“That kiss. Pretty convincing, huh?”
Her heart clenched. Yeah, convincing. Too convincing. “I need to go.” She turned away and grabbed her purse off her desk.
He stilled her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, I know you have an appointment, but we need to go over the ground rules.”
Arden bit her lip. What she really needed was to get some air, to get her head examined, to stop and think about what they were even doing, and why she was having these weird reactions to Wade’s kiss, but he had a point. They needed to get their plan hashed out for her business as much as her own sanity. “How about we meet tonight?”
“I can’t. I have plans.”
“Oh.” She swallowed past the lump that suddenly formed in her throat.
Wade had plans. Of course. And obviously plans that did not include a fake girlfriend. Silly for her to be hurt over something as small and stupid as that. After all, she knew he wouldn’t be going out on any other dates. And he was only fake dating her. But after that kiss, she didn’t know what her expectations should be anymore.
Wade reached out and gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. “I won’t be able to come over because I’m covering at the animal shelter tonight. How about I swing by your place tomorrow night instead?”
“Okay.” She nodded, still not able to meet his gaze. “Come by around seven.”
Wade smiled down at her. “Great. It’s a date.”
A fake date, she mentally corrected. Completely and utterly fake.
Chapter Six
Wade had just finished bathing the newest rescue to the shelter—a sweet-tempered but lively Chihuahua named Annabelle—and was now towel-drying her. The dog hadn’t really needed a bath, but it kept him busy. Despite working a full day at the veterinary clinic, he felt unusually fidgety tonight, which unfortunately had nothing to do with drinking too much coffee. He was experiencing too much Arden.
His mind wandered to that kiss they’d shared.
Again.
He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. For something unplanned and unrehearsed, that kiss felt unbelievably right. Arden felt unbelievably right.
He hadn’t experienced anything like that in a very long time.
It was all too crazy to think about. Arden’s lips had been so warm and pliable when they’d touched his. He couldn’t seem to get enough and wondered if he could have even stopped if her assistant, Maggie, hadn’t interrupted them. Better not to think about that. Arden was doing him a favor. Plus, he wanted to avoid relationships, not get sucked into one.
The bells on the front door of the animal shelter jingled, signaling he had visitors. Hopefully, it was a family looking to adopt a pet. He had volunteered a handful of night shifts per week to run the nonprofit, which was located right next door to his veterinary clinic. Years ago, Miranda had had a hand in helping the shelter stay open as one of the few no-kill facilities in the county. A pet project of hers. He wanted to continue to support it in her memory, but also because he thought the shelter did honest, good work in finding homes for abandoned or rescued animals from bad environments. His partner and a few other vets in the area, along with various other volunteers, divvied up the hours among them.
He was the only one manning the shelter tonight, so he carefully picked up Annabelle and placed her in a safe area for her to play while he walked to the main desk to greet the visitor. To his surprise, Violet, the woman who had been to his veterinary clinic with her corgi puppy, was standing at the entrance.
“Violet,” he said warmly, extending a hand out to her. “This is a nice surprise. I hope you’re not planning on giving up Butters.”
She flipped her long, dark hair off her shoulder and shook her head. “No, Butters is wonderful. Thanks to you. I would never give her up.”
“That’s good to hear. Are you thinking of adopting another animal then?”
“No. I came to tell you that I was just newly appointed as a board member for the animal shelter.” She smiled, but he sensed tension behind it. “I’d like to contribute in any way possible.”
“Well, that’s great. We could use all the help we can get. And it’s always nice to get young blood on the board to help come up with new ideas for fundraising and awareness.”
Violet took a step closer, her expression unreadable. “Yes, I did hear that financing was a problem. Some of the other board members even mentioned the possibility of moving the shelter or dissolving it to merge with another county one.”
The ground shifted beneath him. “But…they can’t do that. This shelter is needed to serve this community and the surrounding beach towns. The other shelter is way too far out of the area.”
“Hmm…” Violet’s gaze traveled around the shelter. “But they do make a strong case because of the lack of funding.”
Wade frowned. “You wouldn’t vote in favor of that, would you?”
Violet shrugged. “Well, I’m new and this is only what I’ve heard. By the way, I also hear congratulations are in order.”
Wade was still mulling over the possibility of the shelter closing to fully understand what Violet was referring to. “What?”
“On your engagement,” she said sweetly.
Wade blinked, feeling as if he were being set up. “Right. My engagement. Thank you.”
“Funny, you never mentioned another woman when I was in your office last week. But then again, Judy Tavish told me you and…what’s her name? Addison? Wanted to keep it a secret.”
“Her name’s Arden,” he said stiffly.
She nodded as if she’d already known her real name. “Well, I hope to meet her. You obviously didn’t make her up,” she said with a light laugh. “Convenient that she’s a wedding planner. But from what everyone in town is saying, she sounds lovely.”
“She is,” he stressed, feeling strangely protective of Arden. He didn’t know what Violet’s true motives were for bringing her up in the first place, but he wasn’t getting a good vibe from her comments.
