Tim stared at Molly’s muddy face. One moment he was reading a book with his eyelids drifting shut, the next he was rudely woken by a loud shout and a golden Lab leaping over him. He’d roused to semi-wakefulness, not sure if he was still asleep and dreaming, or if what he saw was actually happening. Then Molly tripped over his legs and fell beside him into the mud. What was it about this woman that she ended up falling down so often?

He brushed her hair from her face, stifling a grin. “What on Earth were you doing?”

“Daisy,” she groaned.

He glanced around, but the dog was nowhere in sight. “I can’t see her. But don’t worry, we’ll find her.” He turned to lie on the ground beside her, resting his head on his hand, and smiled. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

She closed her eyes for a moment, then pushed herself up onto her elbows. Her eyes opened, narrowed, and she fell back again with her hand to her forehead. “Ugh,” she groaned. “I’m a bit dizzy. I might just lie here a few moments.”

“Can I get you anything? Water? An ambulance?”

She giggled. “No, thank you. I’m fine, really. I haven’t fallen like that in … well, I can’t remember the last time.”

“I can. Bowling alley?”

She groaned and covered her face. “Why do I always seem to fall flat and make a complete fool of myself when you’re around?”

“You haven’t made a fool of yourself. But you’ve given me a couple of laughs …”

She grimaced and slapped him playfully on the arm. “Thanks a lot.”

Tim’s hand still rested on her shoulder, and he let his fingertips absently caress her face. This time she met his gaze and her mouth fell open. “Tim …”

Molly … she was so beautiful and smart and independent. He wanted so badly to kiss her that his entire body ached. Before either one of them could say a word, his lips found hers. They were so soft, and her curves melded to his body and his eyes drifted shut. She responded to his touch as he wrapped his arms around her, cupping her back and pulling her tight.

His mind wavered – what was he doing? He was still angry with her for what she’d done. She hadn’t thought before she spoke – again – and this time he’d borne the brunt of her anger. He pulled back. “Molly?”

Her eyes flitted open, her pupils dilated with emotion. She studied his lips before letting her gaze meet his. “Yeah?”

“What are you doing here?”

She frowned. “Kissing you. Well, you kissed me …”

He chuckled. “I mean, why were you running through the garden bed?”

“I told you – Daisy.” She stirred, then staggered to her feet, brushing the dirt and sticks from her clothing.

He saw her knees were skinned and sat up, his brow furrowed. “You’re hurt.”

She followed his gaze to her legs and brushed at them absently. “Oh … I’m fine. I’ve got to find Daisy.”

He stood as well, reached for her hand and squeezed it, then linked his fingers through hers, studying their length and the short pink-painted nails.

Her cheeks colored. “Well … I’m sorry for tripping over you. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

He shook his head. “No, I’m fine. Where do you think that rebel dog might have gone?”

Molly scanned the park. “I don’t know, but when I find her I’m going to kill her. She’s really getting out of control, and she’s gotten so big I find it hard to handle her.”

He nodded. “I can see that. Come on, I’ll help you catch her.”

Tim helped Molly track down Daisy and secured the leash to his own wrist for the moment. She was preoccupied licking Molly’s legs, as though she hadn’t seen her in years.

“I’d best get back to the obedience class. Daisy definitely needs it.”

He smiled wryly. “She’s young – maybe she’ll improve.”

“You know, I didn’t mean what I said.”

He frowned. “Which part?”

“Well I did really, but I didn’t mean to say it the way I did. I meant to say that if you wanted to end things between us because I was too much trouble, I would understand.”

She might understand, but he knew she wouldn’t be likely to have anything more to do with him. And what about their families? The gulf between them would be wider than ever. “I don’t know. We’re kind of invested now …”

“Yeah, but we could back out easily enough.”

“Except that you just told your folks we’re married. So we’re going to upset them no matter what we do – if we tell them the whole thing was a lie, or if we get a fake divorce … I’m not exactly sure how to get out of it. I wish you hadn’t …” He let his voice trail off and rubbed his hands over his face with a sigh.

“I know, I shouldn’t have said we were married. I’m sorry.”

“Forget it. We’ll just have to figure out what to do next.”

