Of all the airports we visited, Winnipeg was the smallest and most straightforward to navigate. The terminal was a single, curved wide corridor with a dozen food vendors along the interior wall and glass windows facing the tarmac that you followed until the escalators. Those led to the arrivals and baggage claim area, where my parents and Vince were waiting for us and, unknowingly, our big reveal.

Caleb and I let a line of passengers stream ahead before meeting each other's gaze as if to ask if we were going through with this. Once we'd stepped onto the escalators, he waited for my nod before cradling my hand and entwining our fingers. Sweat coated mine, but at least I'd washed the pretzel grease off it after freshening up in the bathroom. An extra layer of deodorant never hurt, and on the off chance we kissed, I did not want to have 30+ hour plane breath.

Would we have to kiss?

I'd kissed strangers before, albeit while drunk and in dimly lit bars in my late teens and early twenties, but I could still do this, right? Caleb was a lot more appealing than a stranger, plus he was sweet and fun, and I enjoyed it when he flirted with me. Kissing him might be nice, if not a bit nerve-wracking.

Caleb squeezed my hand and looked down at me. "You seem nervous. Want to call it off?"

Even that whisper felt charged as my body was hyper-aware of his breath against my ear and cheek. They were both probably burning bright red.

Scanning the hall, my parents hadn't spotted us, but Vince had, and he studied us with a furrowed brow. In a casual button-up red plaid shirt rolled up to the elbow and a baseball cap, Vince was as much a laid-back farm kid now as when we were teens attending high school together. If he caught us in this lie, he'd laugh it off and tease me about overreacting about the Trevor situation. He and Claire had been dating long enough that we used to hang out as couples. Although he and Trevor were friends, Vince remained neutral.

However, Claire would be upset that I couldn't be honest with her (though she still hadn't confirmed if Trevor was attending). Honesty wasn't the easiest for me. I wasn't an outright liar, but I closely guarded my truths. Each of my friends had a small piece of me I thought they'd accept, and even if they cobbled them all together, it didn't seem like me.

Until Trev...

He'd helped me figure out parts of me I didn't understand or accept. The man was everything I should have wanted in a person. But I'd jumped on a plane like the commitment-phobic jerk I was.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook off my unpleasant sensation.

You know that you and Trev were wrong for each other, even if you loved him. If you and Caleb pull this off, you won't risk hurting Trev more than you already have. He'll get the message that you moved on, and hopefully, he will have too. It'll keep your friends and family's focus on the shiny new relationship instead of analyzing and questioning your life choices and whatever Caleb was avoiding. People adore a love story.

"Nah, we're in it now. It's only two days. We've got this."

Caleb's smile returned. "Oh course we do, my little Timbit."

Timbit? He named me after something that went in his mouth. Oh god, did that mean...

Focus, Audrey Clarke. He picked a Canadian snack you shared. It's kind of sweet. Or very if you consider the ingredient list.

And what do I call him my delicious slice of Vegemite toast?

Please never say that aloud.

He smiled at me then lifted my hand to his lips to kiss it. Why were they so soft?

Would you prefer they be sandpaper-like? Come on, Audrey, smile back, swallow your awkwardness, and try not to look like a statue!

Vince met us at the foot of the escalator with a curious smile. "Welcome and welcome home!"

He gave us both a warm hug, which allowed me to release my Slip 'N Slide of a hand from Caleb's. He had the politeness not to wipe it on his pants.

"Claire will be gutted she missed this. How did this... How do you two...?" Vince shook his head and readjusted his grey baseball cap.

"My dad's from Bali, and on one of our trips, I wanted to dive with manta rays. It was bloody life-changing, in more ways than one." Caleb grinned at me, and my stomach flipped like a fish jumping.

How is he this good at this?

Time to up my game too.

"We hit it off after diving together, but he's out in Australia, and I have a good thing going in Indonesia, so we just stayed friends who kept in touch online. But when we saw each other on the flight in Jakarta." I took a page from his book and tried that doe-eyed love stare, which probably made me look like Sméagol, although Caleb still beamed at me. "It was like fate."

"That is a page out of your playbook, isn't it?" Vince teased me.

Shit, I hadn't meant for this to sound like the start of my and Trevor's relationship where our friendship preceded us getting together. Would Vince warn Caleb about me? Was he afraid I'd hurt another of his friends?

Caleb scoffed and rubbed my upper back. "This woman does not need a playbook. Her terrible sense of balance does the work for her."

"Hey."

I gave him a playful nudge, and he used the opportunity to wrap an arm around my shoulder. Flirting with him came much easier than I thought, though I wondered if I should be concerned about that.

Vince turned and looked at Caleb.

"So how is Lil—"

Caleb cut Vince off. "Audrey, are those your parents?"

He pointed at two people in their early forties who would have teens when I was born. How young did he think I was, or was he that bad at guessing people's ages? A glance up at Caleb revealed his taut cheek muscles and shifting eyes. I got the hint. This charade helped him avoid whatever topic Vince had tried to bring up as much as it aided me. His acting was so convincing I had to step up.

