by Kennedy Fox
Ethan: I’m gonna go home and take a shower, then I’ll be right over.
Harper: There’s no rush!
Ethan: Alrighty. See you soon.
Until Ethan arrives, I’m lost in my work and in thoughts about him. The way butterflies flutter and how hot my skin feels when he kisses me is undeniable. It’s scary to know that my best friend can evoke emotions that haven’t been released until now. Sure, I’ve had stupid crushes and dated a few assholes who didn’t know their heart from their dick, but this is different.
It’s deeper. More intense. And supposed to be fake as hell.
Soon, I hear a door shut outside, then a few knocks. Instantly, those flutters return.
“Come on in. It’s unlocked.”
Seconds later, Ethan walks in wearing a button-up plaid shirt and nice jeans with his Sunday-best boots. I’d be lying if I didn’t say he was sex on legs right now. “You look really nice.”
He immediately grins. “It's a date weekend. Can’t show up like I've been swimming in goat milk all day.”
“True,” I say, stacking another box on top of the others.
Ethan lifts his hat and smooths his hair back. “You got all of this done?” he asks, noticing the tote bag full of bright orange packages.
“I have so much more. The pumpkin patch bars sold like crazy.”
Tilting his head, Ethan glances around. “How much more do you have left to do?”
I make a face, not wanting to admit it. “From the last set I launched? Over a thousand.”
“Damn, Harp. I can help you package before we get on the road so at least you’re caught up over the weekend.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I smile. “You’re too good to me. But it’ll be okay. I’ve got them down to a three-week lead time, so as long as I focus when we return, I should be able to stay on track.”
“You’re sure?”
I nod. “Absolutely. As long as we can drop these off.”
“Sure thing.” Ethan grabs the giant bag full of packages, and I carry a few of the larger ones that couldn’t fit out to his truck. When we go back into the cabin, he lifts my suitcase, and I grab my high heels that I couldn’t fit inside, then look around to make sure I didn’t forget anything before locking up. Ethan keeps the passenger door open for me, then shuts it after I climb inside. He’s always been well mannered, so treating me like this isn’t anything new, but now it’s different.
“You know we can take my car?”
“Nah, I’d feel bad driving it a hundred.” He chuckles.
“Ethan Bishop,” I scold. “You better not be going that fast.”
After we drop off the packages, Ethan and I make our way out of town.
I stare out the window, lost in my thoughts.
“What’re you thinking about?” he asks.
Turning to him, I grin. “Truthfully?”
“Always.”
“I’m just afraid everyone will see right through our façade. She’ll ask questions she shouldn't with a saccharin sweet smile,” I admit.
Ethan squeezes my hand. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ve known you all my life and can answer any questions she throws my way, even ones we haven’t practiced.”
I arch a brow. “Oh really?”
He nods confidently. “Test me if you want.”
“Okay. Why did I start making goat milk products?”
“Because I suggested it and knew you always wanted to be your own boss. You also enjoy staying busy and being active on social media, so you found a way to have the best of both worlds, isn’t it?”
Heat hits my cheeks. “Okay. What was my first pet’s name?”
“Sunshine. And he was an orange tomcat, but you thought it was a girl until three years later when you realized he had balls.”
His answer makes me snort. “That’s so true. Alright. Now to the harder questions.”
I tap my lips, trying to think of something that’ll stump him because he’s being a little too cocky.
“Who was my first celebrity crush?”
“Johnny Depp, even though he’s old as hell.”
“He just gets better with age, though. Like a fine wine.”
“He’s older than your dad,” Ethan scolds as if I’m not aware.
“Which makes him even hotter,” I tease, knowing that’ll gross him out. “Alright. When did I lose my virginity?”
Ethan laughs. “That’s supposed to be a hard question? At eighteen, with that loser Isaac the first time you were face-to-face after being long distance for two years,” he says. “Fuck him.”
