Dangerous Lies: Sawyer and Amethyst (An Emerald Falls Romance, Book Two)

by Christine Kersey

  It took him a split second to figure out what she was talking about, then he remembered how he’d told her earlier that he was from Ashland. He had to keep up with his lies. “Yeah.”

  “Do you keep in touch with them?”

  He had lots of friends he kept in touch with, but they were all in LA, so when he said, “Of course. Social media is great for that kind of thing,” he was mostly telling the truth.

  Lying was actually pretty exhausting.

  “I know, right?” Amethyst said. “I love social media.”

  Ready to take the focus off of him, he turned the conversation back to the idea they’d been discussing before Amethyst’s friends had interrupted their conversation.

  When they’d finished eating dinner and Amethyst had paid the check, she was ready to see where the rest of the evening would go. When they got home, she was going to invite Justin in. Maybe he would accept this time. It was Saturday, so he shouldn’t have the excuse of working the next day.

  Eager to see if things would move up a notch between them, when they walked out of the restaurant and to Justin’s car, she was encouraged when he took her hand. Loving the way it felt to have her hand in his, Amethyst hoped he was feeling something between them now. He helped her into his car, and when they reached their neighborhood, he pulled into his driveway before walking her to her front door.

  “Thank you for taking me to dinner,” he said. “I enjoyed discussing your business ideas with you.”

  They walked hand-in-hand. “I appreciate you giving me feedback,” she said with a smile. When they reached her front door, she turned to him and gently bit her lip as she gazed at him. “Do you want to come in?”

  He looked towards his house, then back at her. “Sure. Okay.” He didn’t seem especially enthusiastic, which discouraged her, but she unlocked and opened the door and he followed her inside.

  Sawyer waited while Amethyst sat on the couch, then he sat several feet away. In all reality, he wanted to sit right next to her so he could pull her into his arms, but he sat just far enough away to discourage that.

  He’d loved talking business with her at dinner—it was something that had always interested him—and to have it in common with Amethyst made it all the sweeter. Even more, he loved just being with her, though he worried that the more time he spent with her, the closer they’d become, which would only complicate things in the future. Still, he was glad she’d invited him in. In truth, he didn’t want this evening to end.

  “Can I get you anything?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “No, I’m fine.”

  “Can I ask you a question?” she said after a moment of silence.

  “Of course.”

  “Will you be honest with me?”

  This could get really dicey, really fast. Almost feeling like he should cross his fingers, he said, “Yes.”

  She hesitated a moment. “What are your feelings for me, Justin? Do you…that is, do you think there’s a…a connection between us?”

  Yes. Absolutely yes.

  He was terrified to admit the truth. What would happen when she found out about his lies? Would she dump him like yesterday’s garbage? Even more important, what would happen if they got too close and Tyler found out? Would Tyler hurt her to punish Sawyer?

  Still, he couldn’t bring himself to push her away. “I think there could be a connection between us,” he said, his tone careful.

  Chapter 22

  Amethyst had hoped to hear more enthusiasm from him, but at least he hadn’t flatly said no. It was a step in the right direction. “But you don’t feel a connection now?” She didn’t like to push, but she had to know how much energy she should put into their relationship. Maybe they were destined to just be friends. She had to know.

  Crossing his ankle over his knee, Justin took a moment before saying, “I’ve really grown to care for you, Amethyst.”

  That didn’t sound like he felt any kind of special attraction or much of a spark. Disappointed, but not willing to keep pressing him on it, Amethyst smiled. “I care about you too.”

  Sawyer felt like a jerk for being so low-key about his feelings when he actually had a powerful attraction to Amethyst. Desperate to make it up to her, he said, “How about we get together for dinner on Monday after you’ve applied for a loan? You can let me know how it goes.” He smiled. “It will be my treat.”

  Wishing he had a more romantic reason to take her to dinner, Amethyst didn’t want to say no. The more time they spent together, the better the chance that they would find that spark. Well, she had already found it, but it seemed he might need a little help.