“If it’s true, then I’m very happy for you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean if it’s true?”
“Your engagement. I may be new to this town, but I’m not new to the games people like to play. I experienced it firsthand with my ex-husband.”
“No one is playing games with you here, Violet.”
She paused and licked her lips. “Well. Good. Makes my job of being on the ethics committee of the board that much easier.” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Have a good night, Wade.”
He dipped his chin. “Yeah, you, too.”
Once Violet left, he could breathe a little easier, but her parting words still troubled him. Her visit had the potential to stir up problems. He had only hoped to get the town’s matchmaking seniors off his back and have a little peace with a fake girlfriend. He hadn’t anticipated causing trouble for the animal shelter. Miranda had poured a lot of time and energy into keeping it running in town. He wasn’t about to jeopardize that—or Arden’s business. And if that meant spending more time with Arden to make their relationship look genuine, then that’s exactly what he was going to do.
…
Arden was at her kitchen table, working on a few wedding presentations for Milena Swenson, when a knock sounded at the door.
She glanced up and at the clock on the microwave. Seven o’clock. How did it get to be so late? She’d completely let time slip away from her.
Another knock. This one sounded louder and quicker. “Is this your way of getting even with me from last weekend?” Wade asked through the door. “It’s friggin’ freezing out here.”
She banked down a smile as she rose to get the door. When she opened it, Wade had his arms filled with grocery bags.
“What’s all this?” she asked as he walked past her and into her kitchen.
“Dinner.”
Her stomach growled in response. She’d been so focused on work that food hadn’t even crossed her mind until
this moment. “Do you cook?” she asked, taking a peek into one of the bags.
“Some.” He shrugged. “Do you cook?”
“Some,” she said.
“Well then, we should survive tonight. Tacos only require some cooking.” He winked at her, then shrugged out of his leather jacket.
Wade wore dark jeans and a flannel shirt over a gray T-shirt. Her eyes lingered a moment on the shirt buttons he’d undone at his chest. She half expected to see a Superman S peeking out there, seeing as how he had the whole Clark Kent thing going on with his dark glasses and hair. Plus, he had brought her food. If that wasn’t a heroic move, she didn’t know what was.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Huh?” Her gaze snapped up. Fortunately, Wade hadn’t caught her staring at his chest. He was looking down at her open laptop on the kitchen table.
Arden walked over to the table and, out of habit, and because having Wade in her home was making her nervous, started straightening some of the folders. She was usually more orderly, but it looked as if a paper bomb had gone off. “Oh, just working out some wedding examples for my big client. I want to present them to her next week.”
“I like this one,” he said, pointing to the simplest and most traditional wedding theme. Milena’s wedding would be in October, right before her father’s election. Arden chose crisp fall colors of deep purple, orange, and red. Textured flowers were a hot trend right now, and she felt Milena would want to follow that as well.
Arden nodded. “I like that one, too. Although I don’t think it will pack the punch she’s really going for. I need to tweak it a bit to make it just a little more creative.”
“How do you know what she wants? Didn’t you just meet her?”
“Well, I had her fill out a couple of questionnaires and personality profiles to get an idea of her style. Plus…I don’t know, sometimes I can get a sense about a person when I first meet them.” She grinned. “Call it a gift.”
Wade’s eyes danced with amusement. “Really? What kind of sense did you get about me when we first met?”
Kind. Loyal. Smart. Takes on burdens of people he loves.
If she had to name a few…
She shrugged and turned her attention back to her papers. “I don’t remember. I probably just thought you were a nerd.” A hot nerd.
Wade frowned at her. “How do you figure that?”
She planted a hand on her hip. “Wade, you created a chess club in high school. You and Michael Angelini were the only members.”
“Hey, I only did that to have another activity on my college résumé.” A devilish grin spread across his mouth as he added. “And because I happened to be quite adept at playing chess.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Like I said. Nerd.”
Wade rolled his eyes, then walked back into the kitchen and began unloading the food bags. “So you obviously like Mexican food. That’s something I now know about you. But don’t you think I should know a few more things—in case anyone asks.”
“Such as?”
“I don’t know.” He tilted his head and made a show of pretending to think. “How about pizza toppings? What’s your favorite?”
“Um, probably pineapple and ham.”
“Ugh.” He wrinkled his nose. “Of course I would have to be fake engaged to someone who puts fruit on her pizza.”
She laughed. “Did you ever try it?”
“No.”
“Okay then. That’s our next date. We’ll go out for pizza and you can try it for yourself. I bet you’ll like it.”
“I wouldn’t go laying any actual money on that bet.”
“We’ll see.” She walked over to where she stored her pots and pans. “All right, so tell me. As a couple, what else do we do together?”
“Probably have lots and lots of sex.”
She fumbled pulling the frying pan out of her cabinet and almost hit herself in the head with it.
“Easy does it,” Wade said, taking the pan from her hands. “I’m kidding about the sex, Arden.”
