Chapter 7: The Show Must Go On

“Yeah, I’m a jerk too, Grace. But at least I admit it. That’s where this guy and I are different.”

“I’m sorry, Brennan. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“But it’s true, Grace. Don’t sweat it, I’m not offended.”

I took a bite of the pizza, and even though my mind wasn’t hungry, my stomach was grateful for the food.

“So he’s the only one you’ve been with?”

“In terms of relationships, yeah.”

He was the only one I’d ever been with, period. But Brennan didn’t need to know that.

I felt a bit embarrassed admitting how inexperienced I was with relationships, but Brennan needed to know before we got to his parents’ house and I made it painfully obvious this was all a sham.

“About a year and a half ago, my friend Belle made me download Tinder and started swiping for me.

“I went on a date with a guy who started talking about our wedding and what we’d name our kids about fifteen minutes into our first date. I literally ran out of the bar.”

Brennan laughed, a sound that stirred something deep in my stomach. It wasn’t a sound I was used to hearing from him, and I liked it.

“Some girls might like that level of commitment right away.”

“Not me,” I said. “I’ve seen too many romantic comedies to settle. It’s true love or nothing for me.”

Brennan’s eyebrows shot up so high they almost disappeared into his hairline, a playful smile playing on his lips.

“So you’re not completely clueless then?” he teased.

“Are you kidding? Romantic comedies are just unrealistic fantasies.

“I watch them because they give me a completely unbelievable, cliché-filled cheese fest that makes me feel like a failure and warm inside at the same time.

“If I showed up to your parents’ house acting like a character from a rom-com, they’d think I was on drugs.”

Brennan laughed again. He raised his hand, and the waitress came back to the table. “Two more beers, please.”

The waitress nodded and walked away.

“We can call this off now. I can say you got sick. I can go alone,” Brennan suggested, placing his hand back on mine. My eyes were drawn to the touch.

I couldn’t hear him or anything else. He was touching me, and this time it wasn’t to make sure we could actually touch without it being awkward.

I shook my head and looked back at Brennan. “No.”

“No?”

“I’m not backing out.”

Brennan smiled and removed his hand from mine. We ate in silence. Once we’d finished our second beers and the rest of the pizza, Brennan paid the bill.

Our flight was being called as we reached the gate, so we boarded the plane.

It was only seven o’clock as the plane began to taxi down the runway, but I was feeling wiped out. I closed my eyes and decided to sleep for the five hours the flight would take.

I must have fallen asleep quickly and deeply because I didn’t open my eyes again until Brennan shook me awake.

I was confused at first; my head wasn’t against the back of the seat anymore. I felt leather on my face, but it wasn’t cold—it was warm, like I’d been there a while.

I sat up quickly and looked at Brennan. I’d been asleep on him for who knows how long, probably drooling all over his leather jacket.

“Oh shit, sorry.” I swallowed hard. I wiped my mouth and sighed with relief when it was dry—no drool.

“It’s okay,” Brennan said. “Really.”

Except it wasn’t okay. Damn Belle for bringing up the crush I’d had on Brennan once upon a time. I hadn’t looked at Brennan that way in ages and now I couldn’t stop overthinking everything.

I looked out the plane window. It was slowing to a stop.

“What time is it?” I asked, feeling a little too awake for what I assumed was the middle of the night in New York.

“New York or California?”

“California,” I said.

“Just after nine,” he replied softly. “Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure you’ll be tired again after we meet my parents.”

I chuckled and unbuckled my seatbelt. The plane emptied, and as we passed through baggage claim, Brennan grabbed our bags from the carousel.

On the way out of the airport, we stopped at a rental car place and Brennan picked up keys for a car.

Five minutes later, we were sitting in a black Audi A8 driving into the countryside. It was dark outside, and I could already see a few stars twinkling in the sky.

Just after 10:30, Brennan slowed and turned into a driveway. On my side of the car, there was a large black, white, and silver sign that was lit up and said “Wolf Winery and Estate.”

My stomach twisted in knots. This was it. In a few minutes, I’d either be pulling off the biggest lie I’d ever told or we’d be caught.

Then I saw the house.

~House.~

The place was a mansion. I’d never seen anything like it.

The place was big enough to be a college campus, only much more luxurious. All of the lights were on, and it was so bright it almost seemed like daytime.

“Holy shit,” I muttered under my breath.

“You okay?” Brennan asked.

