Smitten

by Colleen Coble

  She should just pretend she was Natalie and say it. But what if it ruined everything? What if she tore down the wall and there was nothing but a hollow space? What then?

  At the thought of failure, adrenaline shot through her, speeding her heart rate, drying her mouth. The temperature of her face had shot up several degrees, and her cheeks burned like fire. She had to say something, do something— and not any of the things she yearned to do.

  “Josh is sick.” Okay, so she wasn’t making sense. No wonder he was looking at her like that.

  “And now you’re going to find someone else, is that it?”

  Was it? “Well . . .”

  “You think he just needs to see you with another man, and all the feelings you have for him will magically appear in him?”

  “Uh, well . . . that was the plan.” Sort of. Only for you, not Sawyer.

  He paced again, shaking his head this time. He breathed a laugh.

  Now he thought she was in love with Sawyer and wanted him badly enough to ruin Smitten. Not only was she in love with someone else’s man, but she was selfish to boot. Perfect.

  She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry.

  Griffen turned and shoved his hands in his pockets. “All right. I’ll do it.”

  “Do what?”

  “You need someone—a date.” He lifted his shoulders.

  “I’ll do it. I’ll take Josh’s place.”

  Her eyes widened. “What?”

  Her and Griffen dating? Hugging, holding hands . . .

  kissing? All for someone else’s benefit?

  Then again . . .

  “Why not me? We’re always together anyway. Besides, lots of people say we’d make a cute couple.”

  She did a double take. “They do?”

  He scowled. “Don’t look so surprised. I’m a good catch.”

  “And so humble too.” Reese turned toward the counter and reached for her water. She needed a minute to think without him reading her every thought. She took a slow sip.

  Maybe this would work. Maybe this plan was better than her plan. Maybe after a few dates, pretending he had feelings for her, he’d develop real feelings for her. It could happen, couldn’t it? Meanwhile, it would be just this side of torture for her, but what other option did she have?

  “What do you think?” he asked.

  Reese set her water down and turned, leaning back on the counter. “I think it might be just the ticket.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  This was not the way his first date with Reese was supposed to go.

  One, they were supposed to be alone, preferably in a quiet restaurant at a table for two, with candlelight flickering nearby and quiet music in the background.

  Two, they were supposed to be holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes and talking about how amazing it was that they’d found love after all these years of friendship.

  Three, she was supposed to know it was a real date.

  Instead they were sipping hot chocolate with three hundred of their closest neighbors and a handful of tourists on the town square, bundled in parkas, knit caps, and thick gloves. A lively tune flowed from hidden speakers, he hadn’t so much as touched Reese, and all they’d talked about was Sawyer Smitten, who seemed to be within sight every second of this long night.

  But, Griffen reminded himself, this was not a real date at all, and no one was more aware of that fact than he.

  He sipped his hot chocolate, now tepid at best, and leaned back on the bench, watching the ice skaters. Reese waved at Shelby and Nick, who glided hand in hand across the ice. Beside them Willow took a spin, her spindly arms stretched out.

  Every town had its New Year’s rituals. Smitten’s was pretty simple. Have dinner with friends, go see the annual play at the chapel, then wander out to the town square for sleigh rides and free hot chocolate.

  The town square clock was the center of attention tonight. Spotlights lit the old green timepiece, and a fat garland spiraled up the post past the lavender wreath and culminated in a big red bow.

  Sleigh bells jingled in the distance, and he located the sled over his shoulder. “Go for a ride? The line’s dwindled down.”

  Reese glanced toward the hot chocolate stand where Sawyer was holding court for twenty of his closest fans. He wore a cowboy hat tonight and matching cowboy boots. Griffen wondered when his fiancée was going to arrive. Couldn’t be soon enough for him. Maybe when Kate Owens came, Reese would end this silly charade.

  “We’d never make it back by midnight.”

  “Probably right.” But he knew what she was really thinking. What’s the point of going someplace Sawyer couldn’t see them?

