Page 4 of Make it Real
Her gaze narrowed. “Why do I feel like that’s not a compliment?”
“Because you’re perceptive. You think you can convince your grandma that you’re crazy about me? In whatever various methods that entails?” I raised my eyebrows, driving my hint home. No way her grandma wouldn’t expect some affectionate displays as proof of our supposed romance.
Her expression shifted like she’d caught the smell of rotting fruit. “I hadn’t thought too much about that, I guess, but I’m willing to make a few sacrifices for my granny’s sake.”
A second later, a triumphant smile curled along her mouth.Oh. I see how it is.Her teasing almost got me smiling, too, but I needed to keep my head on straight here.
“The biggest problem is that it sounds like your grandma doesn’t want you dating someone, she wants youmarried. No amount of pretending is going to fix that.”
Unless a fake engagement turned out to be Callie’s next request, in which case, I should have stayed on the farm this morning.
She sank against the chair back, her confidence fizzling out. “Urgh, maybe you’re right. It’s a crazy plan. I just thought if she believed I was happy with someone, she’d go off and be happy, too.”
I couldn’t fault her motivation—just wasn’t a fan of her methods. Especially when they involved me.
“Try talking to her about it again. I bet she’ll come around.”
“You’ve never met my gran.” She sighed, seeming smaller than ever. “Maybe I’ll ask Damon to be my fake boyfriend, after all. I could be a good stepmom to a twenty-year-old, don’t you think?”
I frowned, a big old boa constrictor of distaste squeezing around my insides.
“I’m just kidding. He’s totally not in consideration.” She took a big, heartening breath, puffing back up again. “Okay, well…this was fun.”
I couldn’t stop from exhaling a laugh. “That’s one way of putting it.”
“I know, it was pretty weird. I’m sorry. I don’t always go around asking guys to pretend to date me, I promise. This is a one-time thing.”
Warmth flared to life in my chest. Was Iproudof that? Terrible of me to turn her down and then be secretly glad she hadn’t asked anyone else, but there it was. “A likely story.”
“Do you mind not telling anyone about this? I don’t want my friends to think I’m loony-toons.”
“Are you kidding? I’m going to tell everyone how you propositioned me.”
She burst into laughter, chasing away her embarrassment. “Me and my big mouth.”
I much preferred her like this, relaxed and smiling, to the woman trying to make herself small just a minute ago. But I couldn’t date either one, real or fake.
I mimed zipping my lips. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
“Thanks.” Her smile slipped a touch. “I should really have paid for your coffee since I brought you out here and subjected you to my bizarro ask. I have some cash.”
She started digging around in her purse, but I raised a hand. “It’s not a problem.”
“Okay. I’m…” She paused, her mouth twisting, eyes squinting at the edges until I suspected she regretted every moment of this meeting. “Yeah, I’m going to go now. Sorry for all of this. And thank you for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And thank you for your silence.” She raised a finger between us, her smirk ruining the implied threat.
“You’ve got it.”
She slung her purse over her shoulder and stood from the table, and I did the same out of old habit. She flashed a half-smile, ducked her head, and made a quick escape out of the café.
Watching her go, I exhaled a long breath. I figured I could take another minute or two to finish caffeinating before I went back to the orchards, and sat down to drink the rest of my coffee.
That had been…something else.
I’d fielded plenty of strange requests from women in my time, but that one hit a new level of odd. Fake dating to deceive her grandma? I didn’t even know where to start. I’d heard of schemes like that, of course—you wouldn’t believe how many people married a soldier for reasons other than romantic—but never thought one would come to my doorstep.
