Eighteen
One day. That’s all she wanted. Like a spa day but different. Lexi wanted to enjoy this man and pretend that everything would be okay. Technically it would be even if it wasn’t, because she’d dealt with getting knocked on her ass before and she was still here. She might be setting herself up for some heart hurt but there was also a high probability of what she suspected would be excellent sex. The prospect of that was enough to make her push every other little worry aside. She liked this man. And she deserved a day to turn off the worry switch. From the sounds of it, he did too.
Lexi was on a date with a gorgeous, sexy man who looked at her like he wanted to comfort her in one breath and rip her clothes off in the next. She was down with both ideas.
She spent every day getting through, one step to the next, telling herself eventually life would settle and she’d get the brass ring. She wasn’t sure she believed in fate or karma or any of that stuff but life had thrown a brass ring in the form of William Grand directly into her path and she was too damn smart not to grab hold.
Giving herself a few seconds to catch her breath, she waited for him to open her door, which he rounded the hood to do. Because on top of everything else, he was a gentleman. Yes, please.
Will held his hand out and as she slipped her palm into his, she felt little pulses of electricity tickling her skin. She wondered what he had in store besides apple picking.
When she turned to walk with him toward the entrance, she stopped and stared. The property and building had been transformed into some sort of harvesttime wonderland. It was nearly magical. As if October had rolled in not just on the calendar, but physically into Side Tap. It wasn’t noon yet but the place was bustling with people—couples, singles, families. Despite the chill in the air, the autumn sun shone bright in the sky so the twinkle lights didn’t dance the way they did at night but they still looked pretty. Dreamy. Like anything could happen.
When she’d come the first time, Lexi hadn’t noticed all of the picnic tables on the expansive lawn. Many of them were set up as stations for pumpkin carving, face painting, beer tastings, and leaf-wreath making. Lexi wasn’t entirely sure about the last one but was 100 percent certain Bitsy would like it. So would her mom if she’d ever agree to come to an event like this. Families and friends were snapping photos by some decorative hay bales that had been set up.
“This is amazing. And busy,” she said, tucking her other hand around Will’s arm.
He smiled down at her and she felt a shot of contentment hit her hard in the center of her chest. Dangerous territory for a woman who’d just committed to living in the moment.
“Ethan loves this time of year. He’s always looking for ways to pull in more people. Things like this are great for families.”
“Smart. Really smart. And really fun.” Ideas spun in her head. This space was fantastic. She wondered if he did weddings, hosted other events.
They took the path to the right of the building, which was lined with solar lights. Laughter and music mingled together as they came out at the back. There were rows of hops, apple trees, and even a small pumpkin patch.
“I really need to bring Maisie here. She would love it.”
Will released Lexi’s hand to pick up a basket from the stack of them on the wooden-planked patio. All of the bistro tables were full, people sharing appetizers and flights of autumn-colored beer. A few servers, dressed warmly, walked with trays of small sample cups. A photographer wove through the area taking candid shots. A couple of people on the far left side of the lawn played ladder toss. The vibe and energy were uplifting and fun.
“You’re helping her out tomorrow?” He swung the basket as they walked toward the apple trees.
He listened. Lexi liked that. “I was supposed to. Basically, it’s like caddying but with her camera equipment instead of clubs. But her regular assistant moved some things to make it work so I’m not needed. I’ve done it before though. It’s fun. She’s very talented.”
“Maybe she should take our engagement photos,” he said, his tone teasing as he took her hand again.
Lexi gave him a wry smile. “Don’t encourage her.”
Will shook his head. “I’m glad you have her. She seems like a great friend. I’m also grateful you’re being so chill with all of this. There was another article in the Times this morning. No one’s bothering you, right?”
She shrugged. “Other than Jackie and Becca, no one’s talked to me about it. It’s fine. Trust me when I say there are worse things that could happen to a girl like me than being linked to one of Seattle’s most eligible bachelors.”
He turned into her, lifted her hair off her shoulder, sweeping it behind. “I hate that label and what do you mean a girl like you?”
Why couldn’t he see how different their lives were? Growing up, she and her friends were all from middle-class families; there were kids more fortunate and definitely some less fortunate. Lexi never thought much about money until her dad died and she realized how bad he was at hanging on to it. For someone like Will, who’d grown up rich and privileged, she’d expected him to be more aware of their social statuses. Especially since she’d sort of fibbed: one article she saw painted Lexi as a down-on-her-luck opportunist. She’d stopped looking after that. It wasn’t like she was trending on X or Threads or whatever the hell the popular app was these days. She didn’t even go on Facebook. She definitely never checked the Seattle Times website. Or regular newspapers. Did they even still make those?
“I’m not really a country clubber,” she said, trying to laugh it off.
“Neither am I. Having a membership somewhere doesn’t really make a person belong. For the record, I’d rather be here with you, doing this, than anywhere else right now.”
Going up on tiptoes, she pressed her mouth to his, hoping she could get a handle on her jumbled emotions. His free hand came to her waist, holding her close.
“Keep it family-friendly,” a deep voice said from behind them.
Will pulled away, taking Lexi’s hand in his again. “That’s as PG as I can make it, man.”
Ethan strode up to them. Dressed in jeans, a sweater, a puffer vest over top, and a beanie that read SIDE TAP , he looked like a swag advertisement for his own business. Which, according to her marketing class, was an excellent tactic.
