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Author’s Notes

Yes, you can eat the tension with a spoon. I’m so intrigued about what is going to happen next, and I have to remember I’m the author!

If you don’t know or are new here, Gaston’s restaurant makes a regular appearance in several of my books. If you’re an oldie and you know some of the books you’ve seen in Gaston’s, help the newbies and mention a book in the comment, please.

Okay, I really do need to know which brother are you looking forward to? What do you think their intentions are for Tori?

Duncan. I’m zoned into the middle brother, but I think it’s because he’s so mysterious. He has some weird control over all the brothers. He slammed his fist in the last chapter and shut Kevin, the older brother, up immediately. We can’t forget that.

I’m going to get on to the next chapter. I will spend the day writing and editing, while I know you’re invited all your reading buddies, and then letting me know what you think of these first three chapters. I think we’re off to a good start.

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Tori could feel Duncan’s thigh still pressed against hers. Were their chairs that close? No, his legs were spread wide, but Shawn’s weren’t.
He needed more space? Because of his size?
She didnt want to pick up her chair to move, so she allowed the non sexual touch to continue as if it were nothing, not daring to look Duncan’s way.
“What are you getting at? What could I help with, Shawn, and when did you come up with this plan?”
“Honestly, the moment I saw you today,” Shawn said, turning his whole body towards her. “I thought of the whole plan and I just knew once I ran it by your sister, things would work.”
“What plan?” she persisted.
Shawn took her hand. “We get married.”
She put down her fork, suddenly losing her appetite. “What?” Tori couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but why did her heart feel like it was almost bursting out of her chest?
“Don’t lose your head,” Malea expressed. “But it does make a lot of sense, as he said. The majority of the board is conservative. The only thing that makes Shawn a better prospect than the one they are thinking about is that he is married.”
Tori couldn’t believe her ears. “That’s about the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“With the current political environment, we need to put people in place who would serve us better,” her sister encouraged. “The medical community is looking at the dollars and not the people, and I want to help, but with Shawn in place, I can move forward and put more people in place who can help the city.”
“That’s manipulative.”
“As if you don’t know enough about that,” Malea shot back.
Tori shifted uncomfortably, but she wasn’t about to get into it with her sister and wondered out loud just how much these boys knew about her or even held against her for the things she did. Looking over at Kevin and Duncan, their expressions didn’t look like they knew anything. Gritting her teeth, she was about to respond to her sister, but the next course was delivered: a crisp iceberg quarter with bacon and a light, handmade vinaigrette.
Everyone dived in because the food was so damn good.
“Why would you ask me to marry you?” she asked Shawn.
“Don’t think you don’t want it, Tori,” Kevin cajoled.
The way he said her name again made her eardrums tingle, and she desperately wanted it to grate on her nerves, but it did the exact opposite. “What do you know what I want?” Tori questioned.
Kevin leaned on the table and smirked. “Watching through the doors when you were a little girl. Don’t think I didn’t know it was you, peeking at us all night while we played games in the attic.”
Could she blush any harder?
“A blind man could see you lusted after my little brother like white on rice. So, little lady, this opportunity is perfect for you. All your little girl fantasies are coming true.”
She could barely breathe, feeling like an open book in that heated look from Kevin. “I-I-“
“Don’t deny it. Accept it, you’re trying to go down the honesty road,” Kevin said. “We see you’re trying to change your ways and put the bad traits you had behind you.”
“I’m not little anymore, and I’m not manipulative,” Tori said.
“And neither am I, but in a year, you’ll be free of the obligation,” Shawn promised. “It’s a fake wedding. They aren’t going to ask for my marriage certificate. Only the people in this room will know the truth, and no one else.”
How could she refuse? Abruptly standing up from the table, all three of the brothers stood up with her.
Gentlemen? All three! What the hell?
“Bathroom!” she announced.