“You didn’t mention the castle, B,” I stammered.

Brennan laughed. “My parents own the most famous wine company in the US. They’d say the world… You better believe they like to show it off.”

“It’s intimidating,” I said.

“Tell me about it,” Brennan agreed, although I knew his words had a different meaning than mine.

As we got closer to the entrance, I noticed a group of people waiting outside. I chewed on my lip and readjusted my seatbelt. My heart started to pound, and my stomach twisted tighter.

“How’d they know we would be here now?” I squeaked.

“I shot a text to my sister from the airport. They’re aware of the drive time. Chill out, G, I won’t let them devour you.”

I almost let out a snort. Brennan, despite his tendency to avoid his family, knew them better than I did. But he seemed to overlook the fact that him bringing home a supposed fiancée was a new experience for them. They were bound to have questions.

Brennan brought the car to a halt and switched off the engine.

“I’ll get your door,” he murmured.

I nodded, biting back a sarcastic comment about him not needing to play the gentleman to win me over. I unfastened my seatbelt and took the deepest breath I could muster.

The passenger door swung open, and Brennan extended his hand to me. I slid my hand into his, and it felt natural, as if we’d done this countless times before, even though it was our first.

He shut my door, and we strolled hand in hand towards the group of people standing on the deck of the ridiculously large ‘house.’ A middle-aged woman with dark hair and eyes that mirrored Brennan’s was the first to detach from the group.

A broad smile spread across her face as she descended the steps and rushed towards us.

“Brennie!” she cooed. Her eyes were kind, and as they landed on Brennan, they sparkled with pure love.

Her arms encircled Brennan’s neck, and the force of her hug pulled his hand from mine. He returned her embrace and then gently disengaged.

“Mom, it’s good to see you too.” He chuckled and took a step back. “I want you to meet my better half, Grace. Grace, this is my mother, Jacqueline.”

Brennan’s mom turned her gaze to me, her eyes wide and brimming with tears. She gave me a once-over before seizing my hands and pulling me into a hug that mirrored the one Brennan had just received.

“Oh, Grace!” she exclaimed. “You are stunning. Thank you for accompanying Brennan, and please, call me Jaq.”

“It’s my pleasure,” I responded.

Brennan and I had barely reached the steps before we were swarmed by Brennan’s brother Blake and his wife Jade, and his sister Kate and her fiancé Alec.

They were all so warm and welcoming that I found myself wondering why Brennan avoided them so much.

We ascended the steps, and the last person Brennan introduced me to was his father. He was seated on a white wooden rocking chair, swirling a glass of red wine.

Brennan didn’t resemble his dad as much as his siblings did. His skin was pale, almost alabaster, but speckled with wrinkles and gray hair. His blue eyes scrutinized Brennan with a critical gaze.

His mouth tightened into a thin line, and he set the glass down on the table beside him before pushing himself to his feet.

Brennan and his father were, however, the same height. His siblings were both significantly shorter, more like their mother.

“Brennan,” his father said, his voice low and gruff. “It’s been too long.”

“Yes,” Brennan responded, his voice a mere echo of the confident man I knew from the office. “It has. Dad, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Grace.”

Brennan’s dad turned his gaze to me, the same blue eyes that had studied and judged his own son just moments ago. I braced myself for a similar scrutiny, but his eyes softened instantly and he smiled.

He stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. “The name’s Sam,” he said, stepping back. “It’s a pleasure to meet the woman who finally showed Brennan that life has its joys.”

Brennan barely managed to suppress a sigh. He was already growing tired. I took his hand in mine, our fingers intertwining, and I felt him relax slightly.

“Blake and Alec, help Brennan with the luggage. The girls and I are going to take Grace down to the cellar for some wine and girl talk,” Jacqueline announced, leading me away from Brennan.

I glanced at him, and he raised an eyebrow as if to check if I was okay. I just smiled and let myself be led away by his mom, sister, and sister-in-law. Surprisingly, I felt more at ease with them than I’d anticipated.

Kate and Jade linked their arms through mine, and we trailed behind Jaq, who was chattering about how wonderful it was to finally see all her children in love.

Kate leaned in and laughed. “Thank you for coming. Even my wedding hasn’t made her smile this much.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s not true.”

Jaq halted and spun around. She fixed me with the most serious look on her face and said with a completely deadpan expression.

