2. Olivia
OLIVIA
Rolling over, I buried my face in my pillow and thought about the look on Garner's face when I'd dropped the bomb about pretending to be married.
His eyes went wide, and for a moment, I'd thought he might refuse.
But of course he didn't. Garner had never said no to me…
something I probably took advantage of more than I should.
After a quick shower, I blow-dried my hair and applied a little makeup.
No telling who we might meet at the retreat.
The lodge was known for catering to a certain clientele.
Rather than pull my hair back into my usual ponytail, I plugged in my flat iron so I could straighten the ends and slid my emergency hair tie onto my wrist just in case.
My bag was already packed for the weekend, along with a small backpack holding a notepad and a pair of binoculars. I'd prepped like I was heading into the wilderness for a stakeout instead of a luxury couples retreat.
At ten on the dot, my phone buzzed with a text from Garner.
Garner: I’m out front. Take your time. Coffee's waiting.
Such a simple text, but it still made my heart flutter. Garner had always been there for me. He was my best friend. If only he knew how many nights I'd lost sleep imagining what it would be like if we ever decided to be more than friends.
But Garner McCrae would never see me that way.
I wasn't his type. Not with my kind of curves and lack of experience.
He went for skinny, leather-clad women with tons of tattoos, and there was never a shortage of them hanging around the studio, waiting for their chance.
They lived life on their own terms and weren't afraid to go after what they wanted. The most daring thing I’d ever done was follow Garner from Silver Springs to Mustang Mountain.
I was just a girl who pushed papers for a living, cut hair on the side, and spent her weekends listening to true crime podcasts.
I grabbed my bags and headed out front. Garner's black pickup was idling in the lot of my apartment building, wisps of exhaust rising into the cool morning air. He got out as I approached and reached for my bags.
"Morning, baby girl." His voice was gravelly, and he had on dark jeans and a black henley that stretched across his broad chest. The sleeves were pushed up, revealing the swirling tattoos that crept down his muscular forearms. His dark hair was pushed back from his forehead, and his jaw was covered in a day's worth of stubble.
My mouth went bone dry. "Good morning."
He loaded my bags in the back of his truck before opening the passenger door for me. I climbed in, immediately spotting the travel mug in the cup holder. Hazelnut creamer with one sugar, exactly how I liked it.
"You're too good to me, you know that?" I said as he slid behind the wheel.
"Nah, I'm just making sure you're caffeinated. Can't have you falling asleep during our romantic weekend." His mouth quirked up at the corner.
My cheeks heated. "About that. We need to discuss our backstory."
Garner pulled away from the curb and headed toward the highway. "What backstory? We grew up together in Silver Springs. What else do people need to know about that?"
"We need to figure out the romantic details." I pulled a notebook from my purse. "I've written down a few key points we should remember. Like when we had our first kiss, when you proposed?—"
"When I what?" Garner’s brows shot sky high.
"Proposed," I repeated. "We're supposed to be married, remember? So I figured we should have a sweet proposal story. I was thinking maybe during a hike up Mustang Mountain at sunset. You got down on one knee and?—"
"I'd never propose on a hike," he interrupted, reaching for his coffee. "Too many people around. Not personal enough."
That caught me off guard. I thought a mountaintop proposal was perfect for us. "Oh. Well, where would you propose, then?"
He was quiet for a long moment, his eyes fixed on the road. "Somewhere that meant something to both of us. Maybe that old oak tree behind your parents' house where we built that shitty treehouse in seventh grade."
I stared at him. That was actually perfect… the ideal combination of private, meaningful, and memorable. Even though we’d known each other since we were kids, he was still capable of surprising me. "I like that. The treehouse proposal it is."
"And I think we should stick as close to the truth as possible," he continued. "Less chance of screwing up that way. We grew up together, I moved to Mustang Mountain for the tattoo job, then convinced you to come with me because I couldn't imagine being away from you."
My heart did a little flip. "That's pretty much what happened."
"Exactly. Just add in that somewhere along the way, we fell in love." He said it so casually, like it was the most natural thing in the world for the two of us to go from friends to forever. "It’s not like we’re going to see anyone we know there, right?"
"No. I checked the list of attendees to make sure. And I don’t think either of us knows anyone who has the extra cash to plop down for a weekend at that place.” I made some notes, ignoring the way my pulse had picked up when he mentioned the “L” word. "So what else? First kiss?"
"After prom," he said. "We went to that bonfire at Cherry Creek. You were wearing that blue dress."
I blinked at him. "You remember what I wore to prom?"
"'Of course I do." He glanced at me. "That night almost was our first kiss, you know."
"What? No it wasn't." I definitely would have remembered that.
He chuckled. "You were drunk off those wine coolers somebody snuck in. You told me my eyes were 'so pretty they made you sad' and then you leaned in real close before Mallory Thomas dragged you away to throw up in the bushes."
"Oh my god." I covered my face with my hands. "I remember the wine coolers, but none of the rest."
"I do," he said, his voice quiet.
I stared out the window, processing this revelation. I'd almost kissed Garner at prom? And he still remembered? I snapped my hair tie against my wrist, my way of dealing with anxiety.
"You're doing the thing," he said, nodding toward my wrist.
