“If you don’t want to keep pretending…”
Of course she didn’t. But the alternative was even more unpleasant.
“No, honey. I’d love to buy cherries with you.” She smiled and batted her eyelashes. He smirked in response.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he said, like that last word tasted sour in his mouth. He stepped closer, grazing her back, but his voice dropped low and cool. “I’m sure we can get the fuck out of here soon.”
She stole a glance over to the guys. Tyler was right. No one could stand around eating pie forever. They’d finish up at the fruit stand, Russ’s friends would get bored and wander off, and then this whole charade would be done.
She’d owe him. Again. But as long as he knew “owing” didn’t mean “fucking,” she’d find a way to deal.
He began filling a bag with cherries. When she nibbled a sample from the “Try Me” bowl, he gestured with his chin like he wanted one. She picked one up by the stem and dangled it over his mouth. Then she yanked it away as soon as he went to bite it. What was she, a saint?
To anyone watching from afar, it would look like they were any other couple, flirting like they were so happy as they shopped together. Only she could see the hard flash in his eyes.
When she relented, bringing the cherry to his lips, his teeth latched on and tugged. She could see his tongue working to peel off the flesh and had to look away. She should have known that teasing him was only going to be torture for her, too. She knew way too much about what that tongue could do.
“I got this,” she said quickly, trying to cover her sudden flush. She reached for her wallet as he passed the bag to the vendor to weigh.
But Tyler insisted on paying. “They’re my cherries.”
“I thought we were sharing.”
“Hell no. You can get your own.”
Abbi tried not to let her exasperation show to the guys watching them—just to the one guy in front of her, being a sexy idiot as he popped another cherry in his mouth.
“We can’t look like we’re getting separate bags,” she explained. “Not when we’re supposed to be—you know.” She waved her hand.
“In love?” Tyler asked, eyebrow raised.
“Let’s not take things too far.”
That made him snort. “Oh, no. Abbi would never take anything too far.”
Okay. She was officially reaching the end of her fake-girlfriend rope. “You’re an asshole, you know that?”
“It’s bad manners to pick a fight with your boyfriend in public.”
“You’re not my—”
Tyler pulled her in for a kiss.
Not a full-on make-out session in front of the cash register, but it was still his lips on hers and it tore the breath from her, everything sparkling as for half a second she closed her eyes, melting into his touch—
And then she remembered herself.
“Boyfriend,” she panted, tearing away.
Tyler glanced over her shoulder, presumably checking that they still had an audience. “Don’t worry, Blue. I wouldn’t dream of actually going out with you.”
She rolled her eyes. “What a relief.”
She took a deep breath and made herself put space between them. Even if they were an actual couple, they wouldn’t be glued to the hip every second, sucking face while other people were just trying to buy their cantaloupes in peace. She could say good night to him, add some gem within earshot of Russ’s friends about how she’d be over later, and go on her way.
But she was just walking off—forget the cherries, there were plenty of other vendors around—when she heard a way too cheerful voice behind her that made her stomach sink.
“Well, if it isn’t the world’s cutest couple!”
Abbi stopped in her tracks and turned. As if the evening couldn’t get any more out of control, there was Walker and Chip.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” she muttered under her breath. Shouldn’t they hate her or something?
But no, they were both smiling like this was some perfectly pleasant evening where they could put work behind them for a few hours and pretend everyone was friends.
She waved for Tyler to get his ass over there so it wouldn’t look like the world’s cutest couple had just been cleaved in two.
“I guess word gets around,” she said, shooting Tyler a help me look even as she tried not to let her smile waver.
The look he shot back wasn’t exactly encouraging. But he worked those dimples like a charm and joined her.
“We heard the scuttlebutt around the office.” Walker’s voice boomed like the office wasn’t enough—the whole farmers market needed to know. “So, I have to ask. Was it love at first sight?”
A beat of agonizing silence. Abbi went with the obvious answer, “No,” while Tyler burst out with an entirely unconvincing, “Of course.”
Walker said, juicily, “Sounds like there’s a story there.”
“I mean, it took a little time,” Abbi said, trying to cover their tracks.
“But not too much time,” Tyler added.
“Just the right amount of time.”
“Exactly.”
His arm went to her back. She stepped a little closer.
She was never fucking a stranger again. She’d made that promise before. But this time, she actually meant it.
She opened her mouth to say something about how they should probably get going, only Chip was too fast for her, asking how long they’d been dating and if they knew each other before Tyler arrived that weekend.
He slid his hand in hers. She squeezed it. He squeezed back—so hard she had to surreptitiously step on his toe to get him to stop.
“Actually, I came up a few months ago. We met then and I, um—”
“We figured we should keep it quiet in the beginning,” she picked up when he faltered. “Before we knew for sure Tyler was going to be here this summer.”
At least they’d both remembered the story she’d used on Russ. Now could they go?
