Page 10

Wade lets out a soft whistle. “Toast time.”

To which Coach waves him on.

You never know what you’ll get when it comes to Wade. He’s as unpredictable off the ice as he is on it—a great trait in hockey, but I’m not sure it works in his favor otherwise. But one thing is certain—his actions always come straight from the heart.

He lifts his glass as the room quiets. “To Payton and Lily. May their love always burn bright for each other, and may they always know their way to the bedroom.”

A banter of laughter and snickers fills the room.

I don’t bother to stifle the groan that erupts from my chest. Nor do I miss the blush seeping into Lily’s cheeks as she glances shyly at me.

We stare at each other for a moment, and something delicate shifts between us like a shared moment of intimacy, so I wink at her.

Her eyes widen just so…my reward. Put a point on the scoreboard for me.

Elias smacks Wade on the bicep. “Not the time, bro.”

Luke grunts under his breath. “There’s never a time for that, man.”

Wade’s expression turns downright repentant. “Sorry. I was just trying to keep the mood light.”

Mathéo chuckles openly. “You definitely made me laugh.”

With perfect timing, Coach’s wife, Olivia, lifts her glass. “To the happy couple!”

Soft cheers and whistles fill the room. Lily takes a sip of her champagne, then presses a kiss on my cheek near the corner of my mouth. At the touch of her soft lips, my eyes close of their own accord as I instinctively lean into her.

As she pulls away, I catch her smug expression, followed by a subtle wink of her own.

I suppose part of me thought she was joking about making this a contest of sorts, but now that I know she’s serious, I will take great pleasure in waiting for my chance to even the score.

Most of the guests wander toward a large table covered with all kinds of finger foods and a large sheet cake decorated with wedding bells. Silver balloons and blue streamers swag the nearby windows, acting like a backdrop.

Once there’s some distance between us and the rest of the crew, I turn to face Lily. “You are a sneaky minx.”

She flashes a smile. “Just trying to do my part to keep it believable.”

I hum. “Well played, wife.”

She makes a show of mock innocence as her gaze swings toward the gathering of people eating and drinking as they converse. “You think so, husband?”

I ease into a grin. “If this bodyguard gig doesn’t pan out, you should consider going into acting.”

She tilts her head. “No, thanks. I prefer my life on the real side.”

Am I crazy to wish this thing between us could be ‘on the real side’? I don’t see how I can date my fake wife when she’s technically on the job as my bodyguard. But I do wonder…

Before I can say anything, Luke heads toward me, excitement gleaming in his eyes. Coach follows close behind, along with Wade, Elias, Mathéo, and Ethan. These guys are not only on my line but also have become my best friends. And I feel like a proper git lying to them like this.

Luke stops about two feet away and holds out a folded jersey. Some kind of gag gift that probably stays ‘tied down’ or ‘whipped.’ I can hear the sound effects now.

“Hope you don’t mind if we make this a double celebration.” Holding the shoulder seams, Luke lets the jersey unfold like a flag, revealing the back. My last name blazes across the top.

Okay, maybe the joke’s on the front. Perhaps an image of a bride dragging a groom up a wedding aisle. He turns the jersey around. No joke here. Just our team logo.

And a letter ‘A’ sitting above it to the right.

I grab the sides, scanning the fabric again to make sure I’m interpreting this correctly before bouncing my gaze between Luke and Coach. “Are you serious?”

Luke lets go, giving me full possession. “You’ve earned it, Pay. We all agreed that you’ll make a great alternate captain.”

The slick fabric of a jersey never felt so good in my hands. “Thanks. I won’t let you down.”

But in a way, I feel as if I already have by not telling them who I really am. Any and all lingering thoughts of confessing the truth about Lily and my family get shoved into the deep, dark recesses of my mind. Telling them would be like a slap in the face of the trust they’re investing in me.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of chatter and food. And cake. Let’s not forget the cake they insisted we feed each other. I fully expected Lily to take the opportunity to score another point on the ‘faking it’ board, but she kept looking to me for clues. Or concern.

For the most part, I not only faked being a married man, but also one in a good mood. Because all I could think about was that letter on my jersey and how unworthy of it I’m feeling in light of my deception.

I almost sighed in relief when we left. And the only thing breaking the silence in the car as we drive—correction—Lily drives us home, is a slew of texts erupting on my phone.

She glances at me. “Everything okay? It’s getting noisy over there.”

“Probably just one of the blokes.” I unlock my phone, careful to keep the screen turned away so as not to blind Lily while she’s driving.

Luke: Congrats again, Pay. On both fronts.

Wade: Yeah, man. And sorry about the bedroom comment.

Mathéo: I’m still trying to forget that one. And I’m French!

Wade: French Canadian, sir. Get your facts straight.

Ethan: Why is this suddenly about Wade?

Luke: Because he’s Wade?

Mathéo: Then make it about Lily. She’s definitely hot.

Luke: Rein it in, Barbie Man, or you’ll sound like Wade.

Mathéo: Hey! No insults.

Wade: Ha ha! Join the club of inappropriateness, my friend. Glad to have you.

Ethan: All kidding aside, Pay. Lily is great. You two are a perfect match.

I run a hand over my mouth and type a quick message I hope will shut them down.

Payton: It’s all good, mates. Thanks for tonight. Really appreciate it.

I shove my phone back into my pocket, feeling far from good. Somehow, I have to find a way to make this work.