Stacey eyed the black Dodge Ram in Jax’s expansive and otherwise empty garage. “Is this truck new?”

“Yep. I thought I’d leave it here to use when I’m in town.”

She nodded. The idea of having so much money you could buy a spare car to use when you visited your second home was something she couldn’t even wrap her mind around. She was still in need of a first home, and her very old Corolla was in dire need of maintenance, if not burial. It pulled badly to the right, a hazard on country roads where there was often a ditch instead of a shoulder, and tended to fishtail when she accelerated.

But still, it seemed like her luck was turning – she’d be living in this place as well. She almost had to pinch herself whenever she thought of it. In fact, she’d sincerely believed Jax would change his mind about the whole thing before she got a chance to move in. But here she was, standing in the garage, her things already stowed in the guest room. She grinned and spun in place with her arms out.

Jax watched her with a smile. “What?”

“I’m just really happy to be here!”

He laughed. “Good. I think it’ll be fun. And I’ll feel a lot better knowing you’re here taking care of the place while I’m gone, so thank you.”

She climbed in the passenger side. “No need to thank me. And if you call from Atlanta and I don’t answer, I’ll be in the heated pool or the Jacuzzi. I can’t wait for the weather to warm up!”

He chuckled. “Considering it’s only October, you’re gonna have to wait a while.”

The garage door rose behind them, revealing a gray overcast day. Stacey pulled her red coat tighter around her and shivered, then adjusted the heat vents as Jax started the truck and hot air blasted into the cab. He pulled out of the driveway, down the street and through the wrought iron gate that guarded the community. It gave Jax the privacy he needed, and it was a beautiful neighborhood.

Stacey was proud to have discovered it for him. She’d done well for her first client – even Brad had commended her on it. She still hadn’t received her commission since escrow hadn’t closed yet, but she had about a hundred things in mind to spend it on when she got it, not least of which was to get her car fixed before it broke down entirely.

She glanced at Jax, who was bobbing his head to the music on the radio, and smiled. He really was handsome. Seeing him like that reminded her again of how he’d been when they were teenagers. He’d matured so much since then, but in essence everything about him was the same.

“How’s the poison ivy?” he asked suddenly.

She grimaced. “Itchy.” She held up her hand and turned it over. “Mostly gone now, though, thank goodness.”

“And the ankle?”

“I sound like such a basket case.” She chuckled. “The ankle is still a bit sore to walk on. I iced it last night and that seemed to help.”

“Glad to hear.”

“Let’s hope for no more accidents for a while.”

“That would be good. Though I didn’t mind getting to carry you back to the cabin.”

She frowned. “Getting to? You mean having to?”

“I enjoyed it. It was nice talking like that.”

She smiled. “It was, actually. Apart from the itchy rash and the swollen ankle, I had a really great time.”

“Maybe we can all go up again sometime,” he offered.

She nodded. “I’d like that. Of course, I’d better wrap myself in bubble wrap first.”

“And preferably keep indoors.”

“Which defeats the entire purpose of going to the mountains.” She laughed.

Jax winked. “We all have to make sacrifices.”

She loved that they could talk together as friends, not just acquaintances who ran into each other on occasion. Perhaps this whole pretend-marriage thing wouldn’t be so bad after all. In the past, she’d always been too afraid to approach him. He’d seemed so out of her league. But now he was here beside her – warm, fun, even laughing at her lame jokes. Her heart swelled. “So where to?”

He smiled. “I thought we’d head over to Babcock Furniture. But before that, I want to make another stop.”

“Okay.” He was acting mysterious. What was he up to?

He pulled into the parking lot behind Ardensville Emporium, the town’s one mall. They climbed out of the truck and she scanned the stores. “Are you going to give me a hint?”

He chuckled. “You’ll figure it out soon enough.” As they walked, he reached for her hand. His fingers wound through hers and her skin sparked at the contact. He arched an eyebrow and met her gaze. “We have to play the part, right?”

She shrugged and hid a smile. “Fine by me.” What was she doing? She shouldn’t be here. He was playing a role. No doubt he thought it was fun and she’d thought so too, but with his hand in hers all her old longings for him rushed back, leaving no doubt in her mind that she was heading for heartbreak all over again. Her feelings were real. His weren’t. And there was only one way this could go – with her ending up alone again and him back where he belonged.