“Yeah, not sure what my naïve self saw in him. Did you know he’s married now?”
“Feel sorry for his wife,” Ethan admits, and I laugh with a nod because I do too.
“Hmm.” I glance over at him. “When did I start my period?”
“Don’t think anyone’s gonna ask me that, but regardless, you were twelve. The summer before seventh grade.”
My mouth falls open. “How the hell do you know that?”
“Because we’ve been best friends since we could walk. I bet if I asked you a slew of questions, you’d know the answers too. That’s why you have nothing to worry about. There’s not one thing Shayla can ask that’ll throw me off because while our engagement isn’t legit, it’s built on top of the rock-hard foundation of our friendship. By the time we leave, she’ll be questioning her own relationship, trust me.”
The thought has me giggling. “Oh God, I hope she does. Her fiancé is…” All I do is shake my head. “You’ll see. It’s a weird relationship. Not sure what’s in it for him to be married to that devil, but there’s gotta be some sorta exchange going on.”
“You think he’s being paid to marry her?”
“Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s in it for the money,” I admit. “He’d have to be because her attitude stinks.”
“My turn.”
“Go ahead,” I encourage. “Start with the hard ones.”
He chuckles. “Alright, when did I lose my virginity?”
“The night of junior prom with Maya Nickels. Geez, Ethan. Everyone knew. That was the gossip for an entire month.”
“It was? I bet all the ladies were jealous,” he says smugly.
“You banged the head cheerleader. At that point, all the girls thought you were out of their league,” I tell him.
“I wonder if that’s how Grandma found out? She literally gave me the talk about the birds and the bees and how having sex makes babies. It was awkward as hell when she told me I should’ve waited for marriage, and I need to repent for my premarital sins,” he says as I’m lost in a fit of laughter.
“She didn’t,” I say between gasping for air and wiping tears off my cheeks.
“Oh, she did. Then she told my parents, who just handed me a box of condoms. Thankfully, they’re doctors and logical that preaching about abstinence doesn’t work. But yeah. Anyway, next.”
“Make it hard,” I say.
Ethan gives me a mischievous grin. “When did I get my first real boner?”
My eyes go wide. “Ethan! I didn’t mean literally.”
He snorts. “No, but I bet you don’t know.”
The truth is I don’t. Not sure how I would’ve known without him telling me anyway. “Uh, I don’t know. Thirteen?”
“Sweetheart,” Ethan drawls. “Earlier than that.”
“What? Ew.”
With a devilish smirk he turns to me. “So I stumped you. Ha!”
I roll my eyes with a groan. “Well you gotta tell me the answer now.”
“Ten,” he says. “It was quite an experience.”
“I’m sure it was,” I say, raising my brows. “Puberty was a really awkward time for us.”
“You’re telling me. I mean, my dad did explain in great detail what it meant and the changes my body was going through. Another conversation I probably could have lived without.” He shudders.
“At least your parents had the talk with you. I learn
ed what sex was from Hadleigh when I was twelve. One wrong click on the internet, and we were traveling down a one-way street to hell with all the porn we watched,” I admit.
“No way. Y’all looked up porn, huh?” Ethan almost gasps.
“Yep. Mom was too naïve to block those things, so it was free rein. I could’ve sworn I’d told you that, but then again, it was Hadleigh’s and my dirty little secret.” I chuckle.
“Oh, Riley and Diesel introduced me to the dark side of the internet around the same time. I couldn’t unsee what they showed me,” he says. “So you failed. I think it’s official. I know more about you than you know about me.”
“There’s no way. That’d be like me asking you when I had my first orgasm—which I’m not telling. So now, ask me another one then.”
“You sure about that?” he questions.
I nod.
“What was one thing that I wanted to happen before we graduated college?”
“That’s not fair because that could be anything. But don’t tell me.” I try to take a quick stroll down memory lane. It’s so hard to remember the small details because we’ve spent so much time together over the years, and we had a handful of conversations about our future.
