Kendall Hale’s newest novel—an older brother’s best friend, friends to lovers, fake engagement, billionaire romance—is out this week, and I have a little sneak peek for you.
Excerpt
“Engaged,” I repeat, trying to sound casual. I shrug my shoulders, a nonchalant gesture that belies the racing of my heart.
“You and I . . .” she laughs. “No really, why did you bring me here? This time, be serious about it okay. I really want to take a nap.”
I clear my throat. “I. Told. My. Parents. That. We. Are. Engaged.”
“Engaged,” she repeats, as if the word makes no sense.
“Yeah. I said we’ve been dating and that I proposed since we’re crazy in love.”
“Oh, you’re definitely crazy,” she scoffs, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. She throws her hands up in the air, a gesture of exasperation. “That was . . . What were you thinking?”
I wince, running a hand through my hair. “I know, I know. It was stupid . . .” My voice trails off, the words sticking in my throat. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for her reaction before I tell her what’s going on with my grandmother. At least, everything my parents told me.
She listens without interrupting me which I take as a good sign. Maybe she’ll take some pity on me and go with this for the next week. One week that’s all I need to make my grandma happy.
“She always wanted to see my wedding—I’m her only grandchild,” I say, my voice cracking with sadness and grief. I look away, blinking back the tears that threaten to fall.
Audrey stares at me, her expression unreadable. I can see the wheels turning in her head, the implications of my words sinking in. This isn’t a small favor, but it’s worth it to ask and who better to be my accomplice than her. Plus, she also needs it to save face, right?
“Liam, this is insane. We can’t pretend to be engaged. What happens when everyone finds out the truth?”
I step closer, my hands coming up to grip her shoulders gently. I can feel the warmth of her skin through her shirt, the way she tenses under my touch. Instead of convincing her that this idea will work, I want to tell her that she’s safe with me, in my arms.
And of course, I stop myself because where the fuck did that come from? Focus, Cohen.
I clear my throat. “They won’t find out. We’ll play along for a little while, just until after the anniversary party. Then we can quietly break things off in San Diego, no harm done.”
“How are we breaking up?” she asks. She shakes her head, her hair falling into her face. “Anything we do might harm our families’ relationship. They’ll want to take sides and . . . Liam, this is lying to your family. To my family. The Montgomerys and . . . everyone that’s part of our circle will be taking sides. How can you even suggest something like this?”
I want to tell her that no one will be doing such a thing, but that’s a problem for future us. We have to deal with the right now. Grandma.
“Because you always tell them the truth?” I counter, raising an eyebrow. “Like when you broke your mom’s favorite vase and blamed it on the dog? Or when you snuck out to go to that party in high school and told them you were studying at a friend’s house? Or how about when you crashed your dad’s car and said it was a hit and run?”
“I was young,” she says defensively, crossing her arms over her chest. Her cheeks flush with embarrassment. “This is wrong in so many ways, Liam.”
I sigh, my shoulders slumping in defeat. “I know it’s wrong. But Audrey, you didn’t see the look on my parents’ faces when I told them. They were so happy. Even Malcolm seemed pleased at the news. And the thought of being able to give Grandma one last moment of joy before she . . .”
Audrey studies me for a long moment, her gaze intense and searching. “I’m sorry about your grandmother, Liam. I understand this means a lot to you, but . . .” She steps closer, her hand coming up to rest on my arm. Her touch is warm, comforting, and I feel a flicker of hope in my chest. “I don’t know if I’m okay with giving hope to my parents—mainly, my mother—and then taking that away.”
“So, you’re willing to tell them that you and Ben broke up?” I challenge, my eyebrows raised in question. I can see the conflict playing out on her face, the way she worries her bottom lip between her teeth.
“That’s low, even for you, Cohen,” she sneers at me, her eyes flashing with anger. She pulls her hand away, crossing her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture.
“Come on, Little McCallister. Let me help you help me,” I beg her, my voice taking on a pleading tone. I step closer, my hands coming up in a placating gesture. “Please. I’ll owe you even though this is a win-win situation.”
Audrey stares at me, her eyes narrowed in thought. I can practically see the gears turning in her head as she weighs her options.
Finally, she lets out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping in resignation. “Fine. If we do this, we have to set some ground rules. No one can know the truth, not even our closest friends. And we have to be careful not to let things get too . . . complicated.”
“You mean, you’ll do it? You’ll pretend to be my fiancée?” I ask, my heart racing with a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and something else I can’t quite name.
She nods, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Against my better judgment, yes. But only for your grandmother’s sake. And only until the anniversary party is over. Once I board the plane back to San Diego it’s over.”
I cock an eyebrow, a smirk playing on my lips. “Fair. But at least admit this helps you too.”
