“How about this one?” Stacey pointed to a king-sized bed with a pillow-top mattress and a hefty price tag. She turned and let herself fall back onto it. Lying there looking up at the ceiling, she wondered how her life had gotten to the point of bed shopping with Jax Green. Her wildest dreams had never stretched that far. The only thing stranger than bed shopping with Jax was that it didn’t feel weird. It was fun and almost natural.

Jax stood over her, leaned his hands on the mattress and jiggled it. “I don’t know. I like that one over there, but it’s a bit firm. I guess I’ll get it anyway.”

“No, if it’s too firm, you keep looking. You don’t want to end up with a bed that isn’t right – you’ll probably have it for years. Or if you’re like me, you’ll have it handed down to you from your degenerate brother, only intending to use it until you can afford a better one, but in the natural course of events that is your life, you end up sleeping on it forever … am I babbling?”

Jax chuckled. “Maybe a little. Anyway, I’d better make sure before I buy.”

“That’s all I’m saying. Here, try this one with me.”

Jax’s cheeks colored and he glanced around the store. “No, I don’t need to lay on it. I trust you – if you say it’s good, I’ll get it.”

Stacey pushed up onto her elbows and scowled at him. “Didn’t we just discuss this? You have to be sure. Come on, what are you afraid of? You’re Jax Green, you could dance around in your boxer shorts and set fire to the place and they’d still love you in this town.”

His eyes narrowed. “I doubt that. And no, I’m not afraid … I just – hey!”

She laughed as she pulled him onto the bed beside her. “Stop being a chicken.”

Jax sat up and bounced on the bed a few times, his brow furrowed. “Hmmm.”

“See? It’s soft, but not too soft.”

“I like it.”

She rolled up on one elbow to look at him, resting her cheek in her hand. “And you were going to buy that other rock-hard mattress, then feel foolish when you hurt your back. What would you do without me?”

He smiled up at her. “I’d be lost. I don’t know how you managed it, but you’ve picked out almost an entire houseful of furniture, everything so much nicer than the things I was going to buy, for less than I was planning to spend. Thank you.”

She grinned, her head spinning at his words. “You’re welcome. It was a lot of fun, actually. I never get to shop and I love decorating. I used to get the old magazines from Sylvia’s hair salon once everyone in Ardensville has thumbed through them, go through them page by page and circle all the things I’d like to have in my house one day. But in the end I threw every last one of them away, because I can’t even afford to rent a room over a garage anymore …”

She stopped abruptly. She hated the way her life always sounded like a pity party. It was part of why she hardly ever spoke to anyone about herself, especially not about her childhood. She felt her heart drop as she spoke, as though the words dragged her down with them. Jax studied her silently, but she couldn’t say what he felt. She wished she could read his thoughts, know what was going on in that handsome head of his.

“All that research paid off, I guess. You’ve really got an eye for this stuff.”

“You mean decorating?”

He rested his hand on hers. “That’s exactly what I mean. To me, it’s stuff; to you it’s an art form. And for that, I’m grateful.” He stood and headed for the front desk to settle up the bill.

Stacey shifted in place. What was he doing – holding her hand, buying her rings, consulting with her on furniture? Was he putting on a show for the fans? Or was there something more? She wished she knew how he felt – it might help her deal with how she felt, and how she was supposed to feel. They were getting too close for friendship, too close for a fake relationship. Her heart was threatening to bounce from her chest with all the hand-holding and closeness.

She caught up with him. “I think we should buy one more lamp and we’ll be done for today.”

“Really?” Jax groaned. “I don’t think I can do anymore shopping. You pick whatever you want and bring it to the counter.”

She grinned and walked across the store to the lamps. She had one in mind she’d seen earlier, but really she just wanted some space between herself and Jax. Things were getting a bit too heated for comfort, at least on her end. He seemed completely unfazed by everything.

While Jax arranged for delivery of the items they’d selected, Stacey brought back the floor lamp, then went back to Jax’s truck and climbed in. At least they’d managed to avoid the crowds this time – no one had followed them from the jewelry store. She’d been looking over her shoulder, worried they’d be mobbed again. But instead they were able to pretend they were a normal couple out looking for things to decorate their suburban home.

