Chapter Six

Half an hour after the service ended, Miles sat among the locals in the far corner of the Checkerberry’s dining room, a cup of coffee in his hands and mind a million miles away. What could she possibly want to ask him? And why did it have to be down by the old pond, of all places, where hopes and dreams left unfulfilled still haunted him the most?

A gentle hand lit upon Miles’s shoulder, and the floral fragrance his grandmother reserved for church tickled his nose. He was surprised she’d taken this long to come and start a game of twenty questions.

“Stephanie isn’t joining us?” said Ruby.

“No. And before you ask, I did extend the offer.”

The Checkerberry always provided a free lunch for anyone who attended Tom Granville’s services. Ruby claimed it was her penance for taking time “off” to attend the service, but Miles was willing to bet his next paycheck it was because she was sweet on old Tom. Not that she’d ever admit it. No, Ruby was always too busy playing matchmaker with everyone else.

Himself included.

“Such a shame. I do so hate seeing you here, sitting by yourself.”

Miles cast a glance down the long table toward the rest of their motley crew and found most of the others to be evenly paired. Hell, even old Tom was at the moment, his stoic grandson at his side looking less than thrilled to be there. Though, seeing as those two were wedged in between two other unfamiliar couples, he couldn’t really blame the guy. Heck, Miles didn’t want to be here himself, and it was his family’s inn.

“I’m perfectly fine sitting here alone, Ruby. Just like every other Sunday.”

“Of course you are, dear.” She gave his shoulder a small pat. “Though, it’s not often I see you staring off into the woods, pining for anyone.”

His gaze narrowed. “Since when have I ever been a piner?”

The corners of her eyes crinkled as a knowing smile stretched across her sun-worn face. Ruby gave his shoulder another small squeeze, then made her way back to an open seat near old Tom.

Pining. Miles cast a scowl out the window. So yeah, maybe a small part of him wished Stephanie would have joined them for lunch, get her joking and laughing like old times and introduce her to Kayla. Both dangerous lines of thinking, especially when he was mentally preparing to leave this sad little college town. What he really should be doing was reviewing the updated cover letter Freddie had sent over this morning. But he’d promised to meet Steph down by the pond, and no matter how anxious the idea of being alone with her there made him, he would keep his word.

“I think I’m gonna head out.”

Brent turned to him from across the table, eyebrows raised. “Not hungry?”

“Just got a lot to do, is all.”

“All right. You coming for dinner? Lasagna tonight.”

Guilt pricked at Miles’s heart. Sundays wouldn’t be the same without his family after the move. He pushed that sentiment from his mind and forced a smile—he’d be a damned fool not to take this job. “Sounds great.” He looked from Brent to Kayla. “Time?”

“Six o’clock. Sharp.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He’d taken all of two steps before she spoke up once more.

“Oh, and Miles?”

He turned back to find an evil, knowing grin on her pretty face.

“Call ahead if we’ll need an extra setting at the table.”

He threw her a scowl and made his way to the door. Warm, thick air greeted him—it was shaping up to be a hot one. The perfect kind of day to lounge beside the pool and take a dip whenever the heat got to be too much. Or to sit on the end of a dock and let your feet dangle into the old pond. As he ducked down an alternate path toward Steph, one out of sight from the dining room to keep the others from talking, he thought of the million and one times he and Steph had run down this same dirt trail, usually with Brent or a few of the other local kids hot on their heels.

Miles grinned at the memory, working his way closer to the pond. He’d bet money that Stephanie was sitting on the dock now, sandals kicked off and toes skimming the top of the water. Her hands would be palm-side down behind her, and her face tipped up to savor the sun’s warmth. Miles had seen her in that exact pose countless times. The last time they’d been together at the pond was when he’d realized how beautiful a woman she’d grown into…and how big a fool he’d been to think he’d never developed feelings for her.

When she’d become engaged soon after, Miles knew all he stood to lose if he didn’t tell her how he felt. The day before he planned to bring her back down to the pond and lay his heart on the line, Stephanie had shown up looking for him. She told Ruby of her plans to elope, that she and Liam’s bags were already packed for the move to Florida, and then left without another look back.

His perfect speech, revised and recited over and over in his mind, never had a chance to reach its intended audience thanks to one unbearably long accounting exam. The pond had become a symbol of all that he’d lost, one he’d avoided while allowing time to heal his wounds.

