to her father for her mom, and then Ivan, leaving room for her and David. Oh joy, she was going to be the stuffing in the middle of a testosterone sandwich.

  “I’m glad they’re both here.” Jason glanced over to the other table before continuing. “You think they’re going to be okay sitting together?”

  “Yeah, they’ll behave for you. Something doesn’t make sense, though. We’ll talk about it later.” David gave his parents a quick look before turning his attention back to their table.

  “How are the wedding plans coming along?” Ivan asked the bride and groom-to-be.

  The lovebirds grinned like the cat that swallowed the canary. “Thanks to Tawny’s efficient planning and attention to detail, perfect. It’s going to be my dream when I walk down the aisle to Jason’s side.” Cherry flashed her friend a smile that showed her gratitude and happiness.

  “Then you solved your problem. That is wonderful news.” He turned to Tawny. “Now you have time for our date. I will pick you up tomorrow at seven.”

  Again, the man didn’t ask, he told her what she was going to do. If he only had a clue how much his alpha routine pissed her off.

  Across the table she heard Jason asking Cherry what problem had been solved. When Cherry shook her head, Ivan filled him in. “I’m sorry you won’t be able to say your vows in the same church as your parents. Tradition is important to uphold. Honoring your parents is a noble quest, although there are times it is impossible to follow in their footsteps. I’m sure they would understand.”

  Jason’s beer shot out his nose and he wheezed out a thanks. Grams sat with a dumbfounded look on her face. Gramps, bless him, grinned as he patted Cherry on the back and said “that’s my girl.” And David squeezed her hand under the table. He had no idea what Ivan was talking about, as it was clear Jason hadn’t been told the story, but still, he reminded her he was there for her.

  Which was a good thing, as her mother looked like she wanted to kill both her and Cherry.

  “Ivan, I’m terribly sorry, but tomorrow isn’t good. I’m scheduled to work for Habitat for Humanity. After putting in a full day there, well, let’s just say if it came down to me or a zombie as the most entertaining, I’d go home without a blue ribbon.”

  Hopefully he’d take the hint, as she’d come up with excuses twice now as to why she couldn’t go out with him. By the look of his brows scrunched together, he didn’t get it. Great. If he’d asked her in private she would have told him the truth. But nope, he had to go and put her on the spot in front of everyone. Regardless of what was or was not happening between her and David, she had no desire to go out with Ivan, nor did she want to hurt his feelings.

  “I don’t understand. Surely some other woman can fill your spot bringing the men drinks and taking care of food,” he said.

  “No, you don’t,” Gramps muttered under his breath while he dug into his food.

  “Shush, Daniel. The girl can handle it.” Grams shoulder-bumped Gramps to make sure he heard her. When he acknowledged her, she excused herself to check on something in the kitchen.

  All eyes were on Ivan, except her mother, who glared at Tawny like the time she accidentally dropped the d-word in church one year. Thank goodness she was too old to get her butt paddled now.

  Under the table, David gently patted Tawny’s leg, bringing her attention to him. A wink and a quick smile cooled her temper and sent her heart skipping happily along.

  “No one waits on anyone. In the few weeks since Tawny started working with us, she’s become an integral part of our team and is a marksman with the nail gun.”

  No, Ivan didn’t get it at all, but she saw who did, and it didn’t shock her at all. David played the aloof, simple, good-times guy like a pro, rarely letting people see the layers below that hid his observant, brilliant, and quick mind. She’d seen it countless times in the past few weeks.

  Cherry started laughing. “I’m not the least bit surprised, girlfriend.”

  “If you get tired of event planning, come work for Valentine Rehab. Bobby can’t shoot the gun for squat and you’re a lot prettier than he is,” Jason said.

  “You won’t hear any complaints from me, boss man.” David raised his beer bottle, and he and Jason clicked the long necks together in salute.

  Before she or Ivan could say anything, further shrieks of delights pealed across the backyard as the little ones jumped down from the seats and raced across the yard. Tawny turned in time to see Mateo swing Georgie around to his back and then grab Danny in one arm and Tommy in the other.

  A tall, lithe, blond man walked next to Mateo laughing at something one of the boys said. Well, here goes the grand reveal. Her family had always been close, strong, and she knew without a doubt when one of them needed the other, they would be there. At the same time, her parents were old-fashioned in their ways, hence her mother trying to set her up with a husband, and held strong Catholic beliefs. Even though she’d disappointed her mother time and time again, she knew deep down it was only because her mother wanted what was best for her and for her to be happy. Katia Torres put her family first.

