My speed was impressive.
The execution was unfortunate.
I was halfway out the main door when the strap of my purse caught on the door handle. My body reared back from nearly clotheslining myself. While I was frantically trying to untangle the strap, I felt a warm body at my back, and a hand grasped my arm. Then I heard the low drawl that filled my heart with dread and my body with chills.
“Hey there, Celery Stick.”
My shoulders dropped, along with my head and every ounce of my dignity. The hour of reckoning for all my sins was now upon me.
“Or should I say, girlfriend?”
I turned around. Miles was standing much too close to me, filling my view with flannel stretched across a broad chest and a little peek of hair past the top button. I swallowed, bringing my gaze upward, past the annoying grin, strong cheekbones, and five o’clock shadow, until they met his eyes—brown, crinkly, and full of mischievous glee.
“Did I miss something? I’ve been a boyfriend a time or two before, but I remember a lot more kissing.”
Even though I was embarrassed and annoyed that he was in my space, and my fingers itched to pull that stupid gray beanie over his obnoxious face, I couldn’t help my cheeks as they began to warm. Which was ridiculous. It was MILES. My nemesis.
“But I mean…you did email me that romantic love note, so…” he continued.
I felt like I’d been dropped in the middle of a tennis match and somebody was handing me a golf club. I couldn’t think how to begin processing this entire situation, let alone deciding on a course of action. I was still confused as to how Miles was here. In my face. Teasing me. I forced my brain to focus on a response.
“That wasn’t a love note.”
“Sure had an over-abundance use of flattering adjectives.”
“It was sarcastic.” I scowled at him.
He stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking completely at ease with our entire exchange. “You could have at least added a line in there about wanting to meet my parents.”
Granted, I deserved all of this. I had brought this on myself. But still, couldn’t he have just a bit of gracious dignity?
“Care to explain a few things, Olive?”
My eyes shot up to his. For the second time in five minutes, he had spoken my name, and for the second time, warmth emitted from my chest.
I peered past his shoulder and was satisfied we were alone. I really didn’t want to bring up the whole Glenn thing, and so far, the threat of Glenn seemed pretty mild—as in…he wasn’t here. Out of sight, out of mind. But as infuriating as Miles was, I did owe him an explanation.
“Okay, listen,” I began, then stopped, my cheeks flushing, mentally smacking my head into a wall. Why did I have to use Miles’s name? “To stop my family from trying to set me up with an ex-boyfriend…I might have told them that I was dating somebody.”
He put his hand over his mouth as though deep in thought while he nodded. “I see. Understandable. The only problem is that your sister seems to think it’s me, specifically.”
I closed my eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath through my nose. It did nothing to calm me. But he wouldn’t rest until I spoke the words. “When I found out he was coming–my ex…on a whim, I told my sister…”
His eyebrows raised appreciatively, waiting for me to finish the statement. With me standing there…really not wanting to.
“And…” he prodded.
“And when she asked who…your name came out.”
“There it is.” He sighed happily.
“For the record, it was only because we’d just had that fight in the kitchen yesterday that my mind even went there.”
He reared back at that. “Fight? What fight? That wasn’t a fight.”
I scoffed, folding my arms and glaring up at him. “You yelled at me in the kitchen, trying to make me feel stupid for helping out.”
His brow furrowed. “I never yelled. And that’s not what I meant.”
I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Listen, I just needed a name. For some crazy reason, yours came out, but I never thought that it would ever matter.”
He was silent for a moment, staring at me. “Haven’t you ever heard me talk about the lodge before?”
I threw my hands up. “I must have missed it in all of our conversations.”
He made a noise of disbelief before he folded his arms. “How’d you find out about this place, then?”
“Millie told me—"
I stopped abruptly, my hands covering my face while Miles only laughed. Millie’s last text message from this morning telling me to have fun and be willing to embrace the unexpected delights in life took on a whole new meaning now. That little punk. She’d be receiving a strongly worded text from me later tonight.
I rubbed my hand over my eyes. It was difficult to have a fake imaginary boyfriend when the real guy had just shown up. I had to end this now. Glenn would officially be my problem this week.
“It was all so stupid, okay? I’m sorry I dragged you into this. I’ll tell my family everything tonight. I can just…deal with Glenn. You are officially allowed to forget this ever happened.” I gave him a tight smile and turned to make my escape.
“Wait a sec—"
Nope. I was out of there. I reached for the door handle when my eyes caught movement outside. And then I wasn’t moving anymore. Out on the sidewalk, under the lantern-lit walkway, striding toward the lodge, were Glenn Foster and his parents. Though it had been years since I’d seen Virginia Foster, her platinum-blonde bob was impossible to miss. Her husband, Lyle, walked beside her, grasping her elbow to keep her from slipping in her three-inch heeled boots. And in front of them, leading the way and looking as suave as ever in a black trench coat, brown scarf, and a newsboy hat, was Glenn.
And then I panicked.
There were different levels of awful, and I quickly realized that Miles’s awful was much more palatable than Glenn’s. Flipping around, I found him still there with his arms folded and looking at me with raised eyebrows. With my mouth gaping and no words exiting, I shot another glance out the window.
“Okay, will you pretend to be my boyfriend just for right now? I’ll figure something out after this, I promise.” My words came out choppy and quick. I didn’t have time to overthink my actions. Glenn would be here in seconds.
Miles leaned over me, taking his time to glance out the window. “Ohhh. This must be the ex. He doesn’t look so bad. What’s the story?”
I was definitely not about to get into past relationship issues with Miles Taylor, but I did need his help, so I had to give him something.
“He’s just not for me.”
Miles stepped up beside me, rubbing his hands together and cracking his neck as if preparing for a boxing match. “Alright, what stage of dating are we at? Hand holding? Pet names? Making out behind the barn? Not sure what you prefer. I never woke up in time to finish reading how Rochester got the job done.”
I mentally forced myself to ignore the attack on my favorite book to address the higher priority. “We will never be to the barn stage, Taylor.”
“That’s not what your sister alluded to.”
I whacked his chest while he breathed out a laugh.