Page 6

FIVE

willa

“Sorry!” I yell over my shoulder to the person I just practically shoved out of the way. The yellow strands of the itchy wig I’m wearing slap me in the face as I run. The wig is the easiest way for me to be out in public with no one recognizing me.

Declan’s plane landed half an hour ago, but I was stuck in traffic. He texted to say he’s waiting for me by baggage claim. I slow down my pace when I see him surrounded by women. I can’t blame them. The man is six foot two and all muscle. His light brown hair does that perfectly disheveled thing that people pay a lot of money in hair products to get. His green eyes sparkle as he signs autographs for anyone who asks. Declan is sex wrapped up in a sweet package. I’ve always known that but have done a pretty good job avoiding it so far. Rolling my eyes, I elbow my way through the crowd and throw myself in Dec’s arms. He startles and drops the sharpie he was using to sign something so he can catch me.

“Uh. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I’m happily engaged,” he says, trying to remove me from the koala hold I have on him.

“Are you sure about that hockey boy?” I ask teasingly, pulling back so he can see my face.

It takes him a moment before I see the recognition in his eyes. A heart-stopping smile breaks out on his face. “Hey Princess,” he says, hugging me tightly. I squeeze him as tightly as I can with both my arms and legs, but he’s so broad and muscular, I doubt he feels it.

“You’re engaged? To her? ” someone says from behind me. I lift my head from Declan’s shoulder to see who’s speaking. A curvy brunette with an angry scowl on her face zeroed in on me. I get the jealousy. I know Declan is attractive. I’m not blind. We’ve just never had any sort of romantic feelings between us. At least not any that I would let go anywhere.

“I don’t see a ring,” someone else says.

“It’s such a big diamond I was afraid it would get stolen if I wore it to the airport,” I say, ignoring the rest of the angry stares. “Can we go now? This is weird,” I whisper in Dec’s ear.

He lowers me to the floor, an amused expression on his face. “Sorry everyone. I need to take my future wife home and get her boulder back on her finger.” His hand finds my waist as he leads me away from the angry estrogen mob and towards the parking lot. “What’s with the wig?”

“I was trying to go unnoticed, but then someone had a harem of women trying to get in his pants in the middle of baggage claim.”

“It’s more likely they wanted in my wallet, which is going to be significantly lighter after I buy you a diamond that can be seen from space,” he teases.

I shrug. “I’m worth it.”

Declan laughs and kisses my temple. “That you are, Princess.” I don’t have this with any of my other friends, the easy affection I have with Dec. Not even Belle.

“What’s the plan?” I ask when we get to my car. Declan tosses his bag in the trunk and shuts it before turning to me.

“Can we talk about it over a burger? I’m starving.”

“You’re literally always starving. I meant, where am I taking you?” He looks confused, apparently thinking asking for burgers was enough direction. “Your apartment or do you have to report right to the Bruisers? We can get burgers on the way.”

“My apartment, which we also need to add to the list of things to talk about. I report to the Bruisers in the morning,” he says, giving me a knowing look. We can’t be married and live separately if we want people to buy the ruse. I made him get his own apartment for now. He wasn’t thrilled but did as I asked. “Diego suggested you come with me to that,” he adds.

“To your hockey meeting?”

“I think he wants me to prove to him and the Bruisers’ management that I didn’t make you up,” he says, rubbing the back of his neck and getting in my car.

I roll my eyes before getting in the driver’s seat. “Burgers and planning it is.”

“I think it would be easiest to just stick to the truth as much as we can,” Declan says around a mouthful of cheeseburger. We’re sitting on his uncomfortable gray couch in his barely furnished apartment. The plan is for him to move in with me when we get married, since I already have a house here. So he didn’t bother to get more than he needed for the short term.

“Says the man who is going to fake marry his best friend,” I mutter.

“Hey! It’s going to be real! At least in the legal sense,” he argues.

