Lucy McConnell's Snow Valley Box Set

by Lucy McConnell

  “Oh, and I need to borrow your red dress.” She smiled to herself. If a red tee shirt had left an impression, that dress would leave him speechless.

  Chapter 5

  Troy

  On the way to pick up Chloe, Troy stewed. All night long he’d gone back and forth between following through with this ridiculous scheme and confessing to his parents that he’d flat out lied about having a girlfriend. Jeez. That sounded so pathetic. He could see the looks on his sisters’ faces—part horror, part pity, and part worry over his social life and his soul—and the image was enough to keep him from picking up the phone.

  But sitting here in Chloe’s driveway brought up a whole new list of doubts. His biggest? That he could actually pull off pretending to be in love with his business partner. She was one of the guys. He didn’t treat her as anything more or anything less. He barked less at her than he did at the drivers, but then he barked less at Grady too, so that didn’t mean anything. He gripped the steering wheel and pushed himself back into the seat.

  There were some things about her that were different from the drivers or the assistant mechanics. Her laughter brightened the room. He didn’t get to hear it much. She kept her head down and worked hard—he did too. But every now and again, something would happen and she’d laugh and he’d think, This is a person who loves life. In the back of his head was the desire to hear her laugh again and again. Maybe, if he focused on that, he’d be able to pull this off.

  His gut said to cancel. That’s what he’d do. He’d cancel this whole silly plan and smile in the face of humiliation. Nodding once in agreement with his thoughts, he turned to get out of the truck and explain things to Chloe.

  Just as his black dress boots hit the pavement, the front door to her condo opened and Chloe, looking very un-mechanic-like, stepped out onto her porch. She waved once, tucked her long, straight, stunning hair behind her ear and grabbed the handle of her rolling suitcase.

  Troy stared at her in wonder. Gone were the boxy man-clothes she wore to work. In their place were a pair of knee-high black boots, black leggings, an oversized sweater and a fitted coat that accentuated her curves. She wore a plaid scarf that hid her long neck but drew his attention to her heart-shaped face.

  Since when did her eyes sparkle like that?

  Stunned by her beauty, he couldn’t make his feet move. It was like that moment in a restaurant when a beautiful woman walks in and every guy in the place is knocked stupid. That was her! And him. He could not find a cohesive though in his brain. “Chloe?” he asked. Even though he was sure it was her, he wondered if there was a twin sister in coveralls locked away somewhere.

  She laughed lightly, and his heart lifted. “What? You didn’t think I’d wash off the motor oil to go to a wedding?”

  At the mention of the wedding, his brain kicked into its lowest gear. He reached for her suitcase to store it in the back seat of his truck. “I feel like we should introduce our outside-of-work doppelgangers. Hi, I’m Troy.” He held out his hand.

  “Chloe,” she said with the lift of an eyebrow. He wondered when her eyebrows had become so attractive. It was like he’d never seen them before. Or, perhaps she’d never used one in quite that way. They shook hands, and warmth raced across his skin and his heart thudded loudly.

  “I didn’t know you had lips.” Her eyes widened slightly as if she was surprised by her own comment.

  His freshly shaved cheeks warmed. “Yeah, well, Ronnie insisted we all look like Boy Scouts for pictures.” He stowed her bag and then motioned for her to go around to the other side of the cab, where he opened her door for her. “I hope you’re ready for a wild weekend.”

  She smiled. “I’m ready.” Her chin dropped slightly and her eyes went all sultry.

  Troy backed up to shut the door and his foot caught in a snowbank, sending him scrambling for balance. He windmilled his arms and bit back a curse but managed to stay on his feet. The second he realized he was safe, he looked at Chloe.

  She had her lips pressed together and laugh lines around her eyes. She cleared her throat discreetly and turned, her hair hiding her face. “You okay?” she asked, still not making eye contact. Probably because she was still laughing at him.