The dagger of regret that lodged itself in his heart long ago twisted painfully once again. But he’d built greater walls around that heartache, told himself it was ultimately for the best that she’d gone on without him. Because if she’d stayed, it would only have been a matter of time before things would have fallen apart for them like it seemed to fall apart for everyone else. And Stephanie deserved better. He only wished he could have protected her from what Liam ultimately put her through.

“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten the way.”

Miles looked up to spy Stephanie, sitting exactly as he’d pictured, only far more beautiful than his memory had done her justice.

In that moment he knew he’d never gotten over her. Which meant he needed to do everything he could to keep things as platonic and distanced as possible the rest of her stay, for both their sakes.

Starting now.

…

Stephanie watched Miles approach, his gaze more wary than before. Not that she could blame him, really. She’d been intentionally vague back at the outdoor service, then bowed out of his lunch invite. But she hadn’t wanted him squawking at her proposal in the middle of the sermon. Best to lay her future on the line out here, where neither of them had to worry about keeping up appearances.

“Nah.” He shrugged from the shore. “What’s up?”

“You afraid of water now?”

“No.” He frowned, hesitating for a moment before kicking off his sandals, setting his Ray-Bans carefully atop them, and then padding across the dock. He settled down beside her, cross-legged. The scent of his aftershave washed over her. Something clean with a hint of spice. “Better?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“So, what’d you need to talk to me about?”

Worry pricked at her. The old Miles would have rambled on about his day, dawdled. What if he was already seeing someone? Already engaged? She worked to keep her smile in place. “You in a hurry to get back?”

“No. I mean, yes. Sort of.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Sorry, I’ve got some work to get done, is all.”

She nodded, having no idea what work he was referring to, but feeling a small amount of relief that his answer hadn’t involved another woman. Not that he didn’t deserve to be with someone great. Someone who hadn’t run off to Florida rather than accept her growing feelings for him back in college…

No, she’d told herself she wouldn’t go down that thought path again. Stephanie wasn’t here to try and correct yesterday’s mistakes; she was here trying to build a better tomorrow.

Her gaze shifted to the smooth surface of the pond, the sight bringing her a much-needed dose of serenity. “It looks exactly the way I remember it.”

“Yeah, well, Ruby wouldn’t let us make any significant changes back here. Said I could ‘fancy up’ the inn all I wanted, but that back here was where people went to reconnect with nature and there would be no messing with that.”

He ended with a soft snort, and Stephanie caught him shaking his head out of the corner of her eye.

“Well, I’m glad she held her ground, because it’s perfect.”

“Oh, like you haven’t seen a hundred better ponds on your travels,” Miles teased, shifting to dip his toes in the water as well.

“Hundreds of other ponds, yes. Gorgeous ones, ringed with flowering plants and often even gators.” Her laugh faded to a sigh. “But none of them reminded me of home like this one.”

A moment of comfortable silence passed between them. When Miles spoke again, his voice was softer. “I’m sorry, Steph. About everything that happened this spring.”

“Thanks.” She sat up and began picking at the edge of the wooden planks. “But it is what it is, I guess. What’s important now is that I start looking forward, not back.”

Miles nodded. “Can’t change the past.”

“Nope. And it wasn’t all bad. Liam and I were really happy together when we first moved to Florida. He spent his days practicing while I hung out with the other wives, most of whom were great ladies.” She closed her eyes, remembering the early days of PGA life. “At night, we’d do dinner and get-togethers, making connections to help him move into the premier circles.”

“Sorry, but I can’t picture you playing the role of doting wife. Always-on-the-go Stephanie? You must have gone stir crazy.”

A memory sprang to mind, one when they were maybe ten or eleven. She’d been fishing at the pond with the boys when it started raining and eventually storming. Miles’s grandfather had rounded them all up and set them in the dining room at the inn with the instructions to not stray from the room. Ruby had tried to use that time to teach them the proper dinner table etiquette, and it’d about killed Stephanie to sit still that long. The instant the rain stopped, she was grabbing Brent and Miles’s hands and urging them back outside to jump in mud puddles.

She laughed. “Yeah, okay, you know me well. I did get a bit bored—that’s why I came up with the ‘Fun in the Sun’ program idea. The other wives were busy raising families of their own but thought it was a great idea. They got me connected with entrepreneurs who could make it happen, and sponsors came crawling out of the woodwork. Of course, having Liam’s face plastered on billboards all over the state made the PGA happy as a clam.”

