Small Town Pretender by Brighton Walsh

When Asher had suggested this whole thing, he certainly hadn’t anticipated an actual wedding. He’d figured there’d be something detached…something transactional about saying their I do’s at the courthouse where they’d accounted for their share of trouble. Instead, he’d held her hands and looked into her eyes, the only family he had left surrounding them, as he took her as his wife.

His wife.

Thankfully, Edna’s performance brought some levity to the situation, especially when it had been sprinkled with curse words—shit, I forgot the rings—and orders to keep things clean when it was time to kiss—remember, you’re not auditionin’ for a porno, kids. And then there was the noisemaker when she pronounced Asher and Nat husband and wife.

The ceremony, it seemed, hadn’t been the only trick up the Havens’ sleeves, because as soon as that was over, Rory ushered them farther back on the property where huge tents had been erected and half of Havenbrook milled about for what, apparently, was going to be one hell of a party.

Nat stopped dead in her tracks, her hand gripped tight in his and a fake smile that looked more like a grimace plastered across her face. “What the hell is this?” she asked as her family flanked them on either side.

“A reception,” Mac said. “You know, for your wedding?”

“For my wedding?” she said through clenched teeth, her smile forced. “Right. Right…a wedding that we wanted to take place at the courthouse. You know a little something about that, don’t you, Mac?”

“Oh shit,” Finn said under his breath, while at the same time, Will tried to pull Nat farther into the party, no doubt in an effort to keep the youngest Haven from spilling all the secrets.

Mac glared at her, and Asher, along with everyone else excepting Richard, Caroline, and Gran, found somewhere else to look.

“Shut up, Natalie,” Mac bit out through gritted teeth.

Asher cringed, knowing Nat’s sister using her full name was only going to stoke the beast more than it already was. Nat didn’t like being blindsided, and they’d managed to do it twice in one day. The gloves were most definitely coming off.

“What’s Nat talkin’ about?” Caroline asked, her brows furrowed as she swayed with Owen in her arms.

“You got me, Momma,” Mac said with a shrug. “Who knows with this one.”

“Oh, Mackenna is just tryin’ not to be a bother,” Nat said with a bright smile. “But it’s really a good thing y’all threw together this reception. What, since it can be not only for me and Asher, but for Mac and Hudson, as well.”

“Fuck me,” Hudson muttered directly next to Asher, the curse so low, he knew the man hadn’t intended for anyone else to hear.

“Why the hell would they need to celebrate at a wedding reception?” Richard asked.

“For their two-week wedding anniversary, of course!”

“I hate you,” Mac hissed under her breath at the same time Hudson sighed and cupped a hand around the back of his neck.

Caroline narrowed her eyes between Mac and Hudson. “What does she mean, your two-week—”

But Asher didn’t hear anything more because Nat dragged him away and straight to the bar that had been set up in the corner of the largest tent. “I need a fucking drink.”

Except, what should’ve taken a couple minutes ended up taking nearly thirty because everyone and their dog wanted to come by and wish them congratulations.

Finally, during a conversation with Mrs. Wright, their ninth-grade algebra teacher, in which she insisted she’d known all the way back then that they’d be getting married, Nat clutched his hand and dug her nails in. Her unspoken plea to get them the hell out of there.

“That’s real sweet that you could see our love all the way back then,” Asher said, laying the charm on thick. “It was nice chattin’ with you, but we were just headed to grab a drink, and I believe my lovely wife is pretty parched by now.”

“Oh, of course. I won’t keep you. It was so nice to see you both.” Mrs. Wright smiled and placed a hand on Asher’s forearm. “And I want to extend my deepest condolences about your sister and brother-in-law.”

Between the funeral and this, he’d heard the sentiment more times than he could count, but it still hadn’t gotten any easier. Honestly, he wished people just wouldn’t say anything at all. He knew Aubrey and Nathan had been beloved members of the community. He didn’t need virtual strangers to remind him of it, bringing the fact of their passing back to the forefront of his mind each time they did so. Reminding him that his family hadn’t gotten to witness this wedding, even fake as it was.

“You okay?” Nat squeezed his hand, leaning into his side.

“As much as I can be. I just get sick of hearin’ it, you know? No matter what they say, it can’t bring them back. And I never know how to respond.”

“One of these times, you should just lose your shit. Maybe then they’d think twice about it.”

He chuckled under his breath. “They’re just tryin’ to be nice.”

“Nice is overrated. Like Mrs. Wright back there, actin’ like she hadn’t spent every second of our freshman year hatin’ our guts for bein’ pains in her ass.”

Asher snorted, recalling some of the more…colorful things they’d done while in her class. “No doubt about it.”

“Sidenote, I can’t believe you called me your wife. That was weird.”

He stumbled only slightly on their way to the bar but caught himself and hummed in acknowledgment. It wasn’t like he hadn’t realized that was what she’d be when they said their I do’s. What really got him was that he hadn’t even realized he’d said it in the first place.

After placing their orders, Nat mumbled, “Of course my parents do an open bar at a backyard reception for a wedding that isn’t even real.”

