“Kira!”
The front door slammed, and heavy footsteps tromped down the hallway. Her heart pounded and she ignored the look Grace gave her.
“What?” She hoped she sounded casual – wait did she sound too casual?
“Can I use your shower?”
He popped into the kitchen, already beginning to strip off his shirt and she soaked in the sight of his sweaty, naked chest as he grinned at her best friend. “Hey, Grace.”
“Hi, Daniel. Why are you always half-naked?” Grace asked as Kira set the knife down and tried not to lick her lips. Or drool.
“The ladies love it,” Daniel said with another grin. He wiped the sweat off his chest and his perfect abs with his shirt before shifting the duffel bag on his shoulder. “Do you mind, Kira? The guys and I were playing ball and I lost track of time. I need to be at the firehouse in twenty minutes and your place is on the way.”
“They have a shower at the station,” Grace said.
“Yeah, but there’s no line-up for Kira’s shower.”
“Maybe she’s already got someone in her shower.”
Daniel laughed before crossing the kitchen and slinging his arm around Kira’s shoulders. “You bring some guy home from the bar last night, doll?”
Her traitorous body was already trying to lean into him, and Kira forced herself to stand perfectly still as Daniel stared at her. She could feel the heat of his body against hers and she wanted to rest her head against his shoulder. At 5’10” he was only a few inches taller than her and their bodies fit together perfectly. She wouldn’t have to crane her neck to kiss him and it would make having sex in the shower super easy.
Do not start thinking about sex in the shower with Daniel. Do not start thinking about –
“Well, do you?” Daniel said teasingly.
“No, of course not,” she replied. “Go ahead and use it, you know where the towels are.”
“Thanks, doll.” He gave her a playful slap on the ass before leaving the kitchen.
Kira’s cheeks flushed and she stared down at herself, mostly in an effort to avoid Grace’s gaze.
“Shit,” she muttered. Her shirt was stained with watermelon juice and there was a grease spot on her yoga pants. Why did she always look her worst when Daniel was around?
“You really shouldn’t have given him a key,” Grace said as Kira left the half-cut watermelon on the counter and sank into a kitchen chair.
“He’s my friend,” Kira said. “You have a key to my place.”
“Yeah, and I don’t use it to take advantage of you and your shower, your fridge, your sixty-inch TV, your -”
“He’s not taking advantage of me.” Kira ran a hand through her blonde hair.
“Honey,” Grace leaned forward and took her hand, “Daniel’s been taking advantage of your crush on him since we were in high school.”
“Keep your voice down.” Kira glanced at the doorway.
“Honey, if he isn’t interested by now then he’s never going to be.”
Kira gave Grace a hurt look. “Why would you say that? You’re supposed to be my friend and -”
They both looked up as the front door slammed again and another set of heavy footsteps trod down the hallway. “Kira, did I leave my wallet here last night?”
Her brother Gideon appeared in the kitchen. Seven years older than her, his height, dark hair and large body were the complete opposite to her short and slender body, blonde hair and blue eyes. He favoured their father in looks while Kira took after their mother’s side.
“Yeah, it’s on top of the fridge,” Kira said.
“Thanks.” Gideon grabbed his wallet and stuffed it into his back pocket. He was wearing his uniform and she studied the gun at his hip as he grabbed a juice from the fridge. He didn’t normally work on a Sunday and she gave him a puzzled look.
“Why are you working today?”
He took a drink of the juice. “Ian’s nanny is out sick. Talk to you later.”
“Aren’t you going to say hello to Grace?” Kira scowled at him when he ruffled her blonde hair.
“Hey.” Gideon gave Grace a stiff smile.
“Hello, Gideon. How are you?”
“Can’t complain. You?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
Grace was staring at the table, and Kira reached across and poked her arm. “Grace, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Grace mumbled.
Gideon cleared his throat. “I need to get to work. Bye, ladies.”
“Bye, Gideon,” Kira replied.
He left before Grace could say anything and Kira poked her again. “Tell me what’s wrong, Gracie-Lou.”
“Don’t call me Gracie-Lou and nothing’s wrong,” Grace said. “What were we talking about?”
“You were telling me how Daniel was never going to be interested in me.”
Grace raised her head and stared at her. Her bright green eyes were solemn looking, and she studied Kira for a few moments before saying, “Fuck it.”
“Fuck what?” Kira gave her a bewildered look.
“You want Daniel Moore, right?”
“You know I do.” Kira made another quick peek at the doorway.
“Then you’re going to have him.”
“What’s gotten into you? Just a minute ago you were telling me he’d never be interested, and in the last few months you’ve become increasingly irritable about my love for Daniel.”
“I haven’t been irritable,” Grace said.
