Faking It With the Single Dad

1. Chapter One

Chapter One

Bella

S ome days, this town feels like a trap I’ll never escape.

On days like this, the only thing that keeps me going is working in my little café. It isn’t much, but it’s my little haven, and I love it—just as much as I love Luke.

The rich, comforting aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air as I arrange pastries in the display case and sneak a glance at the clock. I just dropped off Luke at daycare, and the café feels oddly quiet without him tugging at my apron, asking for a snack or a “big kid” drink like the regular's order. I miss his little giggles, but I have a whole day of work ahead of me.

Just as I finish setting up the pastries, the bell above the door jingles and Marlene Thornton, Cedar Ridge’s most relentless busybody, walks in. I brace myself and force a smile as she steps up to the counter. Her gaze sweeps over every corner of the café. She looks ready to pounce, as if she’s gathering intel for the town gossip mill.

“Morning, Bella,” she says with the smirk that never quite reaches her eyes. “How’s little Luke doing? Growing up fast, I bet.”

“He is,” I reply, keeping my tone light. “Keeps me on my toes.”

She nods and looks me up and down like she’s searching for cracks in my armor. Staying in Cedar Ridge and raising Luke alone after Caleb left me hasn’t been easy, and Marlene knows it. Everyone in town does. That’s the thing about a place as small as Cedar Ridge—privacy is a luxury nobody gets to have.

“Well, I hear Ryan Blackwood’s back in town.” Marlene raises an eyebrow. “It must be strange, seeing your ex’s brother after all these years.”

I keep my expression neutral and offer her a polite smile as I pour her coffee. The last thing I need is to give her more fuel for the rumor mill.

I hand Marlene her coffee, letting the silence stretch while I collect my thoughts. It’s a habit at this point, really smiling just enough to seem polite, but not so much that she thinks I’m inviting a deeper conversation. If she notices the tension in my shoulders, she doesn’t mention it, but I can tell by the glint in her eyes that she’s preparing for something.

“So, have you spoken to Ryan yet?” She stirs her coffee as if that’s the most casual question in the world.

“No, I haven’t. I’ve been busy with the shop.”

“Ah,” she says as she tilts her head. “You know, it must be tough seeing him around after everything that happened. I mean, you two were practically family, weren’t you?”

There it is: a not-so-subtle jab at the gaping hole Caleb left in my life when he walked away. Marlene is fishing, trying to lure me into giving her something juicy for the town grapevine. But I’m not biting.

“I suppose it’s nice he’s back for a visit,” I say with a shrug, and pretend to be interested in wiping down the counter. “Cedar Ridge always welcomes its own.”

Her smirk falters for just a second. She expected more. Instead, she gets the same nonchalance I’ve been perfecting since the day Caleb left.

“Well,” she says, undeterred, “if you ask me, it’s odd. You know, him showing up out of the blue like this. Some people say he’s here for more than just a visit.”

I arch a brow but keep my hands busy stacking napkins by the register. “I wouldn’t know,” I say simply. “But I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

She huffs a laugh. “Oh, Bella, you always were good at playing your cards close to the chest.”

“Not much to play with.” I flash her a quick smile. “Coffee is on the house today, Marlene. Let me know if you need a refill.”

Her lips purse as she realizes she won’t crack me open today. But Marlene Thornton isn’t one to give up so easily. She glances around the café. Her gaze lingers on the chipped paint near the windowsill and the slightly worn floorboards. I can almost hear the gears turning in her head.

“Business looks…steady.” This time, her tone drips sweetness. Fake . “But I couldn’t help noticing you haven’t expanded or made any updates lately. Are you…managing okay?”

I lean against the counter and meet her gaze head-on. “The café is doing just fine, thanks. It’s a cozy place, and people like it this way.”

“Of course, of course. But you know, there’s no shame in admitting when it’s time to move on. I mean, with little Luke and all…it must be a lot to handle.”

“Marlene,” I say too sharply, then calm myself. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re not getting offended, are you? I’m just trying to help. I thought you might’ve heard about the people buying up property around town. They’re offering good money—great money, actually, so…it might be worth considering.”

I shake my head, my smile still in place. “I haven’t heard anything, and even if I had, the answer would still be no. This café is my home.”

“Hmm.” She sips her coffee and eyes me over the rim of her cup. “But what about Luke? Don’t you want more for him? A bigger space, maybe? Better opportunities? It’s not like Cedar Ridge is exactly booming with options.”

“Luke has everything he needs,” I say firmly. “And so do I.”

Marlene leans forward, lowering her voice. “Bella, you’re a smart girl. You’ve got to think long-term. What happens if business slows down? Or if these buyers start snapping up everything around you? You wouldn’t want to get left behind.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m not interested in selling. The café’s not just a business to me—it’s part of this town, part of who I am.”

She sits back, clearly frustrated by my resolve. “Well, I hope you don’t regret it later. Sometimes, holding on too tight can keep you from moving forward.”

I nod. “Thanks for the advice, Marlene. I’ll keep it in mind.”