“I know. It might mean we put the whole thing behind us …”

His heart fell. Why did her words affect him so much? Face it, if their ridiculous lie was over, it’d make his life a whole lot simpler. He could go back to thinking about work and forget all about bringing the families together. So why did his chest ache at the thought?

Molly said goodbye and sighed as she headed back to the rest of the group, walking their dogs in a neat straight line. He couldn’t help smiling. Daisy would improve with time, but he understood her annoyance. Duke had frustrated him many times with his rebelliousness. He jogged back to his motorbike, memories of his old buddy flooding his mind. His throat tightened as he fitted the helmet over his head. He should really head home, but he felt like giving the heavy bag at the station a beating, so he steered in that direction instead.

While he hit the bag, his fists clenched inside the red and white gloves, his mind raced. He shouldn’t have kissed her like that, but he hadn’t been thinking clearly. He still couldn’t believe she’d told her folks they were already married. Now what? What should he say to his own family? He stopped to wipe the sweat from his brow with the towel hanging around his neck. He sat on a bench, breathing hard, and reached for his water bottle.

Beside him on the seat his phone buzzed. One glance revealed a dozen missed calls from his mother’s cell. He took a slow breath as he tugged off his gloves. Could they know already? He hadn’t spoken to them yet, and there wasn’t anyone else to tell them. Maybe something had happened. He dialed her number and put the phone to his ear. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

A sob resonated down the line.

His heart pounded. “Mom, what is it?”

“Please tell me you’re not married.”

“What? Who told you that?”

“Penny Beluga called me.”

His eyes widened. If Molly’s mother had called his mother, he’d better take a look out the window for pigs with wings. “Mrs. Beluga called you?”

“Yes. She said you went over there for supper on Friday night and told her and Stan that you and Molly were already married. I said that couldn’t be – I know my son wouldn’t do that. He’s aware of how much my being part of his wedding means to me. He’d never elope without telling me …”

Tim coughed to clear his throat as heat crept up his neck. Perhaps Molly was onto something. Penny had called his mother over the phone, which meant she’d been willing to reach out to her. Even if they were only united in their anger toward him it was still a sign of possible peace. “Sorry, Mom.”

“So it’s true?”

“Yes. We’re married. We’re in love, and we didn’t want to deal with the family feud at the wedding.” His gut churned with nerves. He cared for Molly, but to say he loved her was a stretch – he’d never said it about or to a woman in his life. He almost had to chew on the word awhile before he could let it free. But even as he did, he found it easier to say than he’d expected.

“Well, I’m disappointed. Very disappointed, son.”

“Again, Mom, I’m sorry. But you know, Molly wants to get both families together for a party. You know, to celebrate the marriage – like a wedding without the ceremony.”

“I suppose that might be nice.”

By the time he hung up the phone, his mother seemed excited about the prospect of a party. She’d offered to help arrange a venue, and he’d accepted. He set his phone on the bench beside him again and ran a hand over his brow to wipe away the sweat. He’d have to call Molly to tell her about it, of course, but if they could get her folks involved as well, the two sides would have to communicate – they’d have no choice.

Tim smiled and picked up his gloves. It wasn’t working out the way he’d planned, but perhaps they’d get their families talking before it was all over. And that would have to be sooner rather than later, since he didn’t know how long they could get away with pretending to be wed.

Molly tucked a pencil behind her ear and tapped at her keyboard, her thoughts on Tim and the phone conversation they’d just had. When she’d answered, his voice had made her heart thump and her palms sweat. Just remembering it made her smile.

She shook her head – time to concentrate on what she was doing, rather than a certain someone with biceps that seemed to have a life of their own and blue eyes with an intensity that took her breath away.

She was close to finishing a story, and the words were flowing. She loved writing when it happened that way, when it seemed to come so easily. Other days it felt worse than a dentist pulling teeth – those were the times she’d head out and drive around town, or go home to take Daisy for a run.

“Molly, can you come in here a moment?” called Amanda from her office doorway.

Molly glanced up at her with narrowed eyes. She was so close, and she hated interruptions when she was in the zone. Frowning, she stood and hurried over. Perhaps it would only take a moment and she could get back to her article. She held onto the door frame and leaned inside. “Yes?”

“Come on in and shut the door behind you, please.”

Molly groaned inwardly. So much for being in the zone. “Sure.” She closed the door and sat in one of the easy chairs facing Amanda’s desk.