“It’s out the door and to the left on the other side of the hallway,” Shawn said.
Glaring at her sister, Tori said, “Bathroom now!”
Malea stood up and followed her out of the room. Tori took her purse because she knew this wasn’t just a simple bathroom trip.
Once enclosed inside the bathroom stall with her sister standing by the sink, Tori relieved her bladder, opened her purse to find a small bag where she kept an extra set of underwear. Often, when she attended conferences and networking events all day, she discovered that she needed to change her underclothes. This small bag provided the necessary privacy in case anyone went through her purse. Also in the bag were baby wipes and some sweet almond shea butter to freshen herself up.
“You’re being ridiculous, Tori,” her sister said. “He’s not proposing some lifetime situation.”
“When did he come to you with this bat shit plan, Malea, because you were acting like you just met him this afternoon?”
“I did, but while you were networking with people I introduced you to, Shawn was pulling my ear and telling me how I could use him. The administration podiatry position is a highly influential role. Podiatry is one of the top fields that generates significant revenue for hospitals. Anyone in that position can pretty much tell the hospital to do whatever they want.”
Tori came out of the stall to wash her hands. “And this is what Shawn wants.”
“Of course. Shawn’s been working his ass off in his profession to get to where he is, and he really is good. And well, I certainly can’t marry him.”
“Why is getting him into this position so important to you. I know that political and money stuff is a bunch of fluff, Malea.”
It was her sister’s turn to shift her weight around while folding her arms across her chest. “The other problem is Norman Dial.”
The name was very familiar. “Your high school boyfriend? What does he have to do with this?”
“He’s also a podiatrist, and he’s got a lot of connections.”
“But doesn’t he have his own practice as well?”
“Yes, and there’s no need for him to get this position except to be closer to me.”
“Why does he need to be closer to you, Malea? Spit it out.”
Her sister shuffled her feet more before saying, “We slept together.”
“In high school, I know.”
“No, Tori, recently. Very recently. Last year, recently.” She went into a stall to start using the bathroom to give Tori time to soak in the knowledge
Tori was flabbergasted. “How could you let this happen, Malea?”
“Scott and I have been having issues, especially since the kids were going to be grown and gone; the spark had left our relationship. You know Normie has still been obsessed with me. Remember, he once thought you were me and came up to hug you. You told me about that a couple of years ago.”
She remembered that often happened when people saw her a long way away. She did look like a younger but fuller version of Malea. And Norman had always been obsessed with her sister since junior high. They dated throughout high school and college, but Malea ended the relationship in their senior year to marry Scott.
Tori was horrified that her sister would cheat on her husband. “Does Scott know?”
“Yes, I confessed it to him, and he’s worried about this problem as well, but when I went and told him about Shawn’s proposal, while I went to get my purse, he was all in this as well.”
“I’m still confused. If Norman gets in the position, what will happen?”
“He’s threatened to expose our affair, get me and Scott fired, and make sure I never work in another hospital in Michigan. And he can do it. He has donated enough money to numerous political funds and medical board members to make it happen. Scott and I would have to leave this state or even this side of the country to make a new life, and it would still leave us financially destitute.”
Tori could hear her father’s voice in her head, pressing her about family. Family was very important to him, and she needed to help her sister out. “Will doing this fake marriage and getting Shawn into the position help back off Norman?”
“He won’t have the power, and he’ll see Scott and me as a united front even though I strayed. Norma will back off.”
“And Scott is secure with all this? Are you guys going to therapy?”
Malea huffed. “My husband loves me and will do anything for me. I apologized, and that should be enough. Tori, your problem is that you don’t understand how two people can be together for each other for a lifetime, because you’re so accustomed to being selfish. Let’s focus on this problem, and let me focus on my marriage.”
Tori surmised what she needed to do. “So pretend to be married to Shawn, get him into the position, and after a year, we say we’re filing for divorce. “