“You wanted to figure out a way to expand the ranch so you could start on it as soon as you moved back home,” I say confidently. It was all he ever talked about.
He grins. “Alright, that one was too easy.”
“Maybe. But I know a lot about you, Ethan Bishop. I know you like comfort food. You’d rather be up to see the sunrise than stay up and watch the sunset. Whiskey is your drink of choice. You’re a softie for romantic comedies even though you’ll deny it till the day you die, and you cried during The Lion King when Mufasa died. Also, your favorite color changes every couple of years. I think it’s green right now. Your favorite season is summer, even if you complain about the heat, and when you retire from the ranch, you want to buy a winery.”
His eyebrows raise. “Impressive. You cried at Lion King too, by the way. And how many kids do I want?”
My breath hitches, and I realize it’s not something we’ve ever discussed though I’m pretty sure I know the answer. “With the right woman, you’d have as many as you could.”
Ethan throws me a wink, and tingles course through me.
The interstate curves, and in the distance, I can see the green giant, an iconic building in downtown Dallas. By the time we pull up to the hotel, I realize how quick that drive went by. Though I’m not really surprised. I could spend every waking minute with Ethan and never get bored. He keeps me laughing, and we always have a good time. I think it’s why we’ve been friends for so long. That, and because he gets me on a level that no one ever has. He knows what to say and when, but he also doesn’t take my shit when I’m in a bad mood. Something else I appreciate.
When we get out of the truck, Ethan grabs my suitcase and his small duffel bag. He hands his keys to the valet, and as soon as I come around to meet him, he wraps his free arm around me and kisses my forehead. My arms snake around his waist, and I smile, knowing he’s putting on a performance but enjoying it nevertheless.
Ethan dips down and whispers in my ear, “Ready for this?”
I nod with a breathless, “Yes.”
My heart pounds so hard, I halfway wonder if he can hear it. When he pulls away, Ethan takes my hand and interlocks our fingers. We walk to the front desk like we own the place and wait in line. I love the confidence Ethan brings out in me, and I know there’s no other person who could pull this off as well as him. Right now, all eyes are on us, so Ethan hams it up and kisses my knuckles.
I giggle like a schoolgirl, and he leans down to whisper in my ear. “Is that her?”
Turning my head slightly, I see Shayla chatting with Leon in the lobby. Her eyes zero in on Ethan. When her gaze peers over to me, I wave with a smug smile. The hate behind her toothy grin can be felt across the room. Thankfully, it’s our turn to check in, so we step up and give the woman our information. Soon, she’s sliding the room keys over to us.
Ethan interlocks his fingers with mine and leads me to the elevator. It feels so natural to be with him like this. Ethan doesn’t let go of my hand. Instead, he squeezes harder when the double doors slide open. When we make it to our floor, we walk to our room.
“Whoa. You got a suite?” He looks at me after he opens the door.
“I mean, we are on a romantic getaway.” I shrug. “For appearances, of course,” I hurry and add.
“It’s great. And there’s even a couch.” He moves to the closet door and sets down our suitcases. “Extra blankets too.”
“You’re not sleeping on the couch, Ethan,” I tell him. “You’re too tall. Your feet would hang off. You need to be well-rested for tomorrow. It’s gonna be a busy day. Plus, you worked today.”
“Nah, I’ll make it work. I’ve slept in worse circumstances.”
“I booked a king size so we can share and still have plenty of room. I don’t want your back to hurt or you to be too exhausted for tomorrow, ” I tell him somewhat nervously about sharing a bed with him, though I’m sure we’ll both be sleeping on the edge.
“You’re right,” he says, falling back on the giant mattress with his arms spread open. “This is comfy.”
I plop down next to him, fully sinking in and yawning, then realizing I’m not in the mood to be around a bunch of people tonight. “Want to order room service and stay in?”
