Page 65 of One Reckless Moment

I cleared my throat and flicked my eyes up to meet hers. The look on her face told me she knew exactly how to distract me.

“Why was it just fine?” I said, attempting to stay focused on the conversation and ignore her blatant effort to try and change it.

Paige rolled her eyes and dropped the strawberry. “I mean, it was good. I love time with just my mom, but her advice was unhelpful.”

“I see, and why was it unhelpful?”

“Because she said Lottie and I have had massive fights before and this isn’t any different.”

“I think you’ll work it out.”

“Maybe,” she mumbled under her breath. She picked up the tequila and took another sip before placing it back down.

“How are you feeling about the wedding?” I asked, a little nervous for her answer.

Paige had been pretty tight-lipped when it came to her true feelings about the event next weekend, and I knew she was holding it all in.

Ever since Paige and I arrived back at the ranch a week ago, we had been in this twilight zone where we were actually a couple getting married. It was starting to scare me that none of this was real, yet it was all completely real at the same time.

“I feel fine about it.” Paige shrugged. “We’ll get through the week and then when we get back out on the road, we can discuss the next steps.”

I knew what the next steps meant and that made my heart sink. One week in, and I had somehow forgotten that Paige and I were only together so her family didn’t find out that our entire marriage was a lie.

“Yeah, it’ll be a fun party at least.” I shrugged, pushing my real feelings down and showing a mask of indifference. I couldn’t show how truly excited I was to see her walking toward me in a white dress—how happy I was to express my love in front of the entire town.

“It’ll be a great party.” She smiled at me brightly, echoing my words. “Okay, enough serious shit. Let’s play a game.”

“A game?”

“Yep.” Her smile was full of mischief. “Tell a truth, take a shot.”

I laughed as I remembered the night that started all of this. “You first, Pip.”

She didn’t hesitate. “Why haven’t you had a girlfriend since you moved to Ashton Creek?”

“Glad we’re starting with a light topic.” I chuckled before taking a swig of the tequila. “I guess because my heart wasn’t in it.”

“Why not?”

What was I supposed to say? I was hung up on the one woman I could never have? No other woman had compared to Paige, and I’d never even had her until now.

“I was hung up on someone.”

Satisfied with my answer, Paige took the bottle from me and gestured for me to ask my question.

“Did you date anyone in college?”

It was something I always wanted to know. As far as I knew, she’d never had a boyfriend in Ashton Creek. She went on a few dates in high school, but nothing that ever stuck. After college, I made sure to keep an eye on the men she was hanging around. Those four years though, they were a mystery.

Paige took her sip and shook her head. “No.”

Relief coursed through me. “Why not?”

“I was hung up on someone else,” she said without breaking eye contact. “Was there ever a moment where you almost made a move on me?” she asked quickly.

I froze. “Yes.”

“When?”