  He chuckled uncomfortably. He wasn’t the type to fall all over himself for a pretty face. “Fine. I’m fine.” He kept his eyes on the ground, shut her door, and made his way around the truck. The near stumble had turned his brain back up to full thinking abilities. He’d need to keep it that high if he was going to pull this off. Chloe turned out to be more than he bargained for. With those legs going on for miles and her smooth skin, she’d be a temptress for any man. No big deal.

  No. Big. Deal.

  From here on out, he would be the perfect gentleman and only think of Chloe in terms of friendship and business.

  They rode in silence for a while. He played with the radio as they left Billings, looking for stations that came in better the closer they got to Snow Valley. Chloe texted on her phone and played solitaire. He didn’t feel pressure to talk, which was kind of nice.

  At the Snow Valley exit, a sense of nostalgia came on. “This is the road Ronnie and Grady re-met on.”

  “Re-met?” Chloe set her phone in her lap and gave him her attention.

  “We grew up together, but they hadn’t seen each other for years. Ronnie was just a kid when me and Grady moved to Billings. Anyway, his truck broke down along this road and she pulled over to help him.”

  “That’s sweet.”

  “Yeah—I guess she always had a crush on him, but he had no idea who she was when she stopped. She’d grown up.” When had that all happened? Not only was his sister getting married; she was going to open her own lube shop here in town. Dad’s garage handled repairs and oil changes now, but he had more business than he could handle—especially if he lost Ronnie. And Ronnie was ready to open her own place. The lube shop was perfect.

  They entered town, and he pointed out sights as they passed. “That’s Dove’s Grocery. Big C’s has the best burgers in the state. And the cinnamon rolls from the bakery are better than my mom’s, but don’t tell her I said that.” He smiled, thinking of all the times he and Grady had come into town on the Saturday morning after a football game to carb up.

  “Oh, I almost forgot.” Chloe dug through her purse and came up with a silver ring with a huge diamond. She held it up for him to see.

  Troy almost ran the truck through the front window of Artisan’s Knack, where a pair of holiday dresses were on display. “What the heck is that?”

  “It’s an engagement ring.”

  “That rock is bigger than my eyeball.”

  She held it up to the light. “I’d say about half that size.” With a shrug, she slid it on her ring finger. “Don’t worry, it’s a fake. But I figured we ought to look official. Just in case.”

  Troy’s mouth went dry. “Uh …”

  She blinked at him. “Is it too much?” She held her hand out in front of her, admiring the ring. “I thought it was pretty.”

  Troy did his best to keep his eyes on the road. He ran through a yellow light, the only light in town, and got a dirty look from Buster, who was on the corner in his flappy Elmer Fudd hat and camo coat.

  The problem Troy had with the ring wasn’t that it was a bad idea—it was brilliant, actually—no, his problems was that the ring looked perfect on her finger, like it was meant to be there. “It looks like you picked it out.” He rubbed the side of his fist on the window to clear the condensation quickly building up.

  “I did.”

  “But if I had given it to you …?”

  “Then you would have asked me what I liked before you went shopping,” she filled in.

  He cocked his head. “I don’t think I would have.”

  She turned in her seat so her knees were pointed at him. “Are you kidding me? I would have been so mad if you picked a ring I hated.”

  Offended that she assumed he couldn’t pick out a ring, he shot back, “
And I would have been mad if you hated the ring I picked out.”

  “A woman has to wear a wedding ring her whole life—shouldn’t she get a say?”

  “If I’m plunking down three months of salary for a ring, then I’m making the final call.”

  She tossed her hands in the air. “That’s dumb. We’re getting married. We should be making financial decisions together.”

  They passed the last business on Main Street and continued out to his parents’ place. From here it would only be a few minutes. “There has to be some wiggle room—otherwise you’ll suffocate me.”

  “Oh, so now I suffocate you?”

  He tugged on his collar. “This conversation is suffocating me.”

  “Don’t yell at me.”

  “I’m not yelling.”

  She folded her arms and looked out the window. “Do you want me to wear the ring or not?”

  “Yes.” He ground his teeth. “I want you to wear the ring.”

