My Mountain Man Valentine (Be My Fake Valentine Story)

Chapter Four

RYDER

I woke the next morning with a peculiar blend of adrenaline and uncertainty coursing through my veins—like standing at the edge of a ravine, deciding whether to leap. Ever since I’d left Tessa’s bookstore the day before, my mind had been spinning with her hesitant but determined expression. I couldn’t blame her for needing time to think; asking someone to pretend they’re your girlfriend wasn’t exactly standard procedure. But I also knew it wasn’t just about Angelique anymore. A deeper part of me wanted the excuse to spend time with Tessa, to see if what I’d felt around her these last few months could turn into something real.

Outside my cabin window, the early sun struggled to break through the lingering clouds. I trudged into the small kitchen, my breath puffing in the cool morning air. The woodstove had gone out overnight, so I knelt and coaxed fresh kindling into a spark before adding a couple of split logs. Soon, warmth radiated through the space, chasing away the last remnants of the Montana dawn chill.

My phone buzzed on the counter, startling me. I picked it up to see a text from Tessa:

Hey, can we meet this morning? I’ve made a decision about…your proposal.

So, she’s decided? Swallowing down a surge of anticipation, I typed back quickly:

Sure thing. Where should we meet?

Her answer came almost immediately:

The Velvet Book, if that’s okay. I open at nine, but I can step away for a few minutes around 9:30.

Meeting at her bookstore felt fitting, as the store was a safe place where she’d feel comfortable.

Sounds perfect. See you then.

I set my phone aside, hoping like hell she hadn’t decided no, and if she’d decided yes, I needed to be ready for whatever conditions she laid down. Angelique might have sparked this entire fiasco, but the plan involved more than just shutting my ex down now. It meant weaving my life together with Tessa’s, even if it was a temporary performance. If I wasn’t careful, I might forget that it was all pretend.

Pouring myself a quick cup of coffee, I scrolled through my emails and reservations for my afternoon tours. A small group from Bozeman wanted a short cross-country skiing session, nothing too intense. Easy enough. I’d meet them at noon, guide them around the gentler, groomed trails near the base of Hope Peak, and be done by late afternoon. That left plenty of time to talk with Tessa first.

Still, my concentration kept slipping. I caught myself wondering if Tessa had spent half the night awake, sorting through pros and cons. Levi’s reaction when he inevitably found out. The possibility that everyone in town might gossip. And—my pulse quickened—the chance that Tessa and I might discover something real between us. Focus, man, I scolded myself, chugging the last of my coffee and forcing my thoughts back to practical matters.

I arrived on Main Street at 9:25, easily snagging a parking spot in front of The Velvet Book. The frosty air stung my cheeks as I stepped out of my truck, my boots crunching on the thin crust of snow. Through the window, I spotted Tessa helping a customer at the register. Even though I couldn’t hear a word, her polite smile and gentle demeanor were obvious—she looked calm, collected, and quietly radiant.

The bell over the door jingled when I walked in. She glanced up, offered me a quick, tentative smile, then turned back to finish speaking with the customer. I hovered near a display and let my gaze drift over the neat rows of paperbacks as though I were another shopper.

In less than a minute, the customer left, and Tessa motioned for me to follow her toward the reading nook in the corner. Strings of fairy lights twinkled around a poster advertising new romance novels, and the air smelled of coffee and vanilla.

“I can spare about ten minutes,” Tessa said softly, glancing toward the front to ensure her part-timer was stationed at the register. She tucked a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. “After that, I need to get back to the counter for the mid-morning rush.”

“Sure,” I replied, my voice lower than usual. “No rush. Well…some rush, I guess, but…you know.”

She managed a small laugh. “Right.” Sliding into one of the armchairs, she took a breath. “So, I’ve thought about what you asked me yesterday.”

My heart thudded. “And…?”

“I’m going to help you,” she said, the words coming out in a gentle rush. “I’ll do it…be your pretend girlfriend to keep Angelique off your back…but we need some ground rules.”

A wave of relief flooded me. “Name them,” I said, curious as to what she had in mind.

“First,” Tessa said, tangling her fingers together in her lap, “we set a clear timeline. I’m not dragging this out for months. Once Angelique leaves town or loses interest, we’re done.”

“Agreed,” I said instantly. “I only need enough time to convince her I’m off-limits. And I doubt she’ll hang around longer than Valentine’s Day, anyway.”

Tessa nodded. “Second, I won’t outright lie to Levi if he confronts me directly. If he asks, point-blank, I’ll have to admit we aren’t really together. But until that happens, if it ever does, he can assume whatever he wants.”

