A week had passed since Kenzi and I had dinner, and I hadn’t seen or heard from her since. I thought dinner had gone well, at least until I tried to apologize and she’d shut that shit down. Fast. But now I knew, she had no desire to learn why I’d slept with her and vanished without a trace. For the next decade.

Those damn wooden chimes though, I could hear them loud and clear. Too bad they weren’t attached to her door, so at least I’d know if she was home or not. But, where else would she be aside from her store or the factory on the edge of town? Hell, I knew she hadn’t been at the store because my not so casual strolls in front of Organics by O’Brien had produced not one glimpse of her.

It was a damn shame, really. Because Kenzi had managed to do something that hadn’t happened to me since I was a naïve twenty-year-old traveling all over the world and taking advantage of every option and woman available to me. She intrigued me.

Instead of the slightly chubby girl she’d been, she was now gorgeous and lush, with creamy skin, and that whole earth mother hippie thing she had going on, it made my blood hot and my cock twitch in my jeans. Every time she’d licked her lips, her pink tongue tantalized me, sent my mind to places it shouldn’t visit. But I couldn’t help it. Everything about her reminded me of that one hot night we shared. Her tongue in my mouth and all over my body.

I was daydreaming about her, like I’d been doing for days, when the phone rang. It was Sterling. “Good to hear from you, Pete. What’s up?”

“The wife and I are coming for a visit. We’ll be staying at the Saloon Inn and I think it’s the perfect time for an introduction to your intended.” Of course he did, because this was the third time he called this week and each time he’d tried to weasel a bit more information from me about Kenzi.

I swallowed and nodded even though Sterling couldn’t see me. “Sounds good. In fact, we’d love to have you both over to dinner.” Shit, why did I say that? More importantly, what in the hell was I thinking?

“Well, that sounds even better. Nothing tastes better than a home cooked meal,” he said, sounding wistful and eager.

And that meant I was in big trouble. But I smiled, because it also meant I would see Kenzi sooner rather than later. “I need to run it by Kenzi, so I’ll let you know the date?”

Sterling laughed, and it was thick and hearty. “A bit of advice son, always check with the wife before you make plans. Happy wife, happy life as they say.”

“I’m learning that.” And I planned to make full use of that knowledge to make the most of our time together. “I’ll get back to you as soon as my woman pulls herself away from business.” And I had to get her to agree to this meal. And to cook it.

After the call ended I shoved my feet into a pair of sneakers, and made the short walk to the center of town. The benches on Main Street were the perfect place to sit and just watch the town and people. The diner was busy during the lunch hour, turning the tables three or four times in the two hours set aside for lunch. The Town Hall workers were the first wave in their suits and heels, then the blue collar workers from the various construction sites and factories that made up the bulk of employment for the town of Truly. It was great to watch. This time of day it was like a damn postcard with the colorful awnings, brick paved sidewalks, lamp posts that looked like they were still run with oil.

I missed this damn town.

But now that I was back, I was determined to enjoy it properly. Starting with Kenzi. If we were going to host Sterling and his wife then we needed to make it look real. Really real. Which meant it had to look like we lived together. Like a couple about to make a lifetime commitment. With that in mind, I knew I had a lot to do.

My first stop was the diner where I placed a lunch order for Kenzi for delivery, wherever in the hell she was. I figured everyone but me knew where she could be found. “Peaches, I’m begging you to make it just like that even though you hate it, and it’s blasphemous.”

She huffed unhappily but I caught that laughing gleam in her eye. “Avocado on a sandwich, whoever heard such nonsense?” She rolled her eyes once again just to make sure I knew how unhappy this was making her. “Fine, only because I can’t wait to see how this all turns out.”

“All what?” She seemed to think she knew something she shouldn’t, but Peaches was a stubborn old woman and my glower did nothing but amuse her.

“Whatever it is you and Kenzi think you’re doing. You know she used to be over the moon for you, don’t you?”