“Fine. We met as kids, became best friends, and fell in love.” I pause. “When did we decide we were more?”

“Let’s go with the night you called me and yelled at me,” he says, smiling around a mouthful of fries.

“Which one?” I counter with a laugh.

“The most recent one, obviously.”

“I’m not sure anything about this is obvious, hockey boy.”

He looks sheepish. “We can scratch this,” he says, but I know we can’t. His career would be over if we did. I won’t do that to him when I can easily help.

“I’m with you, Dec. Quit giving me an out,” I stare at him so he knows I’m serious. He nods and goes back to shoveling food into his face like a starved man. “How long do we have to be married for?”

“Until I retire?” he asks in a small voice, not even looking at me.

“When is that? I’m not going to be fake married to you for a decade. No offense, but I’d like to find an actual husband one day.”

He laughs. “I love that you think I have another ten years left in the tank, Princess. I have three years at most. If I’m really being honest with myself, this will probably be my last season.” I can see how sad that makes him, so I scoot closer and throw my arms around his waist, hugging him.

“So what now? We know each other better than most married couples, so we don’t need to go over personal facts or anything.”

“Pick a date?” We both pull up our calendars. It’s the middle of September, and we don’t go back on tour until after the new year, but Dec starts practice tomorrow and his first preseason game is in two weeks. He also has a ton of media commitments and physical therapy for his knees.

“Um, we have today,” I joke. But the more I look between our calendars, it becomes less of a joke.

“I’ll call city hall and see if they can get us in. Maybe see about getting us some rings,” he says, pulling up the number for city hall on his phone. “I’ll have to special order your engagement ring, so just bands.”

I watch Declan as he’s suddenly all business. It takes a moment to snap out of my stupor from how fast this is moving, but once I do, I find the closest jeweler. The call is quick and easy. It always amazes me what you can get done when you throw money around.

“We’re getting hitched in two hours,” Declan says with a smile.

“Perfect. We need to get to the jeweler now. He’s willing to size whatever bands we pick right away for a fee you so graciously agreed to,” I tell him, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the door.

Once we’re in the car, I turn towards Declan. “I know we’ll be legally married, but can we wait a little to announce it? I still have to figure out how to break this to my friends in a way that they’ll believe.”

“You don’t trust them with the truth?” he asks, looking worried.

“It’s not about trust. It’s about the number of people that are always around us. One slip backstage where we think we’re alone, but someone is hiding in the shadows and the media knows we tricked your new team into signing you. Then what happens? You get sued and your entire career ends in a scandal?”

His eyes widen like he hadn’t thought of that. “Shit. You’re right. How long do we keep it secret?”

“Let’s just figure it out as we go. Your schedule is about to get crazy,” I say, feeling a little guilty. “Your team will know, but I don’t want your name connected with mine until it has to be.”

Declan looks angry, but I hold up my hands before he can say anything.

“Someone is after us, Dec. You know that. I refuse to be the reason someone attacks you in a parking lot or tries to take out your knees Tanya Harding style.”

I thought that would get a laugh out of him, but instead he’s intently studying me. “I hate you being in danger. Maybe you should stay with me. Or I can figure out how to take you with us on away games, so I’m never far from you. Wives usually have to travel separately, but maybe I can get an exception for you. Or you can get a random job with the team that lets you travel with us?”

“I’m safer here with my friends. Cal hired an absurd amount of security. Plus, as much as I would enjoy traveling with you, I’d just end up alone most of the time. Which would make me vulnerable.”

Declan sighs and slams his head back into the headrest. “Fine, but I want you with me at my apartment when I’m home. I’ll sleep better knowing you’re with me. My building has security too.” I frown at his demand. “I want to spend time with you. I miss you, Princess.”

I hold my argument. I already hate feeling like I’m being trapped at home, and now Declan wants to smother me some more. But I don’t say any of that because the truth is, I really missed him too. So instead I say, “Deal.”