“She said she was of age…” He shook his head with a chuckle.
We wandered for another hour or so, debating the best ways to handle the stresses and strains of both the media and my mother. It was a looping discussion that, in the end, landed us right where we’d started.
“Bex!”
I looked behind me just as I was tackled to the ground with the force of a rocket. All the breath shot out of my body with a defeated whoosh, but no sooner had I gotten my bearings than I was being spun through the air—twirling round and round.
“Max!?
?? I said with a huge smile.
There was a deep laugh as I was dropped to the ground. The world tilted for a second, but then I looked up in delight into the smiling face of my big brother.
“Max!” I cried, giving him a bear hug. “Marcus, this is my brother, Max.”
Max turned to Marcus, offering his hand. “Max White, nice to meet you.”
“Of course, Rebecca’s brother!” He shook his hand. “I’m Marcus Taylor. Really, the pleasure’s all mine.”
Max smiled politely, but the second they finished shaking, he jumped forward and sucker-punched my poor fake fiancé right in the stomach.
“Max!” I shrieked, rushing in as Marcus doubled over.
Max’s steady smile never faltered. “That’s for proposing to my little sister without running it by me first.”
“No,” Marcus waved me off as he straightened up with a gasp, “that’s fair.” He glanced over at Max again, wary, but with a glimmer of undeniable respect. “My apologies.”
Max shrugged. “We’re square.”
I would never understand the mystical world of men.
I glared at my brother, then touched Marcus’s back. “Are you okay, honey?”
“I’m fine,” he said. “I deserved that.”
“I’m sorry, sis,” Max said.
“You can tell Marcus that.”
He looked at Marcus. “I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted.”
“So what are you doing here?” I looked at my brother. “And how did you even know where to find me?”
“Amanda told me,” he said simply. “I called her when your phone sent me to voicemail.”
I glanced down at my muted cell, still full of my mom’s messages, as my face grew ominously dark. “Oh—well that’s because our dear mother is in town. Max, you would not believe the lunch we just had—”
His booming laugh cut me short. “Why do you think I timed my arrival when I did? I could do without the egg-white omelets and passive aggressive criticism, thanks.”
Marcus grinned. I could tell he was warming to him already.
“Well…” I wondered where to begin. Never once when I’d embarked upon this epic deception did I think I’d have to be deceiving my darling brother as well. “Well, then why are you even here at all?”
The words came out much sharper than I’d intended, and both Max and Marcus laughed.
“Welcoming as ever, Bex.” Max grinned. “I’ll have you know that our mother summoned me to town. Said I needed to be here for the ‘wedding wine-tasting.’ Said I was disowned if I missed it.”