“Yes. It’s that simple, and you could have foot rubs for life if you do this for him.”
Tori rolled her eyes. “This is very serious, and I’m not a good liar.”
“Did you have a hard crush on him like Kevin said?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Oh, that’s why you weren’t so annoyed when the boys came over.” Malea came out of the bathroom. “So why don’t you accept it, see if things can spark, and then get what you always wanted?”
That sounded so easy verbally, but could she really get Shawn to see her as a grown woman and make this marriage real to both of them?
Tori felt all kinds of red flags about this. “As his wife, what would I have to do?”
“There are overnight conferences to attend, dinners to sit by his side, and then more networking. You’d be looking at some nice grant potentials to help your project.”
That’s what she was thinking. It would be a win-win. For her heart and her business, so why was her gut telling her to say no?
“It’s his brothers, isn’t it?” Malea said, coming over to the sink to wash her hands.
Tori hadn’t thought of that factor. One was obnoxious, and the other was really strange, but perhaps since she wasn’t around them as much as a child, she couldn’t understand them.
“Dad liked them enough to want to marry their mother, so if he could trust them and accept them as his sons, then you really have nothing to worry about, Tori,” Malea said. “Perhaps you should look at them like they are brothers in that case. Besides, they’re grown men now, and a lot has changed since then. You should stop feeling all that guilt, play the system so you can get your project complete, and then possibly have the life you’ve always dreamed of.”
The idea sounded so perfect and beautiful.
Taking a deep breath, Tori handed her sister a paper towel to dry her hands and said, “I’ll do it.”
Malea hooted in joy and hugged Tori. “Good, let’s tell the boys.”
Walking back into the room, it was as if they were waiting because Duncan opened the door before they could try the handle. His eyes sensuously looked concerned over her – and just her.
There was that feeling again, but Tori allowed herself to get caught up in her sister’s excitement as she was led over to Shawn, who was standing in front of the fireplace with Kevin.
There was soft music playing, smooth R&B from a Bluetooth speaker on a shelf above the fireplace, and she could see Shawn’s phone next to the speaker.
It was a fitting place to say what she declared, “I’ll accept your fake hand in marriage, Shawn.”
He dropped to one knee. “Thank you, Tori. You have no idea what this means to me. To us.” He pulled out a small ring from his pocket. “It was my mother’s. Kevin had it all this time and went to pick it up before we came to the restaurant.”
She was shocked at the rose gold band with two small one-carat diamonds beside a huge two-carat diamond in the middle—a simple but elegant setting.
Shawn slipped the ring on her finger, stood up, hugged her, and then kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Tori. Really, thank you.”
The ring was slightly tight but still beautiful.
“We can get it resized for you,” Shawn promised.
“Well, now this dinner looks to be an engagement dinner,” Kevin said. “And I should kiss the bride.” The older brother kissed Tori on her other cheek, but she noticed that his was placed farther towards her ear, where it tickled her neck.
“Don’t forget Duncan,” Malea encouraged.
Duncan shyly moved toward her, drew her into a hug, and kissed her on the neck. She didn’t know if this was an accident or he was just awkward, but Tori didn’t have time to delve into that as Shawn gently took her hand and pulled her to the table, just as the main dish was being brought into the room to be served.
Tori tried to push away the wariness in her gut and enjoy the night. The food certainly kept her distracted, but Duncan was watching her eat every morsel, and then Kevin, who had this wicked smirk on his lips as if he had won something.
Her sister was constantly saying, Not to worry. She would take care of everything so that no one would be the wiser.
By the end of dinner, after the dessert, Tori was ready to go home – her safe place. She could think all this out and make herself feel like this was no big deal. People often took advantage of the system, but Tori was no longer that type of person. She had to get used to this plan to help her sister – to help her family.
After all this, these guys would be almost like brothers to her. Her sister was right, her father had treated them like his sons while he was dating their mother, and it was Tori’s fault things didn’t go further. She looked down at the ring and wondered if it was a ring her father had given to their mother, or if it was from the other man her mother had run to.