I grimaced, picturing Levi’s reaction. He was protective of Tessa—beyond protective, really, given what they’d been through. “I can work with that,” I said after a moment.

“Good,” she replied, relaxing a fraction. “Lastly…if this makes me uncomfortable in any way, if it crosses boundaries, then we stop. No questions asked.”

“Of course,” I said, meeting her gaze. “Tessa, I’m not trying to push you into anything. I’ll respect whatever lines you set.”

Her posture softened, tension leaking from her shoulders. “Thank you.”

The hush that fell felt loaded but not unpleasant. A faint electric current seemed to run between us, stirring in my chest. I had the distinct sense that, despite the fake label, we both recognized the potential for real sparks. That notion both thrilled me and turned my stomach inside out.

“How do we… do this, then?” Tessa finally asked, her cheeks turning a shade pinker. “Acting like a couple in a small town means pretty much everyone will see us.”

“That’s the point,” I said, trying for a reassuring smile. “We make a public appearance or two…somewhere people talk, like Skyline Bar that was too obvious a tease. But Levi just gave me a once-over, shrugged, and muttered something about me “up to no good, as always.” I chose not to dignify that with a verbal response, slipping past the bar to snag a cozy booth in the corner with a decent view of the entrance.

My phone read 6:58. Two minutes early. My heart thumped harder, and I shook my head in disbelief. Calm down, I told myself, drumming my fingers on the table. It’s not as if this is your first rodeo. But I couldn’t remember the last time I felt such jittery anticipation.

At 7:02, the door opened, and Tessa walked in. She wore snug-fitting jeans and a soft sweater that highlighted her curves just enough to make my throat go dry. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, and she paused at the threshold, scanning the bar until her gaze found me. A small smile tugged at her lips—nervous, maybe, but genuine. When she approached, I stood to greet her.

“Hey,” she breathed, looking up at me with those warm brown eyes. “Sorry I’m a bit late. Had to finalize some receipts before closing.”

I waved off the apology. “You’re fine. I just got here.”

She slipped into the booth across from me, and I followed suit. Levi was watching from the bar, eyebrows angled sharply. A surge of adrenaline shot through me—this was it, our first public move.

“Can I get you two something?” The waitress, Pam, stopped by with a notepad. Pam was in her mid-forties, sweet as pie but as prone to gossip as anyone in Hope Peak.

Tessa looked at me, then back to Pam. “I’ll have a light beer and maybe a cheeseburger, no onions?” She cut a quick glance my way, as if worried that wasn’t “date meal” enough.

“I’ll do the same but with onions,” I said. “And an IPA.”

Pam scribbled down the order, her lips curling as she studied us. “All right. I’ll get those right out. Good to see you two…together.” Her tone held a tinge of curiosity, as though she was already prepping to share the news with half the town.

Once she left, Tessa’s shoulders relaxed incrementally. “I guess we’re doing this.”

“Yep,” I agreed, letting my hand drift across the table. My pulse kicked up a notch when she shifted her fingers slightly closer, but for now, we left it at that. “Might as well lean in a bit, you know, so it looks real,” I murmured.

Her cheeks pinkened, but she nodded. We scooted closer on our respective sides, just enough that it seemed like two people who wanted to talk intimately rather than across a gulf of space. I noticed Levi scowl in our direction, then he turned to serve another customer. We’ll deal with that fallout later.

“So,” Tessa said softly, her gaze flicking around as if checking who might be watching. “If Angelique hears about this…”

“She will,” I cut in. “Half of these people probably follow her on social media already. Word travels fast. By tomorrow morning, she’ll know we had dinner together at Skyline.”

Tessa swallowed, clearly unnerved. “And that’s…good?”

“That’s the plan. She’ll back off if she thinks I’m off the market. Or she could try another tactic that doesn’t involve me directly.” I hesitated. “She can be vindictive. I just don’t want her harassing you.”

Tessa’s jaw tightened. “I can handle her,” she said quietly. “I’m not the same frightened girl I used to be. If she tries anything, I’ll stand my ground.”

Admiration flared in me. “I know you will,” I said simply, letting the truth of it settle between us. Tessa’s strength wasn’t always obvious to people, but I’d seen glimpses of it over the years. It made me wonder how much else I, and everyone else, had missed.

Pam appeared with our drinks, setting them down along with a basket of fries to tide us over. “Enjoy,” she chimed, throwing us a knowing smile before bustling off.

“So,” Tessa said after a beat, taking a sip of beer, “we just… talk like normal?”