I laughed because I had some idea, but when I leaned in and whispered, “I’ll bet you didn’t know I was over the moon for her too,” she gasped, but that twinkle in her eye told me she liked the news.

“Well then, I’ll even add some of those disgusting sprouts she likes. Go on, I’ve got it.”

“You are a goddess, Peaches.”

“Hmph, don’t you forget it, wanderer.”

Now I had to do something I really hated. Something that would help with this charade of ours. But it was also something I was pretty sure would end with me getting kicked in the balls. I headed to my car and pulled onto the road and did something I tended to avoid at all costs.

I went shopping.

For hours. Without eating, except for one of those big ass cinnamon buns they have at the mall and a steak burger. I hated shopping, and because I traveled light I didn’t need to buy much other than socks and underwear. And I bought them online. Because there were no crowds online, no moms on the prowl and toddlers’ stained hands to dodge. No overeager salespeople to avoid.

By the time I was finished in the mall, I’d felt more exhausted than when I spent two nights in the Amazon for my syndicated travel column. But I survived that, just like I survived the mall, barely. Kenzi would probably castrate me for this, but I couldn’t help but think it would be worth it to watch her green eyes flame with anger, luscious breasts heave with exasperation.

Yeah, it would be totally fucking worth it.

I thought about that in depth as I made the drive back to Truly and set all the bags in my living room. I was even more confident in the shower, washing away the mall stink. Then my phone rang.

“Hey Mom.”

“Chase, honey, how are you settling in?”

I couldn’t help but smile at my mom’s question. “It’s been a few months, so I think I’m pretty settled.”

“You’ve been gone a long time, some things have changed.” I heard the strange tone in her voice and knew immediately, she was up to something. “Have you heard about the land yet?”

I didn’t want to lie to her, but I also didn’t want to tell her about the fake engagement because I didn’t want her to start getting ideas. “Not yet, Mom. It’s a work in progress.” And that progress relied on me convincing Kenzi I am not the man she thinks I am, and convincing Sterling that we were a couple.

Mom was silent for a few long moments. I let her think about what she wanted to say while I finished getting dressed. I was used to her long silences, being the only son of an over-involved mother. “I heard you and Kenzi are engaged,” she said lightly, but suddenly I didn’t feel so light. “She was such a sweet girl and my goodness, she is such a knockout now. You could do worse than a woman who put her life on hold to take care of family. That’s special.”

I couldn’t agree more, except none of it was real. “He has done worse!” My dad called out down the line.

“Thanks, Dad.” My parents had always been the opposite of most. Mom gave every girl a chance, no matter what she thought about them, but my dad never liked any of them. It pains me to say it, but he was right. Every single time.

“Just being honest, son. You have terrible taste in women, but Kenzi, well that’s a high quality woman.” He was right again. I should probably listen to him since he was smart enough to hang onto mom when he had her.

Unlike me with Kenzi.

Mom sighed and I held my breath for the lecture I knew was coming. “I don’t know what you’re up to honey, but be careful. Please.”

“Mom, Kenzi is safe with me. We’re just two friends helping each other out, not going off to war.”

“Old friends, huh?”

Shit. “Well you know we were neighbors all our lives. And we are again.” Even though she was doing her best to pretend I didn’t exist. “She’s safe with me.”

“It’s you that I’m worried about, you big lug. I love you Chase, I really do, but Kenzi is special. If you can’t be what she deserves, your charm won’t be able to save you. Be careful.”

“I’m always careful,” I told her with all the arrogance of a man unwilling to listen to sound advice.

“Sure you are. Love you.” She disconnected the call, leaving that one thought to fester in my mind, like a bomb, ready to detonate at the most inopportune time.

“Not today, Mom.”

I refused to let her little thought bombs sidetrack me from my mission. I grabbed the bags and pulled the door closed by hooking my foot around it, and then I made my way to Kenzi’s place.