  He smothered a sigh. Patience, Parker. This wasn’t going to happen quickly, if it happened at all. She fancied herself in love with Sawyer. He wasn’t sure how—they’d been apart for three years, after all.

  Then again, he’d been away just as long, and his feelings for Reese hadn’t diminished.

  “People are used to seeing us together,” she said.

  “True.”

  Reese looked soft and feminine tonight. She wore a fuzzy pink cap that set off her hazel eyes. Her blond ponytail looked soft as a silk sheet falling down her back. She had a tiny cleft in her chin that he’d always thought would fit his thumb perfectly—but had never had the nerve to check.

  She looked toward the hot chocolate booth. “Maybe you should, I don’t know, put your arm around me or something.”

  His heart tripped over his ribs like a clumsy schoolboy over his shoestrings. “That wouldn’t make you feel weird?”

  “Kidding me? It would keep me warm. It’s freezing out here.”

  Griffen slid his arm around her. Should he let his hand hang loose or cup her shoulder and pull her closer? No question which he longed to do. Still, he had to control himself. Keep it casual. Remember this was for show.

  She took the decision from his hands when she scooched into his side, close enough to share body heat, close enough to make his mouth go dry.

  “There, that’s better, don’t you think?” she asked.

  Not for his peace of mind. Not for his sanity. Not for his— “Sure.”

  For show. This was for show. He could do this. How else would he ever awaken in Reese the same feelings she’d awakened in him years ago?

  One minute Reese was snuggled in Griffen’s arms, and the next she spied Natalie barreling across the square toward them, a beaming smile on her face.

  Reese hadn’t had a chance to inform her friends of the latest development in her plan. It took all of two seconds to piece together what Natalie assumed upon seeing her and Griffen snuggled on the bench. She had to intercept her and fast.

  Reese sprang to her feet. “Uh, I’ll get us some warm hot chocolate.”

  “I can get it.”

  She waved him off. “No, I got it.”

  She ignored Griffen’s befuddled expression and headed toward the chocolate stand, where she met up with Natalie.

  Her friend gave her a hearty hug. “You told him! I’m proud of you. You look so cute together.”

  Reese pulled away. “Uh, it’s not quite how it looks.”

  She filled Natalie in on the details of Josh’s mono and Griffen’s subsequent offer. By the end of the explanation, her voice had dwindled to nothing. She ended with a What else could I do? shrug.

  Lines had sprouted across Natalie’s forehead. She fisted her hands on the curve of her hips. “What have you done?”

  “What was I supposed to do? Never mind. Don’t answer that.”

  “Reese!” Sawyer approached and gave her a sideways hug. “Natalie, good to see you. Where’d Carson get off to? That brother of mine is harder to catch up with than an alley cat.”

  “He and Mia are saving us a spot near the clock. When does your fiancée arrive? I thought she might join you for the holidays.”

  “Not till after, I’m afraid. She had work obligations and couldn’t get away yet. We’re both counting the
days, though. And you’ll be happy to know I got that ‘Smitten’ song written before I left Nashville. Think y’all will like it.”

  Natalie clapped. “Oh, I can’t wait to hear it!”

  “You’ll have to wait till the wedding like everyone else, Miss Natalie. Even Kate hasn’t heard it yet.”

  Sawyer really did have a devastating smile. It was a wonder it didn’t do anything for Reese anymore. Instead, she pictured Griffen’s grin, half-cocked and dangerous.

  They made small talk for a few minutes before Natalie’s aunt joined them. “I took Joshua Campbell a casserole earlier this evening,” Violet said. “That was so nice of you to put together a meal schedule for him, Reese.”

  “How’s he feeling?” Natalie asked.

  “Didn’t even get off the couch, poor dear. He sure appreciates those meals, though.”

  A moment later, Violet stole Sawyer away. It was closing in on midnight, and Reese owed Griffen a hot chocolate. Natalie gave her one last disapproving look before turning to find Carson and Mia in the gathering crowd.