She let out a nervous laugh. “Oh I know.” Of course she knew. There would be no sex—or anything else physical—happening in their future. Because there was no future. However…now that sex was planted in her brain, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Apparently, Wade had it on his mind, too, since the next thing out of his mouth was, “I should see your bedroom.” He dropped the bag of shredded cheese and went in search of the room.
“Wait. What? Why.” She spluttered, chasing after him.
“I need to see where all the magic happens. Call it research. You know, in case anyone should ask.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. No one is going to ask such a personal question.” She rushed ahead of him before he could go into her room and blocked him with her body. “And there’s no magic.”
“Of course there’s magic. Why else would we be engaged? Now please step aside.”
She folded her arms. “Wade, you’re not going into my bedroom.”
He opened his mouth, then gave her a smile. “Don’t worry, I was married, if you recall, and grew up with a sister. Believe me, nothing in there can shock me.”
“It has nothing to do with that.”
He leaned in. “If you show me your bedroom, I’ll show you mine.” His gaze dipped to hers and the air in her condo heated with a playful intimacy.
She swallowed but still shook her head.
Wade shrugged and turned to go back to the kitchen, but as soon as she followed a few steps behind him, he turned and raced back toward her room. “Wade, you sneak!” she called after him with a laugh.
Wade stopped just a few short steps into her room. “Holy fifty shades of pink,” he said in breathless awe.
Her cheeks flushed. See? This was exactly why she didn’t want Wade Roberts seeing her bedroom. She didn’t want him making fun of her. So what, she liked pink. A lot. And actually, it wasn’t pink anyway. The color was called “rosy outlook.” A color she’d chosen to inspire her life after moving back to Cape Harmony.
Arden’s gaze followed Wade’s as it traveled over her pale-gray satin comforter with pink fuzzy pillows strategically positioned for decoration. The crystal chandelier hanging over the bed was her grandmother’s and added a nice traditional aspect to the otherwise contemporary room. Not that anyone but her saw it. But she liked the style and color and that was all that mattered. This room was her oasis and it made her feel special. Loved.
Wade turned and pointed a finger at her. “You, Arden Pearson, are a romantic.”
She lifted her chin. “You say that like it surprises you.”
“It does actually.” He cocked his head, his thoughtful gaze traveling over her face. “You put on a tough, no-nonsense air. But inside you’re obviously a lot softer. I…I like it.” He smiled down at her.
She shrugged, even though her face heated and her tummy flipped. “Well, now you know my dirty little secret.”
“No,” he said quietly. “I don’t think I do.”
She blinked, not sure if she heard him right. “Wh-what are you talking about?”
“I just find it interesting that you would choose a career in wedding planning, when you have no interest in dating.”
“Well, I’m obviously in it for the money.”
He chuckled. “I may not know a lot of things about you, Arden, but I know you’re not materialistic. You never were. Not even in high school.”
“Oh please. I didn’t think you noticed anything about me when we were in high school.”
He was silent for a moment. “I noticed things.”
“You did? Like what?” Did she just sound breathy? Oh my gosh, she was pretty sure she panted out that question. But this was all too amazing to hear and she probably would have never known.
Wade cracked a small smile, raising a hand and gesturing to her mouth. “I remember you used to coordinate the rubber band colors of your braces with your nail polish.”
S
he snorted.
But he was right, which made her insides get all fluttery again. She quickly turned away to combat the frantic beating of her heart and to lead Wade out of her room before she did—or said—something they’d both regret. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
“I remember that about you, too,” he said, following her out. “You and Kinsley would tear apart the kitchen after school, looking for snacks.”
“And I remember you constantly teasing me about it. But Kinsley and I were on the cross-country team. Maybe if you had done anything remotely athletic, besides taking your calculator in and out of your pocket, you’d have understood the need to refuel.” She batted her eyelashes at him.
Wade looked about to dispute her claim when her cell phone chimed, telling her she’d just received a text. She walked over to the kitchen table and picked it up. When she saw that the text was from Milena, her stomach dropped.
Hey!
Vance is in town this week.
Would love to reschedule our appointment for sometime this week. Maybe we can even go over wedding plans with your fiancé at lunch somewhere. The four of us. :)
Lunch out as a couple. Their first big test. She looked up at Wade, her mouth hanging open.
Wade grabbed her by the shoulders and dipped his head to gaze into her eyes. “Breathe, Arden. What’s going on?”
“Milena wants to meet for lunch to go over the wedding plans.”
“Oookaaay. Is that a problem?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. She wants it to be the four of us. A couples’ lunch.” She made a face. “Can we do that? I’m panicking. I know that. But…can we have lunch?”
Wade chuckled. “Well, I know I can have lunch. And if I need to make small talk with your client’s fiancé at the same time, I think I can manage that as well.” He leaned in and gently kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be fine. Text her back and say yes.”
Relief flooded her. Wade’s words were said in such a calm and reassuring tone, she immediately texted Milena that they would both love to meet and discuss her wedding and that she’d be in touch as to what restaurant tomorrow. When Milena texted back with a thumbs-up emoji, Arden let out a little breath of relief.
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