She sighed and tightened her grip on his hand. She’d talk to him about it as soon as they had a chance. They needed some boundaries if this was going to work.

They rounded a corner and Jax stopped. She glanced upward. A sign hung overhead that read SAXON’S JEWELERS. Jax tugged her toward the door. “Come on.”

She frowned. “What are we doing here? I thought we were looking for furniture?”

He grinned. “First things first.”

She followed him, their hands still linked. A bell chimed over her head and she glanced up at it in surprise. Saxon’s was the nicest jeweler in town and she’d set foot inside it only once before, when she was fourteen. Mr. Saxon had called her grimy and sneaky and told her to leave. When she got home she’d confirmed the description in the chipped mirror above the sink in their tiny bathroom. She’d stayed away ever since. Was Mr. Saxon still around? She pictured his thin gray combover, wire spectacles and veiny nose, and shivered.

A young woman looked up from behind the counter. She picked up some papers she was reviewing, put them in drawer behind her, then faced the couple with a smile. “Mr. Green, how lovely to see you again!”

Stacey should’ve known this wasn’t his first time there. People like Jax Green were always welcome in stores like Saxon’s, unlike people who grew up in Bright Lake and chewed their dirty fingernails. She glanced quickly down at her nails resting on the back of Jax’s tanned hand. Soft pink nail polish glinted back at her. She took a long, deep breath.

“Hi, Judy – good to see you too,” Jax replied. “Mom loved the brooch – I gave it to her for her birthday. She wears it all the time.”

Judy’s smile widened. “I’m so glad. I saw her with it pinned to her jacket in church one time. It looked good on her. You have great taste.”

Jax set his free hand on the top of the counter and smiled at Stacey, then kissed her hand and faced Judy. “We’re looking for a wedding band.”

Judy’s eyebrows arched briefly, but she adjusted her face to replace her shocked expression with a smile. “Oh, congratulations are in order then?”

“That’s right,” added Stacey, her voice thin. “We’re married.” She coughed to clear her throat.

“Wow, that’s great news. I’m so happy for the two of you.” Judy smiled, but her eyes assessed Stacey coolly. She no doubt wondered what she’d done to land a catch like Jax Green. All the single women in town were after him. Stacey looked at Judy’s ring finger – no adornment. Likely she’d hoped to be in the running.

“It was an impulse,” added Jax with a chuckle. “But now we need a ring.”

“Will you want to look at engagement rings as well? I see you don’t have that either.” Stacey could hear thinly veiled judgment in her high-pitched voice.

Jax looked at Stacey, his eyes asking her the question.

She shook her head. “No, we won’t be looking at those today. We’re going to Raleigh to shop for engagement rings.” She couldn’t resist the urge to get in one quick jab, even though it felt beneath her the moment the words left her mouth.

Judy’s disappointment was palpable but she quickly pulled herself together. “Never mind – here’s a tray of wedding bands. Have a look and let me know if you’d like to try any of them on. I’ll just grab the men’s bands, they’re further down …” She went off to unlock another glass cabinet.

Stacey peered at the rings set in front of her in a black velvet box, all standing at attention as if wanting to be chosen. She tugged her hand from Jax’s and set her palms on the glass on either side of the box. She chewed her lip as her stomach churned. This was ridiculous – how could she choose a wedding band when she wasn’t really married? The thought had never crossed her mind that he’d take her ring shopping. Finally she selected a plain gold band and held it up to the light.

“That one’s very simple,” stated Jax. “Do you like it?”

She nodded. “I like simple.”

“Fine with me. I’ll go simple as well.” Judy returned with the men’s rings and Jax immediately sought out the one that matched Stacey’s selection.

“Have you seen this one?” crooned Judy, selecting a flashy gold band with diamonds set into it and an engraved vine that wound around the outside.

Jax shook his head. “No. We’re going for simple.” He winked at Stacey. “We’ll take these two, please.”

Judy’s voice dropped. “I’ll have to size you both.”

