Holiday Hoax: Chapter 10

‘We have a lot to plan,’ Mom chirps. She puts her arm around Georgia’s shoulder. ‘Let’s go inside, and we can discuss everything you’ve ever dreamed about for your wedding.’

Panic washes over Georgia’s face, but she quickly reels it in. She nods. ‘Sounds good.’ She smiles bigger at me. ‘I’ll make sure I run all the options by you.’

Oh, hell no.

I smile back. ‘Remember we talked about this? Whatever you want, I’ll make happen, Sunshine.’

She steps closer, batting her lashes. She lowers her voice, asking, ‘Don’t you remember our conversation last night?’

‘Last night?’ I question.

She widens her eyes into that innocent expression I’m dying to see under my naked body. She answers, ‘Yes. When I told you how important it was to me that you engage in the process of planning for our big day.’

‘Engage in the—’ I clench my jaw.

So she’s going to throw the ‘engage with my family’ clause of our contract in my face?

She trails her hand down my arm, and it’s kind of hard to stay mad at her. A rush of adrenaline shoots down my spine as she coos, ‘You promised me you’d take part. Remember?’

‘Jeez, don’t be such an idiot, Sebastian. No bride wants to plan their wedding without their soon-to-be husband’s input,’ my always-perfect-at-everything sister states.

I glance at her. ‘Stay out of my business, Evelyn.’

Georgia gasps, then slides her hand on my cheek, forcing me to lock eyes with her. ‘Don’t be mean to your sister. She’s just stating the facts.’

And I’m officially upset with her again…except for my dick that’s straining against my zipper. Georgia’s hand on my body is a straight-up tease.

She steps closer and pulls my head down so her lips are near my ear. Her hot breath taunts my skin. In her sticky-sweet southern voice, she murmurs, ‘I know you’d never promise me something and not come through, Sebastian.’ She moves her face an inch from mine and pins her blues on me.

I’ve underestimated my wife-to-be. She’s something I never thought she’d be—cunning.

Game on, Ms. Peach.

I grab her ass again and tug her closer to me. ‘You’re right, Sunshine. I’ll tell you what, you get all the options together, and we’ll discuss it in bed tonight, okay?’

A flush crawls up her neck.

I add, ‘I promise I’ll go through every detail with you with a fine-toothed comb.’

More red burns her cheeks. I stare her down until she smiles and replies, ‘Perfect.’

I hold my hand on her ass for another moment, just because I want to. She’s got a round bottom that I’m starting to think God made exclusively for my palm. I’m craving to see my imprint on her juicy little cheek. I finally release her. She spins and walks away with my mom and sister. I watch her booty until I can’t see her anymore, growing harder by the second.

Alexander whistles once she’s inside. ‘Bro, you got a looker there.’

‘Sure do,’ I state, still shocked at her ability to turn the tables on me. But I’m not upset. I love nothing more than a challenge, and since I’ve met Georgia, she’s offered me plenty of them. This turn of events is refreshing. It’ll only make the month more interesting.

‘Sebastian, how long have you been dating her?’ my father asks.

I grind my molars. I knew it would only be a matter of time before he grilled me. I answer, ‘Not long, but when you know, you know. And don’t worry, Huck came over, and we signed the prenup today.’

It’s a sore topic. I argued with my father about a prenup with my first fiancée, Molly. He could see right through her and knew she only wanted a claim to the Cartwright fortune. She was the only fiancée I had who was from our town, yet she had all the aspirations to become a Dallas socialite.

I had no clue. We never got as far as negotiating a prenup. I overheard her talking to her mother about ways they were both planning to spend my family’s money once we got hitched.

After that, I never again had another girlfriend from this town and wanted to get as far away from it as possible. When I asked Kara, Cindy, then Nicky to marry me, a prenup wasn’t even a question. Negotiations were long and hellacious with all three of them.

My father nods. ‘Good. Although, she’s got spunk in her. I hope you never have to use it.’

‘I won’t,’ I claim, but my gut churns. I’ve never lied to my family on this level. And I already know they will be disappointed when they hear I’m divorced.

Annulled.

Like that little difference will make my parents any happier.

But I’ll be CEO, and my father won’t be able to hold it over my head any longer.

‘Let’s go see your brothers. They’re training a new Thoroughbred,’ my father informs me.