“Maybe don’t say that quite so loud?” he said, scanning the crowd. “We got a lot of people here, and one of ’em is Judge Seville.”

Nat whipped her head around and stared in the direction Asher had been looking. The judge and his wife stood at a tall cocktail table, looking for all the world as if they were attending a wake, rather than a wedding celebration.

“Shit,” Nat whispered.

He placed a hand on a small of her back, beating back memories of the bare expanse as he’d zipped her up less than an hour ago. It had taken every ounce of his self-control not to lean forward and brush his lips over her shoulder, down her spine. Had taken everything in him not to sink down onto his knees, spin her around, and brace her foot on the vanity just so he could finally taste how sweet she was.

He cleared his throat and willed down the ever-present semi that had been the bane of his existence all day. “It’s fine. We’re already married, remember? If anything, this just proves it even more.”

“Yeah, till you get me or any one of my sisters drunk, and we spill everything!” she hissed. “We aren’t exactly known for being quiet drunks.”

Asher stifled a laugh, knowing just exactly how talkative Nat got when she’d had a few. Secrets did not exist in her world when she was intoxicated, something he and Nash had teased her incessantly about. “Then don’t get drunk.”

“Are you kiddin’?” she asked, her mouth dropping open as she stared up at him. “One, I’m at a family event. Two, that event is one said family sprung on us with no notice. Three, I just got married—four, to my best friend, by the way. Five, a marriage that isn’t even real,” she said, lowering her voice so only he could hear. “Six, all of this is happenin’ in Havenbrook. And seven, with enough busybodies in attendance to fuel the gossip mill for months to come.”

Asher lifted his chin in thanks and grabbed the drinks Nat had ordered them from the bartender. He passed the dirty martini to her before taking a pull from his favorite beer. “Actually, I think the fact that Mac and Hudson snuck off to get married and didn’t tell anyone may actually shorten that time just a little bit. So, nice goin’ there.”

Nat finally cracked a grin. “Yeah, that was probably a dick move.”

“Probably. But still kinda fun to watch your mom hand Mac her ass, all while entertainin’ an eight-month-old.”

“Oh my God, the kids!” Nat said as she frantically scanned the party.

He slid an arm around her waist, cupping her hip possessively and tugging her into his side. “Relax, your mom’s got Owen, and Rory’s girls are playin’ with June.”

Nat exhaled so hard, she slumped into him, and he tightened his grip, making sure she stayed upright. “Fuck, I’m not cut out for this.”

“I don’t know,” he said, taking another pull from his beer. “I think you’ve done pretty great, all things considered.”

She huffed out an incredulous laugh. “For the past hour, I’ve legitimately not known where those children were. But besides that, the thought of where they were hasn’t even entered my mind.”

“Yeah, well, that’s understandable. We did have a wedding sprung on us. And what we thought was gonna be a tiny ceremony in a courthouse with just me, you, and the kids as witnesses turned into quite a different ordeal. And now this reception? Don’t be so hard on yourself. I knew where they were. That’s what makes us a good team.”

“What? So only one of us is able to lose our shit at any given time?”

Asher nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right.” He lifted his beer up for another drink, and Nat’s gaze was snagged on something, her breath catching. “What is it?”

She blinked and shook her head, glancing to the side before meeting his gaze. “It’s so weird seein’ you with a wedding band. And what’s even weirder is knowin’ it’s mine.”

Funny, he’d felt the same way, sliding the ring he’d bought onto her finger and saying the words—whether they intended them to be real or not—that bound them together by law and under the eyes of God.

He dropped his gaze to her lips, remembering how soft and pliant they’d been that morning. The sound of her throaty moans. How she’d felt beneath his questing hands, the full roundness of her ass gripped in his palms.

Without thinking, he leaned toward her, intent on pressing his lips to hers, when a sound of surprise interrupted them.

“I’m so sorry!” A woman Asher didn’t recognize stood off to the side—a photographer, he’d guess, thanks to the camera hanging from her neck. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Mrs. Haven would just like me to get some pictures before it gets too late.”

“Before everyone has too many drinks from their open bar, she means,” Nat said out of the corner of her mouth. Then beamed a smile at the photographer. “Great! Show us where you want us.”

Forty-five painful minutes later, they’d finished all they were able to. Though, if the photographer had managed to get any without Nat’s face contorted thanks to her grumbles, it’d be a miracle.

“Can’t believe they hired someone,” she said.

“I heard that,” Rory said. “Yes, Nat, we all know you’re ridiculously talented, but even you couldn’t take your own wedding photos.”

“Says you. I could take pictures of everything no problem.”

“Yeah, everything but the bride.” Mac rolled her eyes.

“Which is you, by the way,” Will said.

“Whatever,” Nat grumbled as she leaned her back to his chest, as if she needed someone to hold her up for a little while.

He obliged, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and holding her tight to him. The entirety of the time they’d been doing pictures, he could see how much she’d itched to be the one behind the camera. For as gorgeous as she was—and she was gorgeous—she’d never liked having her picture taken, always preferring to be the one behind the lens.