Her sister stood behind the desk, her high-waisted pants buckled with a smart black belt over a simple white top. Paired with black-rimmed glasses, it made her look professional and stylish all at once. She chewed on her lower lip, rearranging papers on her desk. “I want your opinion.”

“Okay.”

“That feature piece you wrote on unemployment is really good, and I’m considering it for the front page.”

“Wow, thanks, Amanda. That’s really great.”

Amanda allowed a brief smile. “You’re welcome. You did a good job on it. The problem is, we have a lot of great pieces for tomorrow’s edition and I’m not sure where to place it. Can you come around here and take a look? I thought a fresh pair of eyes might help.”

Molly joined Amanda on her side of the desk, set her hands on her hips and studied the front-page layout on her computer screen. She moved a couple of pieces around, had a change of heart and put them back where they’d been.

Amanda nodded. “Yes, that’s what I was thinking, but it doesn’t work …”

“No, it doesn’t. Hmmm … how about the online edition? We could publish some of these articles on the website instead of the print edition and that way you’d have room for them all. Plus it’d help us take a piece from the Chron on the digital front …”

“Okay, I like it – let’s do that.”

Molly smiled. “Great.” Whatever had happened to bring Amanda around on that subject, she wasn’t sure, but she wasn’t complaining.

“So,” Amanda asked carefully, “how are things between you and Tim?”

Molly met her gaze. How much did her sister know? “Have you talked to Mom?”

Amanda’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.”

“And …”

“And I can’t believe you got married without telling me – I’m your only sister. I mean, it’s a given that I’d be your bridesmaid – at least I thought so. Now I’ll never get that chance. Not to mention that I wasn’t even told.”

Molly nodded. “I’m sorry, Amanda – I didn’t really think that part through. The only thing going through my head was that it’d make things easier on everyone …”

“I don’t think that was the only thing going through your head – don’t forget, I’ve seen your fireman. He and his brother appear in the social pages often enough, and I’ve run into them both at cocktail parties.” Amanda’s eyes sparked playfully.

Molly sighed. “I’m sorry. But if it makes you feel any better, I just spoke to Tim a few minutes ago and he says his parents have agreed to a party – like a wedding reception, I suppose. We’re all going to get together to celebrate, and you can be my bridesmaid at the party.”

Amanda frowned. “Your bridesmaid at a party? That would be completely lame. Don’t placate me – you know I hate that.”

“Just a thought,” Molly muttered, running a hand through her hair. For a moment she felt bad about Amanda missing out, then remembered it was all a lie and Amanda hadn’t missed a thing. That brought on a rush of guilt for telling a lie, and her stomach clenched like a fist. Amanda’s attention returned to the layout, but Molly could see her cheeks and neck were blotched with red. “Um … Amanda. There’s something I should tell you.”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s not true.”

“What’s not true?” Amanda continued shifting pieces of paper around on her desk with the tips of her fingers.

“The whole marriage thing. The relationship with Tim. All of it – it’s a lie.” Molly’s pulse throbbed in her throat and the fist in her stomach clenched harder.

Amanda stopped shuffling papers and folded her arms with a glare. “What do you mean, it’s a lie?”

“Just that,” mumbled Molly, her gaze downcast. “We made it up.”

“Why would you do that?”

Molly inhaled sharply. “We wanted to bring our families together. This whole feud across generations is out of control! Each side blames the other of causing it, and makes the same accusations, and I want it to stop with us. I don’t want to pass it onto the next generation. When Tim and I ran into each other, we got to talking and I realized he’s not my enemy. And he shouldn’t be yours either. He’s a really nice guy.”

Amanda’s glare only intensified. “You made the whole relationship up? You’re not married?”

“No, we’re not even dating. Though we did kiss …”

Amanda walked to the other end of her office and back, her eyes flashing. “I can’t believe you’d do this, Molly. I mean, you’ve come up with some harebrained schemes before, I’ll give you that, but this is beyond the pale. Did you even think about how it would affect me, or Momma or Daddy? Even Grandpa is beside himself. He’s acting like it’s the Cold War and you’ve defected to the Soviet Union!” She rubbed her face and groaned. “What are we going to tell them? They’ll be even more upset when they find out it’s all make-believe.”

