Right. Chuck wasn’t here, so why had I insisted on being Ryleigh’s date?
Because you want her.
I shoved that thought away with as much force as humanly possible. Ryleigh wasn’t Rose. She wasn’t down for a good time between friends. She wanted the whole white picket fence and two-point-five kids kind of life. Hell, she’d already started building the house. The woman didn’t just have a five-year plan, she had a fifty-year plan.
I lived my life season to season.
We made it to the Yukon just as a mist of rain settled in. I’d backed the SUV in, so Ryleigh popped the hatch and we climbed into the blanket-covered back.
“You made a hell of a nest.” I put my shoes just inside the hatch as she did the same as I closed us in from the impending storm. Hopefully the worst of it would hold off until the movie finished.
“Turns out there’s a lot of room back here when you lay the seats down.” We settled in, leaning back against the front row seats and watching the movie through the panoramic sunroof.
I popped open the Sour Patch Kids and offered her some.
“Thanks.” She popped the candy between her lips and chewed thoughtfully, her brow puckering as the tornado chasers continued their journey on-screen.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Absolutely.” She flashed me a fake smile. “Why would you ask?”
I scoffed. “Because you look about as comfortable as a mouse in a room full of rocking chairs.”
She snorted, giving me the first genuine smile I’d seen from her all evening. “You sound like your grandmother.”
“You’re avoiding the question.” I popped another one of the sour candies.
“Was that Rose Howell out there?” she asked, looking away and shoving a handful of popcorn in her mouth.
“Yeah, I ran into her at the snack stand.” I started in on the popcorn, too.
“Ah. I see.” Her jaw went tight. “And is that the first time you’ve…run into her since you came back into town?”
Understanding slammed into me, and it was all I could do to keep from smiling. She was jealous? Or…was it more than that? “Yeah. It’s the first time I’ve seen her since the Christmas before last.”
“Oh.” Her shoulders relaxed. “And are you planning on running into her again?” She kept her eyes locked on the screen, as if the conversation was simply small talk when we both knew it wasn’t.
“Ryleigh Dunham. If you have a question to ask me, just come out and ask it. You’ve never been one to beat around the damned bush.” I crossed one ankle over the other and stared at her until she turned slightly, meeting my gaze.
Her lips pursed as we had a stare-off in the back of the truck. What were we? Eight?
“Ry.”
“Fine,” she said with an exasperated sigh. “I just think that if we’re going to pull this whole fake dating thing off, that it might be a little difficult if you’re sneaking off to go hook up with Rose.” She shoved another handful of popcorn into her mouth and looked away.
“I’m not sneaking off to go hook up with Rose.”
She glanced my way a few times before finally turning her head and shifting her body toward mine. “I know I don’t remotely have the right to ask you to be…celibate.”
A grin tugged at my lips. “Ry, I’m anything but celibate, but trust me, I can make it another week. My dick doesn’t overrule my head.”
The corner of her mouth rose in a smirk. “I remember your dick leading you into a lot of trouble.”
“Sure, when I was a teenager.” I laughed. “I’m all grown up now.”
“I’ve noticed.” She ran her tongue over her lower lip and looked away, as though the tension building between us was too much.
It was.
“Besides, I’m not going to jeopardize your whole plan to get your relationship back just because I like sex.” Which I did. A lot. It was the only rush that compared with scoring a game-winning goal. “I have a little self-control.”
“Thank you.” Her voice dropped. “I really appreciate what you’re doing for me. I know it’s not the trip you had planned.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for.” I shrugged. “And honestly this trip is about my family. It’s about watching my sister get her happily ever after and doing whatever I can to help my parents. So, helping you out is just a bonus.”
She gave me a soft smile, and I couldn’t look away. She was always beautiful, but there was something spectacular about seeing her all unguarded like this.
My chest tightened like there was a vise around my ribs.
Her heart belongs to another man. Talk about a dick-crushing thought.
“So, how is the plan going, anyway?” I asked.
“Well, he believes that we’re dating,” she replied with a grin. “He went off on my mom at the Hy-Vee about making sure that I wasn’t just setting myself up for heartbreak. He called you my rebound. Mom said he sounded pretty jealous.”