Shawn leaned over to her as Kevin and Malea were having a conversation over something that Tori was barely listening to because her thoughts were elsewhere.
“Your father gave that ring to my mother.” Shawn tenderly ran his finger over the design on her finger. “We thought it should be at least used even if it’s for fake.”
Looking up at him, Tori searched his eyes for some animosity toward her but saw none. “It’s beautiful.”
“Before you leave,” Shawn said quietly. “Would you mind a first dance to commemorate this moment?”
“This isn’t real, Shawn. There’s no need for showing out.”
“I know, but with all the things we might have to attend, I think we should get comfortable with each other because people will be looking and watching.”
She liked the idea of getting comfortable with Shawn Carter. But she didn’t have another change of underwear.
“Sure,” she agreed and let him lead her away from the table in front of the fireplace. Tori felt the heat from the electrical device on her legs, but there was even more heat coming from the center of her body, radiating up through her chest and making her slightly dizzy.
Tori almost tripped over her feet as Shawn pulled her into a slight embrace. The music was still playing softly from his phone, and he quickly got into the beat and could lead her into a slow dance. She flushed, not having danced with a guy in forever, and found herself tripping over his feet some more.
“I’m sorry. I haven’t danced with a guy in so long,” she admitted.
“You’re doing fine,” he encouraged. “My toes can take it.”
“Or perhaps it’s the leader,” Kevin said, coming up beside them.
Shawn relinquished her hand over to his older brother, and although Tori wanted to protest, she didn’t as Kevin twirled her around and brought her back against his body. He was definitely the better dancer and leader and could maneuver her body where he wanted.
She heard Malea giggle and could see Shawn and her sister now dancing while Duncan stayed at the table to watch them – to watch her.
“So now you’re really going to be my sister?” Kevin said. “I’ve always wanted a sister.”
The tone of his voice made it sound like he wanted something else, and Tori looked up at him, pushing a smile on her face.
“I’m glad I could help.”
“That’s what family is for, right?”
Her father used to say that a lot. “Right,” she said, agreeing with him.
“Did you ever desire having a brother, Tori?” he questioned.
Why didn’t that sound right?
“A few times when I had to deal with guys at school. I wish I could have called up a brother instead of complaining to my father or handling it myself.”
“I would have protected you, Tori. We all would have.”
“I’ll keep that in mind if I ever have a problem with another guy.”
Kevin twirled her again, but somehow he maneuvered her right into Duncan’s arms. She hadn’t seen the middle brother move from the table, but here he was holding her body, almost molded to him, and then taking her hand to start dancing with her.
His movements were slower and deliberate, and she found herself being able to keep up and learn the steps he was doing without trying to look at her feet. And that left her looking up into those dark, sensual brown eyes of his, even in the low light, pulled at her soul, and… he was searching for something in her while mesmerizing her body to do his will.
This was no dance with Duncan. It was a seduction.
He leaned to her ear and whispered, “I love sweet almond too.”
She gasped and stumbled back, feeling dizzy.
Shawn came by her side. “Are you okay? You look flushed.”
“It’s the wine,” she said.
Her sister brought her over a glass of water. “We should be going, guys. My sister has a low social battery, and it’s probably way past her bedtime.”
Tori just needed to get some air away from all this. She was feeling things she wasn’t sure of and seeing things that were impossible to believe.
Shawn kissed her cheek and handed her purse to her. “Goodnight, soon-to-be wife.”
Damn! That sounded so perfect and yes, dreamy! “Goodnight, soon-to-be husband.”
Tori walked out with her sister, but looked back briefly to see all three brothers standing there in age order, looking at her – at her! Not at Malea but at her!
What kind of family had she aligned herself with?

___ *** ___

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Her Substitute Husband… His Brothers (c) 2025 Sylvia Hubbard All Rights Reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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