But Olivia wouldn’t let it go at that. She grabbed hold of my arm. “What if Ruby and Orville are working with the developer?”
She’d truly gone off the deep end with that one. I put my finger to her lips. “Shh. That’s ridiculous.”
She batted my hand away. “I don’t want to believe it either, but what if it’s true?”
“It can’t be. Ruby and Orville have been up to their ears in helping people around town. She’s the one who lined up financing for Levi’s construction company and the bookstore, and?—”
“And where do you think she got that kind of cash?” Olivia interrupted. “She could be putting on a front while trying to tear things apart on the backend.”
I wouldn’t believe anything bad about Ruby or Orville. They’d welcomed me with open arms when I’d moved to Mustang Mountain. “What would they have to gain from selling out the town?”
“Money? Land? I don’t know. It could be anything.” Olivia’s shoulders sagged. “A lot of people do dumb things for good reasons. You ought to know that better than anyone.”
The reference to my folks hit below the gut, but I wasn’t about to take the time to unpack that at the moment. “I think you’re seeing connections that aren’t there. How about we grab dinner from the cafe and take it back to my place for a movie?”
“I need to get to the bottom of this. That’s the only way I’ll have any peace of mind.” She looked up at me, her brown eyes wide with concern. “Will you help me?”
“Damn, Liv. You really can’t let this go?” I’d seen her get fixated on things before. She was tenacious as hell.
“Please, Garner?”
Fuck. It was the “please” that did it. That and the way she looked at me like I was her personal hero.
“Fine. What do you need me to do?”
She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth for a long beat, like she was nervous to tell me what hare-brained scheme she had up her sleeve this time.
“Tell me.” I knew it would be whacked, but I was ready. I’d do anything for her, and she sure as hell knew it.
“Spend the weekend at the resort with me?”
That couldn’t be it. Not with the way her brows lifted, and she waited for my answer like she was holding her breath. “That’s it?”
“Yeah. I already booked a room. There’s just one other little thing.”
I sensed her one other little thing wouldn’t be little at all. It was bad enough I’d have to spend a whole weekend sharing a room with her and trying to keep my hands to myself. “What is it?”
She took in a deep breath, then let the words out in a rushing exhale. “The resort’s hosting a retreat this weekend. The only way in is to participate. It’s not a big deal. We have to pretend like we’re married.”
CHAPTER 2
OLIVIA
I groaned when my alarm blared at 6:30am. Garner wasn’t picking me up until ten, but I needed time to get ready for our married couple getaway. I’d come up with some wild ideas before, but this one might be the most outrageous yet.
Rolling over, I buried my face in my pillow and thought about the look on Garner's face when I'd dropped the bomb about pretending to be married. His eyes went wide, and for a moment, I'd thought he might refuse. But of course he didn't. Garner had never said no to me… something I probably took advantage of more than I should.
After a quick shower, I blow-dried my hair and applied a little makeup. No telling who we might meet at the retreat. The lodge was known for catering to a certain clientele. Rather than pull my hair back into my usual ponytail, I plugged in my flat iron so I could straighten the ends and slid my emergency hair tie onto my wrist just in case.
My bag was already packed for the weekend, along with a small backpack holding a notepad and a pair of binoculars. I'd prepped like I was heading into the wilderness for a stakeout instead of a luxury couples retreat.
At ten on the dot, my phone buzzed with a text from Garner.
Garner: I’m out front. Take your time. Coffee's waiting.
Such a simple text, but it still made my heart flutter. Garner had always been there for me. He was my best friend. If only he knew how many nights I'd lost sleep imagining what it would be like if we ever decided to be more than friends.
But Garner McCrae would never see me that way. I wasn't his type. Not with my kind of curves and lack of experience. He went for skinny, leather-clad women with tons of tattoos, and there was never a shortage of them hanging around the studio, waiting for their chance. They lived life on their own terms and weren't afraid to go after what they wanted. The most daring thing I’d ever done was follow Garner from Silver Springs to Mustang Mountain. I was just a girl who pushed papers for a living, cut hair on the side, and spent her weekends listening to true crime podcasts.
