Page 25 of Fool Me

“Exactly. I just want one chance, but he’s one of the guys. If anyone thinks that I’m still hung up on him . . .” She blows out a breath, making the hair that’s fallen in her face flutter. “It’ll hurt my chances even more. It won’t matter that I’m more qualified or a better leader. I’ll be the bitter ex with an axe to grind. And instead of looking at my qualifications, they’ll question whether my emotions will get in the way of the job, or speculate that I’m trying to get him back. No one will take me seriously.”

Everything she’s saying makes sense. And I can empathize with not wanting to be known as the bitter ex. Beyond her reasons, I have my own motives for wanting to do this, and if I look like a fool at the end of this, it’s going to do more harm than good. “I hate that I have to ask, but do you still have feelings for him?”

She folds in on herself, turning her upper half toward the river, giving me her shoulder. She didn’t just dislike that question—it hurt. When I reach out, taking her chin between my fingers and forcing her to face me, the glare she gives me cuts deep.

“I need to know. There’s a lot on the line here for me too.”

“How could you think that after everything I told you?” Despite her posture, her voice is hard.

I soften at the tone. “I don’t want to, but I don’t exactly have a good track record with women where my brother is concerned.”

“Your ex.”

“My ex,” I confirm. “Finding them together . . . it really fucked me up.” I look down at my hand, running the pad of my thumb over my crooked ring finger. I hold it up for her to see. “I broke this finger when I punched the steering wheel after. At the time, it seemed better than the alternative.”

“Which was?” she asks, cautiously.

“Breaking my brother’s nose in the sheriff’s house—screaming at both of them. I was so hurt and angry, but I was also embarrassed that I was such a fool and had given him so many chances. Mortified that I could mean so little to the first girl I loved. I drove straight from there to Ray’s house. He splinted my finger and I left town because I hated how toxic they made me feel. I hated myself for the person they turned me into. Seeing them, whether they were together or not . . . I was afraid I’d become like him. That I’d lose myself to the rage and stop caring about right and wrong.”

“That’s understandable. Leaving felt like a way to save yourself.”

I nod.

“And what about now, are you over her?”

“I am. Fiona, and the ex-girlfriend I left behind in Houston. But I don’t want to feel that kind of embarrassment again. And look, I get that this is fake—we don’t even really know each other—but using me to one-up my brother, and using me to get him back are two different things. I won’t do the second.”

“I get it,” she says, turning her body back toward me. “But what Canyon and I had wasn’t love, and what he did was unforgivable. I could never be with him again after . . .everything. What happened between us was one thing, but after the avalanche, I couldn’t ignore the looks that everyone was giving me to see if I’d crack under the pressure.” Her laugh is bitter.

There’s no doubt in mind that she means it—anger is the only thing she feels for Canyon. “Okay, I’m in.”

“Okay,” she echoes. “I’m just petty enough to enjoy rubbing my relationship with his much hotter older brother in his face.”

“Is that so?”

“Why, Doc? Are you too evolved to relish in seeing his face turn red when you claim me in front of him?”

“Not in the slightest. Listen, I’m not interested in people digging too deeply into my past either. And beyond that, there wasn’t really a transition due to how quickly I had to take over the practice, so people didn’t get the chance to sit with the news before I came back and I’ve been taking the heat for that. Being linked to you gives me an edge, it makes people believe I’m here to stay. You’re part of this community more than I am, and that can’t hurt with winning people over so that I don’t tarnish everything Ray has built.” I pause, letting her process. “But no, I’m definitely not too evolved.” Holding out my coffee, I tap it to hers. “To being petty together, and making everyone think we are falling madly, stupidly in love.”

With our reasons solidified we approach the river bank side by side to plan how we are going to pull this off.

She points to the rock.

I shrug off the flannel I grabbed early this morning when I was doing chores outside in the chilly morning air and set it on the face of the rock. “That dress is too pretty to get dirty.”

Her mouth goes slack but she takes a seat, leaning back on the rock, basking in the sun and stretching her legs out. “So, we get to know each other, let people see us together, acting like a couple. What else does a fake relationship require?”

“We should probably get our story straight. Simple might be best—close to the truth so there’s less to keep track of. We met when Echo was brought in, spent the night in the clinic together, and started seeing each other.” I look over at Harlowe, trying not to stare, and failing. “It’s new, but promising.”

She nods along, adding, “We didn’t know about our connection through Canyon when we met, it came out later.”

That makes me pause, but it’s probably in our best interest. Still, I don’t like the idea that my fake girlfriend might not be fake dating me if she knew I was her ex’s brother. And I don’t know why that bothers me.

“Yeah, okay.”

Harlowe swallows another sip of her latte. “Do you have any big events coming up that a girlfriend would come to?”

“Not right now. We should probably be seen together around town, like today.” Her question sparks another that I have to ask before I agree to this scheme. “But how long are we doing this for? Until you get the job?”

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