CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
On Sunday morning, Alex woke to a knock at the door. Disoriented at first—why was she sleeping on the couch?—she snapped awake in a panic as the horrors of last night came rushing back. The lie to her mom, the confrontation with Brody, and the overwhelming embarrassment of the whole situation.
“Housekeeping,” someone called from outside.
No! She could not have her employees catching her at a client’s cabin. What a scandal that would be.
She jumped up, gathered the blanket she’d slept in, and burst into Brody’s bedroom.
“Get up!” she hissed. “Housekeeping’s at the door. You have to tell them to go away. They can’t find me here.”
“What? Who? Why are you…?” He rubbed his eyes. “Ugh. I forgot you were here. What’s happening?”
Alex quickly reexplained that the cleaning crew was on the porch and that he had to get rid of them before they found her here.
“Won’t they just leave if I ignore them?”
“No. They think you’re out of town. They’ll knock three times, and if you don’t answer, they’ll let themselves in.” Another knock. “Hurry!”
When he sat, the covers fell from his naked torso, and her jaw dropped. A light dusting of blond hair covered a broad, muscly chest. Um…yum!
He planted two bare feet on the floor, stood, and ran a hand through his unruly hair. Alex stared a second longer before snapping her mouth shut. Ogling him wouldn’t help her situation. She’d take a mental picture and revisit all that later. The third knock. “Go!”
“All right. All right,” he said, tugging at the drawstrings of the sweatpants he wore. “I’m going.”
She stayed behind the door in the bedroom, but left it open a crack so she could hear.
Brody opened the door, and Alex heard a familiar gasp.
“No. No, no, no,” Alex mumbled, blood going cold. It couldn’t be. But of course it was. Her worst nightmare about to come true.
Brody was attempting to explain that he didn’t need cleaning service.
“I am not the cleaning lady,” Blossom said, her voice laced with indignation at the mere suggestion. “I’m Alex’s mother. I’m sure she’s told you all about me?”
“Um, not really.”
“Humph. Well, regardless, I stopped by to invite her to brunch. Is she here?”
Alex saw right through Blossom’s game. She was here for one reason only—to try and catch Alex in a lie. To see if Brody was a real person and, if so, whether he was really dating Alex.
“She’s in the bedroom,” Brody said.
Alex didn’t have to lay eyes on her mom’s face to know it was covered in shock.
“Oh,” Blossom said. “To be honest, I had doubts that you actually existed. Alex claimed she was seeing someone, but with her, I have to manage my expectations. Girls like her have to take what they can get, you know what I mean?”
“No, I don’t,” Brody said, his voice tight. “Why should Alex settle for anything?”
“I don’t mean anything bad by it. It’s just that the town’s so small and she doesn’t want to leave it. Makes it hard to meet people.”
“Well, she met me. And I love it here.”
Bless his heart. Alex was going to owe him big time.
Another silence, and Alex pictured her mother giving Brody the stink eye for daring to contradict her supposition.
“So, you and Alex…” Blossom trailed off as if throwing a baited hook into the lake. When Brody didn’t answer right away, she dropped all pretense. “You’re really dating?”
Ah, yes. The real reason she’d come. Blossom would keep digging until he broke. And it wasn’t fair to let poor Brody deal with her mom’s special brand of lunacy all by himself.
Alex stepped out and cleared her throat. “Mom. What are you doing here?”
Her mother’s eyes grew three sizes. Was it embarrassment at being caught in the act of interrogating Brody? Or surprise that Alex had been in this hot man’s bedroom? Either way, it was time to end the charade and free Brody from her web of deception.
Alex advanced further into the living room, and just as she opened her mouth to come clean, Brody strode to her, wrapped her in his arms, and planted a soft, sensuous kiss on her lips.
“Morning, babe,” he said, pulling away but still holding her. And thank goodness, because she would have melted into the floor without his support. The unexpected kiss might be fake, but it still packed a mind-melting punch.
She wasn’t sure how much time went by before her eyes fluttered open—when had they even closed? Brody stood over her, mirth shining through his stare.
“You owe me,” he whispered close to her ear.
“Put it on my tab,” she whispered back.
“I’m hitting the shower.” He faced away from the door, so her mother didn’t see him wink, but she did witness him slap Alex on the butt before heading to the bedroom.
Holy crap. He was going to do it. He was willing to play along with this farce. Gratitude seeped from every pore.
And just when she thought she couldn’t be any more thankful to anyone for anything, she caught the look on her mom’s face. Ah, the sweet, sweet euphoria of sticking it to her. Even though the whole thing was fake, it didn’t make it any less satisfying.
