“Sure,” she said, trying to appear unfazed. Landon needed to talk to her in private. Her mind was whirling with questions. Was he unhappy at the cider lab? No way! So far, he’d seemed like a kid in a candy store. A person couldn’t fake that type of excitement.
A few moments later the passenger-side door opened, and a slight chill momentarily crept into the vehicle as Landon settled himself next to her. He sat back and rubbed his hands together.
“Thanks for being open to listening,” Landon said, turning to face her. It was so cold outside his glasses were a little fogged up, which she found adorable.
“So, what’s up?” she asked. She couldn’t read the expression etched on Landon’s face. No doubt because she didn’t really know him all that well. She thought she heard a little sigh slip past his lips.
He had a shaky, lopsided smile on his face. He let out abrittle-sounding chuckle. “Hey, something pretty funny happened.”
Bailey frowned. Her antenna was way up based on the nervous energy Landon was exuding. Why did his laugh sound so forced? As if he was being held at gunpoint. He seemed like a really genuine guy, so the fake laughter didn’t compute.
“Mmm. Do tell,” she said, waiting for him to explain what he was doing here in her vehicle. Not that she minded, but her curiosity was getting the better of her.
He cleared his throat. “As you know, this is Hattie’s last Christmas. She’s been pretty open about the fact that her illness is terminal and progressing, so I don’t feel like I’m divulging any personal information,” he told her.
Just hearing the words come out of Landon’s mouth and seeing the pain he was trying to hide caused her own emotions to rise. It was hard to grieve for someone who was still alive.
“Hattie has been amazingly transparent with all of us.” Bailey shook her head. “I can’t even imagine dealing with something so earth-shattering and doing it with such grace and openness. She’s such a boss.”
He nodded. “She’s one of a kind. Most of the time, I feel like she’s consoling me rather than the other way around, which in a roundabout way leads me to what I wanted to talk to you about.”
Bailey drew her eyebrows together. She decided to keep quiet rather than asking any questions. She hoped he would just spit it out, whatever it was.
“My brother Caleb is a bit of a pot stirrer. He told Hattieabout our moment at the smoothie shop,” he explained. “I’m not sure how this even happened, but somehow or other they got the idea that we’re… romantically entangled.”
“Romantically what?” she asked. Now Landon was talking in riddles. He couldn’t possibly mean what she thought he meant. Could he?
“Together. They think we’re together as a couple, an item.” He cleared his throat again. “And rather than dispel that notion, I leaned in to it.”
Was she being punked? Surely Landon wasn’t being serious. “You didwhat?” she asked, her voice sounding loud in the small confines of her vehicle.
Landon winced and held up his hands. “In my defense, once I saw how excited Hattie was about my finding someone, I just couldn’t see the disappointment in her eyes when I told her the truth.” He blew out a deep breath. “She’s dying, Bailey. There’s not much I can do to help her at this point, but this means the world to her. Xavier has True and now Caleb has Sophia, so it’s only natural that she wants me to find someone as well.
“She wants to see it all play out before she… leaves us,” Landon explained.
She totally understood that Hattie wanted to feel as if everything was settled with her beloved grandsons after she passed away. It was right in line with Hattie’s personality. She wasn’t called the grande dame of Moose Falls for nothing.
“I need your help.” His voice shook as he spoke. “It might be asking for a lot, but—” He stopped talking mid-sentence, as if he didn’t quite know what to say.
“So what exactly are you asking me, Landon?”
“This is awkward,” he said, shifting around in his seat. “First of all, we don’t know each other that well. And we’re co-workers.”
Her impatience got the best of her. “Spit it out, Landon. You’re making me feel a little squirrelly.” It was an unnerving feeling not knowing exactly what was going on. She didn’t like surprises unless it was a spunky rescue dog with a big red bow on it.
“I want you to pretend that you’re my girl,” he said, the words rushing out of his mouth.
She didn’t have a poker face, so she knew her expression showcased the utter shock she felt.
“My grandmother’s happiness means everything to me, especially now. The reality is, she’s not going to be with us much longer. We love her so much, yet we’re all helpless in the face of this. There’s nothing we can do to help her.”
Bailey nodded. “I understand. Really, I do. She’s pretty beloved here in town. We’re all gutted about her being so sick.” A wave of emotion washed over her. Hattie had been her family’s guardian angel when they’d needed one the most. She’d helped them without asking for a single thing in return. Her kindness was permanently tattooed on Bailey’s heart. She knew it had been a turning point for her family in the aftermath of tragedy. Because of her many kindnesses, Hattie Stone would always be an important figure in her life.
Landon locked gazes with her. “Bailey, what I’m about to ask you might seem outrageous. I realize that. I was backed into a corner, and rather than tell my grandmother that we weren’t a couple, I played along.” A tremor ran across his jaw. He adjusted his glasses. “So I’m asking youif you would consider playing along too. Not for me, but for Hattie.”
For Hattie.Those words hit her right in her solar plexus. If he’d offered up any other rationale for her going along with his charade, she would have laughed in his face. But Hattie. Amazing, irrepressible Hattie. She would walk over glass for her if need be.
“We can keep this on a week-to-week basis. If you get in a relationship with someone, we can call things off. You won’t ever have to do anything you’re uncomfortable doing. I won’t be making demands on your time. You can still live your life.” He paused to take a breath. “And I’m okay with kissing. I fully give you my consent.”