  “You know Monday is Halloween, right?” she said.

  “Oh. I guess I forgot.”

  She smiled. “That’s okay. It’s not like I have children to take trick or treating.”

  “So you’re okay with going out that night?”

  She didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to go out with him. Not when their relationship seemed so tenuous. “Yes.”

  “Great.”

  Their conversation turned to more talk of Emerald Chic Boutique and what Amethyst might have to do to get a loan. “Wow,” she said. “This is going to be harder than I thought. Maybe I should just forget the whole thing.”

  Justin shook his head. “No. Don’t give up. I’ll help you through it.”

  Doubtful that he really knew what he was doing, Amethyst agreed that she would give it a try.

  They talked about other things for a while—safe things, like shenanigans she, Chloe, and Gabby had been involved in as teenagers. As the night wore on, and Justin didn’t make a move to kiss her or even cuddle, Amethyst decided it was time to call it a night.

  “I’m getting pretty tired,” she said.

  Sawyer took the hint, and despite the fact that he didn’t want to leave, he knew it was time to go. “Yeah, me too.” He stood, and when she stood as well, it took all of his self-control not to drag her into his arms and tell her how much she had grown to mean to him.

  To satisfy his need to touch her without showing how he really felt, he stepped close to her and gently drew her into his arms, then held her for several moments.

  Amethyst, Amethyst. I don’t know how much longer I can keep up this charade.

  Finally, he released her and smiled. “I’ll see you on Monday evening.”

  Her eyes shone as she nodded, and when he opened the front door and stepped out into the chilly night air, he glanced back once before walking to his house next door.

  Amethyst watched him go, her body still tingling from being held so tightly in his arms. She knew he felt something too. Why wouldn’t he acknowledge it?

  Frustrated, she got ready for bed, but before she went to sleep she texted Gabby and Chloe and arranged to meet them for brunch the next day so they could tell her what they thought of Justin.

  “These chocolate croissants are to die for,” Chloe said as the three friends looked at the brunch menu.

  “You just love anything chocolate,” Gabby said with a laugh.

  Chloe smiled. “And that’s bad because…”

  “Oh, I didn’t say it was bad. Because I’m the same way.”

  Amethyst laughed along with her friends, but she was eager to change the topic to Justin and what they thought about him.

  They ordered, and while they waited for their food to come, she brought up the subject that was on her mind. “Okay, girls. Tell me what you thought about him.”

  Chloe looked perplexed. “Thought about who?”

  “Stop it,” Amethyst said with a grin. “You know who I mean.”

  Chloe laughed. “Oh. Him. Right.”

  “First of all,” Gabby said. “I’m glad to know he really does exist.”

  “He definitely does,” Amethyst said.

  “He’s cute,” Chloe said.

  Amethyst smiled. “That, I know.”

  “We didn’t get to talk to him much,” Chloe said, “but he seems like a nice enough guy.”


  “I like how supportive he seems to be,” Gabby said. “That’s really important. Especially if you’re going to be buying Emerald Chic. It’s going to take a lot of your time.”

  “Yeah,” Amethyst said. “His attitude means a lot to me.”

  “How did it go after we left?” Gabby asked.

  Amethyst told them about the brief, but frank, conversation she’d had with him about how he felt. “But when he left he gave me this hug.” She shook her head. “No kiss, but I’m telling you, I know he feels more than he’s letting on. I could just tell.”

  “A man torn,” Chloe said as the server set their food down in front of them. “Like I told you before.”

  “What are you talking about?” Gabby asked, so Amethyst and Chloe filled her in. “Okay, yeah. I see what you mean.”

  “Torn, right?” Chloe asked.

  “Sounds like it.” Gabby sliced off a bite of quiche. “That’s kind of how Travis was at first. He hadn’t decided what to do, whether he was going to stick around Emerald Falls or not, so he held back.” She took a bite and slowly chewed. “But you have no idea what he’s conflicted about?”

