“What, a sense of humour?”
“No. Well, yes. I mean, ah fuck.” She drops back against the couch again and lifts her arm up to cover her face. “I’d say I’m sorry for what I did yesterday, but it looked like Veronica was two seconds away from stripping naked and jumping you right there in the clinic.”
I grimace at the memory. “You’re not far off. She offered me a massage.”
“What?”
I nod. “Seriously. She said something about me looking tense, and how she had a bottle of wine at home for us. It might have made things complicated, but your little lie saved my ass from one hell of an awkward situation.”
Mila drops her gaze to her beer bottle and starts to pick at the label. “Here’s the thing. What if it wasn’t a lie?”
I’m stunned into silence. And confusion. When I find my voice, I choose my words carefully. The last thing I want to do is hurt her. “Mila, you’re awesome, don’t get me wrong. Any guy would be lucky to date you. But…”
“Oh God, no!” She puts her hand out and shakes her head emphatically. “No. Jackson, I’m not saying we should be together. No. I don’t have time to date, and you don’t want to date. We’re friends, and that’s perfectly fine, and more than enough for me.”
“Thank fuck,” I breathe, and we both laugh quietly. “So, what are you saying?”
“Hear me out,” she says, turning her body to face me. “What if we fake date?”
I raise my eyebrow at that. “Fake date?”
“Yeah. We go out together, hold hands, let everyone think we’re together. But it’s all for show. Then after a few months, when my family is off my back about my nonexistent love life, and you’ve got your partnership, we realize we’re better as friends and go our separate ways. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.”
“I’m going to have to pretend you didn’t just say easy peasy lemon squeezy,” I say drily as my brain spins, trying to make sense of her suggestion. It’s smart and crazy. But especially smart. “So, you’re saying we go out together as friends, but let people think we’re more than that.”
She nods. “Exactly. I’ll help you convince Morton that you’re settled in Dogwood Cove, and you’ll help me convince my friends that I’m not doomed to be a workaholic spinster my entire life.”
Spending time with Mila isn’t exactly a hardship. And I can think of a million ways this could go wrong. But she’s got a point. Being in a relationship, especially with someone like Mila who is such an important part of this town, would probably go a long way to convincing Morton that I’m here to stay. If we keep clear boundaries, and don’t lose sight of why we’re only pretending, maybe this could work. I’ll just have to remind myself that she’s faking it when she kisses me. Even if it feels pretty damn real.
“You’re on.”
Chapter 7
Mila
Fake dating Jackson is either the best idea I’ve ever had or the worst. Only time will tell which one it turns out to be. I have to admit, I wasn’t thinking clearly when I kissed him at the clinic; I just saw Veronica with her bitchy talons in him, and the look of pure discomfort on his face, and I acted.
But that kiss.
That kiss took me by surprise. I didn’t expect to enjoy it that much, or want to do it again right away. I certainly didn’t expect the zing I felt run up and down my spine when our lips touched. But oh man, did I ever zing.
We’ve made plans for our first fake date to be tomorrow night. I’m hoping that the town’s insane interest in my dating life will die down soon, because I swear if I have one more customer ask me some outrageous question about Jackson and I, I might scream. Granted, it didn’t help that when he walked into the bakery this morning, he came around the end of the counter and kissed the top of my head before pouring his coffee. You could hear the collective swoon of everyone in the place. Okay, it was pretty sweet. I guess I’m just not used to this kind of attention. It makes my skin itch. It reminds me too much of the way the town was after my parents died. Well intentioned, full of love, but goddamn, everyone would just not leave me and Ethan alone.
Yeah, I definitely did not anticipate the reaction of everyone in town, but that was my mistake. I remember when Lisa and Kenny Barker started dating, and it was all the town could talk about for a week. Somehow Ethan and Summer dodged the gossip train earlier this spring, but I guess Jackson and I aren’t so lucky.
“What did that bread dough do to you?”
My friend Paige’s voice pierces through my fog as I’m in the middle of kneading dough.
“What?” I say, completely confused. Looking down at the dough, I realize it does look a little overworked. I guess I wasn’t paying attention.
“I brought you a copy of the questions for tonight, just in case you haven’t had a chance to review them yet.”
I’m still staring at her blankly. Not only did I not hear her come into the kitchen, but I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“Book club. It’s tonight. I do hope you’ve finished the book. Our conversation should be interesting, as Serena has already informed me that she is not a fan of the secret baby trope.”
Finally, my damn brain catches up with what she’s saying. “Right. Book club. Tonight.”
