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“Christ.” I leaned my elbow on the window, and my forehead in my hand, weighing how little affection I could get away with. “Hold hands and smile and one kiss when we arrive and announce the engagement. One kiss during dinner. One kiss after. Hold hands while walking out to the car.”

“Sufficient. But the kisses better linger and be damnedconvincing. We’ll wed in a simple ceremony at the country club, inviting only close family and a few friends.”

I hated having to discuss this when the woman I’d prefer to marry turned me down.

“We’re here, sir,” Stephen announced, eying me in the mirror. He’s probably thinking what an idiot I was, and he’d be right.

“Thank fuck. Let’s get the charade over with.”

I let Stephen get the door for Marlena, and waited on the walkway for her. Once she stood by my side, I took her hand and plastered a smile on my face. I showed it to her, teeth and all. “Is this good enough for you?”

“Fuck you,” she seethed, and planted her smile on as well as the front door flew open.

Mom shrieked. “Oh, look at the two lovebirds.” Out from the house spilled her second husband, Sam Astor, and Marlena’s parents.

Her mother, Theresa, approached right away and kissed my cheeks, probably leaving bright pink stains behind that would be tough to wipe off. “Oh, I always hoped you two would find your way to each other.”

Her father, Henry, only gave me a curt nod. He had a permanent scowl on his face since the day I met him. Today, it appeared deeper set, if that was possible.

Suffering through dinner meant fumbling through answers to their twenty questions about our relationship, engagement, and early wedding plans. I’d say I over performed my role, being unusually jolly, nice, and rolling with it.

The entire time I thought of Chelsea and her “kill them with kindness” motto. She got the “kill them” part right.

As the evening wore on, I excused myself and wandered down the west wing to Dad’s old study. Mom kept it as he last left it out of reverence for the love they shared. Dad may have had his faults, but his undying love and loyalty to Miriam wasn’t one of them.

I could only hope someday, when—if—I married for real, I’d reach that level of love or higher with my wife. Jeez, there I went again, talking about marriage, when a year ago the idea of commitment would have made me sick to my stomach.

The door opened, and Mom walked in, closing it behind her. “I thought I might find you here. Turn on the fireplace, please.” As she coiled into a chair, her legs under her, she wrapped a blanket on top.

I fumbled with the gas logs and lighter, but eventually got it roaring, and sat on the wing chair next to her.

“I know you dating Marlena was originally my idea, but not like this,” she started in on me.

“What do you mean?”

“Not thisfakery.” Her steely eyes stabbed me.

“Christ, isn’t this what you wanted? Me married off as soon as possible before another gray hair grows on your head?”

“Mind your tone. I don’t know where I went wrong with you and Richard.”

I leaned forward with my elbows on my knees. “You didnothing wrong, except maybe you and Dad set the bar too high. Not everyone can find love like you had.”

“I’m so disappointed in you, Rex. I asked you to open up your heart.”

“I did, okay? With Doug’s niece,” I barked at her, letting the words fly out before I could stop them. I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Really? She seems like a lovely girl.”

“Yeah, well, it…fell apart.” I sauntered to the fireplace and leaned a hand on the mantel, wishing for time to speed up. “Because of my own stupidity.”

“Well, maybe you could try again with her.”

“I’m with…” I shook my head, trapped in a situation I didn’t want to be in, trying to keep Marlena from causing Chelsea any harm. Hardly able to say the words, I spoke through a clenched jaw. “I’m with Marlena now.”

“Oh, honey. I just want you to love and be loved. I want you to be genuinely happy with someone. And I don’t care how long it takes. Break it off with Marlena if it’s not genuine love, now, before it’s too late.”

“I can’t do this.” I opened the nearest window and started to crawl through it.