Tim killed the Hog’s engine, set the kickstand, pulled off his helmet and looked around. Greensboro was full to bursting with people – he’d only snagged a parking space so close to the festival because he was on a motorcycle and could fit the vehicle into a smaller space. He locked the helmet onto his bike, grabbed his overnight duffel from the saddlebags and slung it over his shoulder. He headed for the main street, easy to spot because of all the people spilling from the end of it and the tops of the white tents that signaled the presence of market stalls.

He still wasn’t sure how he’d find Molly. He knew he could always give her a call, but he hoped to surprise her. Since she was writing an article about the festival, it was likely he’d run into her there – somewhere. He strolled along the main drag, stopping now and then to examine the wares at various stalls. He saw funnel cakes, fried Mars Bars and fried pickles at one, handmade clothing at another, jewelry at still another. But no sign of Molly.

A family wandered by, the children holding cotton candy and balloons. The smallest child dragged her balloon behind her on the end of a stick, its rubber surface grating on the pavement and loose gravel. When it popped, she burst into tears, Tim had to bite his lip to contain a wry smile – he’d seen that coming a mile off.

As he wound through the crowd, cheering further ahead caught his attention. When he reached the source of the noise, he found a large crowd gathered around a dunk tank. A large man in a white apron sat waiting to be dunked, the few strands of hair on his head swaying in the breeze.

Molly crossed her arms. The dunk tank was a new addition to the festival, and she grinned as she watched Chef Adams fall into the water with a gigantic splash. The crowd cheered and whistled in approval and he pushed free of the water, arms raised high in victory, setting them off even louder than before.

She laughed and raised her phone to take a photograph. It’d help with the article – the official photographer the Times sent to cover the story had only stayed in Greensboro for an afternoon. Probably one of their images would be printed alongside her story in the print edition, but she still liked to take photos when she could, to stir memories or better help her describe the atmosphere. And perhaps they’d let her use them for an online piece, if she was lucky.

A man hurried up the steps to the platform beside the dunk tank, a microphone in hand.

“Thank you, Chef Riley Adams – you’re a real sport. Let’s give him another round of applause, folks. And the next time you stop into the Harmony Inn, make sure you order their lunch special – chicken pot pie with sweet potato fries!” The crowd cheered again, this time with less fervor.

The announcer cleared his throat. “Ahem … so who’s next? Come on up, folks, and take a turn! We’re raising money for a great cause – the Greensboro YMCA!”

Molly spotted the mayor standing on the edge of the crowd. He wore khaki pants and a button-down shirt, so she hadn’t recognized him right away. He spied her at exactly the same moment, smiled warmly and began walking toward her. Her heart fell – surely he didn’t want to repeat the awkward evening they’d had?

“Hi, Molly.”

“Peter, it’s good to see you.”

He rested a hand on her arm. “Come on – as he said, it’s for a good cause.”

Her eyes widened. “What? You don’t mean …”

He cocked his head and his eyes twinkled. “Who better to dunk than our very favorite out-of-town journalist?”

People standing around them began to clap and cheer her on. Soon, the announcer got wind of it and turned to face them with an exaggerated grin. “Do we have another victim? Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe Molly Beluga from the Georgia Times is offering herself as our next dunkee!”

Molly’s mouth fell open as the crowd erupted into cheering and catcalls. She met the mayor’s gaze and her eyes narrowed – this was payback, she was sure of it. “Thanks so much, Peter.”

He mock-bowed. “You’re most welcome.”

“Just for that, you can hold my purse … and my watch … and these pumps. They’re leather.” Quickly she shed everything that might be ruined by the water, leaving her in her blouse, skirt and bare feet. She marched to the dunk tank and climbed the stairs, lifting her chin as she went. If she must go through with it, she’d do it with style. She waved to the crowd, eliciting another round of cheers.

With a grin, she climbed carefully onto the seat. Some of the others had tested the water’s temperature before they settled themselves, but she’d prefer to be ignorant until she landed in it. She crossed her arms and waited.

Within moments, there was a line of children and teenagers all waiting to take their turn at the target to send her into the water below. The first was a girl no more than six. She took the ball offered her, then smiled and waved to Molly, revealing a missing front tooth. “Hi, Miss Bewuga!” she called.

Molly laughed. “Hello. Are you ready to knock me into the water?”

The girl nodded.

“Okay, let’s see you do it.”

She threw the ball as best she could, but it fell short of the target. The crowd cheered anyway.

One by one the children took their turns, most missing by a mile. Finally a rotund teenage boy with spiky brown hair stepped up, grinned and aimed carefully. When he let it go, Molly knew it was over. Sure enough, he nailed the target and she fell into the water, the cold taking her breath away. When she emerged, she heard shouting, whistling and laughter all around. She waved again and stepped out of the tank shivering.

Now what? She searched the sea of faces for someone with a towel, then felt one being put around her shoulders from behind. She turned with a smile. “Thank you … oh!”

