Kellan cleared his throat. “And when I heard you saying something about another guy being Hope’s date, I couldn’t have that,” he said to my mother.
Her face paled. “Oh, Kellan, dear I’m so sorry. If I’d known you two were together, the mention of someone else wouldn’t have even come up.”
“So, are you happy then?” I ask, regarding her curiously.
She opens her arms to hug me and Kellan lets me go so she can. “Honey, I’m ecstatic. You and Kellan make an adorable couple. I can’t wait to tell everyone.” When she lets me go, she hugs Kellan and he winks at me again. “All right, you two, I have work to do.” She steps away from Kellan and smiles happily at us both. “Your Aunt Beth has me putting the fancy Godiva chocolates together for the wedding favors.”
She hurries out of the room and I groan. “You do realize that in a matter of minutes all of our friends are going to think we’re together.”
Kellan chuckles. “Hey, from what I heard I saved your ass. You should be thanking me.”
He’s right. With a heavy sigh, I stand in front of him and look right in his crystal blue eyes. “Thank you.”
His smile fades slightly. “Seems your mother likes to hound you just as much as mine does to me. I can’t go through one family dinner without mine complaining about me finding a good woman to settle down with.”
I snort. “Welcome to the club. It pisses me off every time I come home.”
Kellan reaches for my hands and I let him. “Tell me about this guy you’re supposedly seeing. Is there really someone else?”
“No,” I answer with a sigh. “It was just to get my mom off my back.” Seeing the serious expression on his face makes me smile. “Were you eavesdropping the whole time?”
There’s a twinkle in his eyes when he smiles. “Maybe. But then when I heard your mom threatening to get you a date, I couldn’t have that. If anyone’s going to be with you, it’s going to be me.”
The way he says it makes me shiver, and definitely in a good way. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”
Kellan shrugs. “We’re helping each other out. That’s what friends do.” Then he leans in close, his lips right by my ear. “Who knows? Might have a little fun in the process.”
“Oh my God, it’s true,” a voice squeals from the door.
I jerk around to see Hallie and Stewart standing there, along with Hannah and her boyfriend. Kellan lets me go and stands behind me, his hands on my hips. Hallie shakes her head and laughs as she hurries toward me, reaching out her hands for mine. “Your mom shouted it to everyone,” she adds. I hold out a hand and she pulls me toward her.
Stewart goes over to Kellan and claps him on the back. “Keeping secrets from me now, man.”
Kellan laughs. “Sorry. Can’t tell you everything.”
Hallie goes over to stand beside Stewart. “Now that the secret’s out and we can all celebrate, it’s time for dinner.” She waggles her brows at me. “I, for one, would like to hear all about how you two got together.”
Still standing by the door, Hannah raises her hand. “So would I.”
Once they’re all gone, Kellan and I hang back. “I’m pretty sure my mother will want to hear the story too,” I say, wondering what the hell we’re going to tell her.
Kellan stops me in the hall and pulls me into his arms. He leans down to kiss me, all soft and gentle, and it feels right, but I know it can’t mean anything. “Don’t worry, lassie. We got this.”
I sure hope he’s right.
6
Kellan
Hope and I walk toward the dining room, holding hands. We stand side by side while we wait in line for food. Neither of us saying anything. I’m tempted to ask what’s going on in her head but under the circumstances I may not like the answer. I saw an opportunity and took it. I was truthful when I said I wouldn’t be able to handle seeing her with another guy and relieved in fact, there isn’t anyone out there keeping her company at night. At least for the rest of the weekend, I can play the doting boyfriend, while trying desperately not to fall any deeper than I already am for this girl. It’s going to be hard. The way she makes me feel, just by standing next to me, is something I’ve never felt before.
The buffet style set-up makes it easy for us to look like a couple. Of course, the not so subtly finger pointing, smiles and happy wide-eyed stares are also a dead giveaway. I get the parental pressure about finding someone and settling down. There isn’t a day my mom doesn’t tell me about how so and so are now engaged or whatshername is pregnant. Sometimes she starts off with “do you remember blankity blank?” and when I say no, she comes back with “of course you do” when I really don’t. Still, she tells me whatever is going on in their lives, sighs heavily, and suggests I start dating the nice Irish girl down the hall. I get what Hope is going through and I completely understand why she would make someone up so her mother will leave her alone.