Though it had crossed his mind that when she said yes to him, she’d be saying no to so many other things, he hadn’t really allowed himself to realize the gravity of exactly what she was giving up by agreeing to marry him. He saw that now, though, when he looked into her eyes as someone else captured memories for them when it had been her job for so long.

“You okay?” he asked when everyone else had scattered and they finally had a moment of peace.

She lifted one bare shoulder, the move drawing his eyes to her silky, tanned skin. Making him wonder, not for the first time, exactly how it’d feel under his lips. “I’m just not used to bein’ on this side of things, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. But it’s more than that, isn’t it?”

She huffed out of breath and rested her head back on his chest, curling her fingers over his forearms wrapped around her. “I honestly haven’t had time to think about it much since I’ve been here. But…I miss it. I’ve snapped a couple pictures of you or the kids, but that’s been days ago. This is the longest I’ve gone without taking a picture. And now…all these people around. My family… Even if this marriage isn’t real, the emotions are. I’m just bummed about it.” Her eye roll could be heard for miles when she continued, “And I know Misty will capture them or whatever, but she won’t capture what I saw, you know?”

Asher hummed and tightened his arms around her, pressing a kiss to her temple before lowering his lips to her ear. “It’s a good thing I grabbed your camera bag before we left, then, isn’t it?”

Nat spun around, her eyes wide, as she shoved him hard in the stomach. “Shut up. Are you serious?”

Asher grabbed her hands to stop her from attacking him again and chuckled under his breath. “Diaper bag and your camera—that should score me some points, huh?”

“You are the actual best,” she said before reaching up, hooking her hand around his neck, and tugging him down to her level. She pressed her lips to his, and though it certainly hadn’t been the only kiss they’d shared today—far from it, thanks to this reception—it had been the only one that had been spontaneous.

He could tell by the way she stepped back, her eyes a little wider than usual, that she’d done it without thought. Which was great for all the prying eyes of Havenbrook to see—Judge Seville included—but not so great when he was trying to maintain boundaries.

“I’m gonna go grab it from the car.”

Asher nodded, watching her walk away, doing everything in her power to avoid partygoers as she went.

Nash stepped up next to Asher, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Looks like you two crazy kids are slidin’ right into marital bliss.”

Asher huffed out a laugh and shook his head, glancing down at the ground. “Not quite.”

“I don’t know about that. Those kisses y’all’ve shared looked pretty blissful.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” he said under his breath.

Nash’s brows flew up. “That so?”

“Nothing’s happened. Not really.”

“Well, something has, otherwise you wouldn’t have said a thing.”

Asher pressed his lips together, intent on keeping his mouth shut. But Nash just met his gaze head on, half smirk on his smug face and brow raised as if to say, Hurry up already. I’ve got shit to do.

He exhaled a deep sigh. “Fine. This mornin’, we decided to kiss—you know, a trial run so our first wouldn’t be in front of God and everybody else when we were supposed to be madly in love.”

Nash nodded. “Seems logical.”

“Yeah, well, as soon as we got our lips on each other, logic left the building. And if June hadn’t walked in, I don’t know where we would’ve ended up.”

Nash whistled low under his breath, tucking his hands into his pants pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Well, that’s not too bad.”

“I’m not done.”

“Oh…shit.”

“She left to take care of the kids, and I took care of…well, you know.”

Nash chuckled and nodded. “Been there a time or two.”

“Except that as I—” Asher raised his eyes, glancing around at everyone milling far too close for him to feel comfortable having this talk candidly. He cleared his throat. “—was nearly there, she opened the door just in time to witness me cross the finish line.”

Instead of reassuring him like he’d hoped his friend would, Nash guffawed loud and long, propping his arm on Asher’s shoulder just to hold himself up.

“Thanks, man. Appreciate the support,” Asher said, trying to shove Nash off him.

Nash recovered with barely a stumble, still trying to get his laughter under control. “Sorry, sorry. How much did Nat tease you about your, uh, little man?”

“She didn’t.”

“She…didn’t?”

“Nope. And if I’ve been readin’ her right, she was just as affected by not only the kiss but also the show as I was.”

Nash hummed as he crossed his arms, bracing his legs shoulder-width apart. “So, what’re you gonna do about it? Technically, you are a married couple, and married couples enjoy those sorts of activities. Or so I’ve been told.”

Asher chuckled under his breath and scanned the crowd until his eyes locked on Nat. Camera in hand, she moved throughout the space, her grace and confidence something he was so used to when it came to her. But one thing he wasn’t used to where she was concerned was this sense of possessiveness, knowing she wore his ring. She’d be in his bed tonight and every night for the foreseeable future. And no matter how fake this marriage was, his feelings over her certainly felt real.

“I have no fucking idea what I’m gonna do about any of it.”

Just then, Nat lifted her gaze and connected it with his, and even through the distance between them, that stare shot straight to his cock.

Nash whistled low under his breath, obviously seeing the interaction. “Shit, man. All I know is, if Rory looked at me like that, we’d already be on our way home.”

The only problem was, home held more questions than answers, and now those questions were topped with a heaping desire to rip each other’s clothes off.