“Yeah,” I said, biting back a grin, “except maybe hold hands or something once in a while when people look our way.”

She glanced around and noted a couple of quick stares from a table by the dartboard. “They’re definitely watching,” she muttered, shifting in her seat.

I risked sliding my hand across the table, palm up. She hesitated only a moment before placing her smaller hand in mine. Heat rushed up my arm as our fingers curled together, and I wondered if her skin was this soft all over.

“Like normal,” I teased, my voice low. “Right?”

She rolled her eyes, but a shy smile tugged at her lips. “As normal as a pretend relationship can be, I guess.”

We fell into a rhythm that felt surprisingly easy—talking about the bookstore, her plans for a new romance display, my upcoming weekend tours, the goofy antics of some past clients. Laughter spilled out here and there, genuine and unforced. I found myself forgetting that we were performing for an audience, because the conversation just flowed.

When the burgers arrived, we let go of each other’s hands to eat, but our knees brushed beneath the table occasionally, sending little jolts of awareness through me. I snuck a glance at Levi, who was eyeing us in between wiping glasses and pouring beers. Sorry, buddy, I thought silently, but this is happening whether you like it or not.

As we finished our meal, Tessa wiped her mouth with a napkin and shot me a conspiratorial look. “Levi’s going to corner me about this later, you know.”

I nodded, suddenly serious. “We’ll handle it. Maybe he’ll just assume we’ve kept our feelings hidden.”

Her cheeks colored again, and I couldn’t help but think how pretty she looked with that soft flush. “It’s going to be weird, but… hopefully it stays civil.”

The beep of the register drew our attention. Angelique wasn’t here in person—thank God—but half a dozen people had likely texted or tweeted or whispered to each other that Tessa Voss and Ryder Hawke looked awfully cozy. Exactly what we wanted.

We lingered a few minutes after finishing, letting the tension of the moment settle into something more relaxed. Then I asked Pam for the check, insisting on paying. Tessa started to protest, but I quickly reminded her, “Let me play the role of doting boyfriend, at least this once.”

She huffed a small laugh but didn’t object further. By the time we slid out of the booth, Levi was busy restocking behind the bar, and the place had grown even more crowded. That was fine—more witnesses to see us walking out together. Tessa tucked her arm through mine, an uncertain motion that felt simultaneously awkward and intimate. My heart pounded in my chest like I’d just finished a steep climb.

“Night, Levi,” I called over the noise. “Food was great.”

He paused, staring hard at the two of us. “Goodnight,” he said evenly. Tessa offered a quick smile, and I gently guided her toward the exit.

Outside, the cold smacked us like an icy wall, but I barely felt it. We paused under the warm glow of a streetlamp, the wind stirring Tessa’s hair against her cheeks. For a split second, I wrestled with an insane urge to lean in, to kiss her right there and complete the illusion. But we hadn’t discussed that, and I wasn’t about to cross a line without her say-so.

Her eyes flicked to my lips anyway, and I wondered if she’d had the same thought. Instead, she cleared her throat, voice slightly breathy. “That was…interesting.”

I chuckled softly. “It went better than I expected.”

“I guess so.” She rubbed her gloved hands together, breath visible in the frigid air. “I’ll, um, head home now. I have a pile of new orders to process tomorrow morning.”

We both hesitated, the lamppost’s light casting our shadows onto the snow. Then, gathering my nerve, I bent down and brushed a faint, gentle kiss across her temple—just enough to sell the act if anyone peered out of Skyline’s windows, but also because… well, I wanted to. She smelled like winter air and a hint of vanilla, and it nearly drove me wild.

“Goodnight, Tessa,” I murmured, pulling back. The subtle tremor in her expression told me she wasn’t entirely unaffected by that small gesture. We lingered a breath longer before she exhaled and stepped away.

“Night, Ryder.”

As she walked off toward her car, my pulse roared like a waterfall in my ears. Every sense felt heightened—the crunch of snow under her boots, the swirl of her dark hair as the wind caught it, the lingering warmth of her skin on my lips. I stared after her until she climbed in, headlights illuminating the street as she drove away.

Only then did I turn toward my own truck, breathing unsteady. This was supposed to be fake, and yet it felt more real than many of my past relationships ever had. A dangerous line to walk, especially with Angelique lurking in the background and Levi’s disapproval looming ahead. But I found it hard to muster any regrets.

Slipping into the driver’s seat, I let the engine idle for a moment before pulling away. The quiet streets offered no answers, just the glitter of fresh snow and the steady glow of passing streetlamps. Fake or not, Tessa Voss was quickly becoming the only thing I could think about. And I liked it.