“No,” his mother says thoughtfully. “I don’t think they did.”
“Huh. Must look different in the dark.”
Mallory twists around in her seat. “Okay, Alex. Spill the details about Finley.”
He cocks a brow. “She’s sitting right here. You could ask her. Besides, I figured you’d grilled her upstairs.”
“She was cagey,” Mallory says with a pout.
He shoots me a questioning look.
“She asked how long we’ve been dating,” I admit, “and I told her it was hard to say since we started out as friends. But my cat got sick in September… so we’ve been friends since then.”
He studies me a moment, then turns to his sister. “That’s right.”
“When did you realize she was more than a friend?” she presses, leaning farther into the gap between the seats.
Alex exhales. “It’s hard to say.”
Mallory groans. “Come on, Alex. It’s not hard. You have to know when you started liking her.”
He pauses and something in him softens. “Believe it or not, over a year ago. Right after Shawna broke up with me. Finley noticed I was down and tried to cheer me up for a couple of weeks. I’d seen her in the shop before, but that was the first time I really saw her.”
“Oh, my God, that’s so romantic,” she sighs. “Why didn’t you ask her out sooner?”
“I didn’t want to come across as creepy,” he said, his voice low and steady. “I’ve seen the finance bros hit on her. They treat her like a game. I even heard they’ve got a pool going to see who can get her to say yes first.”
The blood rushes from my head as I whip my head toward him. “They do?”
“Yeah.” His mouth twists as he catches my eye. “They’re assholes. I knew you were too smart to fall for it, but I worried you’d lump me in with them.”
The way he says it—earnest, almost protective—sends a flutter racing through my chest before I can stop it. For a second, I want to believe him.
And that terrifies me.
Because Alex is good. Too good. Roland once told me he was in sales, pitching their start-up to investors. Of course he’d know how to spin words, how to make things sound better than they are. But if he’s this convincing, it only proves I can’t know what’s real—especially when we’re in front of his family.
I force a smile to cover the hitch in my pulse. “I have a strict no-dating-the-customers policy. Even if I hadn’t already pegged them as assholes—which I had, because I’m not a pushover.”
Irritation flickers in his eyes. So, he did get my call out.
“Wait,” Mallory says. “You mean you had a no-dating policy, because you’re dating Alex and he’s still customer.”
A smug look spreads across Alex’s face. “Obviously, I won her over.”
His answer pricks my pride, and I roll my eyes. “I had a moment of weakness.”
I’m annoyed and I’m not sure why. Is it because he implied I’m easily swayed? Or because he insinuated that his personality is just that charming?
Both. Definitely both.
“We’re here,” Valerie announces as she pulls into a small lot labeled Hollybrook Historical Society Private Parking beside an old house.
“Valerie, how are you connected to the historical society?” I ask as the car stops.
She swivels to look at me like I’ve grown an extra head. “Didn’t Alex tell you?”
Heat creeps up my neck. Great. Now I look like the world’s worst girlfriend for not asking Alex. I shoot him a look, and he grimaces.
