My heart thuds heavily in my chest as I try to keep it together. “Been there. Just keep your head up. It’ll get better.”
His eyes catch mine again, hopeful this time. “Yeah?”
I nod, fighting the impulse to lean over the counter and wrap this boy in a hug. I allow myself a hearty shoulder pat instead. “It will.”
Beckett nods at the scanner before quickly ringing up the rest of the items.
When he thanks me again while handing me my receipt, I can’t help giving his forearm a quick squeeze. “Take care of yourself, okay?”
He nods, drawing in a deep breath.
“What was that about?” Alex asks as she hangs up her call.
“Oh, nothing. Just a fan.”
“But you have your disguise on.”
I run my hand over my jaw, genuinely surprised to find my fake beard there.
“Kids these days,” I say, trying to make my voice light and jokey but not quite succeeding. “They see right through my shenanigans.”
Alex makes a noncommittal sound as we exit, but I can tell she hasn’t let it go. Her intuitive gaze feels like a laser beam on the side of my face.
I clear my throat. “Who was on the phone?”
Alex drops her head back with a groan. “My sister. Delighted over my life becoming immensely more complicated, thanks to our fake relationship.”
“Let me guess. She said something about you suffering the consequences of your own actions.”
“She did!” Alex says, her face lighting up. “She wasunjustlysmug.”
I bump her with my shoulder. “I get it. I have an older sister too.”
“Amelia thinks I should tell Mags the truth.”
“I’d support you if you wanted to,” I say as nonchalantly as I can.
Would I prefer to continue this ruse until I eventually win Alex’s heart?
Absolutely.
Do I want to cause her undue duress while achieving my goal?
Heck no.
Alex runs her fingers through her long hair, fisting it at the nape of her neck. “No. We’ve already come this far. Better to get through dinner, and then after Mags is back home, I’ll tell her it didn’t work out.”
I nod, opening the back passenger door for her and holding out my palm. Alex only eyes it for half a second before accepting my help. Once she’s in her seat, I hand her the clamshell of raspberries she kept staring at while we were in the produce section.
“Could you see if these are any good? I’m terrible at picking them.”
Before Alex can argue, I close her door, stow the rest of the groceries in the back, and hop onto the driver’s seat while giving Mags her cashews. While both ladies munch on their snacks, I turn on Alex’s seat warmer from my control panel. I caught her massaging her lower back twice when she didn’t think I was paying attention.
Joke’s on Alex.
I can’t seem to pull my focus away from her.
With the two of them gabbing away about some wayward uncle, my mind drifts back to Beckett. Regret sours my stomach as I turn onto a neighborhood street. I should have given into the impulse to yank the entire sleeve of gift cards off the rack and load them up for him. After all, what good is a thirty-million-dollar contract if you don’t give back? My agent wouldargue that I donate too much of my salary to non-profits, but it’s something I feel passionate about.
