4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

West

H e chuckled in surprise. “Me? Go caroling?”

“Why not?” I gave him a little grin. “Could be fun.”

“I don’t know,” he hedged.

While he considered it, I made the rounds, doing a quick cleanup in the shop. I grabbed a broom and swept, glancing over periodically.

“Wouldn’t that be intruding?”

“Intruding how?” Honestly, he’d be helping me more than I could say… If I could convince him of one last thing, that was.

He shrugged and gestured to the room vaguely. “Family time? Holiday traditions?”

I shook my head. “Not at all. I mean, it’s not a sexy first date or anything, so I understand if you don’t want to. It’s a lot of pressure. I get it. It’s just… Okay, so I have three brothers, okay? And it’s… there’s a little sibling rivalry, that’s all. I’m the oldest and every year, all of my brothers bring their partners. And every year…”

Cole nodded in understanding. “You’re the perpetually single one?”

“Bingo. It would be nice to have a date, for once.”

He grinned slowly, a mischievous smile that did things to me I wasn’t ready to think about. “I’m in.”

“You are?”

“Sure. I’m happy to go caroling, if it means I get to spend more time with you.”

I bit my lip, considering taking things one step further. “Okay, one last thing.”

“Yes?”

“The other thing is… Would you… I mean, it’s okay if this is too weird or something. Would you pretend to be my boyfriend? I kind of… told my parents a few months ago that I was seeing someone and they’re going to think…”

A startled laugh bubbled out of him. After a second passed, he looked at me with narrowed eyes, an amused smile playing on his lips. “Wait, you’re serious?”

I shook my head and went back to sweeping. “Never mind. I knew it would be too much to ask. Forget I said anything. A regular date is perfect. I’ll tell them my boyfriend broke up with me or something. I’ll figure it out.”

He held up his hands to stop my babbling. “No, it’s okay. I’ll do it. On one condition.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Sure. Anything. You name it.”

“You have to teach me how to bake some of your favorite cookies. Just one recipe, any one you think is easy. I want to surprise my mom.”

Relief washed over me and I chuckled, my mind already whirring through the cookie recipes I knew. “Of course I’ll teach you how to make cookies. Any kind you like.”

“Then it’s a deal,” he said, standing to pack his laptop away.

“It’s a deal,” I agreed.

“I’m going to run home and change into something that’s a little more meet-the-parents worthy, if that’s okay, and I’ll meet you back here. Half an hour?”

“Perfect.” The second the door closed behind him, I hurried upstairs to my apartment above the shop to shower and change. I slipped into a soft long-sleeve red sweater and gray slacks, and as I dressed, reality hit me. I was going on a fake-boyfriend date with a stranger, introducing him to my whole family, and I’d have to convince my parents and my annoying younger brothers that we were in love. What had I done?

Before I had a chance to spiral too far, the buzzer of the shop doorbell sounded, indicating that Cole had returned. I made my way downstairs to meet him and stopped in my tracks when I spotted him. He was wearing a dark green turtleneck and black slacks, and somehow, with the sweater stretched across his chest and shoulders, he looked incredible. I rubbed a hand over my face. Jesus Christ, what have I gotten myself into? I smiled, nerves zinging through me, and pulled open the door.

Cole’s smile was warm and genuine, his eyes bright. “Ready, then?”

“I should be asking you that question. You sure you’re ready to be my boyfriend for the night?”

“I can think of worse things to do with my evening.”

My face heated and I turned away to lock up the shop and get going. Silver Creek was a small town by any definition but the nursing home sat outside of town by a few miles. I led the way to my car and we climbed in, cranking the heater up on high as soon as the car was running. We listened to Christmas music on the radio as I drove, while Cole peppered me with questions.

“So, how did we meet?”

I raised my eyebrows. “We met like two days ago at the coffee shop.”

He laughed and shook his head. “I don’t think they’ll believe we’ve been dating for months if you tell them that.”

“Right. Well, can’t we just back that up a few months then?”

“Good point.” He hesitated a minute. “How long have you owned the shop?”

I gave him a soft smile, touched that he was actually giving this a try. “Two years. Before that, pastry school. And before that , just a lot of similar jobs—pouring coffee, cleaning up other people’s messes, that kind of thing. You said you’re in marketing?”

He nodded. “I am. It’s nothing special. I’m the director of marketing at a firm in the city. Nexus Brandworks.”

“ Director? That sounds important.”

“I was working toward a promotion to vice president when I had my health scare. It turned out to be a combination of stress, anxiety, and acid reflux, but my mom and brother were convinced it was a heart attack.”

“Oh my God.”

He shrugged, a small smile on his face. “I told you, it’s nothing. I’m already feeling a lot better.”

“What else do we need to know about each other to prove we’ve been dating a while?” I nodded in the direction of a parking lot coming into view. “We’re almost there.”

Cole shook his head. “I think we can wing it.”

As I put the car into park, I gave him a little grin. “That sounds like a dangerous plan.”

“I’ll show you a dangerous plan,” he murmured, leaning forward. For a fraction of a second, I thought he was going to kiss me, and my heart thumped hard as his mouth got closer to mine. Just before our lips met, though, a knock on the driver’s side window behind me startled us apart. My heart raced as adrenaline spiked through me.

“No making out in the parking lot!” said a voice from behind me.

I turned to see my youngest brother, Rhett, grinning widely and waving at us from the parking lot.

I hissed a swear under my breath and Cole chuckled.

“Showtime,” he murmured before climbing out of the car.

Here we go , I thought.