My Unexpected Vow: California Billionaires Book 2 by Harlow James (children's ebooks free online TXT) 📗

I’ve really been, and I think the conversation with you and Mom was the wake-up call I needed.” I look down at her, only to see her wide-eyed and focusing right back on me. She knows we never danced that night, but on New Year’s Eve we did, and fuck if I didn’t feel that same thing—that having her pressed up against me had my resolve teetering on the brink of temptation, that holding her hips as we moved to the music made my mind fuzzier than the tequila we consumed did.

“It was like I was waking up from a deep sleep and seeing her for the first time. I mean, she’s Wes’s little sister, right? She was basically off-limits the minute I signed on to be his friend. But I couldn’t deny it anymore. She mesmerized me, and I was a goner.”

Our eyes never leave each other’s as I speak, only when my father clears his throat across the room and I remember he’s sitting there.

Fuck. That was a lot—a whole lot of thoughts and feelings that I didn’t mean to admit. And I hope Waverly will just cast it aside as me playing the part of the show we agreed to put on tonight.

My father sighs and then smiles at us both. “I have to say, I’m not sure if I believed you when you first told me about this, son. But now,” he pauses, nodding his head as his eyes bounce back and forth between us, “now I see it. I’m happy for you.” He raises his glass at us, so we both oblige and return the gesture. I watch Waverly take a sip of her wine, but she’s avoiding moving her gaze back to mine.

“Dinner’s ready, everyone.” My mother steps into the room and cuts through the buzz of adrenaline and confessions, and I can honestly say that I’m relieved.

We make our way into the formal dining room where my mother has the table decorated in a Valentine’s Day theme. Red roses in vases, red cloth napkins, gold chargers under white china plates, and pink confetti hearts are scattered atop the table.

“This is so beautiful, Rebecca,” Waverly says as I pull out her chair and push it in as she sits down. “And the food smells amazing.”

“Thank you. I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day. Alec has never understood why, but he always obliges my request to celebrate it.”

My dad rolls his eyes. “It just feels like a pointless holiday. You know I love you every day, so why do I need to support a consumer holiday that is designed to make men feel like pieces of shit if we don’t buy over-priced flowers, stuffed animals, and boxes of mixed chocolates that you end up not liking half of?”

Waverly chuckles as my mother huffs dramatically. “It’s the thought! It’s knowing that you don’t mind buying those things, or taking the time to remind me of how much you love me.”

I fight to hide my laugh, but my mother doesn’t miss it. “What did you get for Waverly, Hayes? I bet he didn’t forget about his wife for Valentine’s Day,” my mother spouts off while directing her glare back at my dad. And I know she’s playing, but suddenly I’m afraid to answer.

Because the truth is, I didn’t get Waverly anything. Was I supposed to? I know she’s technically my wife, but our relationship isn’t like that in the traditional sense.

“He got me the most beautiful bouquet of pink roses,” Waverly answers, pulling my attention to her as she places a bite of her steak in her mouth.

“That’s my boy.” My mother nods appreciatively before I force out a smile and go back to eating, hating that Waverly had to lie. But I squeeze her thigh under the table, silently thanking her for doing so.

My father leans back in his chair, transfixed on my mom. “You act like I didn’t get you a card and flowers today, woman.”

“I know you did. It’s just the fact that you think it’s unnecessary is what grates on my nerves.” She tips her head back and forth before placing a bite of her meal in her mouth, chewing with a grin on her lips. And I can’t help but chuckle while Waverly does the same.

“See what we have to look forward to, babe?” I toss in her direction.

“I feel like we already argue and bicker like that and we’re only a month and a half in.”

“It only gets better from here,” my father mutters jokingly, which sets the tone for the rest of the evening as my mother and father regale us with tales of their most ridiculous fights throughout the course of their marriage, some of which I knew, and some of which surprised the hell out of me.

By the end of the night, Waverly has finished two generous glasses of wine, which has helped her relax, but my parents have been nothing but welcoming since our discussion with my dad in the study too. She fits in with my family’s banter and quick wit flawlessly, dishing out the sarcasm to me naturally as she always does. It makes me feel more at ease now that the evening is coming to a close, even though deep down I hate that I’m still lying to my parents.

“Come with me, Hayes,” my father commands as I stand from my seat on the couch and follow him into his office. My mother and Waverly are in the kitchen putting away dessert and talking about books, just like I suggested.

As we enter the room, my dad gestures for me to take a seat in the chair on the other side of his desk. “You doing okay, son?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“Just wanted to see how you’re adjusting. I remember when your mother and I first started living together. We weren’t married yet, but it was still a change that forced me to adapt.”

I shift slightly in my seat. “Yeah, it’s weird. I’ve never lived with anyone else,