ALEXANDRA should have been furious with Bash for subjecting her to what had just happened with the speed date night fiasco. She should have been enraged, but she couldn’t stop giggling.

“Did you see her face?” she squealed. “How the hell did she convince herself I have Asperger’s, and you’re the super-sensitive guy mentoring his struggling little brother?”

“I know!” He answered, almost doubling over as he snorted with laughter.

“I mean, I couldn’t even begin to be offended. She labeled me in a heartbeat, and it’s not even about me, when you think about it. She drew conclusions about what Asperger’s is, and how people behave when then have the disorder. I’m so blown away by how quickly that situation escalated. The woman was like a dog with a bone.”

“Man, I’m glad Nate and Rod didn’t see that,” he said. “They would never let us live that shit down.”

It hit her then. She wasn’t sure if they left Bash’s friends at speed dating. “Where are they, anyway?”

“Probably somewhere laughing their asses off. They’re definitely in stitches, the way they got me to come out to this thing and then ducked out. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s just one big prank they pulled for the guys at the firehouse, to have a laugh at my expense.” Bash’s expression changed a little as he paused. “I’m itching to get back to work. I’ve been off with this injury for too long. I need my regular routine… I miss my crew too, but don’t tell them I said that.”

“I won’t. And I know what you mean.”

He glanced at her with a sly grin. “I have my arthroscopy scheduled for next month. After that, I can see how this knee performs.”

She smiled at him. The brisk pace they took getting away from the restaurant slowed to a more leisurely walk.

“Do you want to stop for a minute?” Bash pointed at an alcove in between two buildings. There was a ledge on one side. It was high, but had enough space for them to sit and catch their breaths. She hopped up on the overhang, feet swinging. He leaned against it next to her and looked up at her. His dark eyelashes hung over his soulful eyes. They were tucked away from the people milling around on the sidewalk. In spite of the crowds this time of night, it felt more intimate than it should. She inhaled deeply, working hard to get back to her version of reality. She was playing a twenty-one-year-old guy. Bash was her buddy. Those were the rules. She made up the game she was playing, so she had to stick to them.

He smiled. “You sure kept me from getting bored in there, Alex. Although I’m convinced after tonight, you’ll never go anywhere else with me.”

“I definitely shouldn’t!” she glared at him as harshly as she could while laughing.

In truth, she was glad she had followed Dad’s advice and got out of the house. And now, she felt a little more brave. She had boldly pushed into territory they hadn’t discussed before. This environment lent them some closeness and privacy.

She went for it. “So, what’s up with you, Bash? Why do your friends want to hook you up on a blind date? You don’t look like you need any help attracting women.”

He looked at her, eyes intense. “It’s not about attracting a lot of women anymore. I got that part. It’s about getting the one person I want.”

Alexandra glanced away. She had a feeling he might’ve been talking about her—about ‘Alex’.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

In another life with Lexxi Rock, maybe, but Alex Roberts doesn’t really exist.

Bash shrugged his shoulders and continued. “A little over six months ago, I was really into this person. I thought we were getting serious. It felt really good, you know? But shit went sour. Turns out, the person was married.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah,” he said, turning to look at her again. “I was played. I didn’t see the warning signs. Man, I hate being lied to.”

The way he said it made her sit back. Now she was extra uncomfortable with the ‘Alex Roberts’ lie she was pulling off. It wasn’t the same thing as having an entire husband kept secret—or wife. Or spouse, whoever it was the other person was. For a moment, Alexandra thought maybe her con could be worse. She had lied to a possibly gay man. She was still about sixty-five percent sure he was gay. That wasn’t so bad, but lying to that man about being a guy, spending time warming up to them, and then ‘coming out’ as a girl? That was definitely worse than being played.

She fidgeted around. She couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. At some point he would find out the truth about her. She wondered how that would affect their friendship. Physical attraction aside, Bash had been a supportive shoulder throughout the ordeal of nursing her father back to health. She liked him as a person. If Bash was actually gay and found out she wasn’t a guy, it would be on her. She would be the one doing the betraying and deceiving. She didn’t like how that felt. Unfortunately, she couldn’t reveal anything to him. Not until it was time for her to go back to LA. She didn’t want to put him in the position of having to lie for her. That would be even more wrong.

One thing that she couldn’t help noticing about his confession about being played was he didn’t say whether this ‘person’ was a man or woman. His friends probably did think the speed dating thing would be funny, especially if they knew he wasn’t into women. The more he talked, the more certain she was that he was probably definitely gay.