  “Fine. I’ll wear the ring.” She continued to look out her window instead of looking at him. The fields were covered in snow, and herds of cattle dotted the landscape. The cab grew warm and the air stale.

  Troy twisted his grip on the steering wheel and then released quickly so he could pull into his parents’ driveway. “Are you really mad at me about the ring?” He lurched to a stop and threw the truck in park, yanking the keys from the ignition. “Stay there; I’m getting your door.”

  Chloe snorted. He was halfway around the truck, his ears just registering the cold, when her door swung open. “It’s not about the ring.” Her feet landed and she slammed the door at the same time he tried to shut it for her. Behind him, he heard the telltale creak of the front porch screen opening. He was so upset, he didn’t even care who saw their argument. So what if they were supposed to be a happily engaged couple? He was ticked.

  “Then what’s it about?” He lifted his arms to show his exasperation.

  She poked him in the chest. “It’s about you being pigheaded. Just because you made the money doesn’t mean you get a say over what I do or what I wear.”

  “See, that’s where you’re confused. I could care less what you wear.”

  “But you care about your money.”

  “Darn straight I do.” He pointed to the cracked driveway. “I work hard for it.”

  “That doesn’t give you the right to boss me around.”

  He took a steadying breath and, in the quiet of that moment, heard his little sister say, “I like her.”

  “Me too,” answered his mom. “I think we’ll keep her.”

  Troy groaned. “Now you’ve done it,” he growled out for Chloe’s ears only. He stepped past Chloe and opened the back door to retrieve their suitcases, ending the argument, or at least putting it on hold until a better time.

  Candace and Mom were on Chloe in a heartbeat, hugging her tight and welcoming her to the family. Troy rolled his eyes at Candace, and she rolled hers right back. When they were done, he made proper introductions before stomping into the house, the three of them clucking along behind him like a trio of hens.

  Mom tapped the back of his head as she and Candace headed to the kitchen. “You need to apologize to that girl.”

  “Mom, you don’t even know what we were fighting about.”

  “No, I don’t, but I do know that you’re stubborn and probably said something insensitive.” Mom talked in a hushed voice while Candace showed Chloe where to hang her coat. “You can’t treat her like you do Grady or Ronnie. She’s special.” She raised her voice. “You two get settled and then come on in for some chili and cornbread.”

  “Sounds delicious,” answered Chloe.

  “And some girl talk.” Candace patted Chloe’s arm. “I’m so happy to have another girl in the family.” She left, and the two of them were once again alone. Only this time, it wasn’t comfortable silence like it had been in the truck before the fight. Now the air was heavy with their argument.

  Troy caught Chloe looking around the front room, her teeth tugging on her bottom lip and her arms wrapped tight around her middle. He wasn’t used to seeing Chloe uncertain or even overwhelmed, and it stirred a lion in his chest. He’d protect her, even if it meant protecting her from his stubborn self. “Hey, I’m sorry for getting upset.”

  Her arms released her middle and she twisted the ring around her finger.

  “I should’ve stayed calm. You’re doing me a big favor, and it wasn’t cool to go off like that.”

  “I’m sorry too. I don’t know what came over me.” She smiled shyly, twisting the ring like it was a nut and the bolt was stripped. “It’s kind of funny we were fighting like that.”

  He chuckled. “Right.”

  She laughed harder, covering her mouth with her hand. “I can’t believe you got so upset.”

  “Me?” He pointed to his chest. “You were pouting.”

  She shook her head, her eyes dancing. “I don’t pout.”

  “I grew up with two sisters. You were so pouting.”

  She giggled. “Okay, maybe a little.”

  His gaze roamed her face, so open and full of forgiveness, though there was a hint of something behind them—a worry that he hadn’t displaced with his apology. Her pink lips parted slightly, and he wondered what other things they’d be good at besides arguing—make-up kisses?

