Page 48 of Make Her Mine

My mom is blushing. “Yeah, we were pretty…involved from the very start.”

Phoebe laughs. “God, that was fun.”

Phoebe was very involved in concocting the plan to keep my dad away from Hailey Conner, the then-mayor and my dad’s sort-of ex. My mom was Hailey’s assistant back then and Mom was the decoy, tasked with distracting my dad for the weekend of the summer festival. And it definitely worked.

Hailey is now married to Ty Bennett and they are close friends with my parents, and hearing them all tell the story, years later, with laughter and embellishments, is very fun.

“So, honestly, it’s an easy sell to tell people that you two started dating,” my mom says. “Just…try it out for a week. What would really be the difference between what you’ve always been and dating?”

“We’d like each other,” Harlow says.

“Kissing,” I say at the same time.

She looks up at me. “You don’t think we need to like each other?”

“I think we like each other just fine,” I say, meaning it. “And I think if we spend more time together, we’ll like each other more.”

I’ve been thinking about this a lot today. I think I’m someone in Harlow’s life unlike any other. I’m someone she can be angry and loud and rude and messy with. And I do think she likes that. Or she will once she really realizes it.

But I decide to give her an out here. I lean in. “And I promise if I kiss you, you’ll like that too.”

She growls. “I need a drink.” Harlow shoves her chair back, causing my hand to drop away from her neck. “Anyone else?”

Ginny and Kaelyn give her orders.

Harlow looks at me. “Order me…some chicken thing.”

“You got it, babe,” I tell her.

As she stands, I put my hand on her hip and pull her in close. “Harlow,” I say.

She leans over. “Yes, dear?”

“You need to dial back the eye rolling and sarcasm.”

Again, her eyes drop to my mouth, then she nods. “Fine.”

I pinch her ass and let her go.

She swallows and I know she is fighting the urge to glare at me or slap me.

I thought this week might be fun before. Now I know it’s going to be.

“Shouldn’t you go with her?” Graham asks. “Zach has already noticed her, and that she’s alone.”

I nod. I’ve been keeping my eye on Nelson. “Part of the plan. I want him to dare to talk to my girlfriend when I’m not around.”

Graham shakes his head. “For the record, I’m not as convinced you can pull this off.”

I focus on my brother. “Why is that? You don’t think we have chemistry?”

They have both assured me several times over the years, as have our friends, that there are no feelings—at least romantic ones—between Graham and Harlow. But old habits die hard, and I feel a twinge of…something at my brother’s words.

If I didn’t know better, I’d call it jealousy. If it was anyone else that’s also what I would call it.

“Oh, there’s chemistry,” Graham says with a chuckle. “It’s more the constant, will they-won’t they.”

“Will they or won’t they fall into bed with each other?” Kaelyn asks.

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