  By the time Reese made it to the stand, they were closing down, so she headed back to Griffen empty-handed.

  “Sorry, I was too late.”

  He stood and tossed his empty cup in the bin. “Just as well. It’s almost time.”

  Reese checked her watch. “Just a few minutes.”

  Griffen took her hand and pulled her toward the crowd. He’d taken off his gloves, and Reese wished she’d removed her own, wished she could feel his warm, strong hand against hers.

  They settled into the back of the group. It was times like these Reese hated being short. She couldn’t even see the face of the clock over the broad shoulders in front of her.

  “Should I put you on my shoulders?” Griffen asked.

  She shot him a look, then tugged him toward the center of the crowd behind a family with children.

  “There, that’s better.” Reese could see the clock face at least, though she had to admit she was more focused on the hand wrapped around hers than the ones on the clock.

  The crowd tightened as more people joined the throng, a mass of people huddled on the square for warmth. The clamor of chatter quieted as the minute hand inched its way toward midnight.

  Her arm against Griffen’s side tingled with warmth, or something else. Most likely something else.

  “I hope the New Year brings you everything you want,”

  Griffen said.

  She looked at him, at the glow of light on his face, the sparkle of sincerity in those familiar eyes, and thought in that instant that he was the only thing she really wanted. That if he could just see her in the same way she saw him, she could deal with anything that came her way.

  “You too, Griff.”

  His eyes strayed, caught by some movement or something behind her. The corner of his lips fell into a straight line before he looked ahead to the clock as the crowd began the countdown.

  “Ten.”

  What had changed his countenance?

  “Nine . . . eight . . . seven.”

  She counted down mechanically, her mind awhirl, anticipating the hug Griffen always gave her at midnight, at least used to, when neither of them had a New Year’s date.

  “Three . . . two . . . one . . . Happy New Year!” the crowd rang out. The chapel bells chimed.

  Reese turned with a ready smile, but Griffen wasn’t reaching out for a hug. And he wasn’t smiling. He pulled his hand from hers, and her heart bottomed out.

  There was a look in his eyes she hadn’t seen before. Her own smile slipped.

  Then he took her chin and tilted it up. She met his half-lidded gaze as he lowered his lips to hers. They brushed across hers, warm and tender.

  Time stopped. The world hushed. The earth froze on its axis. She forgot to breathe, forgot to think, forgot to— And then it was over. Griffen pulled away, taking something of hers with him. Her heart, she realized with sudden clarity.

  His eyes bore some indefinable emotion. They slid to the right before coming back to her. The muscle in his jaw flinched.

  “Might as well give him an eyeful, right?”

  She followed his eyes to where Sawyer stood, mere feet away, hugging his younger cousin, lifting her off her feet, making her laugh.

  For just a moment she’d let herself believe the kiss was real. Silly her. Griffen was only playing a part. It was what she’d wanted, wasn’t it? But somehow that realization didn’t stop the sting of tears or the hard lump that swelled in her throat.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Reese bucketed the stiff brush and stretched her aching fingers. The brick was clean and ready for shelving. Now that she’d cleared away the drywall dust, she could better envision the finished results. She liked what she saw. Removing the walls and opening the second floor made the space feel roomier. The brick walls and beams lent a rugged feel that was perfect for an outfitters shop.

  Across the room, Griffen nailed a wooden slab into place over the support beam. The hammer rang loudly in the empty room. Once they polished the wood floor and finished the plumbing, they’d be ready to install shelving.

  In the four days since their kiss, Reese had been unable to shake the memory. It didn’t help that they were together constantly or that they’d become Smitten’s newest hot couple— a complication she hadn’t foreseen. It seemed everyone in Smitten had seen them snuggling or heard of their midnight kiss. They couldn’t stop talking about it.

  And Reese couldn’t stop thinking about it. At the worst times, she found her eyes drifting to his lips and remembering the feel of them on hers. Found herself wondering when another opportunity would arise.

