The Wedding Hoax (17 page)

His father sighed, sounding defeated. “If you bring even half of this passion and dedication to
Prime Outdoors
, it’ll be top in the travel category in no time, which is exactly where I want it, so I’ll make you a deal. You have six months to prove to me you can do both—be involved with this girl and be a successful CEO—but if you slack off and the numbers decrease even a little, you’ll be back to brides full-time.”

“I won’t travel. If I’m lucky enough to win Daisy back, I won’t leave her to scout some location halfway across the world.”

“You can decide who travels.”

“Fine. I’ll take your deal.” Cole shook his father’s hand quickly, not feeling as excited as he imagined he’d be if this day ever came. The win was definitely bittersweet.

“I still think you’re making a huge mistake,” his father grumbled.

“The only mistake I made was listening to your bullshit for years. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a wife I’d very much like to stay married to.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Daisy shuffled off the subway at the West 72nd Street stop. Why they had to do this in the middle of Central Park, of all places, was beyond her. But it was too late to complain about it now. Not that complaining earlier would have made any difference. Once Mason got his mind set on something, there was no changing it.

Shortly after she’d given Cole the divorce papers, Mason had called with a final request for the investment deal. Seemed the public was taking the news of their scheme in fairly good stride and he was keen on saving face for all of them as much as he could. Therefore, he’d thought the best idea would be to announce the giveaway winners publicly in grand fashion.

She’d agreed to come and give away a gown to the winning bride-to-be. When the bride was ready to shop, she’d come to the boutique for a one-on-one fitting with Daisy. She was sort of looking forward to that part—making some lucky girl’s dream dress come true.

At least someone would get a happily ever after.

She’d been an idiot to think the playboy would ever consider her more than a fling to pass the time. How on earth had she let herself get so caught up in everything? She thought she was smart enough to know better when it came to Cole.

Apparently not.

It was bad enough she’d allowed herself to fall for him again, but she’d also allowed herself to dream that she’d be able to tame him, to keep him for herself, to take him off the market. More than anything else, for a fleeting moment, she’d seen the family she could have with him. An apartment in the city, a baby, maybe even a pet at some point. She’d seen it all with him.

She’d wanted it all with him.

She wasn’t meant to have her own happily ever after right now. She certainly wasn’t meant to have one with Cole. In hindsight, maybe she would have been okay with that.

Maybe she would be okay with a future that was a little less planned, one that didn’t have marriage and kids automatically scheduled into it. Her life growing up with a single mom and no siblings hadn’t been bad. She was closer to her mom than most women she knew. It was possible she’d focused her energy on wanting things that didn’t equate to a perfect life.

If she had Cole, maybe he would have been enough to make her life perfect all on his own.

Now she’d never know. But she still had a chance to make her life perfect for herself, even if she did it alone.

Blinking away the tears pooling in her eyes, she wandered into Central Park in search of the Sheep Meadow where Mason said to meet him. All of the giveaways were happening today, which meant that along with her gown, Mason and Cole would also be awarding prizes to lucky couples.

Cole. The thought of seeing him again made her nervous and anxious at the same time. She’d barely made it out of his office with her dignity intact. Never had she wanted so desperately to fling herself into his arms and beg him not to let her go. But instead, she’d done the right thing, for both of them, and she’d ended things for good.

That didn’t mean her heart didn’t still ache as if it were bleeding inside her.

She followed the path deeper into the park until it finally opened up into a large grassy area. An event tent had been set up. Under it looked to be filled with couples, sipping champagne and helping themselves to a small buffet of finger foods. Twinkling lights adorned the canopy overhead, and around the outside edge, the media eagerly snapped pictures.

At one end of the tent, a small stage had been erected. Mason and Cole stood there, along with a few other people she didn’t recognize.

“I’m glad you made it,” Mason said as she walked up. “We’re almost ready to begin. This is Eugene and Claudette. They’ll take you backstage to deal with your hair and makeup.”

“But I did my own hair and makeup,” she said as they grabbed her by the arm and led her backstage.

“We’ll do our best, but you didn’t leave us much time to work with this,” Eugene said with a cluck of his tongue.

Claudette took one look at her and shook her head. “Miracle workers. That’s what we are today. Come on, honey. Look at the bags under these eyes. Are you going on vacation with these or what? Let’s get you all fixed up.”