The racing side of our business is newer. My brothers all love horses. I used to, but I haven’t ridden in a long time. Being in the city, there aren’t a lot of opportunities, and I avoid coming home at all costs. It’s not because I don’t love my family, but I’m busy with work and can’t stand half the people in this town.

My father leads us to the stables.

Alexander states, ‘You’re in time for the race on Tuesday night. We’ve got two new ones entered.’

‘That was faster than expected, wasn’t it?’ I question. I don’t know much about this business since I spend my time developing the big money makers for our family, which are oil and cattle.

My brother Mason sees me and jumps off a horse. ‘Sebastian!’

Jagger leans against the fence and spins, then wraps his arms around me. ‘Bro, about time you got here.’

‘Where’s your woman? Mom wouldn’t stop obsessing over who you were bringing,’ Mason asks, then gives me a guy hug over the fence.

My father answers, ‘She’s inside planning their wedding for next Saturday.’

My brothers gape at me.

‘Don’t everyone speak at once,’ I tease.

‘This Saturday? As in a week?’ Jagger asks.

‘Yep. No time like the present,’ I declare.

‘Well, shit. Congratulations,’ he states.

‘You’re a crazy bastard. Mom’s going to be a basket case this week,’ Mason claims.

‘Sorry,’ I say, knowing he’s telling the truth.

‘Don’t speak about your mother that way,’ my father warns.

My brothers and I exchange a look. My father always sticks up for my mother, even though he knows we speak the truth.

I turn toward him. ‘So why did you bring me down here? What did you want to talk about?’

He points to the horse Mason was on. ‘See that horse?’

‘Yeah. He’s beautiful,’ I declare, assessing his reddish-brown coat. It’s a lot brighter than most chestnut-colored horses.

‘Your mom picked him, so I named him Red Ruby. He’s running faster than any current contenders, including Penny Lane,’ my father claims.

Penny Lane’s a Kentucky Derby favorite. I whistle. ‘For real?’

‘Yes. And I want you to sell some contracts for breeding him while his time is hot,’ Dad declares.

I groan inside and ask, ‘Why me? No offense, but that’s peanuts compared to our other businesses.’

‘Because this is another avenue you need to get your feet wet in if you’re planning on being CEO,’ he asserts.

And there’s the maybe I’ll be CEO, maybe I won’t that he’s always waving in front of me.

I cross my arms and lean against the fence. ‘And why is this important?’

Dad states, ‘A CEO needs to know all areas of his corporation.’

‘Fine. I’ll add it to the 50,000 other things taking priority before the end of the year,’ I grumble.

‘Good. I’ll see you all back at the house,’ Dad says, then pats my back and walks away.

When he’s out of earshot, Alexander offers, ‘I’ll help you line it all up. It shouldn’t take me long. I can go over it with you so he thinks you did it.’

‘Thanks,’ I reply, grateful my brother’s always had my back.

‘Just don’t fuck this next month up. Dad’s threatening to make me CEO, and you know damn well I don’t want that job,’ Alexander admits.

My brother might be smarter than me. He’s more than capable of running our corporation, but he doesn’t have the desire like I do. He wants to stay on the ranch, raise his kids, and tend to the labor side of our business.

‘I won’t,’ I promise. Then I ask all my brothers, ‘So, what’s new?’

‘Same old shit, different day,’ Mason claims.

I scoff. ‘So I take it Mom’s all over your asses about getting hitched?’

‘You got it,’ Jagger interjects.

‘You don’t want to know who she tried to hook me up with, claiming I’d have an awesome mother for the boys,’ Alexander adds.

I groan. ‘That woman’s impossible. Who was it?’

‘Teeny Tina,’ he states.

‘The vertically challenged girl?’ I ask in horror. She’s the shortest woman in town. My brothers and I are all over six feet and she barely hits four and a half feet. And it’s not Tina’s height but everything else about her. She has a super-high-pitched voice and never stops talking.

‘She’s not a midget. She’s vertically challenged,’ Mason says, trying to imitate my mother’s voice.

I chuckle. ‘Shut up. She didn’t.’

‘Oh, she did,’ Alexander says.

‘Has Mom lost her mind?’ I inquire.

Alexander shakes his head. ‘Apparently, she thinks I’m desperate. Be happy you brought home your bride-to-be. She had a slew of them ready to attend a welcome home party. The only reason she was going to throw it was to get you hitched and pumping out grandbabies.’