  Amethyst shook her head. “No. None.”

  They were all quiet for a moment, then Gabby broke the silence. “Just…” She hesitated.

  “What?” Amethyst asked.

  “Just be careful, okay? I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Amethyst didn’t want to get hurt either, and she appreciated Gabby’s concern, but she wasn’t ready to give up yet. “Thanks.”

  “Well,” Chloe said after she took a sip of juice. “I guess you’ll just have to give him time to figure things out on his own.” She grinned. “If you think he’s worth it.”

  “I do,” Amethyst said, her smile wistful. “I definitely do.”

  Chapter 23

  “I want to hear all about how it went today,” Sawyer said when he arrived the next night to take Amethyst to dinner.

  She smiled, which warmed Sawyer’s heart.

  “It’s going to take a while before I know if I’m approved,” she said as they sat on her couch. “I’m a little disappointed about that. I wanted to get going on this right away.”

  The delay didn’t surprise Sawyer—he’d seen a couple of business owners go through the process. “That’s not unusual, although the amount’s not overly large.” Wanting to encourage her, he said, “I wouldn’t worry about it too much. It’ll all come together.”

  “I hope so.”

  When they stood to leave, Amethyst stopped in the kitchen and grabbed a large bowl full of candy. “I’m just going to leave this on the porch for all the little ghosts and goblins who come by.”

  “That’s nice of you.” He watched her set the bowl on a bench on the front porch. “Are you sure you’re okay with going out tonight? Maybe you’d rather we eat something here.” That way he could enjoy her company without worrying about running into more of her friends. Although nothing bad had come of meeting Gabby and Chloe, which made him feel a little more confident about talking to the people of Emerald Falls.

  “No,” she said. “It’s fine. I don’t mind.” She laughed. “Besides, I bet I’ll get more trick or treaters after we get back. There are always some late comers. Usually teenagers.”

  “Ah yes. The ones who are too old to really get into it, but still want the free candy.”

  She laughed. “Yes. Which was something I did with my friends. It’s hard to give up some of those childhood things even when you’re a teenager.” Her smile grew. “Especially in a small town where you know pretty much all of your neighbors. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

  Her statement reminded him of his lies, and guilt splashed over him in great waves. “Yeah.”

  As they drove through Emerald Falls then left the town boundaries, Amethyst turned to Justin. “We’re not eating in town?”

  He smiled. “Today was a big day for you. Your first step in becoming a business owner.”

  Business owner. She liked the sound of that.

  Justin glanced at her. “So I wanted to take you somewhere a little fancier.”

  Excited to see where they went, Amethyst smiled. “Okay.”

  Ten minutes later they pulled up to a restaurant in the larger town that bordered Emerald Falls, and when Justin took her hand as they walked from the car to the restaurant, Amethyst’s hopes rose that he would eventually admit that he wanted more than friendship from her. Why else would he keep holding her hand?

  After a short wait, they were seated at a table in a rear corner of the restaurant.

  Sawyer watched Amethyst’s face as she looked over the menu. She was so beautiful. And not just on the outside.

  Her eyes rose to meet his, and when she caught him watching her, she smiled self-consciously. “What?”

  Smiling in return, he said, “Nothing.” Then he focused on the menu.

  See? She knew they were connecting. She knew it wasn’t one-sided. Why wouldn’t he admit it? What was he torn about? Confused and frustrated, Amethyst forced those thoughts away and concentrated on having an enjoyable evening with the man she was falling for.

  Halfway through their meal she noticed a man at a nearby table glancing at them, a quizzical look on his face. Then, to her surprise, the man stood and came over to their table.

  “Sawyer?” The man asked. And when Justin turned to the man, the man smiled. “Sawyer Cooke. I thought that was you. How are you?”

  Sawyer Cooke? Why was he calling Justin Sawyer Cooke? And why did that name seem familiar?

