"Do you know the man she's marrying?"
Everett glanced her way and scrunched his brows together. Then his eyes brightened and he laughed. "You grew up in Chicago, didn't you?"
"No. My dad was military when I was young, and we moved around a lot. We didn't move to Chicago until I was in high school. Why?"
"Greenfield is a small town. Everyone pretty much knows everyone, or you've at least heard of everyone. Sarah's fiancé is Toby. Toby's older brother Dallas was best friends with my own brother when they were in high school."
"What's your brother's name?"
"Franklin." Everett's tone turned hard.
"You're not close with him?"
Everett lowered his window and propped his arm on the door. "We used to be. We've had a rough few years lately. I should probably warn you that he's likely to be rude this week."
"What's the schedule look like?" Although she'd signed the contract earlier, she hadn't paid attention to many of the details. She'd been so upset about even taking this job that all other thoughts had flown out her head.
"The wedding is Friday night. We'll leave to head back to Chicago next Sunday."
"What about before Friday? What all do you have planned?" Bailey asked.
"I told you it's my baby sister's wedding. I promised her the best of everything, so I have to be there to pay for it all." He tossed her another grin. "I'm sure she'll be dragging me to every store in town. I hope you brought comfortable shoes. You're going to need them."
*
Many hours later, they pulled up in front of a two-story beige brick house. Bay peered out the car window trying to ignore her nervousness and assess the situation for the vulnerabilities that might exist from her security perspective. She slowly unbuckled her seatbelt and let out a sigh as Everett came around to open her door. She wasn't prepared for this. She wasn't sure if she could pull off this girlfriend charade. Still, she'd put on enough public shows for, first, her father's political career then her sister's that this should be a cakewalk.
She carefully placed her kitten heels on the gravel and dirt driveway and straightened her skirt as she stepped out of the car. She was not used to wearing heels, and the instability unnerved her. Everett's hand on her elbow assisting her was comforting, even if it was also a little unsettling. It was still hard to see him as anything but a famous movie star. Yet here she was at his childhood home with him acting like a complete gentleman. It was disconcerting to say the least.
They hadn't taken but a few steps towards the house when the front door burst open and a figure came flying out the door and down the steps to them. Everett caught the woman into a bear hug and lifted her off her feet.
"You're here!" the small woman squealed.
Everett laughed then set her down and held her face between her hands. "Of course I'm here. I promised you, didn't I?" He kissed her nose, and the woman beamed.
Bay took the time to inspect the woman. She was short, much shorter than Everett, and even shorter than Bailey. And she looked so young, more like a kid than a woman old enough to marry. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back and reached her waist. It was straight and plain, but didn't hide the soft curves of her pretty face.
The woman-girl, Bay told herself-turned toward her and her brown eyes lit up. "You brought a woman!"
Everett laughed again, rich and deep, and Bay felt a shiver travel up her spine in spite of the late autumn Tennessee heat. Everett slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her against his hard body. She stifled a gasp and instead forced a smile to her tight lips. "Sarah, this is Bailey. Bailey, my sister, Sarah."
Bay held out a hand. "It's so nice to finally meet you, Sarah."
Sarah ignored her hand and enveloped her in a hard hug. "Oh my God! I can't believe Everett brought a girlfriend." She released Bailey and turned back to her brother. "She is your girlfriend, right?"
Everett smiled that soft smile again that Bay had come to associate with the real man. "Yes, Bug, she's my girlfriend." He caught both women with an arm around the waist and began to lead them toward the still open front door, but Sarah pulled away and sped ahead. "I gotta tell Mom," she yelled over her shoulder.
Everett and Bailey continued at a slower pace. Bay was glad for the reprieve, however temporary. "Bug?" she questioned him.
"Yeah. She's always been little for her age, so when I was young, I said she was as small as a bug, and the name stuck."
"Speaking of nicknames," Bailey said quietly, "You should probably call me Bay. That's what most people call me." Everett nodded but there wasn't time to say more as they met an older woman at the door.
"Everett, honey." The woman embraced him gently and kissed him on the cheek. "It's been too long. You need to come visit more often."
"I know, Mom. I've been trying. My schedule's just been crazy. I miss you guys."
She patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you do your best." Turning to Bailey, she ran her gaze up and down appraisingly. "Who's this?"
"Told you, Mom!" Sarah shouted over her mother's shoulder.
"Mom, I'd like you to meet Bailey Lennox … my girlfriend. Bailey, my mother, Kendra."
Once again, Bay held out a hand and offered a smile, a little stiffer this time. "Very nice to meet you, Mrs. Parker. I've heard a lot about you."
Kendra shook her hand. "Likewise, although I haven't heard a thing about you," she said pointedly.
Bay blushed and glanced quickly at Everett. "Ah, yes ma'am. That's probably because we haven't actually been together that long."
Kendra gestured them into the house. "Please, call me Kendra. I'm glad Everett found a woman he wanted to bring home, no matter what the reason."
Bailey glanced at Everett behind her. His large hand rested lightly on her back. "I didn't realize it was that big of a deal," Bailey answered.
"It's a huge deal!" Sarah interjected excitedly. "The last girl he brought to meet Mom and Dad was his prom date."
"Sarah," Everett growled. She laughed again and ignored his threatening look.
"C'mon, and I'll show you all my plans for the wedding." Grabbing Bailey's hand, Sarah pulled her up the stairs. As she glanced back, all Bailey could see was Everett's head bent down in deep discussion with his mother.
*
"Are you sure your parents are okay with this?" she asked again as Everett closed the door to his childhood room.
He shrugged. "They're just happy you're here. They'll do just about anything to improve my chances at marriage."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Marriage?"
"Don't worry. Not in the cards."
"Oh thank God." She put a hand over her chest in feigned relief, causing him to flash his grin. She eyed the contents of the room. "So … how do you want to do this?" A double-size bed sat to the left of the door. Across the room was a window looking out into the back yard and the wooded area behind it. A closet door and a small dresser were to her right. The remaining furnishings were sparse and reflected the last time he'd lived in the room, which hadn't been since high school judging from the trophies on the dresser and the pictures on the wall.
"Whaddya mean?"
She gestured to the one bed. "I mean, how are we going to handle sleeping arrangements?"
He gave her a curious look. "You're not a prude, are you? I assumed we'd sleep in the bed together since we are supposed to be dating after all."
She backed up a step and held her hands in front of her. "Oh no. Sex was definitely not part of the deal."
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards him without any apparent effort. "No, you ninny. Not sex. Just sleeping in the same bed. We're both adults here. Surely you can handle that."
Bailey was not about to be swayed. She might act like an ice queen and wear a professional mask, but she was still a woman, and the man towering over her was still the sexiest man on the planet. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what would happen if she felt his warm body beside her in a bed. "No. That's still crossing the line in my opinion." She glanced around at the small space. "Just give me a blanket, and I'll sleep on the floor."
Everett ran a hand through his hair. "You have got to be kidding me."
She shook her head defiantly and pursed her lips. "No."
"Fine," he spat out. "But I'll sleep on the floor. You can have the bed."