“It’s absolutely true. Seeing my eldest happily in love when he’d vowed against it.”

A frown started to form on my face, but I quickly brushed it off. Why had Brennan vowed against love? I was about to ask when Jaq swung open large wooden double doors and ushered the three of us into the room.

I stepped in and spun around to take in the surroundings. Belle would have thought she’d died and gone to heaven. There was so much wine that the walls seemed to be constructed of wine bottles.

The lighting was dim and sophisticated, and in the center of the room was a table, adorned with a cheese platter and a vase filled with my favorite flowers—peonies.

“Take a seat,” Jaq murmured. “Kate, fetch the Wolf 2000 Chardonnay, please.”

“Sure, Mom.”

Kate disappeared for a moment and returned with two bottles of wine. They bore the Wolf Wines logo, similar to the sign at the entrance of the estate.

The bottles were unique, featuring a glass wolf that protruded and shimmered in the light.

Jaq circled the table, filling the glasses one by one. She paused when she reached me and picked up my hand, the one adorned with the ring.

“Oh, he did give you his grandmother’s ring!” she exclaimed, radiating pure joy.

A wave of guilt—or was it nausea?—rose in my throat. I already despised the fact that I was deceiving Brennan’s family. They were so kind and loving.

“He did,” I replied.

“Of course he did, Mom. He’s in love with her. Didn’t you see the way he was looking at her earlier?” Kate smiled and reached across the table, clasping Jade’s hand with hers. “Right, Jade? We both noticed it. Tell us your story?”

I took a hard swallow, and as soon as Jaq topped off my glass, I lifted it and took a sip. I nearly let out a sigh. The wine was divine. Belle and I had been settling for less, always drinking our budget-friendly wine.

I smiled and set the wine back down. “Absolutely.”

I drew in a deep breath and shut my eyes. I ~could~ handle this. If all else failed, I could always rely on my rom-com knowledge, as long as I kept the crazy parts out.

“Well, as you’re aware, I’ve been his personal assistant for the past three years. Scheduling his appointments, organizing his notes, answering his calls.” I paused.

“Screening his calls, which I must apologize for. I hated doing it, but I—”

Jaq raised her hand and shook her head. “Even though I may not agree with my son’s reasons for avoiding us, Grace, I don’t blame you for any of it. If anything, you’ve only demonstrated how loyal you truly are to him.”

Guilt washed over me again. I was leaving Brennan. I was leaving work. None of this was real, and it felt awful lying to them.

I shifted in my seat and picked up the wine again. I fought the urge to gulp it down, both out of anxiety and because it was just that delicious.

I was in the presence of wine aficionados who knew how to truly savor the stuff. I took another small sip and set it down.

“Anyway, about six months ago, we were at the office Christmas luncheon. B—Sorry, Brennan had brought a date, but we spent the entire afternoon chatting with each other.

“Things sort of shifted after that day. We grew close, fell in love…” I paused and smiled, recalling the first day I’d met Brennan.

I’d never met a guy who made me feel so tongue-tied before, and I wasn’t sure how I’d managed to land the job after I’d botched the interview so badly.

I’d gone home, berating myself, only to receive a call that night from Brennan offering me the job. I’d dreamed about Brennan that night.

But my rom-com history came back to bite me in the ass because I had dreamed that I walked into the office and he told me that he hired me because I was the best candidate and he ~couldn’t live without me.~

I woke up from that dream both annoyed and intrigued. It wasn’t completely impossible, right?

On my first day of work, I’d had to screen a call from a girl. Little did I know then, it was a pattern that would persist.

See, Belle wasn’t entirely off base. I’d had a crush on Brennan, and it had lingered longer than I’d ever care to admit, long after that first girl or the second or even the third.

“I suppose there had always been something there, a spark or an attraction. Once we gave in, it ignited into a full-blown flame.”

I spoke in metaphors, partly to make it easier to spin a tale that wasn’t entirely true. I was surprised at how ~simple~ it was though.

“Aww,” all three of them cooed.

“You have to come back here for your wedding!” Kate declared, turning to Jaq. “Right, Mom?”

I smiled and nodded. “Absolutely.” I’d agreed to have our non-existent wedding at the estate, and idly wondered if Brennan would go to the extent of having a fake wedding to impress his parents.

I chuckled to myself and picked up my wine glass, taking a larger sip this time.

“I’d love to meet your parents!” Jaq exclaimed. “What do they do?”