Chapter 2

TWO

Cameron

“Does anyone want another one?” Lilliana calls as she makes another batch of margaritas.

There are six of us crammed into my tiny house. We try to do a girls’ night at least once a month, and this time it was my turn to host. Everyone got here a few hours ago, and I know that things are starting to wind down, but I don’t want tonight to end.

The truth is that girls’ nights and the occasional lunch with Lilliana or someone else is the only time that I really have fun anymore.

I used to go to art shows and gallery openings. I used to paint or go out to new bars in big cities. I failed at my dream though and now I’m back in Wolf Valley, working at the diner in town and living in this little rental house.

“I’m good. I need to be getting home soon. I have the early shift at the coffee shop tomorrow,” Kerry says, stifling a yawn.

“Yeah, Ransom will be here soon to pick me up,” Ruby says.

She finishes her water and stands just as a pair of headlights flash through the front windows.

“That must be him,” she says with a smile, and I walk her to the door.

“Lilliana! Your man is here too,” I call to her, and she bustles out of the kitchen and heads my way.

“Thanks for hosting,” they both say.

“Of course. Anytime.”

“We’ll see you later,” Lilliana says as they head out, and I wave until they climb into their respective cars and take off.

“What’s new with you, Cameron?” Lilou asks.

She works at the coffee shop Kerry and Lena own. Tomorrow is her day off, which I’m sure is the only reason she’s still here.

“Not much,” I sigh as I take a seat on the couch.

“Really? I heard that Ford was chasing you all over town,” Maple Baker says with a grin.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, and she snorts.

“I heard that he showed up at the bar, along with Milo,” she says, shooting a look at Lilou.

Lilou blushes when Maple mentions the handsome firefighter that’s been trying to flirt with her for the last few months.

“They were probably just thirsty,” I tell her, trying to downplay what happened.

“Uh huh,” Vera snorts, and I glare at her.

“Oh, shut it! You can’t talk since your boyfriend showed up that night too and was stuck to you like glue,” I point out.

“Foster wasn’t that bad,” she protests, and Lilou and I both look at her like she’s crazy.

We were all there that night, having an impromptu girls’ night, when Foster had first shown up. He was quickly followed by Ford and Milo, who both were acting territorial towards us. I know that Milo did it because he wants Lilou and I’m sure that Ford only did it because he’s always been protective of me.

“Remember when he thought that you were pregnant?” Kerry asks, and Lilou, Maple, and Vera all turn to grin at me.

“I wasn’t! I was just buying the test for Ruby,” I remind them, and they laugh.

“Yeah, but you should have seen his face when word got back to him at the diner and he found out what you bought. I thought he was going to murder someone or have a stroke,” Kerry laughs.

“Probably both,” Vera agrees, and I roll my eyes.

“It wasn’t that bad,” I protest.

The truth is that I wish that Ford really did have feelings for me. I know that we’re just friends. He’s always looked out for me because that’s just the kind of guy that he is. He and his brother have always been stand-up guys.

I met Ford and Foster when I was a kid. They’re twins, but I was always able to tell them apart, and I was always drawn to Ford. It’s probably a good thing too since my best friend, Lilliana, has always been in love with Foster.

“You should ask him out,” Vera suggests, and I tense.

I would love to go out with Ford, to be his, but I can’t. We have a good relationship. We’re friends and he’s my boss, and I can’t mess that up. I might have failed at art and at getting my family to love me, but I’ll be damned if I fail at a relationship with Ford.

I don’t even know what I would do then. I’d have to find another job, probably in another town, because I know I’d run into him every time I left the house if I stayed in this small town.

“No, we’re just friends. Plus, he’s my boss so it would just complicate things.”

My friends look disappointed but no one argues with me.

“I should get going,” Kerry says, standing, and the other girls follow.

“Yeah, it’s getting late. We’ll see you later,” Vera says, and I smile and walk them out.

“See you!” I call, waving as they drive off.

I head back inside to clean up and sigh as I load the dishwasher. Something needs to change; I just don’t know what.

My cell starts to ring and I grab it, smiling when I see my grandma’s name on the screen. Out of all of my family members, she’s the only one that I talk to reguraly. My parents are in Arizona or Nevada, somewhere down south, and all of my aunts and uncles are spread out on the East Coast. I never see or hear from any of them, and honestly, that’s the way I like it.

“Hey, Grams! How’s it going?”

“Oh, good, honey. It’s so good to hear your voice,” she says.

“Yours too.”

“Well, I know you must be busy, but I wanted to see if you would be up for a visit from me soon?”

“Always! When were you thinking about coming?” I ask as I close the dishwasher and hit start.

“In a few days actually.”

“Really?” I ask in surprise.

“Yeah, if that’s not a bother.”

“No, of course not. I have work, but I can try to move some shifts around.”

“Oh, don’t put yourself out for me, honey! I’ll be visiting friends in town, too.”

“Okay, cool. I’ll make up the other room for you.”

“Good, and listen, there’s someone that I’d like you to meet. He’s this handsome young man that I met?—”

“No, Grams! Please don’t set me up,” I plead.

I’m used to this. My grams has tried to set me up with at least five different guys over the last two years. I swear that if she knew how to work a computer, she would have a dating profile set up for me on all the dating sites.

“It’s just a meeting!” She protests. “I hate to think of you all alone.”

“I’m not alone,” I tell her.

“Really? You’re seeing someone? Why didn’t you tell me?”

That’s not what I meant, but hearing how excited she is, I find myself lying.

“It’s new, like really new.”

“Oh! It’s that Ford, isn’t it? You two were always so sweet on each other.”

“Um, yeah,” I agree, and she goes on to gush about how she knows that we must make such a cute couple, but all I can think is crap .

What do I do now?

“We’ll all go out for dinner when I’m in town then! Oh, I can’t wait. Alright, honey. I’ll see you in two days! Love you.”

She hangs up after my weak love you too and I stare at my kitchen counter, my mind working overtime to figure out a way out of this mess, but I can’t.

That can only mean one thing.

I need to talk to Ford tomorrow and somehow convince him to be my boyfriend.

My fake boyfriend.