But Walker and Chip wanted to keep talking—about their relationship, the nature center, her boss’s retirement, and when Abbi thought she’d get that survey to them on the endangered species impacted by the firebreak. The whole time they kept looking from Abbi to Tyler like they were thinking the same thing. How could a relationship like this possibly work?
The only answer was that it couldn’t. As soon as Walker and Chip finally walked off, Tyler dropped her hand.
“This is insane,” he said. “Do you know everyone here?”
“Welcome to life in a small town.”
She kept the fake smile plastered on her face. Because there were Russ’s friends, and Walker and Chip turning to give them another wave good-bye. And oh, great, someone else from her office and another couple she knew. There was no getting away.
“It’s not like we’re going home together,” she reminded him.
“Which everyone would know about. Just like they’ll know if we don’t.” He blew air out between his cheeks. “I don’t know why we’re still doing this. Just tell Russ to fuck off.”
“That’s a great idea,” she said cheerfully. “I’m sure Walker and Chip will give you a stellar recommendation for your nonexistent next job once they know you lied your way into the pants of the naturalist who’s trying to stop their whole project. Right?”
It wouldn’t be any better for her. She could already picture the meeting Monday morning. Her boss would call her into his office, ask how the effort was going to stop the firebreak, and then mention that by the way, the hiring committee was particularly interested in hearing the gossip about how she’d fucked the outside consultant on the very first night he was in town and then dumped him immediately, because that really exhibited the kind of professional behavior they were looking for in the new head of the nature center.
Not that he’d use the word “fuck,” obviously. But things about inspiring trust, putting the needs of the community first—that would definitely be in the lecture.
<
br /> And if word got out that the whole thing was one big lie?
Even if she did manage to block the firebreak and secure the promotion, she’d never be able to get her colleagues to take her seriously as their new boss. She was supposed to be “demonstrating leadership potential,” not gaining what her mother would have termed “a reputation.”
The game had changed for both of them, and Tyler’s grimace said he knew it. “Do you seriously expect us to fake it for the next five weeks?”
“Of course not,” she said, clenching her teeth through a smile at yet another couple she knew. “Just until enough time has passed that I can reasonably dump your ass.”
Tyler hooked a finger through her belt loop and yanked her close. His lips grazed her ear. “Oh no, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I’m going to have way too much fun being the one to dump you.”
And then he winked at her and walked away, folding into the thinning crowd as people began to wander off, to home or dinner or whatever they were doing with the rest of their night.
She was still standing there, not quite sure what to do with herself, when her friends found her again.
“What was that about?” Mack said, eyes wide.
Abbi felt the muscles in her face finally relax as she let the fake smile drop. “That was karmic retribution for all my past sins.” She filled them in on the shitshow her life had become.
“A night in a field, though? Come on, Abs—don’t tell me it wasn’t worth it,” Claire said wistfully, glancing over at the nearby swings to make sure her daughter, Maya, couldn’t hear them.
“That part? Maybe,” she admitted. “But I still never should have hooked up with him.”
“What about the firebreak?” Sam asked. “Can you stop it?”
Abbi sighed. “I threw out a bunch of ideas that gave the Forest Service guys pause, like looking more at what species would be impacted. But honestly, I don’t know what’s going to pan out. I have a better handle on the area than some guy from L.A., but it’s not like he’s new to the field. He could still come back with another plan, too.”
Sam was always the practical one. Abbi could see her gears turning as she thought. “He’s going to do a walkthrough at some point, right?”
“Yeah, it’s standard practice to walk along the site and see it in person.” Abbi narrowed her eyes. “What are you getting at?”
“Do your own walkthrough—but do it with him.”
Abbi knew Sam was serious, but she burst out laughing. “With him? There’s no way he’d ever go for that.”
“Who says you need his permission?”
Abbi’s jaw dropped. “I don’t even know when I can get out of the office. It might not be for weeks.”
“You think Tyler is waiting around, triple-checking his calendar to make sure nobody will mind if he’s gone? Tomorrow’s Saturday. If I were him, I’d be leaving first thing in the morning to get started on this.”
“He didn’t mention anything.”
“Why would he? You’re the one who just told us this was all fake.”
“Yeah, okay,” Abbi conceded. “But I don’t know if I can take Monday off.”
“Monday?”
“After he finishes his walk. Otherwise we’ll wind up killing each other out in the woods, and you’ll spend the rest of your life feeling guilty.”
Sam laughed, but she wasn’t letting Abbi off the hook that easily. “You want to wait to know what you’re dealing with until after he’s had a head start? You don’t need to stay glued to his side, Abbi. You just need to make sure that while you’re counting birds’ nests or whatever, he’s not coming up with some other plan you don’t know about.”
Abbi stared at her. “You’re ruthless, you know that?”
But even mild-mannered Claire seemed to think she should do it. “Didn’t your boss straight up tell you that if you can block the firebreak, the hiring committee will have no reason to think you aren’t qualified? So come on. Why wouldn’t you get what you’ve worked for?”
“Plus, it’s better than sitting around pretending you’re missing your boyfriend all weekend,” Mack said.
