Page 69 of Fauxmance

"I like learning. I've never gotten anything less than a B on an assignment—and that was only the one time in Lit when my teacher didn't like my essay on how we should be reading Austen instead of all these depressing books written by men."

"I bet you were the best in the class."

"I was, actually."

Hayden shook his head as he led me over to the couch, and as we took a seat, my brows furrowed.

"Are you making fun of me?" I asked.

"Nope," he said. "You just look like the kind of girl who does her homework."

I gave a curt nod. "Thank you. I am."

Biting back a smile, he said, "Magnolia, you are so damn cute."

Awesome. Just what every girl wanted to hear. He'd called me "cute" as if I was some kitten he found chasing her own tail. The word made me feel young and naïve. I could tell by the twinkle in Hayden's eyes that he was just teasing. It still got on my nerves, though. He must've sensed this because he placed a hand on top of mine. At the contact, a jolt of warmth ran up my arm.

"It wasn't an insult," Hayden said gently, giving me a look I couldn't read. "Like I said, the real reason we're here is to make sure you're ready to meet my family."

"Okay," I said.

"I've gottawarn you. They're not the most accepting people."

"Rich and judgmental? Now, there's a combination you don't see often."

Hayden ran a hand along the back of his neck. "You joke, but seriously. The Davenports give new meaning to the word uptight."

I tilted my head. "So, your family's what? Snobs-R-Us?"

"That's…a pretty accurate description," he said. "They like the status quo, hate anything that might be outside-the-box or cause a scandal. They prefer life to be neat and tidy. But no worries, Magnolia. I think they'll like you."

I crossed my arms. "Oh, I see. Because I'm safe, boring, nerdy, andcute."

"No!" Hayden said. "You're exciting and unpredictable. I've never known someone who's so genuinely herself."

I swallowed.

"Also, just for the record, smart girls are hot."

That caused heat to rush into my cheeks, and he grinned.

What was I supposed to say to that?

Clearing my throat after a moment, I shrugged. "Well, like I said, I like to learn. Also, you're not snobby, and your grandma seemed okay. Your family can't be that bad. Can they?"

Instead of answering, Hayden reached out to the coffee table and came back with a large photo album. I'd noticed it before because it was the only thing that didn't seem to go with the rest of the space. He placed the square half-on his lap, half-on mine.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Family photo album," he said. "Grandma made them for us at Christmas. This is from last year."

The cover had a floral design with pink, blue and silver flowers.

"Nice print," I said, fighting back a smile. "It's very you."

"Whatever, Maggie."

Opening the book, the first page had a wedding picture of a man and woman. They were smiling at each other instead of the camera. It was a candid shot, unposed, but there was a ton of love captured in that one look.

---