Jax carried the bag of Chinese takeout into the kitchen and set it on the counter. “I hope you like sweet and sour pork,” he called.

“Love it!” Stacey called back from the living room, where he heard her rustling around.

He carried two paper plates and plasticware into the living room, where Stacey had rearranged the camp chairs around a large box and placed their mineral waters on top of it. He set the tableware on the box, which should serve well enough as a table. “Great idea.” She helped him carry the containers of Chinese food in and arrange them on the box, then sat in the chairs facing each other. He laughed. “This is nice.”

“Yes, it is. Cheers.” She raised her water bottle

He clinked his against it. “Cheers.” He prayed over the food, then they began piling fried rice, cashew chicken, and sweet and sour pork onto their plates. His stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten Chinese in months, since Coach had them all on strict custom diets. It was his favorite and he was looking forward to digging in, his mouth watering.

The intercom from the front gate buzzed.

Stacey frowned. “Who could that be?”

Jax walked to the intercom and studied the black and white image of the front gate. June. He grimaced and pushed the button that would swing the gate open. He hadn’t said anything to his family yet about Stacey, but maybe they’d heard some other way. There was no telling when news of their fake marriage would break in the media. “Uh, it’s June. She might have heard about our situation, so let me handle it, okay?”

Stacey nodded, her mouth full of pork.

When June parked in the driveway, Jax walked outside to greet her. The sun had long since set and only a few solar-powered garden lights brightened the entry. She embraced him and smiled. “Hi, bro. How’s it going? I wanted to come over and see the new house now that you’re all moved in. Wow, it’s even more beautiful than I remembered – you’re gonna love it here.”

They walked inside, her arm around his waist, his thoughts whirling. Either she hadn’t heard, or she was doing a really good job of hiding it. “I’m glad you like it. It’s still pretty bare …” He shut the door behind them.

June entered the living room and stopped still. “Stacey?” She glanced at Jax with a glint in her eye. “Stacey’s here.”

He nodded. “She is.”

June went to greet her. “Stacey, how are you? It’s so nice to see you again.”

They embraced and Stacey returned to her chair, her cheeks pink. “Good to see you too. We’re having Chinese – would you like some?”

“I’ve already eaten, but thanks.” June’s eyes bored into Jax’s, full of questions.

He laughed nervously before taking his seat. “I’m glad you’re here, because there’s something we need to tell you.”

June’s eyebrows arched high as she pulled another chair up to the box and sat with them. “Oh?”

“Yes. Stacey’s agreed to help me out – she’ll be staying here and taking care of the place for me when I go back to Atlanta.”

June’s eyes narrowed. “She’s helping you out. Is that all?”

“Not exactly,” Stacey mumbled.

“She’s, um, also agreed to pretend to be married to me,” Jax went on.

June’s mouth fell open and she faced Stacey, her eyes wide. “What? Why would you do that?”

Jax answered. “Because I’m getting too much attention around town. I just want to be left alone so I can grieve in peace.” His stomach clenched. Even just talking about his grief, about Dad, sucked the air from his lungs.

He saw his words do the same to his sister. “I guess that makes sense …”

“Actually, you gave me the idea in the first place. So I hope you’ll back me up when I talk to mom about this.”

She nodded reluctantly. “Sure, Jax.”

Stacey watched June closely. “June, how about you spend the night here? We’re camping out with sleeping bags and mats – it’ll be fun.”

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t be intruding?”

“Not at all,” replied Jax, his heart warming at Stacey’s kindness. “We’d love you to stay.”

Stacey grabbed a plate and fork for June and set it on the cardboard box. “Dig in.”

As they ate together, Jax couldn’t help watching Stacey. Her face lit up as she and June spoke and laughed together. He joined in every now and then, but his heart was still heavy with thoughts of Dad. The only thing that brought him a measure of joy was Stacey – the gleam in her blue eyes when she told a joke, how her laughter brightened the atmosphere in the room, and especially the way she drew June out of her sadness and gave his sister something to smile about.