"No, but I think I saw them around."

Caleb turned to Vince. "Oh Mate, I apologize that this is such a last-minute request, but given this beautiful coincidence of Audrey and I being in the same province together and how busy you and Claire must be with wedding preparations, we thought we could stay at Audrey's while I'm in town, assuming her folks don't chase me off."

"Oh." Vince looked between us then his eyes landed on me. "Are you sure that's okay?"

I chuckled with nerves in my gut, unsure if my unease stemmed from the genuine prospect of inviting Caleb into my life or fear of getting caught in this lie. "Why, do you know something I don't?"

Was Lil the beginning of his girlfriend or ex-girlfriend's name or a family member's? Or perhaps it was a place or a company he'd dealt with where the job had blown up in his face.

"No, Caleb's the best. This doesn't scream Audrey to me. But if you're both happy, I don't see a problem with it." Vince tucked his hands in his pockets and smiled.

I leaned into Caleb's chest and nodded. He sealed the illusion with a feathery kiss on the crown of my head, another weakness of mine. Somehow, he had found a '10 Ways to Charm Audrey Clarke' handbook. The tingling sensation travelled down to my bare toes.

"Extremely," I answered. "As well as exhausted from this terrible flight itinerary."

"You chose to live in Indonesia," Vince chided.

"Oy, that was a brilliant choice, otherwise we wouldn't have met until the wedding and might not have hit it off." Caleb's words brimmed with sincerity, though he could be a phenomenal actor for all I knew. Either way, this kept us away from the topic that had shaken him up.

"And I can't control where the cool creatures hang out. I still maintain you should have had a destination wedding in Southeast Asia."

Vince chuckled. "Our families would have loved paying to attend that. And for the record, I seated you two together at the wedding before I knew about any of this, so it seems like it's meant to be."

"Really?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah, after I heard what happened." As Vince looked at Caleb, his chest muscles tensed. "We switched a few things with the seating arrangement. Since Audrey loves all topics of travel, Australia, and nature, I thought you two would at the very least have something to talk about."

Caleb bit his lip, and his fingers stroked my shoulder. I didn't miss the shiny nature of his eyes. "Thanks, mate."

"So, are you two going to Churchill together then?"

As much as my heart wanted to say yes, that wouldn't be possible. "No, that's super booked out this time of year."

Vince studied Caleb before asking, "But don't you have–"

"Aren't you the one who implied this was fast for Audrey? One step at a time, Mate."

"Sorry, so you haven't-–"

Caleb shook his head and shot Vince a pointed look. I assumed he meant talked about whatever happened that made Vince and Claire rearrange the seating chart. Had he planned on bringing a plus one? Although Vince had known his family, so maybe this 'Lil' was connected to a sister. But this arrangement helped us avoid our pasts, so I let him have his privacy as I didn't plan on getting into detail about the Trevor situation either.

"We should find my parents to introduce this wonderful guy and check if they're cool with an extra guest."

As Vince followed a short distance away, I glanced up at Caleb, whose expression grew more serious than before.

"Are you still up for this?" I whispered. "Because Vince will be fine if we tell him it's a silly, impulsive idea. He's good like that."

Caleb rubbed his hand against my back. Did it soothe him as much as it did me?

"No, I made you a promise."

"I'm twenty-eight years old. I'll survive an awkward wedding with an ex I hurt. If this is upsetting you more than helping—"

"It's helping." His green eyes met mine, and some deep lines on his forehead disappeared. "If Vince knows I haven't told you what happened, he won't bring it up around you. All I need to do is to avoid being alone with him."

I wanted to ask him if locking away what happened that had upset him was healthy, but nothing I'd done could be called that either.

We wandered to the area near the bathrooms where my mother, who had a bladder the size of my stubby pinkie toe, would be. My dad waited with his arms crossed over his signature golf-style polo, although he never golfed and would much rather be on a bike. Caleb gave me a bit more distance, which was appreciated.

My dad was old-fashioned, and I could count the number of times he embraced my mom in my presence on one hand. Just the obligatory, 'I'm leaving on a week-long work trip' farewell hug spurred on by my mom. Which was odd given that his family all hugged when we got together, but it wasn't my dad's preferred way of showing affection.

Instead, he would spend weeks researching the ideal underwater camera for the conditions I dove in, purchase two, and bring them with him so we could photograph the reef and its marine life together. I still had mine tucked in my carry-on. Thankfully it was tough enough to survive the fall.

"Dad," I called out. He smiled at me and gave me the socially obligatory 'we've been apart for a while' hug. "Do you remember Vince? Claire's fiancé."

They shook hands, and I turned to Caleb with a nervous smile. Lying to my mom was one thing because she was so strongly opinionated and unwilling to back down that it became second nature as a defence mechanism. But deceiving my dad didn't come as easily. He'd never given me grief over my romantic or life choices, even if they made him uncomfortable. I think he enjoyed having a reason to get dive-certified and get into underwater photography.

