Page 49 of Hoax and Kisses
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. “Well. It’s working.”
Matt stares at me, silent for the space of two heartbeats, before nodding toward the gathering. “Let’s find a spot.”
We walk side by side, closer than friends should. All along, his arm brushes mine over and over, lingering long enough to make it look intentional. I catch his eyes on me several times, hiding smiles and stealing glances as if he can’t help himself.
God, he’s good at this.
As we move through the crowd, the attention on us grows heavier, more and more frowns appearing on questioning, concerned faces. The mayor, Rob, and his wife, are set up in a pair of camping chairs. He nods at me in greeting, and I nod back. In the distance, Rosie sits with a group of friends. She shoots me a deadly glare before turning back to the conversation going on around her.
My shoulders drop. I itch to walk over to her and explain myself, but something tells me she would rather spend a month being violently sick than speak to me ever again.
“Here okay?” Matt asks when we reach an empty spot in the middle of the park.
“That’s perfect.”
He sets the basket on the ground and spreads one blanket out, then adds a second on top. When he takes the two I’ve been holding, his fingers brush and linger against mine.
A shiver rolls down my spine.
“Are you cold?”
I fold my arms in front of me and rub them. “A little.”
The lie slips out. I promised I would be honest from now on, but there’s no way I’ll admit to how easily he affects me. So instead, I turn toward the food trucks, cataloging the options.
Matt rests his palm on my back. “We could grab something warm to eat, and a hot chocolate if you want. My treat,” he adds.
“That sounds nice.” His hand on me pulls my focus completely and I lose my train of thought. It’s a simpletouch, but still, my body temperature rises several degrees, and suddenly, I’m not so cold anymore.
All the way to the food trucks, his hand is a steady presence, grazing at times, more pressing at others, burning an irrevocable mark into my skin.
People nod at him and stop to say a quick “hi” or a “how have you been?” Everybody we meet knows and loves him. With each greeting, envy grows inside me. Because he’s still a stranger to me, and already, it’s clear he’s someone worth knowing.
“That’s Mia.” Matt jerks his chin at a young woman behind the counter of a food truck. Her brown hair falls to her shoulders, her long bangs hanging over her eyes. “She owns the only bakery in Pine Falls. She makes the best pastries. The whole town loves her, so you’ll want her to like you too.”
I swallow. “Noted.”
When the couple in front of us is served and we step forward, Mia’s face lights up.
“Hey, Matt!” she chirps. “Long time no see.” Her eyes flick to me, and then she does a double take and blinks. “Oh, um… Zoey, right? The woman who wants to build that fancy resort on Emile’s land?”
“Not a—”
“The one and only.” Matt tightens his grip around my waist and brings me closer to him. “That town hall was something, huh?”
I amsoconfused right now. What’s happening? Shouldn’t he be singing my praises?
Mia releases an awkward chuckle. “True. It got a little out of control toward the end.” She shoots me a sympathetic look. “Nothing against you, but we have to protect our people and our town. Especially after the stunt your dad pulled.”
I get it. My dad’s approach two years ago hit a nerve. But I’m not him, am I?
I force my lips to tip up in a smile, summoning all the friendliness I can muster. I’m used to dealing with corporate bros and business moguls rather than actual people, and it shows.
“I get it. I’d do the same thing if I were in your shoes.”
Matt slides his hand from my waist up to my arm and wraps me in a side hug. “Actually, the whole evening was my fault,” he says to Mia. “I was so pissed when I found out Zoey was Oscar’s daughter that I lost it. But since then…”
He pauses, his gaze melting into mine before slowly drifting to my mouth.