Jax’s eyes opened, but it took him a few moments to remember where he was. He still wasn’t accustomed to the new house yet he’d slept deeply. Something had woken him from a vivid dream. He sat up and pulled his legs from the sleeping bag with a yawn.

A noise in the kitchen caught his ear. Stacey was probably making breakfast. Stacey …

His apartment in Atlanta was so quiet. He’d lived alone since he moved there after signing with the Falcons. At the time he’d thought it’d be great – he’d gone from living at home, to the UGA athletes’ dormitory, to rooming with three other guys his junior and senior years, to sharing a berth on a cruise ship. He’d never lived by himself before and was looking forward to it.

But now, after more than a year, he was lonely. Heading home after practice wasn’t as appealing as it had once been. The apartment was still and empty – even turning on the television didn’t make up for it. The excitement of being in the NFL had kept him busy, but lately he’d been missing home. Which was exactly why he’d bought a place in Ardensville.

And now Stacey was here.

He got up, jogged upstairs and changed into running gear. It was time to get back to training, even if he wasn’t flying to Atlanta for a few more days. He didn’t want to lose any fitness mid-season.

He trotted downstairs and found Stacey in the kitchen. She’d located a plastic bowl and was searching cabinets and drawers, closing them as quietly as she could when she’d finished with each. “Good morning,” he called. “Did you sleep okay?”

She startled, her hand on her heart. “Oh, you scared me.” Then offered that smile that weakened his resolve to keep his distance. “Good morning. I’m just trying to find a spoon. We really need to get some china and silverware in here. I have a few things still in boxes at Brad’s – I’ll head over there today and bring them back.”

“I think the spoons are in there – Mom lent me some things until I get settled.” He pointed to a small drawer directly beneath a rectangular space intended for a microwave. Yet another thing for him to buy. He wasn’t a big shopper, and the thought of filling the house with everything they needed was daunting.

“Thanks. You going for a run?”

He nodded. “I might eat first – I’m starving. Is June up yet?”

“She’s still in bed, but she’s awake. Do you want some cereal?”

“That’d be great, thanks.”

“I think I’ll have some too.” Stacey poured two bowls and they sat again on either side of the box in the living room.

He took a bite of cereal and tried to get his thoughts to shift from Stacey’s inviting lips, the appeal of her messy curls, the knowledge that she’d be living in his house every day for the foreseeable future. Without him, but still.

“What are you going to do today?” she asked him.

“I thought I might go over to Mom’s and help her around the house.”

She smiled. “You’re a very attentive son.”

His stomach flipped. He hadn’t been these past months. And now Dad was gone. He couldn’t change that, couldn’t undo the past, but he could try harder from this point onward. “Not really. But thanks.”

She took his hand and squeezed it. “You are.”

Every time she told him that, the darkness that had settled around his heart lifted just a little. It wasn’t nearly so heavy now as it had been. Her smile lifted his spirits as well. It was good having her around.

Then Jax thought of going back to Atlanta without her, back to his empty apartment, and his chest tightened.

Jax opened his mother’s front door, and the familiar scents of home washed over him. “Mom? Where are you?” He looked in the kitchen and saw a stack of clean casserole dishes on the freshly wiped counter. That was a good sign – if Mom was washing dishes and tidying up, perhaps she was feeling a little better. The pile of gifts that had been blocking the front door was gone, and it looked as though someone had mopped the tiled entryway.

He found her outside, sitting in the enclosed porch in her favorite chair. There was a glass of sweet tea on the table beside her, leaving a ring of condensation on the glass, and the space heater glowed red. “There you are.”

She faced him, her eyes red-rimmed, and forced a smile. “Jax, sweetheart. Good to see you.”

“You okay, Mom?” He sat beside her, in the matching chair that had been his dad’s favorite spot to read his Bible in the mornings, and put his hand in hers.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. Just remembering.”

His throat closed as he glanced down and saw a copy of the Raleigh News & Observer lying on the side table, open to the sports section. There was a small photograph on the right side of the page – he and Stacey hand-in-hand – above the headline “Jax Green married?” His heart fell.