“Only if we can watch a movie while we eat.”
“Deal.” I turn and meet his eyes. “What do you want me to order?”
“You know what I like,” he says.
“That’s the truth.”
After I find the menu, I order cheese sticks, hot wings, cheeseburgers, and two slices of chocolate cake. Ethan snorts, but I couldn’t help myself. Eventually, our food arrives, and we reposition the pillows and lean against the headboard while we eat. Ethan turns on Guardians of the Galaxy, and we’re instantly sucked in.
“You nervous about your panel tomorrow?” he asks during a commercial break.
“A little.”
He gives me that boyish side grin I adore. “You’re gonna do amazin’, especially since your fiancé is with ya.”
“My lucky charm.” I halfway wonder if what we’re doing is wrong, but it’s hard to believe that when it feels so right.
Chapter Eleven
ETHAN
The alarm goes off early, and I haven’t slept a wink. I tossed and turned while thinking about how Harper was sleeping so close to me. More than once, I felt the warmth of her body against mine and moved closer to the edge of the mattress to create some space. Even though all I really wanted to do was pull her to me and hold her close. It wouldn’t have been the first time we snuggled, but to keep boundaries for what’s already going to be a difficult weekend, I didn’t want to have her wake up and freak out.
Harper’s running around the hotel room like a chicken with its head cut off and has changed clothes at least three times. Eventually, she puts on the first outfit she had on, then decides she’s ready. Flustered as she is, I place my hands on her shoulders and force her to look into my eyes.
“You gotta calm down,” I say, keeping my tone soft.
She releases a long breath. “I know. I’m just so…”
“Nervous?”
“Yes. About the panel. About what people are going to say when they see us together. The unknown is eating me alive. I’ve been waiting for this very day, and now that it’s here, it’s getting the best of me.”
I grin, creating space between us, and notice how rapid the pulse is in her neck. “Remember when we were kids and used to go trail riding behind the B&B?”
Harper nods.
“There was this one time when I fell off because the horse was spooked by a snake. And I was scared to death of gettin’ bit but also was hurtin’ because I landed on my arm. Well, someone I know told me that shit happens and you learn to get over it.”
<
br /> “I did not say that.” Harper bursts out laughing.
“No, but Uncle Jackson did after he realized I just sprained my wrist.” I laugh and notice the tension melt off her. “But you never once left my side and were there through it all. The point is, we’re in this together, and years from now, none of this will matter. The details will be blurred, and we’ll laugh about our big scam and how we fooled everyone. So promise me that you’ll at least try to have some fun this weekend.”
“Okay, I promise,” she says, going over to her bag and pulling out a pair of earrings she got from her grandmother when she graduated from high school. They conveniently match the engagement ring I bought. “I needed that reminder. Thank you.”
Harper turns around and meets my eyes. Her gaze is just a little softer when she notices I’m wearing slacks and a button-up shirt. “You’re dressed to impress.”
“You are too,” I admit with a smirk. “Good to go?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.”
I grab the extra room key, then we leave.
On the elevator ride down, we’re greeted by an older couple. I interlock my fingers with Harper’s and squeeze. A silent gesture, letting her know we’ll be fine and she has nothing to worry about. She returns it with a grateful smile.
“Harper. It’s so nice to see you, dear,” says an older woman, who looks to be around the same age as my grandma.
“Nice to see you too, Mrs. Davenport.”
Harper’s polite as she glances over at me wearing a sheepish grin. We know what’s coming. Grandma Bishop makes the same face when she’s about to ask questions she shouldn’t.
“And who’s this handsome young man?”
I lean into Harper and wrap my arm around her, pulling her closer.
“This?” She makes a big show because we only have ten more floors until we’re at the bottom. Harper giggles. “This is my fiancé, Ethan.”
I notice how she leaves out my last name, and I wonder why. Texas may be big, but I swear Grandma knows everyone within a three-hundred-mile radius.