“That would be great, thanks,” responded Stacey with the warmest smile she could muster. Judy measured their fingers, then went through a door into the back with the rings to locate the correct size.

Stacey spun around and leaned back against the counter while she waited. Jax did the same and crossed his arms. “I was going to get you an engagement ring as well …”

“It wouldn’t be right.” Sadness stirred in her gut. So many times she’d longed for him to do just that, but in her dreams he’d been madly in love with her when he put the glittering ring onto her finger.

“Okay.” He faced her and set his hands on her shoulders, staring deep into her eyes. “Are you all right?”

Her throat tightened. “I’m fine. Sorry, it’s just a lot …”

“We don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. I just thought, if we’re announcing to the world that we’re married, they might be more ready to believe us if we’ve got rings.”

She smiled, willing back the tears that threatened. “Of course. I get it. It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?”

She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m sure.”

Judy strode back in, two velvet boxes in hand. “Now, I can wrap these for you …”

“No thanks, Judy,” said Jax. “We’ll just wear them, I think.”

By the time they left, a small crowd had gathered around the doorway. Jax led the way, holding tight to Stacey’s hand as her heart pounded against her rib cage. Perhaps she should’ve pulled him aside before they went into the jewelry store, but she hadn’t realized what he was doing. There was no going back now. Thankfully there was only one news outlet present – the over-earnest woman from CW22, with a single cameraman beside her. The rest of the crowd looked again to be young women and kids.

Jax pulled Stacey beside him, keeping her close. “Hi, everyone,” he called over the noise of the crowd. “Thanks for coming out to see me. I’m glad you did, because now I can let you know … I got married.” His eyes gleaming he held her left hand high, her new ring glinted in the sunlight. “This is my bride, Stacey Green –”

The crowd erupted in questions and cries of surprise, and pressed closer. Jax moved in front of Stacey again for safety’s sake. “Now, I am willing to talk about it at length down the road, but for now I’d like to enjoy my time with my new wife before I have to get back to Atlanta. Thank you for respecting our privacy.”

People surged forward, barking questions. Someone pushed her, and she stumbled backward. The crowd consumed them, jostling, shouting. He waded through them, pulling Stacey behind him. She held her breath, anxious to get away.

Once they were through, he jogged to the truck, with Stacey running to keep up. He opened the passenger door, got her inside, then locked and shut it before hurrying around to the driver’s side. Only a few members of the crowd had followed them and when he cranked the engine they hung back, giving him room to back up and pull out of the parking lot.

After they’d put some distance between them and the bedlam behind them, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. When she met his gaze, she saw anger behind his blue eyes. He slammed his hand on the steering wheel, turning back to the road in front of him. “I’m sorry, Stacey. I had no idea that would happen. I feel bad for putting you through that. Are you okay?” He glanced in her direction.

She nodded. “I’m fine, don’t worry about it.” She chuckled. “That was absolutely nuts.”

He grunted. “People are generally more respectful than what you’ve seen the past few days. I mean, we’ve had a few instances on game days, but security always takes care of it. I’ve never had anything like that happen when I was with the team. Only here in Ardensville.” He sighed again.

“The burden of the hometown hero.”

He shook his head. “I guess.”

“Thank you for rescuing me.”

He frowned. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have needed rescuing.”

“Still, you’re getting in the habit of helping me to safety.” She caught his eye, and the look on his face emptied her head of anything she was about to say. He turned back to the road, but the effect lingered. What was that? Did Jax Green have feelings for her? No, couldn’t be. He was way out of her league. They were pretending to be married and her emotions were getting ahead of her, that’s all. She stared out the window at the storefronts whizzing by. “Did you still want to go furniture shopping?”

He laughed. “After that, I think I’ll wait.”

“Come on. We need furniture.”

“What if it happens again? Next time you could get hurt.”

“If it happens again, we’ll deal with it. We can’t live in fear, right?”

He nodded. “True.”

“And I’m fine. It’s ridiculous to let a posse of small-town fans dictate what we do with our lives. So let’s go.” Stacey didn’t quite feel as confident as her words, but there was something in her that revolted at the idea of being pushed around. She wouldn’t hide away just because there were a handful of people who didn’t approve of their marriage — fake or not.