Page 51 of This Feeling

Cadie opened the box and inhaled. “Their coffee isn’t as good. I brought your favorite!”

Glancing into the box, I saw Cadie’s banana bread and nearly moaned. “Oh my gosh, I’ve been craving that. Let me get the butter and honey!”

She chuckled as she crossed to a cupboard and took out two small plates.

“I also have a few cherry cream cheese kolaches in there for you.”

I set the butter and honey on the table before turning and grabbing silverware.

“How can you eat it with honey, Harp? I feel like it’s sweet enough.”

My fork fell to my plate with a clatter. “I’m sorry, nothing caneverbe sweet enough. And you know how much I love honey.”

“I think it’s a plant thing. You’re always out there talking to the bees on your flowers.”

Pointing a butter knife at her, I said, “If it weren’t for the bees, you wouldn’t be able to make all your goodies.”

Cadie nodded. “So, want to tell me why you were breathing all hot and heavy?”

I closed my eyes and sighed. “Oh, Cadie. I’m in so much trouble.”

Her eyes lit up. “Finally, someone else is in trouble, and it’s not me!”

Smiling, I took a bite of banana bread, chewed, and swallowed. I was stalling, and Cadie knew it.

“Just spill it, will you?”

“You know how you mentioned the hot cop next door?”

“Yeah,” she replied, blowing on her coffee and taking a sip.

I could feel my cheeks starting to heat up. “I was having a dream…and he was in it.”

Her eyes twinkled with glee as she set her cup down. “Like a naughty dream?”

Nodding, I replied, “Yep.”

“How interesting! And while you’re fake-dating his brother.”

In addition to my family, I’d told my closest friends the truth about me and Sean. I couldn’t stand the idea of them thinking I’d gone back to him for real.

“Ugh.” I pushed another piece of banana bread into my mouth and chewed aggressively. Cadie watched me with a guarded expression, and I could tell she wanted to say something but was patiently waiting for me to finish eating the food I’d shoveled into my mouth.

Swallowing and taking a drink of my coffee, I leaned back in the chair. “This fake relationship is messing with my life.”

“Why do it then?”

“Because I’m an idiot.”

“Well…I wouldn’t say idiot, but you’re certainly a hot topic these days. Especially after the way he broke up with you in front of the entire town.”

“It wasn’t theentiretown.”

Cadie took a bite of a cherry cream cheese kolache. “It might as well have been. It only took minutes for that fiasco to make its way to pretty much everyone.”

She wasn’t wrong there. It did spread like wildfire.

“So what’s the deal with him and his mom, exactly? You said something about Sean doing this whole fake-dating thing to get her off his back?”

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