“Did you read this?”

Mom nodded and pressed a Kleenex to her nose.

“I wanted to tell you about it in person – it’s one of the reasons I came over this morning.”

“Oh?” She faced him and searched his eyes for a hidden answer that wasn’t there.

Jax swallowed hard. “We’re not really married. We just told people that so they’d leave me alone.”

She frowned. “Did it work?”

“We’ll see.”

A chuckle. “Well, I never. Are you seeing each other?”

“No, we’re just friends. And since Stacey has nowhere to live at the moment, I’m letting her stay at my new house.”

Mom scratched her neck. Jax knew the look on her face as well as his own reflection – her disapproval was clear as she stared out at the frost-covered garden. “It’s fine, Mom – you don’t have to worry about it. It’s really not a big deal …”

She turned toward him, her brow furrowed. “Not a big deal. You’re living with a woman, telling people you’re married … and it’s not a big deal. What would your father have said?” Her voice broke off in a sob and she covered her mouth with the Kleenex and squeezed her eyes shut.

Jax put his arm around her shoulders and exhaled slowly. “You’re right, I’m sorry. I didn’t really think it through, I guess. But we’re not living together – not like that, anyway.”

“No, you didn’t think it through.” She patted his knee gently. “But I know you were trying to do the right thing.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Are the two of you staying there alone?”

He frowned. “Well, June stayed over last night.”

“And what about tonight?”

“I’ll ask Brad to stay. I’m heading back to Atlanta in a few days, so it won’t be an issue then.”

“Except when people find out the two of you weren’t married all along.”

He shrugged. “What do I care what other people think?”

She sighed. “I know you, and you will care. You like everyone to be happy and you want to please them all. You can’t, but you’ll try, and you’ll twist yourself into all kinds of knots over it. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I promise to be careful, Mom.” He embraced her gently, resting his chin on top of her head.

“I miss him,” she suddenly sobbed.

He nodded slowly. “I know. Me too.”

“I can’t believe he’s not coming back. I keep thinking he’s gone to the store, or out riding his bike, and I look up when I hear a noise, expecting him to come striding in the door with that big smile on his face and say to me, “hey, Baby” …”

He squeezed her tighter to his chest, his throat closing up. “I’d love to see him one more time. I didn’t get to tell him …” His voice gave out.

She pulled back and looked up at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She brushed a strand of hair from his eyes and cupped his face. “He knew how you felt about him. He was so proud of you – there wasn’t anything you could’ve said or done to make him any prouder.”

He shook his head. “But I wasn’t here …”

“You’ve been busy. We understood.”

“But I’m going to change that. Whenever I can, I’ll come home and spend time with you guys. That’s why I bought the house – I want to think of this as home.”

She smiled, her eyes glistening. “I’m glad you did. Sorry I was against it. It’s just that I feel so alone right now, I wanted you right here with me.”

He chuckled. “I’ll be very close by, Mom. It’s only about a five-minute drive.”

“I’m glad.” She patted his cheek gently. “I have to get up and wash my face. We have a lot of work to do.”

“If you’re not up for it …”

“No. You’re here and there are things to be done. I’m fine. Or I will be.” She wiped both cheeks with her fingertips. “I’ll meet you inside.”

As Jax watched her head into the house, he crossed his arms. She was right, Dad loved him and wouldn’t have been upset about the times he was absent. He wasn’t that kind of man. He knew how important the team was to Jax, and he supported him in everything he did.

He pulled out his phone and dialed Brad again, but it went to voicemail. Had Brad seen the news and was avoiding his calls? “Brad, it’s Jax – can you call me back? I need you to stay over at my new place for a few days, crash on the couch. If you’ve seen the paper, it’s not what you think. This is my third message, dude – you’ve got to call me back.”

Sighing, Jax hung up and went inside. Time to get started on Mom’s to-do list – and knowing her, it’d be a long one, written in her neat, sloping hand in order of importance with a small box beside each item for him to check off when he was done. Hopefully it would be organized enough to keep him from worrying about what his friend might do when he saw the news.