The Sweetheart Sham Page 5

I rest my hand on his arm, which everyone notices. It’s like their eyes hyperzoom in on my hand. This must be what a monkey at a zoo feels like. “It was only a plant, though.”

  Will pats my hand with a smile. “Then she yelled at me for being, what’d you call me? ‘An idiot who couldn’t find his butt from a hole in the ground.’ So sweet this one.”

  “I was emotional.”

  Will touches my nose. “I know.”

  The family collectively seems to sigh. We are selling this and they are buying it, hook, line, and sinker. Guess all those years of us being so close as friends have paid off.

  “Anyway, she was going on and on. I couldn’t get her to stop talking so I kissed her, right there in the middle of the lake.”

  There’s an excited chatter in the air, as Will pushes a piece of my hair behind my ear. I hadn’t even realized it was falling down from its ponytail. “Then we got to talking,” I say. “I confessed that I’d always been curious about us.”

  Will looks away toward his momma. “I told her that I had been too, but I didn’t want to be the first to say it.”

  “Now here we are, but we’re taking it slow,” I say, emphasizing that last word as much as I possibly can. Slow and lifelong destiny aren’t going to go over well with this bunch.

  Will takes my hand, and a half a dozen eyes look down. Eyes from very, very happy people. “I’m taking her out on our first official date this Friday,” Will adds, looking at Momma. “That is, if you can spare her from the wedding planning this time. I know there’s a bunch to do.”

  Momma’s smile is so big her face looks like it could break. “Yes, we can. It’s no worry at all!” I’ve made her freaking year.

  Then they’re all hugging us again, and everyone is so overjoyed I feel a little guilty that we’re such good fibbers. I almost believed us. Everyone is pouring tea and passing out glasses. The whole family is talking to each other, some about us, some about the wedding, and I hear Mrs. M explaining to the Stanguards how the Monroes and Montgomerys have never been able to get together in the past.

  I look at Will, his hand still in mine as he talks to Drew, and I wonder if he feels any of this dirtiness that they’re all celebrating our lie. He was right—this ending will crush them. But there’s no going back now.

  Then I hear Hank Montgomery’s deep voice cut through everything. “Son, you’re here!”

  “Beau Montgomery, what on earth!” someone, I think it’s Will’s mom, says with a squeal. I can’t single it out because my heart seems to stop beating.

  Everyone scoots toward the patio entrance and gathers around. Will drops my hand to move closer.

  And then I see him.

  He’s standing behind Mrs. M next to his dad, a big smile on his face, and he’s tall. Real tall. His dark hair is longer and nearly falling into his hazel eyes, definitely a length that Orry won’t like much. His jaw is strong, some muscles pressing under his polo.

  He looks nothing like the boy I remember.

  And suddenly I’m a little self-conscious. What am I wearing today? I can’t even remember. I could look down but that would mean looking away from him, and then maybe when I look back he won’t be there. I don’t know if he even sees me, but I see him. Clearly. After more than two years of nothing.

  “Beau, is that you, boy?” Orry calls. Beau steps around the rest of the family toward his grandpa. He’s closer now, and I can get a better look at his face. My eyes explore his features and rest on his lips, which break out into a small smile and—Dang, is it hot out here?

  “Hello, Granddad.” Orry pulls him into a hug and Beau has to lean over to reach him properly. Orry looks like a kid in his arms.

  Cheese and rice, even his voice is sexy. Deeper but still with a familiar feeling that it stirs up in me, and an accent with a hint of Georgia twang instead of South Carolina cadence.

  I like it. Lord help me, I like it.

  Orry holds him out at arm’s length and examines him before giving him a pat on the shoulder. “You look more like your daddy than I expected. How tall are you?”

  “Six one, sir,” Beau says.

  “You look good, grandson, real good. Atlanta treating you well?”

  “Yes, sir, it is.”

  I want to move, but I can’t. My feet are stuck to the ground, not that I should move anyway. I don’t reckon I trust myself around him. Especially not right now when I’m not sure if I want to hug him or kick him somewhere that would hurt. I’d do a good job of it, too, and make darn sure my kick was as painful as him not showing up that night.