  Then she’d remind herself that the kiss wasn’t real and chide herself for going down Fantasy Lane. She’d wondered a hundred times how Griffen felt about the kiss. If he’d been repulsed at the thought of kissing his best friend. If he’d gone home and washed his mouth out with soap.

  Not a pleasant thought.

  Reese wiped her forehead and tightened her ponytail. In between hammer swings, Griffen tossed her a grin. She must look a wreck. She was caked in dust and sweat. For once she wanted to look like a girl, not the tomboy he’d known all his life. She couldn’t even wash up, since the plumbing was disassembled while they waited for parts.

  The walls were closing in, and she felt her sanity slipping inch by inch. She had to get out of there. She headed toward the counter, where she’d stowed her purse. “I’m going for a coffee break. Want something?”

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  After slipping into her coat, she exited the shop and headed down the deserted sidewalk. The Christmas decorations had disappeared, and a light layer of snow coated the ground. A lone car meandered past, the only noise on the otherwise still Friday afternoon.

  The cold wind bit hard, and Reese tucked her nose into her scarf as she crossed the street. When she reached Natalie’s shop, she ducked inside and breathed in the warm, java-scented air. A soft melody filtered from the speakers, the only noise in the empty shop.

  Natalie peeked through the kitchen doorway. “Hey, Reese.”

  “Can I wash up in your bathroom?”

  “Help yourself.”

  After Reese had washed her hands and splashed the dust from her face, she tidied her ponytail. Feeling presentable again, she entered the shop, detecting a new aroma.

  “You’re just in time to taste my newest batch.”

  Natalie approached the back side of the counter bearing something wrapped in a napkin. Reese smothered a groan at the sight of yet another gluten-free cookie attempt.

  “Stop scowling. You’ll like this one.”

  Reese took the cookie and studied it. It looked normal enough.

  “It’s not going to bite you,” Natalie said. “Want your usual?”

  “Please.” Reese slapped three dollars on the counter and carried the cookie to their corner. She sank into the chair and took a cautious bite.

  Hmm. Not bad. Pretty good, actu
ally.

  “You like it!” Natalie hollered over the whir of the espresso machine.

  Reese chewed, swallowed, and braced herself for the aftertaste as the machine went quiet. The only lingering taste was of sweet cookie goodness.

  “I have to hand it to you, Nat—I can’t tell it’s gluten-free from the taste.”

  Natalie punched the air. “Yes!”

  Reese looked at the cookie. “The texture, though . . .”

  “What’s wrong with the texture?”

  “It’s . . . I don’t know . . . kinda weird.”

  “Well, rats.” Natalie poured the shots into a mug, her engagement diamond flashing under the spotlights. “I’m getting close, though. Have you heard from Shelby? I’ve been trying to reach her.” Natalie set down her latte, removed her flour-splattered apron, and sank into her favorite chair.

  “Nope.” Reese took a sip of her latte. “Mmmm, good. Maybe she and Nick went skiing or something. I’m sure Nick needs a break from the tree farm about now, and with all the help Shelby gave him over Christmas, I’m sure she’s exhausted.”

  “She still has her school to run.”

  “You know Shelby, though. She’s probably in a funk because Christmas is over.”

  The door opened, and Sawyer entered with a blast of frigid air. He tipped his cowboy hat at them. “Ladies.”

  The girls greeted him.

  Natalie sprang up. “Have a seat. What can I get you?”

  Sawyer ordered a black coffee and sank into the chair across from Reese. It seemed crazy that the man she’d nearly married was now a national star and would soon be Natalie’s brother-in-law.

  “So . . .” Sawyer said with a knowing twinkle in his eyes.

  “You and Griffen, huh?”

  Sawyer had been a little suspicious of her friendship with Griffen once upon a time, despite her denials. This was getting complicated.

  “I assure you, Griffen and I were strictly platonic when you and I were dating.”

  He nodded, his lips twitching. “Sure you were.”