  Jumping up from her seat, Tawny met the guys halfway to the picnic table. She gave Mateo a quick hug while whispering “two thumbs up” in his ear. Turning to the other man, she held out her hand. “Hello there, handsome. Welcome.”

  “I like your family already, Mateo.” His crisp British accent sent waves of delight through Tawny.

  Really, all men should come with an Irish, Scottish, British, or Australian accent. It’d be so much easier to overlook their faults then.

  “Ooh, love your accent. If you ever get tired of Matty here and decide to switch sides, give me a call.”

  Mateo rolled his eyes and Alastair laughed, yet she could see they were both nervous in the quick glances toward the others, their stiff posture, and the distance they kept between them. It looked like they were expecting the stampede from Jumanji to come charging through at any minute. Although she was sure the drums beating were either her heart or Matty’s.

  As she took up the other side of Alastair, the trio faced the others. Her father’s eyes searched the two of them, gaze shifting back and forth. Her mother looked Alastair up and down and then glanced at Tawny. The woman’s gears had clicked on and Tawny could practically read her mother’s mind. If things didn’t work out with Ivan, here was another candidate for her daughter.

  So sorry, gonna disappoint you again, Mom.

  “Sorry we’re late. Traffic on 95. The Friday afternoon escape from Boston and summer coming to a close are never a good combination.” Mateo was rambling, a sure sign of his nerves.

  Tawny got it. Her brother didn’t know how to introduce his boyfriend. He’d never brought anyone home before. Tawny stepped in. “Mom, Dad, everyone, this is Alastair Hollingsberry, Mateo’s—”

  “Boyfriend,” her brother spat out. “We’ve been dating for the last six months, and I thought it was time he came home and met the family.” The words rushed out of his mouth, leaving him holding his breath at the end. Tawny just hoped he didn’t pass out.

  Cherry was the first to pop up from the table and come greet Alastair with a hug. “Welcome to the family.” Grams followed her and introduced the entire group, giving Tawny’s parents a few minutes to process. George and Alex retrieved their minions, hugged Mateo, and welcomed Alastair. Jason shook both men’s hands, pointed to the food and invited them to join in.

  David, her true knight on this day, handed both a beer, shook Alastair’s hand, and slapped Mateo on the back. “Meeting the parents. Does this mean Tawny has another event to plan?”

  Tawny’s mouth dropped
. “David.”

  Mateo turned ten shades of red, while Alastair looked at her brother all moony-eyed.

  “Not just yet. We wanted our families’ blessings first.” Mateo glanced at his mom and dad while everyone around them held their breath.

  Her mom was the first to recover and respond. Her hands shot to her mouth as a squeal squeaked out. One minute she was sitting and the next she had wrapped Mateo in a mama bear hug, crying. “My baby boy is getting married? Jorge, did you hear? Your son is engaged. Come give the boys your blessing. Oh, mijo, I’m so happy for you.”

  Her father didn’t move. “Hmm. You should eat before everything gets cold. Your mother and Kitty worked hard cooking all of this for you.”

  The group moved back to take their seats, the celebratory mood chilling as her father continued to eat and ignore everyone. David pulled up a chair for the end of the table and Jason made room for Alastair to sit on their side.

  “How did you two meet?” David asked between bites of his burrito. “You into the computer spy business like Mateo?”

  An exasperated sigh slipped from her brother. “Dave, I’ve told you before, I’m not a spy.”

  “Call it what you want. You work on computers. You work for the CIA and break into other people’s computers. Sounds like a spy to me.”

  “Have to admit, Matty, being a spy does sound cooler than a computer geek.” She couldn’t resist teasing him a little. He hadn’t touched a bite of the food on his plate and their dad acted like he wasn’t even there.

  “My bank hired Mateo to audit our computers. He’s a genius with them, and we were able to prove one of our employees was stealing from our clients with his help.”

  The group murmured how wonderful her brother was and made small chitchat as they finished their food and got to know the newcomer. During the entire time, their father had remained silent, even ignoring the secondary conversation between her mother and the Ryans. Mateo did a great job glossing over their father’s snub, smiling, talking, and generally engaging with their end of the table. Ivan even participated in the discussion. However, she didn’t miss Mateo’s repeated glances in their father’s direction or the fact that he and Alastair didn’t as so much brush hands.