  “When’s your momma coming?” Mrs. M asks him.

  “Not until closer to the wedding,” he says.

  I watch as Will hugs him. They’re both smiling, and it reminds me of before when he was here. They were inseparable—we were—and now I’m just standing here like an idiot. Which I am.

  Will looks in my direction, and then Beau’s eyes are on me, too. It’s even worse when he’s looking at me, especially now with a hidden glimmer in them. It’s not how he said hello to the others; it’s almost like his eyes hadn’t seen me before, and now he’s hyperaware. Just like I’ve been since his dad yelled his name.

  He takes a step toward me.

  I’m pretty sure my heart skips a beat.

  Beau was never supposed to be anything more than a friend, but it happened anyway. We were a brief moment, a secret, almost too fleeting to mention; I’d wanted to tell Will so many times, but then it was long over. I thought it was better to forget there ever even was an “us.” But now, with him here in front of me, it’s all rushing back; it’s still a big unfinished puzzle that’s lost some of the pieces.

  “Georgia Ann, you look great.”

  I inhale when he says my name, and try to play it off, but it is some kind of torture.

  “You too,” I say, and then he scoops me into a hug. I’m a mouse against a mountain—how did he get so tall? Despite knowing that I shouldn’t, I let myself relax into his arms. I let myself gather the scent of him and store it away in my head. (Musk and sugar cane and spearmint.) And darn it all but when he pulls away I wish he hadn’t. He’s looking at me again in a weird silence. I’m not sure how to speak; I don’t even know if I could or should or what would come out.

  Orry comes up and touches Beau’s shoulder. “Now that everyone’s here, let’s eat.”

  Will grabs my hand as we follow the family inside. My hands are sweaty from nerves and from Beau, but I hold on to Will’s hand as if it’s keeping me anchored. “Did you know he was coming so early?”

  “Yeah, he mentioned it,” Will whispers. “He’ll be here all summer.”

  “All summer?” I say, a little too loudly. He can’t be here all summer. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “He wanted it to be a surprise.”

  “I hate surprises.”

  “I know,” Will says. We stop before the patio and he touches my cheek. “What’s going on?”

  I steal a glance at Beau walking toward the door.

  The shock of seeing him is wearing off now, and anger boils under the surface. Lord knows I don’t want to be mad at him. I don’t want to be anything at him, but I am.

  “Nothing,” I say. “Nothing at all.”

  Chapter Five

  Beau

  I steal another glance at Georgia Ann over my shoulder. She’s standing next to Will. She’s prettier than I remember and that dress is hot. Polka dots are definitely her thing. Her flip-flops have sparkles, and I’m sure her mom hates that. She’s totally the same, and yet more.

  When I hugged her, I still felt like I did the first time I kissed her. For months I’d tried to find the right moment, waited in anticipation, and then it was over. But I replayed that for days, I lived off those seconds of her lips on mine. That hug brought up those same feelings. I want to hug her again. She’s half my size, but somehow it worked. I felt those few seconds through my whole body.

  When she talked to me, wow. Her voice hit me right
in the gut. She’s so Southern. Had she always sounded like that, or is it a new thing that’s changed since I’ve been gone?

  Her eyes are sparkling blue. Have they always been that blue?

  She’s more beautiful than I’d remembered, which barely feels possible.

  It’s all I can do not to stare.

  Will’s hand runs down her cheek.

  What is that?

  Granddad pats my back hard. “It’s good to see you, Grandson. You’ve been missed around here.”

  “I’ve missed you and this place,” I tell him. He leads me toward the house, forcing me to drift my gaze.

  “Well, you’re home now, boy,” he says.

  We cross into the house and Dad greets me at the door. Granddad shares a look with him before dropping me into the lion’s den. Shit. Here we go.

  Dad sips his drink. His hair is grayer than last time I saw him, and there are dark circles under his eyes. Otherwise, he hasn’t changed. I’m a few inches taller than him now. I like that I have that over him.