“Oh please,” Kira said. “You’ve been super bitchy about almost everything. Even Addie said something to me about your mood and she never says anything negative about anyone.”
Grace crossed her arms over her ample chest. “First – sorry I’ve been a bitch. Second – as your best friend I’m making it my mission to get Daniel Moore into your bed. A woman should have the man she wants.”
Kira cocked her head and studied Grace for a moment. “I’m not sure if I’m impressed or terrified of this new version of Grace.”
Grace just grinned at her. “Okay, we need a game plan. Operation ‘Bang Daniel’ has officially begun.”
Kira couldn’t help but laugh. “Could we come up with something less crude?”
“What’s wrong with crude? I like crude.” Daniel sauntered back into the kitchen, his blond hair wet from the shower, and his t-shirt sticking to his perfect chest. Kira gave Grace a look of dismay.
“Um…”
Daniel stared expectantly at her.
“Are your arms bigger or is it just my imagination?” Grace said.
Daniel flexed both his arms. “I’ve upped both my weights and reps at the gym, Gracie-Lou.”
Grace smiled sweetly at him. “We can tell.”
“Thanks!” He opened the fridge and peered into it. “Mind if I snag a juice?”
“Help yourself.” Kira stared at his ass in his stupidly tight jeans.
He straightened and winked at her before sticking the bottle of juice into his duffel bag. He planted a kiss on her cheek. “Thanks for the shower and the juice, doll.”
“Anytime.” She wondered if anyone else heard the shakiness in her voice. The touch of Daniel’s warm lips felt like it was branded into her skin.
“Later, Gracie-Lou!”
“Bye, Daniel!” Grace wiggled her fingers at him, but her sweet smile dropped from her face the moment he disappeared out of the kitchen.
She waited until the front door closed before leaning forward and taking Kira’s hand. “You sure he’s the one for you?”
“Yes.” Kira touched the spot on her cheek where Daniel had kissed her. “I’m sure.”
“Okay. Then let’s do this.” Grace leaned back and tapped her fingernails on the kitchen table. “You’re going to win Daniel Moore’s heart by making him jealous.”
“I’m sorry, what?” Kira said.
“You’re going to date someone else and make Daniel jealous.”
“That’s your big plan? I was thinking I’d take some cooking lessons and make him dinner a few times a week. My mom always said the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach.”
“Maybe back in the sixties. Now? Now you need to force him to see what he’s missing. You need to make him jealous. And what better way to make him jealous than by banging another guy?”
“I don’t want to sleep with someone else,” Kira said immediately.
“Fine, fine.” Grace waved her hand. “We’ll just pretend that you’re having sex with another guy.”
“What guy is going to pretend date me to make another guy jealous?” Kira grabbed her phone and started scrolling across the screen.
“What are you doing?” Grace asked.
“Looking up cooking classes.”
“Give me that!” She grabbed Kira’s phone and wouldn’t give it back. “This will work. Just let me think for a minute.”
“There isn’t anyone who -”
“Preacher.”
Kira gaped at Grace. “Preacher?”
“Why not? Gideon saved his life. He’d do anything for him.”
“One – he’s my brother’s best friend and he’s old.”
“Oh my God, he’s like thirty-five, Kira. That’s not old,” Grace replied.
“Too old for me,” Kira said. “Two – it’s Preacher!”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, he’s so not my type. Even if he agreed to help me out by fake dating me, no one - including Daniel - would ever believe it.”
Grace tapped her finger thoughtfully against her cheekbone. “Hmm, you make a good point. Preacher is kind of… rough looking.”
“That’s an understatement,” Kira said. “Do you think there’s any part of him that isn’t covered in tattoos?”
“Some girls like that look.”
“Well, I don’t,” Kira said. It was Daniel’s body she was thinking of. That smooth, perfect tanned skin not marred by ink or piercings.
“Preacher is a good guy,” Grace said.
“Yes, he is,” Kira replied. “You think I don’t know that? I’ve spent plenty of time with him and Gideon. But he’s not my type and besides, Gideon would freak out if I was dating his best friend. You know how he is.”
“He’s not your guardian. He can’t make decisions for you.”
“No, but he is the damn sheriff. Preacher might be his best friend but that doesn’t mean Gideon won’t arrest him if he thinks he’s being inappropriate with me.”
Grace rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. Preacher’s off the table.”
“Give me back my phone,” Kira said as Grace stared thoughtfully into space. “There isn’t anyone else who’ll fake date me. I appreciate your help, Gracie, really I do, but -”
“I’ve got it!” Grace suddenly declared. “I have the perfect man for you.”
Kira gave her a suspicious look. “Who?”
