The Bachelor on the Shelf (Reindeer Falls)

I prance out of the closet, ready to seduce Carter wearing nothing but his baseball jersey, knee-highs and panties.

“Ready to play ball?” I purr. Because surely that’s what one says while wearing such an outfit.

“Um, what is happening?” Carter’s looking at me with some mixture of amusement and lust. Pretty sure there’s a hint of lust.

Okay. Hopefully there’s lust. Because now that I’m catching sight of myself in the mirror, I see that the problem is a little bigger than I expected.

“Yeah, I didn’t really get the sizing right,” I say, tugging at the jersey that falls way past my knees.

Carter laughs. “That’s an understatement. We could both fit in that jersey together. What’s the story with the socks?”

“Well,” I explain, lifting up the jersey to show off the socks, “when I did an internet search on ‘sexy baseball girls,’ they were all wearing tiny jerseys with knee-high socks. But I think they must come in women’s sizes, because this pair I grabbed are like thigh-highs on me.”

“Uh-huh,” Carter says, shaking his head.

I roll my eyes. “Just… use your imagination, okay?”

“Oh. I am,” he says, running a hand through his hair. “Indeed I am. Out of curiosity, did you buy a new swimsuit to wear under that?”

At that, I light up. “I’m so glad you asked because I definitely got that part right!”

I turn around and flash him my brand-new panties that say I’m a Home Run on the ass.

And, yes, okay, they’re full coverage and basically granny panties… but they’re on theme, and that’s what matters!

Carter’s eyes widen.

“My God,” he says, clearly holding back a laugh. “You really should have led with that.”

I turn back. “Oh, come on, put me in, Coach!”

At that he nearly chokes, and I think that I might’ve blown this completely. I deflate a little, unsure of myself.

But then he stands and scoops me up with one movement so that I’m straddling him around his middle, and even if I am the worst groupie ever, it appears Carter is still more than ready to put me in. Or the reverse of that, as it were.

“If you insist, ball girl,” he says, grinning. And it isn’t long at all before I’m out of the jersey, the socks and the granny panties, as Carter’s mouth rounds the bases and hits a home run just for me.

Chapter Eleven

The next few days are a blur of more dates around Reindeer Falls. We visit the Teddy Bear Café, watch a hobby horse race, get cookies from Ginger’s Bake Shop and do a live video ranking them for Carter’s Instagram, and go for a few more hikes with Rudy.

It all seems beautiful and perfect, and the mind-blowing sex doesn’t do anything to dissuade me from letting myself believe in this fake engagement. I decide that this is in the nature of a fling. To enjoy it while it lasts. Or maybe… maybe this is the real deal.

It’s stupid to think that. I’m watching both of my friends struggle with the inconsistent devotion of the Sheppard boys. One minute, they’re seemingly lovesick. The next? Facing eviction and spinsterhood.

But Carter’s different, I remind myself. He’s sweet and loving and secretly a big softie. He has plans for Reindeer Falls, roots that he’s going to return to. It isn’t completely ridiculous of me to think that he might see me as part of that dream. I’ve even started thinking about how I could run complementary library programs for his youth program with a sports reading program. Maybe I could even get guest speakers. Like athletes or coaches. I bet Carter could convince all sorts of people to stop in Reindeer Falls for a guest lecture.

The point is, Ryan and Jake? They have exit plans. But Carter has a reentry plan. And it’s not totally out of left field for me to be part of it.

I smile at the thought as I fix my coffee for another day with Carter. Maybe we’ll go swing through the different neighborhoods to look at the lights. Or we could hang out in our pajamas. Or get naked. I’m pretty open to all of the above.

I settle down at the table, happily sipping away as I peruse the Internet for my morning gossip fix. I’ve done the rounds on a few different takes when, suddenly, I nearly spit out my coffee.

Carter Sheppard Inks Massive Nike Deal—Get All the Deets Here!

Massive deal? Nice of him to mention it to me, his fake fiancée. I click the link frantically, heart crashing at the sight of a beaming Carter decked out in Nike gear, seated on what is clearly Uncle Joe’s couch.

So… I guess that’s it? He got what he wanted and he’s done with me?

No. Carter isn’t like that. He wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t, right? Except why didn’t he mention he got the endorsement deal? Why keep it from me? Is it because this article is our expiration date? I look at it closer.