His statement only makes me more grateful that Georgia agreed to our arrangement. I would have gone insane if I had to deal with my mother’s matchmaking skills and constant nagging about finding a good woman.

‘Speaking of Georgia, I better go check on her. Who knows what thoughts Mom and Evelyn are putting in her head.’

‘Don’t forget about Ava, Willow, and Paisley. They’re home too. It’ll be a full-on shit-show of a trip down memory lane, starring you,’ Mason warns.

My stomach flips. Mason’s right. My sisters and mother will have Georgia filled in on my entire life, including things I’m not proud of and I’d rather not remember.

Mason and Jagger go back to training the horse while Alexander and I return to the house. Wilder runs up to me, slaps my arm, and says, ‘Tag, you’re it!’

‘Oh no you don’t!’ I declare, then run after him. I spend the next half hour playing with the kids. Then I go inside, feeling happier than I have in a while. I do miss my family.

If only they’d come to Dallas more often, I think. Then I freeze outside the kitchen door.

Ava states, ‘His second fiancée, that Kara chick, she was the most annoying. She had that whiny voice that she’d use on Sebastian when she wanted something. It drove me nuts.’

‘I beg to differ. I would rather have listened to her than the third one, Cindy. She was horrible. Remember how she made him hire a team of people to do her hair and makeup every day she was here? As if anyone around the ranch cared about her appearance,’ Paisley interjects.

Willow groans but adds, ‘She was horrible. At least Sebastian got smarter on the fourth one.’

‘How is that?’ Georgia asks.

I cringe inside. I should interrupt this conversation, but it’s like I can’t move. Maybe I’m a sucker for punishment, eavesdropping and not stopping it. Yet no matter how much I will myself to step into the room, I can’t.

‘She wanted a prenup gift,’ Willow informs her.

‘Sorry?’ Georgia asks, confused.

Ava interjects, ‘Nicky tried to get Sebastian to buy her a limited-edition Porsche for signing the prenup.’

‘Wow,’ Georgia replies.

My mother voices, ‘I think Molly’s the one who really broke his heart though. Jacob knew she was only after his money. He begged Sebastian to get a prenup, but he refused. Thank God he learned what she was after before he walked down the aisle. You would have thought he’d pick better women after that heartbreak.’

‘They all sound awful,’ Georgia declares in a soft voice.

‘Didn’t he tell you this stuff?’ Ava inquires.

A moment of silence passes. The hairs on my neck rise as I wait to see how Georgia will respond.

She finally answers in her chipper tone, ‘Sebastian and I still have a lot to learn about each other. He told me about his fiancées but not the details. And I can understand if he doesn’t want to rehash his past relationships. After all, they’re in the past, right?’

‘Yes, dear. They are, thank goodness. I was scared he was never going to open his heart again. He changed after each failed engagement. That’s why I’m so happy you’re here, and he finally found the one. I can tell you’re different from the others,’ Mom says.

Each failed engagement. I squeeze my eyes shut.

‘Yeah, especially since you don’t have a mile-long list of ridiculously expensive wedding must-haves that no one will ever care about,’ Evelyn comments.

I finally force myself to move, but it’s not into the kitchen. I need air. I should have guessed my sisters and mother would gossip with Georgia the first minute they had her alone.

What do I care?

It’s embarrassing that more than one woman used me.

It’s not my issue. My ex-fiancées are the ones who are in the wrong.

But I chose to love them when they didn’t deserve me. That’s on me.

I make my way through the house and step out onto the back patio. The pool has a cover over it for the winter. The lounge chairs as well. I pace the concrete, making a circular pattern, with my thoughts going down a black hole I try to avoid whenever possible.

This is why I don’t come home.

Gossips are everywhere. My sisters and mom are just products of this stupid little town.

Once January 2nd hits, I’ll have more for them to add to their arsenal.

Darkness sets in, but it does nothing to disperse my demons. I keep walking, feeling like I might crawl out of my skin, when Georgia interrupts me.

‘There you are,’ she practically sings.

I turn and stare at my beaming fake fiancée. I seethe, ‘What do you want?’

Her eyes widen. She jerks her head back, then swallows hard.

‘Well?’ I demand.

She crosses the patio and steps in front of me, tilting her head up to drill her doe-eyed glare into me. ‘We’re going to eat dinner soon.’