“Connor.”
“Your boss? Dr. MacMillan?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“He’s a dentist.”
“So?”
“What do you mean, so?” Kira said. “Dating a dentist isn’t,” she fumbled for the word, “cool.”
“Oh, for God’s sake. You’re twenty-five years old and a real estate agent, Kira, not a damn rock star. This isn’t high school anymore and no one cares if you’re ‘cool’. Dating a dentist is perfectly acceptable.”
“He’s from Willington.”
“He hasn’t lived there in a while.”
“He’s still an out-of-towner,” Kira said. “What would people say if they knew I was sleeping with an out-of-towner?”
“You’re not actually going to sleep with him,” Grace said.
“Yeah, but people don’t know that. My dad would roll over in his grave if he knew I was dating an out-of-towner. Especially a Willington whiner.”
“He’s a really good guy. Just because he’s from Willington doesn’t make him a whiner,” Grace said. “This town’s stupid rivalry with Willington has always driven me batty.”
“Why would he fake date me?”
Grace leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Okay, so you can’t say a word because Connor told me this in confidence one night when he’d had a little too much to drink, but -”
“A little too much to drink? How close are you to your boss?”
“We’re friends,” Grace said a bit impatiently. “We’ve gone for drinks a few times. He’d never admit this, but I think he’s a bit lonely. I keep wanting to invite him out with the gang but I’m not sure how it would go over. The good town folk of Harmony Falls aren’t always friendly to outsiders.”
“You’re telling me,” Kira said. “Honestly, I’m surprised his office is still open.”
“Well, it helps that his business partner is a Harmony Falls lifer. But, he’s also a very good dentist,” Grace said. “You know that – he’s your dentist for God’s sake. So, what do you say? Do you want to fake date him? He’s handsome.”
“Is he?” Kira said. “He’s always wearing a hospital mask when I see him. I couldn’t pick him out of a line up. Besides, you still haven’t told me why he would fake date me.”
“Right. So, he confessed one night that he’s going to Willington next month for his cousin’s wedding and he’s dreading it because his ex-fiancée will be there. His family is still upset that they called off their engagement and will spend the entire time trying to get them back together.”
“Okay,” Kira said. “So how does this help me?”
“Think about it,” Grace said. “If you guys are fake dating, then you can go with him to his cousin’s wedding. His family isn’t going to push his ex on him with his new girlfriend sitting right there.”
“I guess it could work,” Kira said slowly.
“Great! I’ll talk to Connor tomorrow and see if he’s in,” Grace said.
She reached across the table and squeezed Kira’s hand again. “You’ll be banging Daniel before you know it, honey.”
“That’s romantic,” Kira said.
Grace grinned at her. “That’s me. Romantic as fuck.”
* * *
“Grace? What are you still doing here? The office closed half an hour ago.” Connor stared in surprise at the curvy dental hygienist standing in the staff room.
“Just finishing up,” she said. “Busy day, huh?”
“Yes.” He shrugged out of his lab coat as Grace dropped onto the couch. They’d hired Grace last year right out of hygienist school and it was one of their better decisions. She was amazing with clients, reliable, and smart. She was also very pretty with her full curves, long curly dark hair and green eyes, but he didn’t feel a lick of sexual interest. He tried to tell himself it was because he knew it was a bad idea to even think of dating an employee, but that was a bald-faced lie. He wasn’t interested in his pretty employee because he had no desire to have his heart ripped out of his chest and stomped on right in front of him for a second time.
Crybaby, his inner voice mocked grumpily. It was more than willing to risk a heart stomping if it meant he got laid again on the regular. He had slept with exactly two women since he and Lisa broke up. Both were one-night stands when he was attending out-of-town work conferences. He hadn’t gone on a single date since the night Lisa broke off their engagement.
He sat on the other end of the couch. “Big plans for tonight?”
She shook her head. “No. How about you?”
“Going for a run and then dinner,” he replied.
She stared thoughtfully at him and he raised his eyebrows. “What?”
“Dinner alone?”
“Yes,” he replied. “Why?”
“So, you’re not dating anyone yet, right?”
He grinned at her. “Are you asking me to dinner, Grace?”
“God, no.” She looked so horrified at the idea that he burst into laughter.
“Shit, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that,” she said. “It’s just – dating my boss is not a great idea.”
“Right. It has nothing to do with your crush on our surly sheriff?”
“I told you that in secret,” she said.
“I know and I haven’t told anyone. Do you regret sharing it with me?”
“Honestly? No. It felt good to tell someone. Besides, it seemed only fair since you had just told me your secret about your ex-fiancé.”
He shrugged. “It’s not really a secret, I suppose.”
