Chapter 6 #2
"That we're taking it slow! But she just smiled and said 'that's what they all say' and then told me she's already planning to make us a quilt."
"A quilt?"
"A quilt, Grant. With our initials."
Despite everything, Grant smiled. "That's actually kind of sweet."
"It's terrifying! This whole town thinks we're getting married!"
"Riley, breathe."
"I'm breathing!"
"You're spiraling."
"I'm allowed to spiral! This was supposed to be simple. Fake date through the holidays, everyone stops asking questions, we go back to normal."
"And it is simple."
"No, it's not! Mrs. Henderson has us on her Christmas card list now. My mom keeps dropping hints about grandchildren. Your dad asked me if I'm moving back to town!"
Grant's chest tightened. "What did you say?"
"I said I don't know! Because I don't! I don't know anything anymore!" She paused. "I'm sorry. I'm freaking out."
"It's okay to freak out."
"You're not freaking out."
"I'm very good at hiding it."
Riley laughed—shaky but real. "We're in so deep."
"We really are."
"Can we just... I don't know. Can we meet somewhere? Talk? I need to be as calm and collected as you are right now."
Grant glanced at the workshop, then the darkening sky. "You want to come to the farm? We can go for a walk. Clear our heads."
"Yeah. Okay. Give me twenty minutes."
"Okay, bundle up. See you then."
He hung up and stood there for a moment, phone in hand, heart pounding.
This was getting out of control.
The town thought they were getting married. Their families were planning their future. And Grant was standing in his workshop, counting down the minutes until he could see Riley again.
You're falling for her. Again. Still. You never stopped.
The thought pounded into his psyche. It wasn’t a realization. He knew all along. Maybe that’s why he’d offered to be her fake boyfriend in the first place.
He'd never stopped loving Riley Monroe.
And pretending to be with her was going to destroy him.
Twenty minutes later, headlights swept across the driveway. Grant met Riley at her car, and they fell into step together, walking the familiar path around the property.
The night was cold and clear, and stars scattered across the sky like someone had spilled sugar.
"I'm sorry," Riley said after a while. "For calling and freaking out."
"Don't be. I get it."
"It's just a lot."
"It is."
"Everyone's so...invested."
"They always have been. We were Pine Valley's golden couple in high school."
Riley glanced at him. "Were we?"
"You didn't know?"
"I knew people liked us together. I didn't know it was a whole thing."
Grant huffed a laugh. "It was definitely a thing. When we broke up, half the town acted like someone died."
"Oh god."
"Yeah. So now that we're 'back together,' they're treating it like Christmas came early."
"Literally." Riley shoved her hands in her pockets. "What are we going to do?"
"Keep going. Like we planned."
"And when it ends?"
Grant's chest tightened. "We'll deal with it then."
"They're going to be devastated."
"Maybe. But it's better than the alternative."
"Which was?"
"You showing up alone. Me being everyone's plus-one. Both of us embarrassed. Miserable."
Riley stopped walking. "Are you miserable now?"
Grant turned to face her. Snow clung to her hair, her cheeks pink from the cold. She looked like something out of a dream.
"No," he said quietly. "I'm not."
"Me either." She bit her lip. "That's the problem."
"What is?"
"This doesn't feel so fake anymore, Grant. With all the town gossip… It feels—" She stopped.
"Real," he finished.
"Yeah."
They stood there, breath fogging between them, the weight of unspoken things pressing down.
"Maybe that's okay," Grant said finally. "Maybe it's easier if it feels a little bit real. It’s definitely more convincing."
"Is it? Because I almost forgot it wasn't last night."
"It was the same for me. Then we'll remind each other."
"Will we?"
Grant didn't answer. Because the truth was, he'd already forgotten. He'd forgotten the second he'd pulled her close at the reunion. Maybe even before that.
Riley stepped closer. "Grant."
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For doing this with me. For putting up with all the insanity."
She reached up and touched his face—just her fingertips, cold against his cheek. Grant's heart stopped.
"We're going to be okay," she whispered. "Right?"
He wanted to say yes. Wanted to promise her everything would work out fine.
But all he could do was nod, his voice trapped somewhere between his chest and throat.
Riley pulled her hand back and smiled—small and unsure. "I should go. It's late."
"Yeah. Okay."
He walked her back to her car, neither of them speaking. At the driver's door, she paused.
"My mom asked if I could pick up a wreath tomorrow. For the house." She bit her lip. "Would it be weird if I came by the farm? I know it's your busiest time—"
"It's not weird," Grant said quickly. "Come by. Anytime."
"You sure?"
"Riley, you can come by whenever you want. You don't need an excuse. And I’d be pissed if you didn’t get things like that from me."
Her cheeks went pink and she giggled. "Okay. Tomorrow then. Around eleven?"
"Eleven works."
She climbed in and drove away, and Grant stood in the driveway long after her taillights disappeared.
You're in love with her.
The thought should have scared him.
Instead, it just felt inevitable.
Like coming home.