Chapter 5
SAVANNAH
I hate small towns sometimes.
That’s my first thought when I wake up the next morning to ten missed calls and a dozen texts from my grandma. I groan as I skim through them, my eyes still bleary with sleep. They all say pretty much the same thing.
Sheila from book club says you’re dating Clay Benson????
I told her she must have her wires crossed but the woman insisted!!!
Is it true???
Savannah??????????
Call me!!!!!!!!!
Uh-oh. You know things are serious when Grandma pulls out multiple exclamation marks.
I’m still skimming through her increasingly excitable messages when her name pops up on my screen. She’s calling me again.
“It’s too early for this,” I mumble to myself as I answer.
“Savannah?”
“Hi, Grandma. So, listen—”
I’m cut off by her squeal of delight. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me, honey? I had to hear about it from Sheila in the book club group chat!”
My heart sinks. “She told the whole group chat?”
Great. Now half the women in town think I’m dating Clay.
Grandma doesn’t seem to hear my question. She tends to talk at people when she’s excited.
“I’m so, so thrilled for you, Savannah.” She lets out another delighted whoop. “Our hopeless romantic has finally found love!”
“But I—”
“I won’t pretend I’m not a little surprised,” she continues over me.
“Clay’s a lot older than you, honey. He used to come to the tavern on Saturdays with his brother, and he was a real grump back then.
I didn’t think he’d be your type, but hey, opposites attract, right?
Just look at Thorne and Aria—engaged already! I bet you and Clay will be next…”
My mouth hangs open. I don’t know how to explain to my grandma that I’m not going to marry the stranger I hit with my car yesterday.
“You have to bring him to the party this afternoon,” she says. “I know it’s short notice, but I won’t take no for an answer! I’ll drag him down Cherry Mountain myself if I have to.”
My eyes bulge. After the drama of last night, I totally forgot about Grandma’s birthday party. Half the town will be there, and a sizeable chunk of them will be asking about me and Clay.
“You’re right, Grandma, it is very short notice. I’m not sure if—”
“I wasn’t kidding, honey. Tell Clay I know where he lives. He might be ten times my size, but I’ll get him to my party one way or another.”
I close my eyes with a grimace. My grandma is awesome, but she’s also the stubbornest woman in Crave County, and there’s no swaying her once she makes up her mind.
“Are you okay, Savannah?” she asks after a few beats of silence. “You don’t sound…happy?”
The concern in her voice nearly kills me. I can just picture her right now, getting ready for her party, glowing with excitement to see me and Clay together. I know I should come clean and rip off the band-aid—tell her the truth before things get even more out of hand.
But I can’t do it.
I can’t ruin my sweet grandma’s birthday party.
“I’m great!” I tell her, forcing myself to sound cheerful. “Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. This is all just so new to me…but I’m happy, Grandma. Really happy.”
“That’s so wonderful to hear.” Her voice turns thick, and she sniffs loudly. “I know how badly you wanted to find someone, and I’m so happy you finally got him, honey. It’s the best birthday present in the world.”
“I…thank you, Grandma. That means a lot.”
I’m glad she can’t see the look on my face right now because I probably look like I just stubbed my toe.
This is bad.
I’m officially a terrible granddaughter.
“I need to get going,” Grandma says, choked up with emotion. “There’s still so much to do before the party, but I’ll see you soon, okay? I can’t wait to see you and Clay!”
I swallow hard. “We’ll be there.”
“Perfect. Bye, honey.”
The call ends, and I slump back against the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
What the heck do I do now?
Grandma’s party starts at two, which means I have six hours to either figure out a solution or flee the country and never show my face again.
I should have just hit the freakin’ squirrel.
My mind is racing with excuses that I could tell Grandma, but none of them will cut it. I’m still thinking hard when my phone starts buzzing with texts from my cousin Aria, a string of them arriving at once.
Grandma says you’re dating Clay Benson?
Thorne’s neighbor?
So happy for you!
Call me asap
My attention snags on her second text, and something stutters in my chest.
Thorne’s neighbor.
Thorne and Aria live up on Cherry Mountain, and I’ve been to their cabin a few times. If Clay really is Thorne’s neighbor, his place shouldn’t be too hard to find…
An idea is forming in my mind, crystallizing like frost on a windowpane. It’s not a good idea. Heck, I’ve read enough romance novels to know it’s a very, very bad idea. But right now, I can’t see another option.
I need Clay to be my boyfriend.
Just for a few hours—long enough to get through Grandma’s party without ruining her whole day. Then we can quietly “break up” and go our separate ways. Grandma will still be disappointed, but at least it won’t ruin her birthday and the party she’s been planning for weeks.
My mind buzzes with the idea as I get out of bed, heart fluttering like a bird behind my rib cage.
I wasn’t expecting to see Clay ever again.
The bitter thought kept me up last night, tossing and turning with a hollow feeling in my gut.
Now I’m going to show up at his door and ask him to date me for a day.
He’ll almost definitely say no.
Heck, I’m sure he has better things to do than pretend to date the woman who hit him with her car yesterday, but I still feel a heady thrill of excitement at the thought of seeing him again.
I really shouldn’t be so drawn to this man.
He’s twice my age and barely said two words to me yesterday—not exactly the kind of Prince Charming I write about in my romance books.
But as I hop in the shower, I can’t stop thinking about him.
His hulking frame towering over everything as we walked into the hospital.
His thick muscles bulging against his shirt.
His ruggedly handsome face, scowling and bearded.
I shiver despite the heat of the water. Desire pulls tight inside me, my nipples hardening as I take the showerhead off the wall and guide it between my thighs.
The water pulses hard against my clit, and a shaky moan escapes me, steam rising all around as I think of Clay.
I can almost see those vivid blue eyes drilling into me, his giant body moving on top of mine.
This is wrong, a tiny part of my brain says.
I shouldn’t be thinking about a stranger like this.
But all my logic crumbles as I lean back against the shower wall, my orgasm blooming fast. I tug on my pebbled nipple, whining with pleasure.
“Clay…”
I moan his name, eyes squeezing shut as I come. Hot water streams down my thighs, my core throbbing with my release until I’m spent and shaky. Breathing hard, I clean myself up, running soapy hands over my skin as I come back to myself.
Crap.
Nobody saw that. Nobody knows. But I’m still blushing when I step out of the shower, my mind running over what just happened.
I just made myself come thinking about Clay…
The man I need to date me for the day.
I haven’t even asked him yet, and things are already getting complicated.