  “Let me, uh, show you where you’ll be staying.” He motioned for her to follow him down the hall. These thoughts about kissing kept popping into his head. Either it’d been too long since his last girlfriend, or he was attracted to Chloe. Not really wanting to know which one it was, he focused on the old family photos lining the hallway. “This is Ronnie’s old room. You’re in here.”

  Chloe’s body brushed against his, making his heart skitter. Since when were the doorways so small? His face flushed and he stepped back. “My room is just across the hall.” He threw his thumb over his shoulder.

  Looking between the two doors, he felt like there wasn’t as much space as there should be. Maybe he should stay in the basement. If his mom asked why, he’d tell her … Well, he couldn’t say that he was too attracted to Chloe to control himself—she’d ship him off to stay at Grady’s for the weekend and keep Chloe here. They needed to stick together. “We’ll be sharing the bathroom at the end of the hall with Candace.”

  “Oh?” Her voice squeaked. “Okay. Sounds good.”

  The air grew thick again but this time was totally different. It was like he was aware of the fact that they were alone. Hyper aware and his body buzzed with the knowledge.

  “We’d better get some dinner. Tonight is the calm before the storm. I’m just going to put my bag away.” He took one big step and was in his room. The smell of her perfume followed him, taunting him. He hadn’t even smelled it in the car, but he knew it was her scent and not his sisters’ or mom’s because it made him think of the way Chloe’s hair slid over her shoulder like a silk scarf. He’d bet it was as soft as silk too.

  With quick movements, he tossed his suitcase on the bed and ran his hand down his face. Dinner with his family was no time to be thinking of running his fingers through Chloe’s hair. Although, he couldn’t think of a time that would be okay to think about that—she may be playing his fiancée, but she was his real business partner. Things were humming at GT Trucking, and he’d do best to keep his hands to himself and not make a mess of it by getting tangled up with his partner.

  Chapter 6

  Chloe

  Chloe waited until Troy was safely across the hall before she let out her breath. Pressing her hand into her stomach, she tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach. They were more than out of control. “No. No. No,” she mumbled as she pulled her phone out of her purse and shut the bedroom door. Troy could wait just a moment as she re-centered herself. “Pick up,” she begged as the phone rang.

  “Soooo, was he dazzled?” asked Bree instead of saying hello.

  “Yeah. Like, a lot.”

  “Why are you whisperin
g?”

  “Because these walls look really thin and I don’t want anyone to overhear me telling you how much I’m freaking out.” She sat on the edge of the light blue comforter.

  “Why are you freaking out?” Bree whispered.

  “Because he keeps looking at me like I’m a ham sandwich.”

  “Huh?”

  Chloe flapped her free hand. “Troy loves ham sandwiches. Sorry. Bad comparison.”

  “So he likes the new you.”

  Chloe flopped back. “A little too much.”

  “Whoot! I told you.”

  Chloe could just see Bree shaking her booty and waving her arm in the air. “This is bad, Bree. He was supposed to be shocked, and then we’d go right back to our distant acquaintance-ness. But he won’t stop looking at me.”

  Bree laughed. “Admit it—you like it,” she singsonged.

  Chloe closed her eyes. “More than I should. I’m not supposed to be crushing on him anymore.”

  “Okay, I have a theory.”

  “Do share.”

  “You liked him a lot when you first started working with him, but he didn’t really see you. So you put your crush on a shelf and it’s been sitting there for the last nine months. And now that his engine is revving …”

  Chloe made a raspberry sound.

  Bree laughed. “Revving. Your crush tumbled off the shelf and is in full swing again.”

  The textured ceiling swirled and turned in Chloe’s vision. “This is a bad idea. I cannot crush on Troy.”

  “You’re already crushing on him.”

  “Well, I can’t act on it, then.”

  “Give me one good reason.”

  Chloe threw her arm over her eyes. “Because he could break my heart.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah. Oh.”

  “I don’t want your heart broken.”

  “Me neither.”

  “But I don’t want you to chicken out either. What if this turns out to be the best weekend of your life? The first of a long string of weekends with Troy?”