Page 69 of Falling for Mr. October

“So she’s found her parachute,” Emily says, setting the book down on the desk in front of me. She gives the cover a little tap. “You still need to find yours.”

“I’ve got no clue what that means.”

“That’s what the book is for. But if you want to read smut, you should join my book club. Luanne’s in it, and we read exclusively romance.”

I consider her offer before nodding. “Yeah, all right.”

“You’re seriously joining?” Emily asks, brightening, as if she didn’t, for one second, think I’d take her up on her invitation.

“You got me hooked with the hat. Now I can’t stop, won’t stop.”

Emily elbows Bianca, who’s standing next to her. “Does this mean Mrs. October is finally joining my club too?”

“What gives?” I ask Bianca. “You’re not in your best friend’s book club? That’s stone cold, Bianca.”

She gives me an indulgent smile I drink down like a tonic. “I guess I’m in the club now.”

“Damn straight, you are. We’ll read it together. What’ll we be reading, Emily? Do you have any chef smut? My girl loves chef smut. She makes me read it to her off the internet.”

Bianca swallows a laugh. I could swear the customer on her phone, idly sifting through pumpkins, is recording our conversation, but I figure I might as well let her. Bianca wants people to believe in our fake relationship. I’m only helping her if “proof” gets out.

Emily casts a defiant look at me before tapping the parachute book again. “You have an avoidant personality.”

I cast a sidelong glance at Bianca. “She takes these book selections of hers seriously.”

“You better believe it.”

“What’d she give you?”

“It was called It’s Hard Being Perfect, but I’ve always found it pretty easy.”

I grin at her. “You sure make it seem natural, Bianca.”

“We’ve got to go,” Bianca says.

“Now, she’s being avoidant too,” Emily says with a knowing smile. “Maybe it’s catching.”

I get up and circle the desk, catching Bianca in my arms. Pumpkin Lady isn’t even pretending not to film us as I wrap Bianca up and hold her close. “The book worked,” I whisper into her ear.

Bianca is laughing as she and Emily leave.

When I get back to the farmhouse, I find it empty. There’s a note reporting that the nonnas have gone off to look at another wagon, this time with Isabella. So I honest-to-fucking-God dust the bookshelves.

The nonnas can’t see well enough to do it themselves, and Bianca is much too busy. She’s always helping people. I’ve discovered she runs several different activities at The Rotten Apple, and she often helps Emily at the bookshop and Isabella at her bed-and-breakfast. Knowing that, I can’t be so mad anymore that she sweet-talked me into this mess. People were bound to find out where I was hiding anyway, and she’s right. With her as my fake girlfriend, I don’t have to deal with as many strangers throwing themselves at me.

Not that it doesn’t happen. I’ve gotten a few emails I’ve had to delete, but everyone who stops by the apple barn knows I’m a taken man—and anyone who’s met Bianca, or watched any of the random videos of us together floating around online, knows they should be respectful, or else.

Truthfully, everything’s going as well as can be expected, but I’m still unsettled. So after I make dinner for Bianca and the nonnas on Thursday night, I shut myself into my room to talk to my brothers.

Enzo surprises me by saying I should definitely respond to all of the promising opportunities presented to me—and what the fuck do I think I’m doing by waiting so long?

“I don’t want to retraumatize Nonna Francesca,” I say, absently leaning forward to press my forehead against the wall next to the bed. It’s Bianca’s wall. The one I can hear her through when she takes out her vibrator, something that has happened three times now, and is sure to drive me insane before long. “You saw her the afternoon you walked in on me.”

He laughs, long and hard. “Yes, you pazzo. No one’s going to forget that anytime soon, but Nonna is happy there. Christ, she sounds so much better than she did last year. It’s like a miracle.”

“It’s no miracle. It’s because you got engaged,” I say. “It added years to her lifespan, no question.”

“Lucia does everyone good,” Enzo says with plenty of pride, using his special nickname for his fiancée. “But taking some time away from Hidden Italy has also been good for Nonna. So is being around Nonna Rose.”