Claudette guided her into a chair and while one worked on her makeup, redoing what Daisy had spent half an hour trying to accomplish, the other stroked a brush through her hair, then twisted and pulled until hairpins scraped her scalp. From what she could tell without a mirror, the top half of her hair had been pulled up while the rest fell in softly curled tendrils down her back and shoulders.

“There now, honey. Don’t you look fabulous?”

A mirror was thrust before her face and she couldn’t believe she was the woman staring back at her. Vibrant blue eyes with golden shadow on the lids, rosy, sun-kissed cheeks, and glossy-red lips completed the look. Along with her new hairdo, she was nothing short of stunning.

“One last thing,” Eugene said, unzipping a garment bag hanging on a coat rack in the corner. “Slip into this, and you’ll be ready for the show.”

Daisy’s breath caught in her throat as her dress was pulled from the bag. “What’s that doing here?” It wasn’t any dress from the shop; it was
her
gown. The one no one else was supposed to see, because it was most definitely not for sale.

“Mason said you were to wear the gown as an example of the dress a lucky bride will win.”

“But that dress isn’t for sale.”

“Then I guess they won’t be able to buy it.” He snapped his fingers impatiently. “Come on now. Don’t be shy. I’ve seen it all before, and I’m not the least bit interested anyway. We’ve got a schedule to keep, and if you don’t hurry up, you’ll make us late.”

Feeling numb and more than a little confused, Daisy did as was requested, slipping into the gown. She hadn’t tried it on for quite some time and was pleasantly surprised when it fit perfectly. Maybe Mason was right. Wearing it would showcase how beautiful a bride could be wearing one of her gowns. She might even get some additional sales out of this.

A few final adjustments and the pair deemed her ready for the stage.

Walking out into main section of the tent again to join the guys, she suddenly felt self-conscious as if everyone was watching her. When Mason looked her way, the expression on his face was one of appreciation. His grin told her she wore the gown well.

But it was Cole’s expression that made her stop in her tracks. If she wasn’t mistaken, there were tears beading in the corners of his eyes. But why would he cry for her? He’d made his choice, and she’d made hers. Their sham of a relationship was over.

Pulling her shoulders back and forcing a deep breath into her lungs, she strode forward, joining them with as much confidence as she could muster.

“You look stunning,” Cole said, taking her hand. For the first time, she noticed he was in a sharp suit. Not his usual business attire, and not a tuxedo, but a suit that was tailored to accent his build, colored to show off his eyes, and he looked stylish enough to be on the cover of his own magazine.

Her smile came naturally when she drank in his good looks. “You clean up pretty well yourself. Though I’m not sure why we’re so dressed up for this thing.”

Cole shrugged, but the twinkle in his eye made her suspect he was holding something back.

“Welcome everyone,” Mason said into the microphone. “I hope you’ve all had a wonderful afternoon. Now it’s time to make the day even sweeter for a few of our lucky couples.”

Everyone clapped as three large bins were carted onto the stage.

“All of you have had a chance to put your names into the drawings, and it’s time to find out who our winners are. Cole Benton will draw first, from this batch.”

He walked to the center of the stage and pulled out three names, calling each out. One by one, couples called, cheered, and rushed to the stage to give their thanks and collect their yearlong subscriptions to
Exclusively Yours
as well as prepaid credit cards.

The mood was decidedly festive, and even though she was uncomfortable wearing the gown that was meant for another purpose, Daisy found herself grinning and clapping along with the fun.

Next it was her turn. “The winner of this prize will have a personal fitting with myself where you’ll find the gown of your dreams. Just not the one I’m wearing,” she added quickly before pulling out a name. The bride-to-be squealed and ran to the stage, throwing her arms around Daisy so hard, she almost lost her balance. Handing her the gift information, she told her to call the boutique and book her appointment as soon as she was ready. The girl nodded and trotted back out to the audience. The moment left Daisy feeling content and satisfied.

“And finally, I’ll be drawing for a honeymoon package, all expenses paid to Hawaii.” Mason drew a card from the last bin and read the name. The winning couple hugged and kissed and collected their prize information from him before returning to their seats to toast with champagne.

“Enjoy the drinks and music. Thank you all for playing along and being a part of what has been a most unexpected and interesting marketing experience.”