“Well, I’d better go check on Wesley.” Now that she’d gotten what she came for—proof that Alex’s boyfriend wasn’t imaginary—she was eager to be on her way.
“We’re heading out later today, but we’re having brunch with Dad at The Rusty Nail at ten.
I told him I’d invite you. And I guess him too.
” She inclined her head toward the bedroom.
“Oh, uh, sure,” Alex said. “Brody’s pretty busy, but I’ll try to make it.”
“All right. Well, we’re planning a drive through the park beforehand, in case you need back in your cabin. See you later.”
Blossom narrowed her eyes and glanced around, as if the walls would tell her the real truth. When nothing jumped out to reveal Alex as a fraud, she turned and left.
Alex heaved out a breath and plopped onto the couch. What kind of mess had she gotten herself into?
Brody returned to the living room. “All clear?”
“Yes,” Alex said, her lips still tingling from his kiss. “You didn’t have to go along. But thank you.”
“I didn’t like the way she talked about you.” He sat on the adjoining love seat.
Alex put her head in her hands. “My pride’s gotten me into some jams, but this takes the cake.”
“You weren’t kidding when you said your relationship was complicated.”
“Complicated. Competitive. Unhealthy in a stage four cancer sort of way.” Alex sighed. “I hate that she might be right about Green Valley Falls. That it’s so small, I may never find love here.”
“Never say never,” Brody said, bumping his knee into hers.
She manufactured a smile. “So, um, how committed to this bit are you? She wants us to have brunch with her and Pops.”
“Do you want me to go?”
“I don’t want to burden you. You’ve helped me enough already. But she doesn’t know I’ve purchased the cabins yet. And when she finds out she’s not inheriting them, things might get…tense.”
“And if I’m there, maybe she’ll behave?”
“One can dream. I’d owe you big time. I’ll give you two nights free.”
“You still owe me for carrying you out of the woods.”
“Fine,” she said. “A free week for all services previously rendered and for whatever happens today.”
“Deal. But just so you know, I’d have done it for nothing.” He winked again, which reminded her of the kiss.
“Why’d you kiss me? Was that really necessary?”
“Hey. When I commit, I go all in. And if you were really my girlfriend, wouldn’t I kiss you good morning?”
“I suppose.” She stood. “I’m gonna run home and clean up. Brunch is at ten.”
“I’ll come get you at ten till? Or are we picking up Pops?”
Alex’s heart melted a little over the casual way he referred to her grandpa. “That’s a good idea. Nine forty-five?”
He nodded.
“Thanks, Brody. I promise I’m not usually so crazy.”
“Uh-huh.” He smiled, and she laughed.
“Okay, fine, I’m completely nuts, but I do appreciate you playing along today.”
In the truck, on the way to the restaurant, Alex filled Pops in on the ruse.
“Hopefully, it won’t come up,” she said. “But in case it does, I told Mom that Brody and I are dating.”
“She poked the bear, huh?”
“I’m weak,” Alex said.
“And proud, and stubborn, and ornery,” Pops said.
“Hey!” Alex slapped him playfully on the arm before turning serious again. “You know she’s probably here for money. I didn’t say anything about buying the cabins.”
“Yeah, I assumed that too. Is that why Brody’s here?”
Alex chuckled. “Am I that predictable?”
“I’ll tell her about the sale,” Pops said. “I hope you’re gettin’ something good out of this, Brody. Brunch with my daughter is not for the faint of heart.”
“We worked out a deal,” Brody said. “I’ll try to keep everyone on their best behavior.”
At the restaurant, they met Blossom and Wesley in the lobby. When shown to a table, Brody pulled out Alex’s chair for her. She hid her pleasant surprise and slid into the seat.
While perusing the menu, he surprised her again when he grabbed her hand and absentmindedly stroked her thumb as if it was the most natural thing in the world. She shot him a sidelong glance, but didn’t protest.
“So, how did you two meet?” Blossom asked. “You seem like such an unlikely match.” Even simple questions had to be laced with backhanded insults.
“I pulled up to rent a cabin,” Brody piped up to answer. “And there she was, pretty as a picture, sweet as honey, just as nice as could be.”
Alex burst out laughing. “I mistook him for the handyman and yelled at him for being late,” she corrected.
“After that, though,” Brody said diplomatically.
“After that, I thought you were a murderer, broke into your cabin, and called the police on you.”
Blossom’s mouth fell open, and Pops suppressed a laugh.
“Fine, but after that,” Brody said. “It was love at first sight.”
The warmth of the smile he gave her shot straight to her stomach. Dang, he was good.
The waitress came to take their order, and Blossom clucked when Alex ordered pancakes. “Sure you want all those carbs, honey?”