Everyone was heading to Mackenzie’s for dinner, but Abbi, head spinning, said good night and hurried home. She had to start packing. It looked like she was going to have an early day tomorrow, if she wanted to make sure Tyler didn’t make a single move without her.
He probably thought he had the whole weekend to himself, a few Abbi-free days where he didn’t have to pretend to have a girlfriend he clearly didn’t want.
Too bad he wasn’t getting rid of her that easy.
Chapter Eight
Tyler had been in Gold Mountain a week and already he was packing again. With Abbi on his case, it was even more important that he get out on that ridge. He’d been busy studying maps and every data point he could find…but now he needed to see the land for himself.
He might have been able to do the walkthrough in a day, but the climb was going to be tough, and he needed to allow extra time to be thorough. A slight chance of rain wasn’t enough to make him reconsider. There was no predicting what might happen in the mountains, anyway.
He cinched up his backpack and reached for his phone. Normally he’d make sure someone knew where he was going and when he planned to be back. But his emergency contact had always been Scotty. Now who was he supposed to call?
There was Aidan, but Aidan was twelve hundred miles away. There wasn’t much he could do for Tyler in a crisis. And having your former boss be your emergency contact was just depressing.
There wasn’t any family Tyler could call—not who’d care enough to rush after him if there were any problems. He wasn’t even sure where his mom was living these days. He could already hear his father gruffly asking why he was calling, the subtext being, “What are you bothering me about this time?”
His parents hadn’t spoken to each other in almost twenty years, not since his father walked out with his secretary and started his brand new life.
His mom lived alone, bouncing from place to place, never more than a year or two before she got bored of the town, her job, the people she knew. If she kept moving, there would always be something else to look forward to. She wouldn’t have to feel how hard it was to be alone.
For a long time, Tyler had tried to tell her she wasn’t alone. She still had him, after all. Although he’d started off living with his father after the divorce, so he could stay in the same school, his dad hadn’t been too keen on his company after the twins were born. He had too many things to attend to besides the demands of a moody preteen.
Or that was what Tyler overheard him say on the phone. When his dad presented him with a plane ticket to go live with his mom in Houston, Tyler had already packed.
He could tell Abbi where he was going, since she probably knew the trails better than anyone else in this town. But that was a thousand kinds of no. Better to set out and hope for the best. It was only because of Scott that Tyler carried around so much worry, that pit in his stomach that said he was fallible, that bad things could happen any time.
It was better to focus on the present and the job that had to be done.
As far as Tyler could tell, there were two ways to approach the ridgeline where the firebreak had been proposed. The first was from a trailhead called Silver Meadows, which followed a winding path up the side of the mountain. Once he got high enough, he could cut off that main trail and make his way along the ridge, across the valley, and up again, where the firebreak would swing around to protect the houses contained inside the curve.
The second option was to park at a pull-off higher up the mountain. It was a more direct route and would save time overall. But Tyler wanted to get the feel of the whole area. It may have been overkill, but he only had one chance to do this right.
He pulled into Silver Meadows just as he was finishing his thermos of coffee. He’d left the farmers market last night and headed straight home, knowing he needed to get Abbi out of his mind and
wake up early, ready to go. So he’d expected to have the lot to himself at this hour. But someone else had parked and was unloading gear from a car.
That’s when he realized he knew the car. And the person pulling up her blue hair.
What the ever loving fuck was she doing here?
And why was she strapping a tent to the frame of her backpack, like she thought she was going camping for the night?
…
Abbi shoved an extra pair of socks into her pack and tried to look as though she’d only just arrived at the trailhead and was busy getting her things together. It was better than looking how she felt, which was tired and bored from having been waiting at the trailhead for ages before Tyler arrived.
If it were just her, she’d have parked farther up the mountain and taken the more direct route instead of tackling the switchbacks up the Silver Meadows Trail. The owls and other critters she was looking for didn’t have their nests that low, anyway.
But she’d guessed—correctly—that Tyler would want to be thorough, and so she’d driven to the trailhead instead. When she didn’t see his truck, she’d taken her time to make sure her bag was carefully packed and then stretched and warmed up before hitting the trail.
She was only waiting so she could keep an eye on him. The point was to complete her survey—not have a slumber party in the woods.
But when she heard the tires on the gravel, her heart kicked up as though she’d already started up the hill. And when he stepped out of the truck, she had to remind herself she was here for work.
Not for the muscles in his legs visible through his hiking shorts. Or the pull of his T-shirt across his chest. She absolutely didn’t care that he hadn’t bothered to shave that morning. No, she barely noticed his stubble at all.
“What are you doing here?” Tyler said, skipping over pesky little niceties like “hello.”
“Getting ready to do a walkthrough. You?”
“Come on. You know I’m here for the same thing.”
“How convenient.” She hoisted her pack onto her back and buckled the straps around her waist. “Are you coming?”
Make Me Want (Men of Gold Mountain) Page 5