“If I could say a few words?” Cole stepped forward and took the microphone from Mason. “I know by now you’ve all seen the news that Daisy and I were not a real couple during this publicity stunt. That’s all true. This whole thing was supposed to be a fun and creative way to market our businesses. It was a joint venture, between the three of us, and seeing the response we got from the public, I’d have to say it was very successful.”

He cleared his throat and hers suddenly felt parched. Wasn’t the news breaking in the paper enough? Did he really have to go and spill it all out here in person as well?

“But there’s more to the story. The truth is, what started out as a fake relationship ended with very real feelings. And while I was too much of an idiot to see it right away, I was smart enough to finally figure out I’d lost a good thing the day she handed me divorce papers.”

There was a rumble through the audience.

“Why divorce papers? Well, because by some twist of fate, our fake wedding was actually real, only we didn’t know it until afterward. And when I found out, I was less than thrilled. I said some things I regret, and I acted in ways I wish I could take back. I deserved the heartbreaking pain I felt the day she served me the paperwork to end our very short marriage.”

“Cole, don’t do this here,” she said, stepped toward him. “Leave this private stuff in the past where it belongs. I’ve moved on. You’ve moved on. Let’s forget about all the rest of it.”

He sighed. “I wish I could, Dee. But I can’t. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since we agreed to be a part of all this. I tried to deny it for a long, long time, but it didn’t change the truth and I’m finally ready to admit it. I liked being your pretend fiancé. I liked knowing you were mine, only mine. And it might have taken me a ridiculously stupid amount of time to figure it out, but somewhere along the way, I fell in love with you.”

Tears clouded her vision, and her head felt fuzzy. “You what?” she whispered, disbelieving her own ears.

He took her by the hands and pulled her against him, peering down at her with emotion-filled eyes. “I love you, Dee. Please forgive me for being too blinded by ignorance to see the truth sooner.”

He loves me.

She bit her lower lip and grinned, trying and failing to hold back the stream of happy tears falling down her cheeks and invariably destroying her beautiful makeup. “I love you, too, Cole.”

He let out a breath in a long whistle. “You don’t know how ecstatic I am to hear that. Now is probably a good time to mention that I shredded the divorce papers instead of signing them.”

Laughter rippled though the audience, reminding her they weren’t alone. For a few minutes there, she’d forgotten they were on a stage in front of a tent full of strangers.

“Okay.” She had no idea what she was supposed to do with that news. Before she could wonder too much, he dropped to one knee and pulled a small velvet box from his pocket. “What’s going on?” she managed to ask as her throat felt like it was closing.

“Dee, I know I haven’t done anything to deserve you, but damn it, I love you more than I ever thought possible. These last few weeks without you in my life have been the loneliest I’ve ever experienced. I missed you like I’d miss air for breath or blood pumping through my veins. You have become such an important part of my life that I can’t function without you.

“I always knew you were completely amazing. I’ve known that from the first time I laid eyes on you. But I didn’t realize how much I needed you in my life and how much I missed you until you weren’t mine anymore. That year we spent apart, I filled with other women and partying.”

“Maybe now’s not the best time to remind me of that.” She laughed.

“I wasn’t finished. I was with all those other women because I was desperately trying to fill a void I felt inside. I didn’t know what it was or why it was there or how to get rid of it. Then we were thrown together again in this messy engagement deal, and one day I realized the void was gone, as if it had never been there to begin with. I know now my life means very little without you in it.”

“You are an amazing man, Cole Benton, and you never give yourself enough credit. When we’re together, you make me forget the rest of the world.”

“And you made me realize how silly I’d been to resist what I truly wanted for so long—you.” He opened the box. Inside was the ring she’d seen at the first bridal show, the one with the diamond pattern that looked like a flower. A daisy. As if the ring had been created especially for her.

“Stop. You don’t have to do this. I’ll be with you however you want me. You don’t have to ask me something you’re uncomfortable with. As long as I have you, in any kind of commitment, I’ll be happy. I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me that you love me. I just needed to hear it from you.”

He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Will you please stop interrupting me? This is hard enough to do in front of an audience without you making things more difficult. I don’t ever want to live without you in my life again. Marry me again, Dee. Right here, right now. Stay my wife, for real and for always.”