“I agree. She’s brilliant and her eyes are as blue as the Mediterranean. So beautiful. Now, tell me more,” Zach encouraged. “What about boyfriends? Any past relationships I should be worried about?”
Zach was going along with their cover, but his praise made her breathy, made her wonder if he believed what he said or if it was all just part of his getting her family to open up to him in hopes of gleaning information about where her father might be.
“There was this music exec in Nashville for a few years. They met while in school. We thought they’d marry, but that ended several years ago. These days, she rarely dates.”
Good grief. Any moment Sophie would be telling him that Isabelle’s first kiss had been when she was sixteen and that the guy had broken up with her the next day, making her forever wonder if she’d been that horrible.
“But don’t think that it’s from a lack of interested men,” Sophie assured. “The high school’s music director has been trying to get her attention since he moved to Pine Hill. Trevor’s a sweetheart, kind, stable, and wants a wife and kids. I kept encouraging him to not give up, but as always, Izzy knew best. She’s been waiting for you.”
Isabelle groaned. All along, she’d thought the man had a thing for Sophie, but instead her sister had been encouraging him to like her? No wonder he had made googly eyes when she’d dropped off the Christmas sashes for Annabelle’s choir concert. For that matter, her sister insisting Isabelle be the one to drop them off made more sense, too.
She’d met Zach that windy day. Who would have thought that the handsome man who’d rescued her list would end up pretending to be her boyfriend so he could find her father? What a whirlwind that meeting had ended up being!
“Be sure to let him know that she’s taken.” The possessiveness in Zach’s voice made Isabelle’s head spin. What would it feel like for a man to truly feel that way about her? To want her to the exclusion of all others? What would it feel like for Zach to really feel that way about her?
“I’ll let him know her heart beats to the melody of yours.”
At her sister’s music-teacher pun, Isabelle rolled her eyes and fought putting her hands on her hips as she made her presence known. “Seriously, Sophie? Zach and I barely know each other and you’re talking as if we’re madly in love. We’re”—her gaze met his and the warning reminder there about undid her as she mumbled—“we’re taking things slow.”
How could her sister think she’d have fallen for him? She’d worried her sister wouldn’t buy their charade, and instead, Sophie was all hearts and flowers. Part of her was disappointed that her sister hadn’t picked up on just how much Isabelle didn’t like him.
He was the epitome of what she wouldn’t want in a man. Not true, a nagging voice pointed out. He was intelligent, brave, strong, confident, had a wicked sense of humor, and was honest almost to a fault, except for their fake relationship, and that was forgivable, since it was for a good cause. Inherently, she recognized those things about him. He was also military. She’d never trust that a switch wouldn’t flip and he’d disappear.
Good thing theirs wasn’t a real relationship.
“Mom, do something with your love-sick-so-the-rest-of-the-world-must-be-too daughter.”
“Being in love is the most wonderful feeling in the world,” her mother surprised her by saying from where she perched on the sofa’s armrest, apparently having been peering at the photo album. “Sophie, I think we’re embarrassing your sister. Perhaps tossing your wedding bouquet her way would be a little more subtle.”
And her family wondered why she didn’t date?
“Thanks, Mom. That was helpful.” Isabelle smacked her forehead. “Run while you still can, Zach.”
From where he sat next to her sister, Zach was taking in the exchange. Isabelle wouldn’t blame him if he called off their deal. If Zach had been a real boyfriend, he’d have already been out the door.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Zach said, earning a look of approval from Cole, Sophie, and her mother.
“Because my family behaving as if I’m a desperate old maid is way too entertaining to miss out on experiencing again?” she guessed.
“Something like that.” His gaze was more serious than she would have expected, given the circumstances. That light in his eyes made her think she’d rather see amusement than whatever that look was.
“Smart man,” Cole said, putting his arm around Sophie’s shoulders as she scooted closer.
“He knows when he’s met the most amazing woman in the world.” Sophie patted the place she’d vacated between her and Zach. “Come sit, Izzy. We got our food order to go and brought extras in case you and Zach were hungry. We came home early because we decided to decorate the Christmas tree Cole and I bought at Harvey Farm this morning. Originally, we’d planned to do it tomorrow, but I couldn’t wait.” Sophie’s enthusiasm for Christmas rivaled Santa’s. “But I’ve not looked at these in ages and needed to pull a few more for the wedding. What better way to set the tone for putting up our Christmas tree than sweet memories?”
Glancing at the album Zach held, she realized it was the book they’d been looking at prior to her shoving the burgundy one at him. She’d only been in the kitchen a few minutes before her family had returned. Was it possible that he’d continued looking at the original album after she’d left?
What started out as awkward torture ended up as smiles and belly laughs at some of the crazy photos she and Sophie had taken over the years. That they only made it through the top few albums prior to moving on to decorating helped. Although it was why Zach was there, that burgundy album would have been a certain mood killer.
“Is the star even?” Isabelle asked from where she stood on the seat of a kitchen chair.
“Looks good to me.” Next to her, Zach had his hand on the chair back in a steadying hold.
Glancing down, she realized he was looking at her and not the tree. She narrowed her gaze, but he only grinned.
From across the room, Sophie eyed the tree. “Maybe just a little to the left.”
Isabelle stretched to straighten the star but couldn’t quite reach it.