“Lexi, it’s nice to see you again. I was actually going to ask Will for your number,” Ethan said, which made Will frown.
“Bro code,” Will growled.
Lexi laughed. Like Will had anything to worry about. Despite his mother trying to marry him off, he seemed unaware of his many charms.
Ethan laughed too. “Chill, man.” He looked at Lexi. “Will mentioned you’re in school for business and marketing. I wondered about your areas of expertise and whether you might be looking for some work.”
Lexi glanced between the two friends. “Oh. I… I’m finishing my degree. I’m not done yet.”
With a tenderness that flipped her stomach like a pancake, Will stroked a hand down Lexi’s hair. “I told him that, too. Even though I don’t think it’s that big a deal. A degree isn’t everything.”
Lexi laughed. “Only people with degrees say that.”
Ethan laughed as well. “Or people running businesses who know sometimes there’s more required than just a piece of paper. Not that I’m disparaging your degree. It’s an excellent path, just agreeing with Will that it’s not the only thing that matters.”
The muscles around her heart tightened, taking her breath away. It was one thing to say those things to herself but to have someone else validate the thoughts was almost too much. She didn’t want Will clearing paths for her, but she had a feeling that wasn’t what he intended. He was more genuine than anyone she’d met. In the romance books her mom read, the couple usually faked the whole relationship. But she and Will were actually dating. Weird that dating him complicated their pretend engagement.
Ethan’s phone rang, drawing Lexi’s attention. He looked at the screen, cursed, and shook his head. “I have to take this. Brady’s wife is on bedrest. He can’t oversee the new place and I’m stuck here right in the middle of all of our holiday events.” He looked at Lexi, any traces of humor gone. “That’s why I wanted your number. I’m in a jam. Give me a few minutes? Pick some apples, drink some beer.” He put the phone to his ear and hurried off in the direction of the pub.
“Why would he want to talk to me about a woman on bedrest, and who is Brady?”
Will laughed, stepped them both to the side as another couple walked by. “Brady is his brother. The woman on bedrest, Lori, is his sister-in-law. I didn’t know about the bedrest either but they have two-year-old twins so it must be pretty difficult right now. I’m not completely sure but if I had to make an educated guess, he’s probably curious what area of business you’re majoring in and whether or not it’s appli cable to what he needs. Which, while I may be biased, it sounds like it could be.”
Her pulse jumped with excitement but her brain, of course, poked holes in the story. “Is it because we’re together? Because we’re pretending to be engaged?” She didn’t want to sound ungrateful, but Will wasn’t a permanent fixture and she didn’t want to rely on him for things. Especially not his connections. She knew, even from their brief relationship, that he got enough of that.
Will gave her a wide grin. “Of course not. He’s met you himself and can read people. You’re smart and work in an area he currently needs help in. Why wouldn’t he want to talk to you?”
Lexi looked around, unsure what to do with this information. With this… possibility . “I’m a Dress Hut manager and a waitress.”
Will grasped her hand, pulled her close enough she had to tip her head back. “I believe the title was buyer for a retail store? Also, I don’t think waitressing should be your long-term plan.”
“Hey!”
He laughed. “People who plan to get married shouldn’t lie to each other. As I was saying, there are lots of reasons he might want to chat with you.”
Before she could respond, he tugged her hand so they were walking one of the rows. Thick, beautiful trees, heavy with multicolored, crisp-looking apples surrounded them. It smelled earthy and fresh. Lexi took a deep breath.
“He doesn’t even know if I’m doing well in school,” Lexi said, reaching for a shiny green apple that looked almost too pretty to eat. With a slight yank, the apple came free and she placed it gently in the basket, wondering if her mother would actually bake a pie.
When she glanced back up, Will was watching her. “Are you?”
She pursed her lips. “Yes. I work hard. I got an A on my last two assignments.”
“Listen, he’s in a pinch. You might be exactly what he needs. If he talks to you about it, just be honest.”
Lexi paused in the act of picking another apple, turned to face Will fully. “Something we’re not being with others.”
A hint of sadness touched his gaze. “It’s a few people in our direct circle, and like I said, we can come clean. I don’t like lying as a general rule but I don’t want to complicate things further.”
Guilt cramped her stomach. “I’ve been making you lie since you met me.”
The scent of cold air and fall swirled around them as Will stepped closer. “Maybe about some of the details but not the important stuff.”
She gave a half laugh. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. I’m not lying about liking you. Wanting to know you better. Wanting to spend time with you.” He leaned down, his lips brushing the outer shell of her ear, making a hard shiver course through her. “About how funny you are.” He kissed just under her ear. Wow. She never would have pegged that as a sweet spot. His lips lingered just a second, as if he could read her body. “How sweet you are.” His nose grazed over her cheek on the way to her lips. “About wanting you.”
Lexi pressed a hand to his jacket-covered chest to steady herself. “Way to distract me from apple picking.”
He laughed, the sound sending another shiver over every inch of her skin. “Anticipation, Alexandria. Let’s enjoy the day.”
She could do that. Absolutely. But it didn’t mean she wouldn’t be thinking about the end of the day. About tonight. And whether or not sleeping with her fake fiancé might deepen her already forming, way-too-real feelings for him.