"And this is Caleb, my boyfriend."

They stared at each other for a moment without making a move forward. Caleb stepped up first and extended his hand. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"Call me Pete."

"Pleasure to meet you, Pete."

They released each other's hands with subtle smiles, and Caleb brushed his hand against his pants. My dad ran a hand through his wiry salt and pepper hair.

"Do you work at the dive centre with Audrey?"

"No, he's an environmental scientist from Australia," I answered with too much excitement in my voice, or maybe it was the right amount, and my regular self was underwhelming. When would this overthinking stop? Either way, Caleb caught my gaze with appreciation.

"Australia." That higher voice made me freeze. "Oh Auddie, don't you remember all those shows you'd make us all watch about that place? You were so determined to move there one day. And remember how Grandma made you that kangaroo Halloween costume you insisted on wearing to bed for—"

"Good to see you, Mom." I went in for a hug, hoping it would slow her need to tell silly stories about my past. Caleb might have been a fake boyfriend, but the embarrassment would still be very real.

As if to confirm my theory, Caleb wore an amused smile he switched into a charming one for my mom. "I would love to hear more about this. I'm Caleb, Audrey's boyfriend."

My mom froze and looked at me. "Boyfriend?"

I sensed the lecture lurking in that blue-eyed stare. The 'it's wonderful you've finally found someone, but we could have planned a much better reception if you shared details about your life.'

Time to do some damage control.

"The relationship is pretty recent. He and I just happen to be attending Claire's wedding. It was a lovely surprise. Vince studied abroad and stayed with Caleb's family years ago, so that's how they know each other." At least that was all true. My mom would lecture and analyze me for years if she found out the truth.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Caleb." She pulled him into a quick hug, looking small in his arms like I imagined I did too, though my mom had a few inches on me. "I apologize for my surprise. My daughter loves keeping secrets." She sent a disarming smile my way. I fought the urge to sigh. She kept plenty of her own from our extended family and us too.

"We haven't told my parents yet either, so please don't take it personally. We want to be sure we've made the right choice without putting pressure on the relationship." Caleb was a charmer, and his grin didn't hurt either.

"That's perfectly reasonable." My mom beamed at him. She readjusted the silver necklace she loved so it sat in the middle of her black and red floral short-sleeved blouse.

"Would it be alright if Caleb stayed with us while he's here? It's just for a few days. He was planning to stay with Vince, but we know how busy they are with the wedding prep. And I'd love to see more of Caleb." Also, not a lie.

My mom grinned at Vince. "Of course. Anything we can do to help. I would love to get to know your new boyfriend."

She would have a ton of questions for him

"I can sleep in the guest room," Caleb said.

"You're both adults. Whatever you decide is fine," she spoke nonchalantly, and my dad wouldn't fight her on it because she was the boss. "How was the flight?"

"Long, all three of them were. But the Hong Kong airport was pretty cool. We tried roasted goose, saw all kinds of art, and Caleb sang to me on the piano." I cringed a little at my unintentionally love-sick tone at the end, but perhaps he'd assume I was acting.

"That I wish I saw," Vince said.

I grinned. "Luckily, someone took a video."

Caleb's eyes widened, and he grimaced.

"That I don't have to share if Caleb doesn't want me to."

The sweet smile he produced felt like it was for my eyes only and made my face heat up.

Vince glanced between us both. "Please, you can consider it the wedding gift."

Caleb chewed on his lip, which I knew was soft after he kissed my hand.

Focus.

"Fine, go ahead Audrey, although the family and I have gotten you a rather delightful gift," he said the last part to Vince.

I pulled out my phone, which had a message from Claire mentioning Vince's name that I left to read later, as she likely told me he'd arrived at the airport to meet us. Instead, I opened a video of Caleb belting out the end of 'Piano Man' which made him shrink a little, but everyone else laughed and smiled. I squeezed his hand, and he brightened slightly.

"He's the whole package," my mom teased me with a smile.

"You're too kind. Music is just a hobby."

I smiled up at him. "I think you're quite talented."

Caleb met my gaze with those intense forest eyes I enjoyed looking into more and more.

Vince cleared his throat. "Well, if you're all happy with the rooming situation, I'm sure Claire has fifteen missions I can accomplish in the city before sundown. Happy future wife, happy life, isn't that right?"

He looked up at my dad, who froze then subtly nodded.

"Thanks, Vince, and sorry for how last minute this change is," Caleb apologized. "I want to catch up after the wedding and my Churchill trip."

"It's fine. I'm happy for you both, and that sounds great. See you at the ceremony on Saturday."

"Give Claire our love," I added.

"I'm sure she'll be calling you once she hears about Caleb and she gets a free second." He grinned with the enthusiasm of someone in love who wanted everyone else to find it.

A small tap-dancing party began in my stomach, but what Caleb and I had was just theatrics, not anything real. Although, I'd have to convince Claire of the opposite, which might be tougher than my mother.  

Any theories on what Caleb's hiding?