“We’re not going to tell them anything. I’m only telling you because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. When I get married, of course you’ll be my bridesmaid.” She walked to Amanda and threw her arms around her, hugging her close even as her voice broke with emotion. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Amanda sniffled against her shoulder. “You know I probably won’t get married myself – I just want to live vicariously through you and to be standing next to you when you pledge your life to someone. I want to always be there when you’ve got big, important life events.”

Molly laughed. “Thank you. I’m glad you feel that way – I feel the same.”

“What about Vicky? How does she feel about all of it?”

Molly laughed and patted Amanda’s back. “She’d never let me get married without a wedding. She’s determined to be a bridesmaid too.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” chuckled Amanda. “She’d chase you down and force you into a white dress.”

Molly laughed along with her. “You know it.”

“So does this mean you and Tim don’t have feelings for each other? Because that’s not the impression I got.”

“What do you mean?” Molly’s brow furrowed.

“Every time you talk about him you light up like a Christmas tree.”

Molly huffed. “That is not true.”

“Yes, it is. You care about him, I’m sure of it. Plus he’s hot. So when do I get to meet him for real, not just at a cocktail party?”

Molly frowned. Tim was hot, at least to her way of thinking. If someone had asked about her type, she’d have answered differently a month ago, but now … tall, dark, athletic with sky blue eyes? There wasn’t anything about his looks she’d consider improving on.

“He is very attractive, I’ll give you that…”

Amanda chuckled. “Stuart’s not bad-looking either. I’ve done my best to steer clear of the Holden brothers over the years, which hasn’t been difficult given how many bimbos are usually clustered around them when I’ve seen them out on the town. I’ve had a few discussions with Stuart, editor to editor, but I’ve never spoken to Tim for more than a minute or so – and that’s including calling him while we were baking.”

Molly arched an eyebrow. “How come I never met him before then?”

“You don’t go to cocktail parties. But I have to, ever since I became editor. I must network, as Daddy’s always telling me. Networking brings in stories, and we need the stories. And you didn’t answer my question – is it all fake?”

Molly pondered her sister’s words – was it? She’d been so busy thinking about everything else, she hadn’t made space to consider her own feelings. Perhaps a better question to ask was what she’d do if he walked out of her life tomorrow. How would that make her feel?

Finally she shook her head. “I don’t know, really. I like him. There’s definitely a spark between us. But the reason we faked our relationship is exactly why it would never work between us for real – our families hate each other. For all my bluster and pretending, I could never marry a man my family hates. You’re too important to me.”

“Who said anything about marriage?” snorted Amanda. “Well, okay, you did, but … I just wondered if you’d actually date him for real.”

“For me, that’s what it’s about. I don’t want to date someone I couldn’t end up with.”

“But if you don’t date him, how will you know if you could end up with him? Catch-22.” Amanda rested her hands on her desk, then sat slowly with a sigh. “And it’s something I’ve struggled with enough times to know how hard it is.”

Molly leaned her rear against the desk and crossed her arms. She felt a little hollow inside from their discussion and her throat ached. “I know you have. You’ve dated guys who don’t know or appreciate the real you, but just want the Amanda photographed in the Lifestyle section.”

Amanda nodded and sighed. “Never mind. I’m married to the Times and so be it. But not you – you’ll find someone amazing, fall in love and get married, I know it.”

“Until I met Tim, I didn’t think so. After Andrew broke my heart, I was done – I didn’t want to date or fall in love again. But now …”

Amanda grinned. “Now?”

“Now I’m not so sure.”

“Well, since you’re obviously developing feelings for the hot fireman, I won’t tell Momma and Daddy about how it’s an enormous pile of baloney. At least not yet. I’ll give you a chance to work things out yourself. And when you tell them the truth, which you’ll have to at some point, I’ll be there to help you pick up the pieces.”

Molly laughed and rested a hand on Amanda’s arm. “Thanks, sis, I really appreciate it. Though it might all be for nothing anyway – Tim’s not happy with me at the moment.”

“What do you mean? Why not?” Amanda frowned.

“Because I snapped at him. You know how I get when I’m stressed. Well, I said some things that hurt his feelings.”

Amanda chuckled. “He’s gonna have to get used to that if he plans on marrying a Beluga.”

Molly nodded. “That’s a big if.”