Tim smiled at her, letting his hands linger on the towel as he rubbed her back dry.

“What … what are you doing here?”

He chuckled. “I wanted to see you. And since you’ve been dodging me for weeks back home, I thought I’d come here.”

Her head spun. What was going on? She’d told him she was there, but hadn’t expected him to show up! Now how would she follow her plan to avoid him until the feelings between them faded? Here he was in tight jeans, biceps spilling from the sleeves of his green T-shirt, his impossibly cute smile only inches from her face. “Oh. Well, I’m very busy. So I’m sorry you came all this way to …”

Tim grabbed her arms, pushed her against the back of the dunk tank and kissed her, hard. Her arms went around his neck of their own accord, urging him closer. Their kiss grew more urgent as her feelings burst free of the dam she’d tried to put them behind. She knew nothing could be the same as it was – she couldn’t go back to being friends, or sometime acquaintances, the way she’d planned to do. And her heart rejoiced.

He grinned against her lips, leaning his forehead against hers and gazing into her eyes. “Are you still too busy to see me?”

She bit her lip and resisted the urge to kiss him all over his face as love swamped her and washed away all reason and logic. All the doubts she’d had, all the worries and anxieties over family, work and everything else, were gone. “Well … I am still busy,” she quipped with a grin.

“Then I’ll have to see what I can do about that.” His lips were on hers again, this time more gently, making her tremble from head to toe.

Afterward she leaned against him, his arms wrapped tightly around her. “Okay, I give in. I’m all yours.”

He chuckled. “Glad to hear it.”

“So what will you do with me? And my family – that’s still part of the bargain.”

He raised her chin with his finger until her eyes met his. “I guess I’ll just have to do the best I can.” He kissed her again, lightly on the lips, then the tip of her nose, then her forehead. “I missed you, but you wouldn’t see me. And I couldn’t live with that – I need you in my life.”

Her heart expanded with joy. “I didn’t think Tim Holden needed anyone or anything?”

He tipped his head to one side. “Really? I guess you’ve still got a lot to learn about me. But I’ve got to be honest about something. When we first agreed to our … arrangement …”

She nodded, encouraging him on.

“… I had a bet with Callum.”

Her eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“He bet me I couldn’t stay in a relationship with a woman for more than a month. We put five hundred dollars on it and I saw you as my chance to win. Now to be frank, I also liked you, so I thought it would be an easy five hundred. Boy, was I wrong about that.” He chuckled. “Then I got to know you and developed feelings for you – real feelings. The bet might have been the reason this whole thing started, but it’s over now. I’m here because I want you – forever.”

She sighed and snuggled into his chest, even as the crowd behind them erupted into cheers at another splash in the dunk tank. “I always wondered what made you think a fake engagement was a good idea. Now it all makes sense.”

“You’re not mad?”

She laughed. “No, I’m not mad.”

“I know we were fake-married, and before that we were fake-engaged, but I was wondering if you’d consider dating me. For real this time.”

Her heart leapt. “Yes, I’ll date you.” She reached up to pull him into another kiss. His lips began to feel familiar in a warm, delicious kind of way. “Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Was that you on the news, pulling those kids out of the burning house?”

He nodded, his face grim. “Yeah, that was me.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about it?”

“You weren’t returning my calls. I didn’t think you’d want to hear about my day.”

She shook her head with a frown. “I always want to hear about your day, about everything in your life. Especially the death-defying things.”

“Okay, I’ll keep you informed in the future. Now, let’s get you out of those wet clothes.” He winked.

“Now watch it, Mr. Holden – I’m not that kind of woman.”

He laughed. “And for that I’m eternally grateful – you’re just the right kind of woman for me. I couldn’t be more in love with you, or more in awe.”

She laughed. “You’re in love with me?”

“Didn’t I just say that?”

“But before you only said you missed me and needed me. You never mentioned love.”

“Well, that’s because I’ve never said it to anyone before.”

“Never?” Her eyes widened. She’d said it to one man, and he’d rejected her so sharply she was certain she’d never say it again. But now she wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

“It’s not something that comes easily to me.”

“What isn’t – saying that you love someone, or loving them?”

He cupped her cheeks and stared deeply into her eyes. “Both. But I’ll say it now – I love you, Molly Beluga. I’ve loved you since the moment I met you and carried you down eight flights of stairs.”

She grinned, her throat tightening with emotion. “And I love you too, Tim Holden. Ever since you made me break the bowling alley floor.”

Molly had everything packed into her car hours ago, ready to head back to Atlanta and write her story – among other things. But then she and Tim had wandered around the festival together, and this time she’d enjoyed it more than she ever had before. They’d tried corn dogs and cotton candy, admired the vintage cars, listened hand-in-hand to live music on the main stage. Tim even convinced her to buy one of the floral dresses she’d seen every single year but never purchased. “I hate to say goodbye, Tim, but I can’t ride with you and leave my car and all my stuff in Greensboro.”

