I scowled at his insolence. “Yes.”
His brows jumped to his hairline, but he poured the drink. Just as I was about to lift the glass, a hand curved around me and grabbed it.
“Woah, sweetheart.”
I swung around, stumbling right into Shipwreck’s owner, Caleb Jackson, the hunky, blue-eyed single dad that half of Blue Haven wanted to date. His hands shot out to steady me. “Want to tell me what’s got the only non-alcoholic drinker that practically lives in my bar, wanting to drink.”
Biting my lip, I stared at my friend who, up until today, I was about a centimeter away from dating. Now, plan B had to materialize. Going by my last encounter with Ryleigh, she’d probably coerced Shay into rethinking his reason for coming here.
“I need a favor,” I blurted.
Caleb cocked his head to the side, his expression undisguised suspicion. “Nope.” He walked away taking my drink with him.
I followed. “Caleb, please,” I begged, knowing what egged his reluctance. He pivoted sharply, forcing me to bump into him. “It’s not what you think, I promise.”
He leaned in real close, until his nose practically touched mine. “The last time you wanted a favor, Skye, I was parading your store in my jocks,” he hissed.
A year ago, I’d coerced him into auctioning himself during our end of year Christmas sale. Problem was, someone stole his clothes, compelling him out of the dressing room and onto the stage in just his jocks. While he was a man who never flaunted his sexy as sin body and he’d taken to the stage with a smile, he hated being hoodwinked. In my defense I never found the culprit, but he didn’t see it that way.
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing, but my eyes gave me away. “Come on, you have to admit it was for a good cause, right?” Just his stint alone, raised close to three hundred thousand dollars. Yeah, lots of rich, single woman lived on the outskirts of our town. The fundraising was for the upgrade to the children’s wing at Haven General Hospital. “And this favor doesn’t require the removal of any clothes or anything close to it.” Hopefully.
He narrowed his eyes. “Speak.”
I rolled my eyes at his cocky demeanor, one he rarely showed. “I need you to be my fake fiancé.”
He looked dumbfounded for a moment then let out a hilarious, “what?” and walked away.
I followed him through the swing door into the kitchen. The smell of fried jalapeños rolled in feta, hit my nostrils and my mouth watered. Those were my favorite snacks here which I grew to love after Shay made them for me. Not surprising, since everything in my life, I practically had that man to thank for, including my son.
“Please, Caleb. I need your help.”
He set the glass down on a counter and looked at me. “Why?”
“Um,” Okay, I hadn’t thought this through. “Someone arrived in town that I sort of need to—”
“Hide from?” He finished for me. I lifted panic-filled eyes from the floor to his. There was a sudden softening of his features. “What’s going on, Skye?” I fiddled with the buttons on my blouse, not sure if I could tell him the truth. With a soft sigh, he stepped closer and took my hands in his. “Fine, I’ll do it.” He rubbed the back of my hands with his thumbs.
“Really?”
“On one condition, though.” Okay, that was too good to be true. My brow shot up as his lips tugged into that sneaky smile of his. “Have dinner with me...well, your fiancé now.” He chuckled. “We can take the boys to the Red Lobster, if you don’t want to be alone with me.”
I slapped his chest playfully. “You’re such an ass. I can be alone with you, you know.” Even though I said the words, I dropped my gaze to the two buttons on his Henley shirt.
He slid a finger under my chin and tilted until I was looking at him again. “Is that why you’ve left me hanging about that date I asked you to, two months ago?”
What began as a friendship a year ago, slowly drifted into something a little more, for the lack of a better word, dependent. We relied on each other like best friends would. Caleb was fun, uncomplicated and a great cook. He never pushed for anything serious or forced me into anything I didn’t want. We loved each other’s company, and our level of comfort could easily be mistaken for intimacy. There was none. Regardless, Rose, the friendly coffee shop owner, loved to call us a couple, sometimes it followed with her wistful smile, like she was already planning our babies in her head.
Then two months ago, Caleb asked me out on a date and while I hadn’t lied about work getting in the way, there was absolutely nothing keeping me from going out with him. He was a gorgeous man and the most sought-after bachelor in town but anything serious with anyone hadn’t taken root since Shay. Why I waited, God alone knew. I always figured he had a plan for me but definitely not this one and not when I’d finally decided to take Caleb up on his offer.
“I’m sorry.” I palmed his cheek, regret, that I hadn’t done so sooner, lined my stomach with even more anxiety about how I was going to navigate the inevitable. Meeting Shay. “Red Lobster it is, and we can do it without the boys.”
He chuckled. “And have them kill us both because we hadn’t given them forewarning.” He wiggled his brows in that funny way he did to make me laugh.
On that I had to agree. Our sons loved Reb Lobster, technically they loved the large kids center there, their seafood paella with its secret sauce, ranked a very close second. Anyone who didn’t know me would assume I had two sons because Jesse, Caleb’s son, spent more time with me and my son than he did with his father. It was how Caleb and I met, through the boys’ constant sleepovers.
“What about, we do Red Lobster tonight then I take you to Starlight on the Wharf when you’re ready?” Caleb suggested.
“Wow.” My eyes widened. “Fancy, aren’t you?” Starlight on the Wharf was a large boat a rich man had converted into a floating restaurant in the next town. Because of its size and the cuisine, they served, bookings were hard to get. “Probably in a years’ time we’ll get in.” I laughed.
