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It was my fault I was stuck ogling him—theverykind mechanic who’d agreed to humor me and pretend to be my boyfriend. With nothing else to focus on—no shifts, no patients, no emergencies, no long nights and early mornings—there was only the present. And if there was one thing I didn’t know how to handle, it was not having a million things to focus on.
“I couldn’t turn down the chance to meet you…to spend some time out here,” he said, and I noticed how he took care to answer in ways that weren’t technically lies.
Within thirty minutes of my phone call, he’d arrived with a box of Vanilla Chai muffins and a travel container of coffee from Brilliant Brews, a local coffee shop and bakery in Wisdom, the next town over from Jackson. I’d met him outside, both to thank him profusely and so that I wouldn’t have to greet him in front of Mom.
Did one kiss a fake boyfriend on seeing him?
Did I pretend like I was in middle school again and secretly sneak my hand between our mouths and fake kiss?
“It was such a wonderful surprise. Are you originally from New York?”
I winced, and when Mom looked at me, I pretended the tag on my T-shirt was itching me.
“Yeah. I lived in Manhattan until I was fifteen; then Dad retired from the force, and we moved down to Texas.”
Manhattan? Really?I’d just assumed he was born out here. I swallowed down my surprise because there was no reason for it; he could be from Mars for all I knew about him.
“And then you ended up back in the city…to meet Reese…what are the chances?” Mom sighed, her eyes practically turning to hearts. “I’ve been so worried about her…alone in the city,” she went on, glancing at me where I sat in the chair in the opposite corner of the room. Meanwhile, she’d made Decker sit on an ottoman right next to her recliner. “Working all the time at the hospital.”
“Mom…” I warned and then shovedanother bite of the muffin in my hand into my mouth.Hiding behind food…this was going great.
“When you enjoy what you do, work can take over before you realize it,” Decker replied smoothly, and my breath caught.
How did he know?He didn’t. He didn’t know me.But it felt like he did.
“Now what do you think of those muffins?”
I appreciated his change of topic, but oddly enough, it was everything else that unsettled me. Not only was he managing to deftly navigate this strange situation, the things he said…they resonated.
I rose and walked into the kitchen to refill my coffee, suddenly feeling like there wasn’t enough air in the room.
I loved my job, but I let it consume me. I begged for it to consume me. And I told myself it was okay because I loved it—because I was helping people. But being here…I was having time to sit back and see just how much of the world I missed while it flew by.
“Reese?”
I spun at Decker’s voice, hot coffee sloshing over the edge of my mug and landing on my hand.
“Shit.” The mug clattered onto the counter where I quickly set it down, rushing to the sink which was closer to him. Decker had the water turned on by the time I got there, the cold soothing the irritated skin. “Sorry.” I huffed.
This was a mess. What was I thinking, deciding it was better to pretend I had a boyfriend than just tell Mom she was drugged up and delusional yesterday?
Because I felt like I was letting her down…and the last thing I ever wanted to do to the woman who was so strong and raised me on her own was let her down.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” I turned off the water. “Fine.”
I went to reach for a towel, but it was right there,in his hand.I took it and muttered my thanks, the whole time feeling the disbelief in his gaze. I needed him to pretend, not to actually worry about me.
“Yoohoo.” A loud voice from the front door called. “Look at you, Arlene, making it through the first night. How was your little medication vacation?”
Cheryl.I squeezed my eyes shut. Mom might have blinders on when it came to Decker and his tipped smile, but Cheryl wouldn’t. As soon as she was done thoroughly examining his very fine backside, she’d pick apart our interactions, and it wouldn’t take much to realize there was something missing.Namely an entire relationship.
“Stay here,” I ordered and beelined for the living room.
Seconds. It took me seconds to get there, and by that time, Mom was already regaling Cheryl about my new boyfriend.
“I told you she was just waiting for a good one,” Cheryl teased and greeted me with a hug. “More than a good one if you ask me. You picked a fine one, Reese. A very fine one.”
