Grant winced. "What did you say?"
"That we're taking it slow! But she just smiled and said 'that's what they all say' and then told me she's already planning to make us a quilt."
"A quilt?"
"Aquilt, Grant. With our initials."
Despite everything, Grant smiled. "That's actually kind of sweet."
"It's terrifying! This whole town thinks we're getting married!"
"Riley, breathe."
"I'm breathing!"
"You're spiraling."
"I'm allowed to spiral! This was supposed to be simple. Fake date through the holidays, everyone stops asking questions, we go back to normal."
"And it is simple."
"No, it's not! Mrs. Henderson has us on her Christmas card list now. My mom keeps dropping hints about grandchildren. Your dad asked me if I'm moving back to town!"
Grant's chest tightened. "What did you say?"
"I said I don't know! Because I don't! I don't know anything anymore!" She paused. "I'm sorry. I'm freaking out."
"It's okay to freak out."
"You're not freaking out."
"I'm very good at hiding it."
Riley laughed—shaky but real. "We're in so deep."
"We really are."
"Can we just... I don't know. Can we meet somewhere? Talk? I need to be as calm and collected as you are right now."
Grant glanced at the workshop, then the darkening sky. "You want to come to the farm? We can go for a walk. Clear our heads."
"Yeah. Okay. Give me twenty minutes."
"Okay, bundle up. See you then."
He hung up and stood there for a moment, phone in hand, heart pounding.
Thiswasgetting out of control.
The town thought they were getting married. Their families were planning their future. And Grant was standing in hisworkshop, counting down the minutes until he could see Riley again.
You're falling for her. Again. Still. You never stopped.
The thought pounded into his psyche. It wasn’t a realization. He knew all along. Maybe that’s why he’d offered to be her fake boyfriend in the first place.
He'd never stopped loving Riley Monroe.
And pretending to be with her was going to destroy him.