Grace cleared her throat. “Then you wouldn’t be upset if I had told someone else?”
“It’s not a secret but that doesn’t mean I want to be the gossip of the town.”
“You’re not,” she said hurriedly. “I only told one person.”
“Who?” He asked.
“Kira Walker.”
He frowned in thought. “The name is familiar.”
“She’s a client,” Grace said. “Short and slender, long blonde hair and blue eyes. She’s Gideon’s baby sister.”
“Right. Still has her wisdom teeth, only one cavity.”
Gracie laughed. “Your ability to remember people by their teeth status is both weird and impressive.”
“Why did you tell her?” he asked.
“Because she has a problem similar to yours, and I think you can help each other. She’s in love with a guy named Daniel Moore. He’s a firefighter in town.”
“I know who he is,” Connor said. “He plays on the firefighter’s baseball team.”
“Kira’s been in love with him since high school, but he’s got her in the friend zone,” Grace said. “I promised her I would help her win his love and I need your help to keep that promise.”
“Mine.”
“Yes. I want you to fake date Kira to make Daniel jealous.”
“No.” He stood up to leave. “Good night, Grace. Make sure you set the alarm before you leave.”
“Connor, wait!” She stood and grabbed his arm. “Just hear me out.”
“I’m not getting involved in that drama,” he said.
“If you help Kira, she’ll help you,” Grace said quickly.
He stared at her. He felt like he should know what the hell his hygienist was talking about, but the answer danced just out of his reach.
“If you pretend to be her boyfriend, she’ll pretend to be your girlfriend at your cousin’s wedding. Your family won’t try and get you back together with Lisa if you have Kira with you.”
He wanted to tell her it was the stupidest idea he’d ever heard but he was getting desperate. Mandy’s wedding was a month away. If he didn’t take a date with him, he’d be forced to listen to his family extol Lisa’s virtues before pushing him into her arms. It would be awkward and uncomfortable, and he couldn’t even hope that Lisa had found someone new. His aunt sent him regular emails filled with family news. The email contained all the information about Lisa too. She was still single as well – a fact that thrilled his entire family and gave them all hope of a reunion.
They were deluded, he thought bitterly. Lisa would never want him back. Not when she couldn’t stand the failure he’d become or the way he’d ruined both their dreams.
“Connor?” Grace touched his arm and he gave her a blank look.
“What?”
“Will you meet with Kira? Just talk to her about it?”
He sighed and rubbed at his knee. It was throbbing like a bitch and he decided a run tonight wasn’t a good idea. “I’ll talk to her. Is she busy tonight?”
Grace shook her head. “I don’t think so, but I’ll text her. If she isn’t, I’ll tell her you’re going to drop by and then text you her address.”
“Okay,” he said.
Grace grinned at him. “Thanks, Connor.”
“Yeah. Hey, does this Daniel guy even have any interest in Kira?” he asked. “There’s no point in doing this if it isn’t going to make him jealous.”
“I think so but in the interest of full disclosure – I don’t know for certain. Daniel is a total flirt with every woman he sees, but he could secretly be into her and just isn’t making his move because he’s afraid of her brother.”
Connor raised his eyebrows. “So, I would have to deal with an overprotective brother who just happens to carry a gun? You’re not really selling this, Grace.”
“Gideon isn’t going to shoot you for dating Kira,” Grace said. “You know the firefighters and the sheriff’s department all have a rivalry/competition thing going on. Daniel probably isn’t afraid of Gideon, but he does dislike him, and he knows Gideon isn’t fond of him either. It might be why Daniel hasn’t made a move on Kira.”
“Then me dating her isn’t going to help,” Connor said.
“It might. Daniel is super competitive so if he does have a thing for Kira and she’s suddenly not available, it might spur him on to do something. If it doesn’t and Daniel isn’t jealous, then maybe Kira will finally realize he isn’t nearly good enough for her and give up on her silly -”
She stopped abruptly. “Forget I said that.”
“You don’t like Daniel?”
She sighed. “I don’t dislike him. I just don’t think he’s the right guy for Kira.”
“Then why are you doing this?”
“Because she loves him,” Grace said, “and I love her and want her to be happy. She’s been obsessed with Daniel since she was fifteen. Besides, who am I to say who the right person is for someone, right?”
“What if it doesn’t work? What if we fake date for a couple of weeks and no signs of jealousy, then what? Kira,” he made air quotes with his fingers, “dumps me and I’m still on my own for my cousin’s wedding.”
“She’ll still go with you to your cousin’s wedding,” Grace said. “Just make that part of the agreement.”
He didn’t reply and she pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll text her now and see if you can drop by. This is a great solution for both your problems, Connor. I promise.”