Page 50 of Fake It Till We Fall
“You’re going.” She cut me off firmly. “Besides, when you go back to work, I’ll be on my own then, too, won’t I?”
She was searching for answers that I didn’t have yet.
She wasn’t the only one good at avoiding uncomfortable questions. “It’s only a few days before Christmas, Grandma.” I changed the subject. “Are you sure you’ll be?—”
“You’re going. That’s final.”
I pressed my lips together. “Grandma, I’m just?—”
“Harper.” She wagged her finger at me. “Don’t argue. Erin will be here, and that chef you hired is fabulous. Besides, half this town pops in to check on me every time they walk past the restaurant. I’ll be fine for one night. You deserve this, Harper.” Her tone softened. “You and Grayson need this time together.”
We didn’t. But I couldn’t tell her that. Guilt for lying to the most important person in my life flooded through me. It was for her own sake, though. More than anything, I just wanted to make her happy.
Which was exactly why I was going to go.
Never mind the fact that the idea of spending a night alone with Grayson filled me with conflicting feelings that I wasn’t sure I was prepared to handle.
I smiled despite myself, but the worry still gnawed at me. “Okay,” I conceded. “But you just seem so tired, Grandma. I’d really like to have an appointment with Doctor Samuels and discuss what we can?—”
“I’m an old woman, sweetheart. And I’m unwell. Of course I’m tired. But you can’t let that keep you from living your life. Not now.”
I swallowed hard, my throat thick.
“Okay. It’s only for one night.” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince. “I’ll be just a phone call away if you need anything.”
“I won’t.” She winked then, her smile turning just a shade too knowing, like she was in on a secret I hadn’t been told.
Grayson
The suite Tilleyhad gifted me was way over the top. It was the kind of room that people booked for honeymoons, wedding nights, or special anniversaries. It wasnotthe type of room you would gift a volunteer as a thank-you.
“This is unreal.” Harper stepped inside the room and took in the vaulted ceilings with the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the ski hill and beyond, down the valley. The views were breathtaking.
I stood back and watched while Harper walked slowly around the room. She trailed her hand along the stone fireplace with large rock work that stretched all the way to the ceiling. She stopped at the bar and the bucket of ice with a bottle of bubbly and two glasses, waiting for us. “Interesting.” She raised her eyebrows, and I laughed.
When Harper disappeared into the attached bedroom, I forced myself to stay back, eyeing up the overstuffed couch in front of the fireplace as my potential bed for the evening. As much as I wanted to share what was no doubt a plush, king-sized bed with Harper, I needed to keep reminding myself that even if Tilley and the entire town thought so, our relationship wasn’t real.
“Grayson,” her voice came from inside the bedroom, “you’ve got to see this bathroom. This tub is unreal.”
I shook my head and grinned. “You always were a sucker for a bath.”
“Right?” She reappeared in the living room. “A bathtub is hard to come by on a yacht,” she said. “At least, it is if you’re not a paying guest.”
“I would imagine.” I dropped our bags next to the closet. “You’ll have to enjoy a bath. Later,” I added. “First, I want to make the most out of this whole thing.”
“Oh?” She leaned against the counter, looking so damn cute. “What did you have in mind?”
My thoughts flashed to all the dirty things I definitely couldn’t get out of my mind. I swallowed hard and moved my line of thinking to a much more PG-rated track. “Snowshoeing?”
Harper burst out laughing. “Seriously? I think you’re trying to torture me with all these cold outdoor activities.”
“Hardly.” I reached for her. “But maybe I am trying to remind you just how much fun the mountains and small-town life can be.”
Something in her eyes flickered, but before I could let her think too much about it, I added, “Besides, we need people to see us, right? After all, won’t your grandma be happy to know how much we’re enjoying this little romantic getaway?”
She hesitated.
“That was the point of all this, after all, wasn’t it?”
