My stomach flips as I give him a shaky smile.
Here goes nothing.
Operation “Fake” Dating
Birdie taps a finger to her chin. “If we do this, the truth stays between us. Briar would be disappointed in us both, Wren would try to talk me out of it, and Charlie can’t keep a secret to save her life.”
I should put a stop to this immediately. Hell, I should’ve shut the door on our conversation last night instead of going along with the harebrained idea to pretend we’re a couple.
The problem is that spending the night here has opened my mind to the possibility of having more with her, even if it’s just a temporary facade of what could be. I can’t shake the memory of her in my lap, how her body naturally molded to mine as if she’d always belonged there.
The reality is, if I don’t step in, Birdie will eventually find someone else to experiment with, and there’s no guarantee they’ll treat her right. I’d never be able to live with myself if she got hurt when I had the chance to help her navigate her desires safely and show her that she’s a treasure worth protecting. Someone who’s deserving of love and respect.
“Can I tell Heath?” I ask.
Birdie shakes her head. “I’d prefer you don’t. He’d judge me with that permanent scowl of his, and his grumpy attitude is intimidating enough as it is.” She’s got him pegged perfectly.
I snicker. “He’s not so bad if you look past his grouchy exterior.”
“You only say that because he’s your brother. Putting up with each other is part of the gig.” Birdie winks.
There’s more truth to that statement than she realizes. Heath and I have always been close. We shared a bedroom growing up and have worked on the ranch together since we could walk. But that doesn’t take away his frustrations with me for not fully embracing my responsibilities. Even now, I suspect he’s still bitter that I took the deputy job instead of putting in more hours at the ranch, to help him expand it to its full potential.
Now that I think about it, he’d probably argue that faking a relationship with Birdie is a terrible idea, using my past mistakes to lecture me. Best to keep him in the dark for now.
“You’re right. We shouldn’t tell Heath,” I agree.
I scoop up a generous portion of eggs, searching for anything to focus on besides Birdie’s big blue eyes and the way they draw me in.
She shifts in her seat, twisting her hands together in her lap. “What about my dad?”
I stiffen, my gaze snapping to hers with my fork halfway to my mouth.Holy shit.
I forgot that if we go through with this, I’ll have to tell the sheriff that I’m “dating” his daughter. He’s the type to glare you into submission while packing a gun at his hip. It’s no secret how protective he is of Birdie, and I’m betting he’ll lose his shit. The worst part? I promised Birdie she could pin the breakup on me. I can only imagine how much her dad will hate me then. It would be equally bad if he found out it was all pretend. He’d probably accuse me of using Birdie, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Maybe we should steer clear of your dad for a while,” I suggest, giving Birdie a sideways glance.
“Oh sure, he’s totally not going to ask questions if his best deputy goes off the grid,” she says with a straight face.
The corner of my mouth quirks up. “I’m the best, huh?”
She rolls her eyes, holding her coffee mug against her chest. “It’s not that impressive when there’s not much competition. Eli falls asleep at his desk when he’s supposed to be doing paperwork, Cole hides behind the diner eating donuts for hours instead of patrolling, and Mason’s a total suck-up with no common sense.”
Yeah, Sheriff Matterson’s options are limited. That’s probably why he was excited when I showed interest. The ranch is thriving under Heath’s leadership, and with my share of the profits, money isn’t a concern, making it possible to volunteer my time.
I put my fork down and push my plate away, deciding breakfast should wait until I’ve gotten an answer from Birdie.
“You’d better be prepared to have my mom invite you to family dinner more often. She’s going to be over the moon when she finds out we’re together… At least that she’ll think we are,” I stammer out quickly.
Suddenly, I’m the one tongue-tied, struggling to keep my cool, knowing that the future hinges on Birdie’s decision.
“I’d never say no to one of your mom’s home-cooked meals,” she says, taking a sip of coffee. “My only other condition is that we keep our PDA to a minimum.” She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth, watching me expectantly.
I shake my head. “Not a chance. The whole idea is teaching you how to interact with someone you’re interested in, and that includes PDA. Besides, if we were really an item, I wouldn’t be able to keep my hands off you.” I take the mug from her hands, setting it on the table. “No one would buy our act if we looked uncomfortable whenever we got close to each other.”
I take her hands in mine, brushing my thumbs along her palms, the soft hitch of her breath anchoring me. I’m beginning to think she’s more affected by me than she lets on, sparking a glimmer of hope that this attraction might not be entirely one-sided.
Her throat bobs as she swallows, eyes darting between my face and the floor. “Fine, but I’m warning you—my friends will tease us mercilessly for every little public display. They’ve been waiting ages for me to have a boyfriend and won’t miss a chance to make a fuss about it.”