Tim pulled her close and kissed her. “I know, and I can’t leave the Hog here either, so we’ll have to drive separately. But I’ll follow you the whole way and stop in at your apartment.”

“To tell me goodbye?” she chuckled.

“Of course.” He raised an eyebrow and his gaze raked over her, making her heart rate accelerate.

She extricated herself from his embrace, climbed into her car and waved to him as he donned his helmet and mounted his Harley. As she pulled onto the road, she glanced in her rear-view mirror, and her heart warmed to see him following at a safe distance. He looked unbelievably hot, sitting low on the bike, the sunlight glinting off his shiny black helmet.

By the time they reached her apartment, she felt the fatigue of having been on the go for three full days, eating fried foods and sleeping in a strange bed. She was very much looking forward to slumping on the couch with a salad or some fruit and falling asleep during a movie.

And she couldn’t wait to see Daisy. It was the first time she’d been away from the dog so long since she’d bought her, and Vicky had promised to faithfully feed, walk and take care of her. But she also knew Daisy might destroy something valuable while Molly was gone. Her heart pounded at the thought and she quickly tugged her suitcase from her trunk and pulled it up the steps to the elevator.

She found Tim already waiting by the elevator door, leaning against the wall with his legs crossed. He grinned when he saw her – a long, slow grin that sent her heart rate skyrocketing once again. “Hi,” was all she could manage.

“Hi,” he replied, then took her and kissed her with slow, delicious passion.

“Mmmm … I could get used to that,” she murmured.

He chuckled. “I sure hope so. Let me take that.”

She handed him her luggage and leaned against his warmth as they entered the elevator and it rose to her floor. Standing outside her apartment door with the key in the lock, she inhaled sharply and squeezed her eyes shut, wrinkling her nose with worry.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m worried what Daisy’s done while I was gone. It’s quite possible Vicky has murdered her and made a lampshade out of her skin.”

His eyes widened. “Wow. Remind me to stay on Vicky’s good side.”

She laughed. “I guess I can’t hide from the truth forever. Here goes …” She pushed the door open and scanned the room frantically for any sign of chaos. The light was on in the kitchen, and she peered around the wall to see Vicky buzzing around, humming along to a tune on her Bluetooth speaker. “Vicky, I’m home!” she called, stepping inside.

“Yay, you’re back! I’m so glad! I’m making tacos – are you hungry?” Vicky hurried over, holding her hands in the air so as not to get taco sauce on Molly’s clothes when she embraced her. She stopped mid-hug when she saw Tim and offered him a smile. “Hi, Tim. Fancy seeing you here.” She winked at Molly and walked back to the kitchen. “Sorry, I can’t stop – I’m just browning the beef and making the salad. It’s all happening!”

Tim shut the door behind them as Molly followed her friend to the kitchen. “Tacos sound amazing. I’ve been eating so much fried food, I’m afraid to step on the scales in case I’ve gained five pounds – my stomach is so bloated!”

Vicky studied her through narrowed eyes. “I highly doubt you have – you never gain weight. It’s thoroughly irritating.”

Molly smiled and sat on a barstool facing Vicky. “I missed you. So where’s Daisy?” Nerves fluttered in her stomach. Daisy always greeted her at the front door – it wasn’t promising that there was no sign of her.

“Oh, she’s probably still asleep. I let her sleep in your room, since she seemed so sad with you gone. And we went for a really long run today – she was all tuckered out, poor dear.”

Molly frowned. “Really?”

“Yep.” Vicky grinned.

“And you don’t have anything else to tell me?” asked Molly. Tim walked up behind her and began massaging her shoulders, sending bolts of electricity through her.

Vicky shook her head. “Nope. We had a lot of fun together.”

Molly let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “That’s great.” She spun around and kissed Tim. “Did you hear that?” she whispered.

He nodded and stroked her cheek. “I did. It sounds like Daisy was a good little girl.”

Molly hurried to her bedroom and found the dog fast asleep on the enormous velvet pillow Molly had sewed for her when she first brought her home. She knelt beside her and stroked her head. Daisy’s eyes popped open and her tail thumped hard against the pillow. Before long she was trotting around the apartment, too excited to stay still, and Molly was laughing and tickling and chasing her.

“I’m going to head home,” said Tim.

Molly ran over, linked her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to plant a kiss. “Okay. Thanks for seeing me home.”

“You’re welcome.”

“So does this mean we’re going steady?” she asked with a glint in her eyes.

He threw his head back and laughed. “I guess it does.”

“Because I’m just crazy for you, Mr. Holden.”

He kissed her, his hands caressing to the small of her back. “And I’m so in love with you, Miss Beluga. Are you free tomorrow night?”

“I might be. What do you have in mind?”

“How about a movie? We never really did the whole dating thing and this time I want to get it right.”

She chuckled. “A movie sounds perfect.”

“Great, I’ll pick you up at six.” He headed for the door.