  In our silence, I take in the house. The walls are still the same old pearl-colored wallpaper. Old chestnut bookcases with books no one reads. Family pictures in gold frames line the walls. This house is history. Not only mine, but the whole Montgomery line. The estate has seen more than even Grandad knows.

  “Glad you’re here,” he finally says. I want to believe him but he’s not convincing me.

  I shrug. “Yeah, I missed the family.”

  Dad nods back. I don’t know what to say to him, so we stand there in an awkward silence. I don’t know him anymore; he doesn’t know me, either.

  “I got you in the basketball camp. Starts next week,” Dad says.

  “Great. Thanks.” I’m glad to have something to do that isn’t be here all day, with him.

  My eyes scan the room for Georgia Ann, but she’s not inside yet. I want to talk to her again; I need to know that she can forgive me for what I did. I don’t want that hug, that moment, to be the only one we have all summer. If I can get her to be friends with me again, to start over, then this summer is going to be perfect.

  Drew comes up to us and hugs me. “Come meet Emma Claire.”

  As we walk, I keep looking for Georgie. Her blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her smile. I want to talk to her, really talk to her. What if she refuses? I know I have a long way to go. If I can tell her everything, then maybe we can move forward. That’s why I’m here, that’s what I want. I can’t imagine being here and not around her. She’s part of what makes Culler.

  Drew stops beside a short redhead. “Emma Claire, this is my cousin, Beau.”

  “I’ve heard a lot about you.” She shakes my hand. “Nice to meet finally you.”

  “You too. Welcome to the family.”

  She laughs. “Thank you. This is a really big night for the Montgomerys. I don’t know if our wedding can handle the pressure.” Drew pulls her closer.

  “How so?” I ask.

  Drew’s eyes are wide. “Oh, you must’ve missed it. Will and Georgie are dating.”

  My whole body stiffens. It feels like a knife in my back, a knee to the balls, and getting the wind knocked out of me all at once. I had to have heard that wrong.

  My heart relocates up to my throat when I look toward the door. Her hand is wrapped up in Will’s. Their fingers are laced together. This shouldn’t hurt, but it does. I knew she wouldn’t have waited for me. Hell, it’s not like I thought we’d get back together, but Georgia Ann and Will? I knew they were friends. He’s never told me he liked her that way. I guess I don’t know everything. But still…I did not expect this.

  Granddad ushers them into the dining room past me; I try not to look at Georgia Ann because I know I’d betray myself.

  Keep it together, Montgomery. You’ve got this.

  Drew shakes his head. “Glad you’re home.”

  “Me too,” I mutter as I follow everyone else to the table. At least I was.

  Georgia Ann’s eye catches mine, and for a second, it feels like she’s searching me for something. Whatever it is, she looks away quickly and takes a seat. I scoot past Drew. Somehow I end up sitting across the table from the newest happy couple.

  Dinner is full of conversation. Some of it is toward me, some about the wedding, but most is about them. The family recalls stories about Will and Georgia Ann when they were little, conveniently leaving out the third player. They ask about some date tomorrow. Granddad rambles on about the future of the Montgomery line. Even Drew gets in on the conversation.

  Dad looks at me a couple of times, and I wish he wouldn’t. All this talk about weddings and love only reminds me of what he did to Ma. And then thinking of Ma makes me feel guilty for not being able to give her my blessing to move on. Will and Georgia Ann don’t say anything unless they’re asked. She shifts in her seat a little too much and not once through dinner does she look at me, even though I’m right across from her.

  “What changed?” I ask suddenly. It’s the first thing I’ve said without being prompted all night. Mrs. Monroe and Aunt Madison pass out cheesecake. “Georgia Ann?”

  She looks at me finally.

  I don’t know why I’m asking. Maybe I want to let her beat me up a little. “What changed? You used to say Will was more like your brother.”

  She smiles, but under that her eyes are a challenge. I know that fire when I see it. “Yes, well, I reckon I grew up and saw what was right in front of me all along.”

  “In the last week?”

  Georgia Ann narrows her eyes on me. “It was mighty scary to admit that I had feelings for my best friend. What if it didn’t work out? What if he didn’t feel the same?”