She sighs, rolling her eyes heavenward. “Fine, it does, but don’t expect me to thank you for this. It’s too big of a lie.”
“Thank you, Audrey. You have no idea how much this means to me.” I reach out, pulling her into a hug before I can think better of it. She stiffens for a moment before relaxing into my embrace, her arms coming up to wrap around my waist.
“What are neighbors for, right?” she mumbles into my chest, her voice muffled by my shirt. “But listen to me well, Liam. Once we’re back in San Diego, we break up and it has to be your fault.”
I nod.
“Repeat it so I know it sinks in,” she orders.
I laugh, the sound startling in the quiet of the park. “Break up in San Diego, it’ll be my fault . . . Fine, I’ll take the blame for this one.”
She pulls back, rolling her eyes. “Just don’t make me regret this, Cohen.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Little McCallister,” I reply, releasing her from the embrace.
Then, suddenly, I remember one little detail. “We have to tell Max the truth about this relationship.”
“Nope. He will complicate everything.” She crosses her arms.
“He will kill me,” I say. “Remember, he’s a scary former SEAL. Love the dude. He’s my best friend and shit, but I’m afraid he’ll finish me off before I even get to give the news to my grandmother.”
She puts her weight on one leg and uncrosses her arms. “Fine, but only him.”
“Only him,” I agree, my gaze drawn to her pouty, kissable lips.
The urge to lean in and capture them with my own is strong. I allow myself to wonder what it would be like to kiss her, to feel the softness of her lips against mine.
Since the kiss is bound to happen sooner rather than later I ask with the most innocent voice I can muster, “Should we seal this with a kiss?”
Her eyes widen, and she takes a step back, holding up her hands in a defensive gesture. “Are you insane?” she protests, her voice rising an octave. “No PDA.”
I can’t help but chuckle at her reaction, the way her cheeks flush with indignation. “Relax, Audrey. I’m just saying this because we have to make this believable. They’ll expect us to hug and . . . do what couples do.”
She narrows her eyes at me, her lips pursing in that adorable way when she’s annoyed. “Leave it to me. I’ll make sure everyone thinks we’re madly in love, and you won’t have to touch me at all.”
I hold up my hands in surrender, a smirk playing at the corners of my mouth. “Okay, okay. No PDA. Got it.”
I’ve known Audrey long enough to recognize that stubborn set of her jaw, the determined glint in her eye. When she gets an idea in her head, there’s no changing her mind until she realizes she’s wrong. And even then, it’s a battle of wills.
We walk back home in silence, our shoulders brushing occasionally as we navigate the narrow sidewalk. The sun is setting, casting a golden glow over the neighborhood, and for a moment, it feels like we’re kids again, walking home from school together.
But the illusion is shattered as soon as we reach her parents’ home. “Don’t say anything until I know how to approach it,” Audrey warns me.
I salute her. “No worries, princess. I’ll follow your lead.”
I make my way home and up to my old room, the familiar scent of my mom’s vanilla and the faint mustiness of unused space doesn’t feel as home as it used to. It’s probably the unease of the news and now the big fat lie I told my family. I sit down on the edge of the bed, the springs creaking under my weight, and pull out my phone.
My thumb hovers over Max’s contact, hesitating for a moment before I press the call button. The phone rings once, twice, three times before he picks up.
“Liam Cohen. I heard you finally convinced Ethan to sell the alarm systems,” Max says on the other end of the line. “It only took you what? Six months?”
“A year, but who’s counting,” I groan because every fucking time that I want to make some changes to the company or add anything Ethan invented, he puts a stop to it and it takes me fucking forever to convince him that it’s a smart move.
“So, did you call to gloat?”
I laugh. “No.” My voice sounds a bit strained even to my own ears. “You got a minute?”
“For you, always,” he says, but I can hear the undercurrent of concern in his tone. “What’s up? Everything okay?”
I take a deep breath, my free hand running through my hair. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Well, mostly fine. I just . . . I need to tell you something.”
“What did you do, asshole?” Max’s tone shifts, the amusement giving way to suspicion. I can hear the edge in his voice, the way he’s already preparing for the worst. “I’m not bailing you out of jail.”
This would be a great time to remind him that I’m usually the one getting him out of trouble, but since I want him to support this little lie, I bite my tongue.
I take a deep breath, preparing myself for his reaction. “I told my parents I’m engaged to Audrey.”
There’s a moment of silence on the other end of the line, a pause that seems to stretch on for an eternity. I can almost hear the gears turning in Max’s head, the way he’s processing this bombshell I’ve just dropped.
“I’m going to fucking kill you.”
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(standalone stories with interconnected characters)
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