She finishes her coffee in silence. Her eyes dart around the room as if searching for one last piece of ammunition. When she finally stands, smoothing out her skirt, I feel relieved.

“Well,” she says, and forces another smile, “you let me know if you change your mind. Things have a way of shifting around here—sometimes faster than we expect.”

“Will do,” I reply as I walk her to the door. “Have a great day, Marlene.”

The bell jingles as she steps outside, and I watch through the window as she pauses on the sidewalk and glances back at the café before striding off down the street. When she’s out of sight, I exhale and let the tension drain from my shoulders.

Turning back to the counter, I focus on the comforting rhythm of the café—the hum of the coffee machine, the gentle clink of mugs being stacked, the sunlight streaming through the windows. This place is mine, and no amount of meddling or gossip will take it from me. Not that I blame Marlene or anyone else for wanting the full story, though. I’d like the same if I were in their shoes, because I still find it quite funny.

It all started when I found out I was pregnant with Luke.

Shortly after I informed Caleb, he confessed he wanted to start our family properly and proposed marriage before Luke came. We agreed on a quiet, solemn party. Just us, three friends each, and a priest. I’d just returned from doing last-minute errands the day before the wedding when I found a sweet surprise. My boyfriend’s wedding ring had “shortcake” engraved inside, the nickname he always used for me. I felt touched and excited, looking forward to our life together.

But before I could fully enjoy the moment, he called. He was drunk after his bachelor party and needed me to pick him up. When I arrived at the venue, my stomach dropped.

There he was, holding another woman’s hand and staring at her with the kind of gentle, affectionate look I thought was reserved for me. My chest tightened as I heard him call her “shortcake.”

When our eyes met, the world froze. That’s when I noticed the ring on her finger—identical to the one Caleb had chosen for me. Just a few minutes earlier, I’d believed that the ring was a symbol of our love. Now, it was on someone else’s hand.

The tension was thick in the room, and the silence was so heavy it was hard to breathe. A friend’s uneasy voice finally broke through. “Bella, you’re here. Caleb’s had too much to drink…”

Caleb tried to stand but swayed slightly to keep his balance. He glanced around the room but never looked directly at me.

“Bella? Bella’s right here,” he exclaimed, his face twisted in confusion. His eyes finally caught the woman at his side, and his expression softened into a smile. “I knew you’d come. You still love me,” he said, his voice warm and relieved.

The woman he called shortcake—and Bella—wore a soft white skirt, and her long hair trailed softly behind her face. She was beautiful, perfectly proportioned, and almost ineffable. Something about her tugged at my memory when I looked at her. And then it dawned on me. I’d seen her before, in a photo in one of Caleb’s books. My chest clenched again as another realization hit me. The inscription on the ring lit up my vision. My pulse raced. We’re both named Bella .

Could this be an accident?

No, it couldn’t.

My stomach groaned and my hands started to tremble. The color drained from my face. The other Bella must have noticed, because she laughed at me. Immediately, she pulled the ring off her finger and offered it to me. “Caleb was drunk. Trust me, he didn’t want to invite me, so it’ll do you good not to take this too seriously.”

“Yeah,” Matt, Caleb’s best friend, chimed in. “He always acts like this when he’s drunk.”

I leaned in and took the ring, gripping it in my shaking hand.

“It’s fine,” I mutter.

And then, finally, Caleb looked at me and started walking over. I thought he was coming home with me, so I was surprised when his eyes turned dark.

“That’s my shortcake’s ring, not yours!” he cried. “Give it back to her!”

Matt came over and tried to cool things off with a contrived smile.

“Caleb hasn’t seen Bella in a while. He’s drunk and messed up. Don’t let it get to you, um…Bella?”

But Caleb squeezed his fists violently around my hand. I felt his fingers burying themselves in my flesh. I looked at his deep, threatening eyes, but I couldn’t figure out what was going through his head.

His face was almost unrecognizable, and it was hard to believe that this furious man was the same person who’d once cared for me so deeply.

Determined to keep the ring, I was frozen in disbelief as Caleb forcefully pried my fingers apart, one by one, despite how much it felt like my skin might rip.

Some friends tried to step in, but Caleb pushed them away without hesitation. In the end, he managed to yank the ring out of my hand.

He staggered toward the other Bella, holding up the ring, and dropped to one knee with a strange, almost reverent look in his eyes.

“Bella,” he said, “will you marry me? This ring was meant for you. I’ve waited so many years for this moment.”

The room went dead silent, and I felt everyone’s eyes on me.

At that moment, it became clear—Caleb’s love wasn’t for me; it was for the other Bella.

I clenched my jaw, my face burning with pain, and turned to walk away.

But after taking just a few steps, a loud commotion made me stop and look back.

To my surprise, Caleb had collapsed.

The other Bella called out, “Take him home and act like this never happened.”

She gave me a faint smile, her expression laced with disdain.

“Caleb invited me to your wedding. I’ll be there tomorrow. It’s a shame you’re marrying him when you’ll never be the one he truly loves. What bad luck for you.”

But Caleb never even showed up to the wedding.