Shit. I honestly still can’t tell.

She began to picture how hurt he would be when he found out he was crushing on the opposite sex. Her eyebrows furrowed in guilt and regret. The scene played out in her head. The kindest thing she could do was put some distance between them before anyone got hurt. It took a while to notice Bash was staring at her.

“You okay, bro?” he asked her.

“Yeah, man. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You drifted off for a minute there. What’s bugging you? Missing somebody in particular? Or are you reliving the Asperger’s nightmare?”

She looked over at him. Worried about hurting you, she wanted to say. “No. Just thinking about how much I’ll miss this place when I leave…and wondering what it’ll be like returning home after my uncle gets better. I wasn’t all that happy before. Coming out to Tucson has put a lot into perspective. I’ll leave knowing what’s important, what I need to be chasing, and more importantly, what I don’t.”

“Yeah. Family is everything.”

“No doubt,” she agreed.

“You should invite me up one weekend and show me around your city.”

“I’d love to,” she said without thinking. Another lie. Well, not really. She really would love to…but as herself, not ‘Alex Roberts’. “I get really busy when I’m home. We’ll see how it goes.”

He opened his mouth to say something, but the sound of his phone grabbed his attention. He patted around in his pockets for it. Alexandra jumped down from the low ledge, assuming it was his friends. It was time to get away from any talk that implied there was hope for a future, even a friendly future, between her and Bash. More and more, she started to believe that when her masquerade was over, Bash wasn’t going to want to have anything to do with her.

* * *

The next morning, as she was heading to the kitchen, a familiar voice sent her racing to the dining room.

Rosa was in conversation with Dad, and the smile dimpling her cheeks could light up a room, it was so bright. Alexandra breezed over to Dad’s bedside, noting the flush on his face. He was happy to see her, laughing at whatever she said to him.

“Hi Rosa! When did you get back?”

“Good morning, Alexandra,” she greeted her. “I flew in late last night. Lynn answered when I phoned, and I spoke briefly with your father.”

“Oh, right. Yes, I was out pretty late.”

“So I hear. How did it go? You were out with Sebastian Sullivan from next door, right?” Rosa gave her a playful sideways glance. It was full of questions. She ignored it, to shake away the wild speculation.

“Yes. Some of his friends from work invited him to try out speed dating. He asked me to tag along for moral support. It turned out to be terrible, and hilarious! We had a blast.”

“That’s good!” Rosa said. “It’s nice you got to enjoy yourself a little while you’re here.”

“And,” Dad jumped in, “now that Rosa’s back, you’ll have more time to yourself, Alexandra. You can stop fussing over me.”

“Dad,” she waved her index finger at him, “if you want time alone with Rosa, all you have to do is say so.”

His face flushed. “Well, I, uh…”

“I’m not going to intrude. Rosa, you want any breakfast? I was about to make some scramble eggs and something for Dad. I can fix enough for all of us.”

“I’ve already eaten, Alexandra, but thank you.”

“Good call, Rosa, because what my lovely daughter here makes is more like burnt everything,” Dad teased.

“Ha ha. Funny, Daddy,” she shouted as she walked to the kitchen.

Alexandra felt relieved that Rosa was home. She had become a part of their little family. Dad was happier already, and getting stronger by the day. It put her in a good mood. She hummed to herself as she pulled the eggs and bacon out of the fridge. Of course, this meant she had to go back to LA soon. That thought put an instant damper on her mood. With Rick on her back about fulfilling her work commitments, it was unavoidable. She was going to have to get back to her life as soon as it was feasible.

Putting the thought out of her head, she focused on how not to burn the bacon or dry out the eggs. She managed to do a decent job of cooking breakfast. She put some out neatly, and took the plate to Dad. All week, they had eaten their meals together. Now that Rosa was back, they needed alone time. She gave them some space. Taking her plate and cup of coffee, she went out to sit on the front porch. She ate slowly, watching the neighborhood come alive on the clear, sunny morning.

Sebastian’s car was parked in his driveway. She wondered if he was up yet, or sleeping in late after the crazy night they had gone through. A fresh burst of laughter surfaced at the memory.

“Asperger’s,” she mumbled between chortles, shaking her head.

She took a bite of her food. It was extra bland. It could use more salt, but she suffered through it. Her phone chimed an alert just before she started to plan her day. She tugged it out of her pocket. Her mood went from not too bad to borderline rage in an instant. Wilkes’ name and picture flashed across the screen.