I stopped immediately. "Sorry. Nervous habit."
"I know." His voice was gentle. "You've been doing it since you were twelve."
The fact that he noticed, that he knew me so well, made my chest tighten with something I couldn’t quite name.
We drove the rest of the way in relative silence with one of Garner’s playlists drifting through the speakers.
The mountains rose around us as we wound our way toward Whitefish.
It was a beautiful day, the sky a perfect shade of blue.
By the time we entered the long drive that led to the lodge, I’d actually started to relax.
But as the massive timber and stone structure appeared in front of us, the reality of what we were about to do sank in. Nestled among towering pines, with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains, the resort was even more impressive than the pictures online.
"Holy shit," Garner muttered as he stopped in the huge circular drive. "This place must cost a fortune."
"It does. I used almost all my savings to pay for this weekend.” It was a reckless move and totally out of character for me, but I needed to figure out who was behind all the trouble in Mustang Mountain.
He turned to me, frowning. "Liv, you didn't have to do that. I could have?—"
"It's fine," I cut him off. "Consider it my contribution to truth and justice."
He rolled his eyes but smiled. "Whatever you say, Nancy Drew."
“Nancy Drew? Is that the best you can do?” It felt good to laugh, especially as we entered the intimidating lobby.
A massive stone fireplace dominated one wall, with floor to ceiling windows showcasing panoramic views on either side.
We approached the front desk, where a cheery blonde greeted us with a practiced smile.
"Welcome to Aspen Crest Lodge. Checking in?"
"Yes," I said, reaching for Garner's hand without thinking. His fingers entwined with mine immediately, warm and secure. "We're the McCraes."
"The newlyweds!" Her smile widened. "You're here for our Passion and Purpose retreat. Congratulations on your marriage."
"Thanks," Garner said, his thumb stroking over the back of my hand. "We're excited to be here."
"Well, we have a special suite prepared for you. The honeymoon package, as requested." She handed us two key cards. "Your first session begins at two in the Grand Pavilion. Until then, feel free to explore the grounds or enjoy our spa facilities."
A bellhop appeared to take our two small bags, and we followed him to the elevator. Once the doors closed, I let out a long breath.
"Honeymoon package?" Garner mumbled as he arched a brow.
"Nothing but the best, love,” I said. Then I rose onto my tiptoes to whisper so the bellhop wouldn’t hear. “It was the only room available for the retreat. I thought it would help sell our cover."
Garner shook his head. Even though he didn’t understand my need to get to the truth, he was still willing to go along with my plan, and I was going to owe him big time.
The bellhop led us down a plush hallway to a door marked "Alpine Honeymoon Suite." As soon as he opened it, I knew I'd made a huge mistake.
The room was enormous, with giant picture windows looking out at the mountains.
But it was the extra touches that made my stomach drop.
Red and pink rose petals scattered across a king-sized bed, champagne chilled in an ice bucket on the nightstand, and I could see a heart-shaped whirlpool tub through the doorway to the bathroom.
"Will this be satisfactory?" the bellhop asked.
"It's perfect," Garner answered, handing him a tip. "Thanks, man."
As soon as we were alone, I turned to Garner, mortified. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea it would be this... this..."
"Tacky?" He laughed, dropping onto the bed and sending rose petals flying. "Could be worse. At least there aren't mirrors on the ceiling."
I groaned, covering my face. "This is embarrassing."
"Nah, it's funny." He patted the spot beside him. "Come on, Liv. We're supposed to be madly in love, remember? Our first romantic getaway as husband and wife."
I perched on the edge of the bed, hyperaware of him sitting right next to me. "About that. There's only one bed."
"I noticed." His voice was neutral. "I can take the floor."
"Don't be ridiculous. We're both adults." I hoped I sounded more confident than I felt. "We can share the bed. It's not like we haven't crashed in the same space before."
"True." He stood and walked to one of the huge windows. "Can’t beat this view."
I joined him, looking out at the mountains. For a moment, we stood there side by side, and I let myself imagine this was real, that we really were newlyweds on our honeymoon, with nothing more important to do but snuggle up in the bed together and…
A knock at the door shattered the moment.
"Room service." A voice called out.
Garner opened the door to a server with a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries and two glasses of champagne.
"Compliments of the management," the server said. "Enjoy your stay, Mr. and Mrs. McCrae."
I thanked him and accepted the tray, setting it on the coffee table. "Mrs. McCrae," I mused after he left. "That's going to take some getting used to."
"You'd better start practicing." Garner picked up a strawberry and held it out to me. "Want one, wife?"
I rolled my eyes but took a bite, the sweet juice running down my chin. Without thinking, Garner reached out and wiped it away with his thumb. Our eyes met, and for a heartbeat, neither of us moved.
Then a voice from the hallway broke the spell. "I'm telling you, that was them. Garner and Olivia. They were checking in together."
"Shit," I whispered, recognizing Donna’s voice. She was the receptionist at the Mustang refuge. Why the hell was she at the resort? We weren’t supposed to see anyone we knew. My stomach twisted into a series of knots.
"Guess we really have to sell it now," Garner murmured, his eyes never leaving mine.
I swallowed hard. This fake marriage just got a whole lot more complicated.