  Amethyst’s eyebrows drew together, and as she looked from the man’s face to Justin’s, she couldn’t miss the complete and utter panic on Justin’s face.

  Desperately wishing he’d stuck to the restaurants in Emerald Falls, Sawyer was struck dumb with indecision as his gaze ricocheted between Amethyst and Mitch.

  Should he pretend like he didn’t know who Sawyer Cooke was? But Mitch wouldn’t fall for that. Sure, he hadn’t seen him in a few months, but he definitely knew he was Sawyer Cooke. What was Amethyst thinking? Even more important, did Mitch know Tyler? Sawyer had never seen Mitch at the club, but who knew?

  Fear of the unknown, coupled with worry over what Amethyst was thinking, made Sawyer’s mouth go dry. Buying time, he lifted his glass and took a large drink, then he tried to act normal. “Hey, Mitch. It’s good to see you.” Smiling at an obviously confused Amethyst, he introduced her to Mitch.

  “Nice to meet you,” Mitch said to her.

  “You too,” she said with a smile.

  “What are you doing in this neck of the woods?” Mitch said, his attention back on Sawyer. “I thought you were too busy with work to take a vacation.”

  Maybe he should take Mitch aside and tell him the truth. Either that or just try to get him to leave. Then Sawyer remembered Agent Yardley’s admonition to not talk to anyone about the investigation. “We all need to take a vacation once in a while, yeah?” He chuckled, like this was all great fun, but inside he was deeply worried about what he was going to tell Amethyst once Mitch left them alone.

  “Right.” Mitch glanced behind him to the table where he’d been sitting with a man Sawyer had never seen before, then he turned back to Sawyer. “Well, I’d better get back. It was good to see you.”

  “You too.”

  Mitch took a step, then faced Sawyer. “Hey, don’t be a stranger.”

  Smiling tightly, Sawyer nodded, then watched Mitch walk back to his table. When he looked at Amethyst, she was staring at him, her expression hard.

  He didn’t know if he was ready to deal with this. But he knew he no longer had a choice.

  Amethyst gazed at Justin. Or should she think of him as Sawyer? She had no idea.

  Furious to know that something was very wrong and that Justin/Sawyer was obviously lying to her, she wanted to throw down her napkin and storm out of the restaurant. Even more than that, she wanted to find out what was going on.

  Not yet. Not j
ust yet.

  “Will you excuse me?” she said, her voice subdued. Then she stood.

  Justin/Sawyer stood too. “Where are you going?” Fresh panic was evident in his eyes.

  Though she wanted to tell him that she was leaving, as she stared at him she still felt that connection, however tenuous. “To the ladies’ room.”

  “Oh.” Relief swept over his features. “Okay.”

  Pursing her lips in disapproval at whatever was going on, she grabbed her purse and strode to the ladies’ room where she faced the mirror over the sink.

  She didn’t understand why that man had called him Sawyer Cooke. And why did that name seem familiar?

  She stared at her reflection, her mind going over the past couple of weeks. And then it hit her.

  The package she had seen on his porch. It had been addressed to a Sawyer Cooke. It had been addressed to him.

  Feeling betrayed, but not sure exactly what betrayal had taken place, Amethyst splashed cold water on her cheeks to cool the heat that had spread there. After patting her face dry with a paper towel, she took several deep breaths, then decided it was time to get some answers.

  Chapter 24

  While he waited for Amethyst to return, Sawyer frantically tried to come up with a way to explain his situation that wouldn’t turn her against him. But that wasn’t his only worry. Soon after Mitch had returned to his table, he’d paid his bill and left with his dinner companion—a man who’d glanced at Sawyer several times.

  “Who are you?” Amethyst said as she slid into the seat across from him, making him temporarily forget his concern over Mitch. “I mean, really?”

  Sawyer wanted to spill everything to her, but as he looked around at the very public place where they sat, he worried about being overheard. “Can we talk somewhere else?”

  Amethyst’s eyebrows shot up like she couldn’t believe he was refusing to tell her the truth.