  Part of me feels like she’s talking about me, about that summer. We had those same questions back then.

  “Now ’course he felt the same,” Granddad says.

  “So you’re together now?” I ask.

  Georgia Ann nods. “Yes, Beauregard.” She says it just to piss me off; Georgia Ann knows I don’t like my full name. “We’re together now and we’re happy about it. The greatest romances start with your best friend.”

  Will pipes in with a smile directed toward her. “I think so, too.”

  “It’s sweet,” Aunt Madison says.

  I shrug, taking a bite of my cheesecake. “It’s strange, that’s all.”

  “You’re not here, so you wouldn’t know what’s strange or not,” Georgia Ann snaps at me. I don’t miss her tone. She has every right to be pissed about that night, but once I can explain it, she’ll understand. She has to if we ever want to be friends again.

  “Well,” Granddad says, crossing his arms, “Drew is marrying this lovely girl. My long-lost grandson is home where he belongs, and finally, a Montgomery and a Monroe have a chance. This will be the greatest summer this town has ever seen.”

  I don’t think he meant it to be a toast, but Uncle Ben raises his glass. “To summer.”

  The rest of the family joins him in unity.

  Between raised glasses, I catch a glimpse of Georgia Ann shooting eye darts at me. I tilt the glass to her directly, and then she plants a kiss on Will’s cheek.

  God help me. If he wasn’t my blood, I’d punch him.

  …

  After dinner, I retreat to my truck to get my bags. Really, I need a second. I came here partly for Georgia Ann. I need her forgiveness and her friendship. That’s all I wanted, but now that I’ve seen her, I realize I did hope there was a chance for more than just being her friend. That’s gone now.

  Georgia Ann and Will.

  Will and Georgia Ann.

  Together.

  I have to get used to that. For some reason, even while the others in town used to dream about them, I never saw it. I saw me with her. I guess I was wrong on both counts. I was a fool to think I could come home and be welcomed back like nothing happened. Everything has happened.

  No sense in pouting about it. I’m still home with Dad, and that’s enough for me to deal with.

>   I grab my two bags and slam the door to my truck. Georgia Ann appears outside the front door, alone. Our eyes are pulled to each other. I can’t get a break. She stands up straighter and tucks a piece of her ponytail behind her ear.

  “Hey,” I say, walking toward her.

  She shakes her head at me. “Don’t ‘hey’ me, Beau Montgomery.”

  “What?”

  Georgia Ann takes a step toward me, her strawberry scent rushing over my senses. “What was that in there? You were acting like some dog marking your territory.”

  “You’re not my territory.” Anymore.

  “And don’t you forget it. You left, and now I’m with Will.”

  “I know that. It just surprised me a little.”

  “Surprise? Let’s talk about surprise,” she says. The tips of her ears turn red and I know I’m about to get it. “You stood me up and left without even a good-bye.”

  A lump forms in my throat. “Georgia Ann—”

  She puts up a hand. “What’d you think, I’d wait for you for two years?”

  “No.”

  “I waited once, and you broke my heart.”

  It broke mine, too. In more ways than she knows.

  “I’m sorry.”

  She straightens her shoulders. “It doesn’t so much matter anymore. I’m with Will. You’ll be seeing us together a lot so don’t think you get to act that way all the time, because I tell you right now it ain’t flying.”

  I lift my hands in surrender. “I won’t, I swear. You’re his girl now. I respect that. I overstepped in there, so I’m sorry. I just hope I can be your friend, Georgia Ann.”

  “I’ll have to think on that a little,” she says. “I’m not sure I want to be your friend.”

  I give her my best Montgomery smile. “Aw, come on. You can’t stay mad at this face for the whole summer.”

  She cracks, but only for a moment. “I’m immune to the Montgomery charm.”

  “Really? It worked for Will.”

  “I guess he uses it better.” She says it like it’s no big deal, shrugs it off, but knowing that Will is with her now makes my stomach curdle.

  “Maybe I’m rusty,” I add, trying not to sound bitter.