‘Did you have fun?’ I snarl.

Confusion fills her expression. She stares at me momentarily, then questions, ‘You’re going to be nasty to me because I made you agree to look at the wedding details?’

I had forgotten about her little trick. While I thought it made her more interesting when it happened, it now makes me see through her innocent attitude.

She’s no different than the others.

She negotiated a million dollars.

She wants money just like all the others did.

I don’t answer her question. Crossing my arms, I ask, ‘Did you play your role? Or are you in breach of the contract?’

Hurt flits across her features. ‘Why are you being so mean right now?’

I circle my arm around her waist, pin her against me, then fist her hair. I tug it, and she gasps.

Her lips part and her breath hitches. Blue flames ignite in her eyes, searing hotter and hotter until she glances at my lips.

There’s my innocent peach. Ready to be defiled.

‘Were you under the impression I was a nice guy?’ I murmur.

She stays quiet, her chest pushing into mine, making me wonder what her tits look like naked.

I’ll find out tonight.

She finally asks again, ‘Why are you upset with me?’

‘You did a good job fooling my family,’ I comment, then stare at her plump mouth, remembering how good her tongue felt massaging mine.

‘Isn’t that what you wanted?’ she questions, then teases me further by licking her lips.

My body hardens. I slide my hand under her dress and panties. Her bare ass is smooth, and I once again note how my palm fits perfectly around it.

‘What are you doing, Sebastian?’ she asks, pushing her hands against my pecs.

I hold her tighter, claiming, ‘I’m establishing my PDA rights.’

‘No one is here,’ she comments.

‘So? I paid a million dollars for you. I can do what I want,’ I declare.

She slaps me so hard, it stings. I step back and put my hand over my cheek, crying out, ‘What the fuck, Georgia!’

Her expression explodes with anger. Her lips tremble, and she jabs my chest. ‘Don’t you treat me like I’m your whore. I’m not, Sebastian!’ She spins and moves toward the house.

‘Georgia, wait,’ I call out, following her. I grab her arm and spin her around.

‘No! Don’t touch me right now!’ she warns, her eyes glistening.

Something tells me that I better back off. I hold my hands in the air. ‘Okay.’

She shakes her head at me, then opens the door.

‘There you are! We’re ready to—Georgia, what’s wrong?’ Evelyn asks. Her eyes dart between us.

‘Oh, your brother is just being your brother. I need to freshen up. Where’s the closest bathroom?’ Georgia asks.

‘I’ll take you,’ I offer.

‘No,’ she replies, giving me a look that makes me want to crawl into a hole.

What did I just do?

God, I really am an asshole.

‘First door on the left,’ Evelyn instructs.

‘Thanks,’ Georgia says, flying past her.

Evelyn puts her hand on her hip and stands in the doorway. ‘Sebastian, why is Georgia upset?’

‘None of your business. Move,’ I order.

‘What did you do to her?’ she demands.

‘Nothing.’

‘It didn’t look like nothing.’

‘Evelyn, mind your own business,’ I assert.

‘Whatever you did, you better make it right, Sebastian. She looks really upset,’ Evelyn claims.

My chest tightens, and disappointment and shame fill me. Evelyn is my pain-in-the-ass sister, always sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong. She’s only a year younger than me, but she acts like the matriarch of our family. We’ve always butted heads. I typically ignore what she says, but right now, her words sting more than Georgia’s slap.

My family spilled the beans about my past. Why am I taking it out on Georgia?

She wants my money.

I approached her to marry me.

One hundred grand wasn’t enough, though, was it?

I can’t blame the woman for negotiating higher. I would have.

So did all my past fiancées…

‘I said to mind your own business. Now move,’ I repeat.

My sister finally steps aside, but she never stops giving me a look of death.

I move toward the bathroom where Georgia should be and wait.

She finally opens the door, sees me, and freezes.

I start with, ‘Look, I’m—’

‘Don’t you dare, Sebastian Allen Cartwright! I don’t want to hear your fake apology or any other warped thing in your head. And don’t you dare touch me, just don’t!’ she threatens, then brushes past me.

She knows my middle name?

It’s public record.

Still…

My gut dives so deep I feel nauseous. I’ve officially screwed things up. And something tells me that it’s not going to be easy to get it back on track.