“We were all really proud of your work with them.”

She turned to meet his gaze, sincerity shining in his eyes. “Thanks, Miles. That means a lot to me. Liam said that, too, at first. But the more attention I paid to the program, the more irritated he got that I wasn’t spending it on him. Toward the end there, when we’d go to social functions, the inner circle players and their sponsors were talking more to me than him. Ticked him off to no end.”

“He was an ass.”

“Yep.” Stephanie swung her feet, skimming the water’s surface. “No doubt about it.”

“If I’d known that’s how he was going to turn out, I never would have introduced the two of you.”

“Don’t blame yourself. None of us knew.”

Blame. And there it was, the perfect angle to use for her proposal. She crossed her arms and tapped a finger to her lips. “Though, there is a way you could make it up to me.”

His gaze narrowed. “Uh oh. I know that look.”

“What look?” she asked, feigning innocence.

“That look right there. The last time you looked at me like that, you were getting ready to ask if I’d take your friend Gretta to the fall dance.”

“It was semi-formal, and she wasn’t that bad.” Stephanie took in the look on Miles’s face and burst out laughing. “Okay, her complexion was a mess. But she had a great personality!”

A shiver rattled him. “Gah, I still have nightmares about that mint-green disaster of a dress she wore.”

“Oh, gosh. I’d forgotten about that. It was awful.”

All that taffeta and tulle had looked like a home ec project gone bad. Miles threw Steph a dark look, sending her into a fresh fit of laughter.

“Ah, good times. Good times.”

“For some of us,” he grumbled.

Stephanie sighed. This was one of the things she’d missed about Miles after moving away—their arguments that were never really arguments, more like them passing the time in Steph-and-Miles fashion. Give him five minutes, and he’d be cooled down and onto the next topic. Give him a compliment, and he’d be better in half the time.

“Oh, whatever,” she grinned. “You’ve probably dated a million pretty girls since then, Mr. Hot Stuff.”

Miles arched a brow. “You think I’m hot?”

“No.” She swatted at him. “I think you think you’re hot stuff. Always did.”

“Maybe because I am.”

Stephanie rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Miles shook his head and looked out over the water. The playful look on his face slowly faded back to the wary look he’d worn when he first arrived at the dock. But what did he have to be nervous about? She was the one getting ready to hypothetically pop the question.

“So, out with it,” he said as if reading her mind. “What’s this burning question you had to drag me out into the woods to ask?”

“Drag you?”

“You’re stalling, Steph. Don’t make me have to threaten tossing you into the pond to get an answer out of you.”

He was right. She was stalling. Stephanie eyed the water, knowing it’d feel great in this heat but not relishing the slimy bottom beneath her feet, and looked back to him. His gaze was fixed on her, a man on a mission. It was now or never. She drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“All right, here’s the deal. I’m not here for a business meeting. I’m here for a job interview. After the whole televised kiss fiasco, FITS suggested I take a leave of absence, until the media whirlwind died down. Only it didn’t, not in time for the new camp season, so a month later they quietly asked for my resignation. Said the scandal’s bad publicity would tarnish the program’s name.”

Color flooded Miles’s face. “Are you kidding me? After all you did for them? Without you the program would have never gotten off the ground!”

“I know, I know. But I also understand where the board was coming from. FITS is funded entirely by sponsors—bad publicity equals less funding, and I couldn’t forgive myself if my selfishness cost a single kid their chance at attending the camp. So I agreed.”

Her gaze shifted to the depths of the pond beneath her dangling feet. Dark days had followed that decision. Very dark days. It was one thing for Liam to steal her happily ever after. But when his selfishness stole her career as well, it’d been nearly too much to take.

“Oh, Steph.”

“No.” She pointed at him. “Do not give me that tone, Miles. I don’t want your pity. Though, I could use your help…”

“Which is?”

“Hang on, I’m getting there.” She ignored his flat look and lowered her hand. “So, a few weeks back my sister Livvy called, said she heard through the grapevine at her job with the state house that Michigan was considering starting up a similar program. And they’re looking for someone to head it up.”

“That’s great, Steph—you’d be the perfect fit.”

“Thanks, she thought so, too. Except there was a catch. It seems they’re looking for someone stable. Emotionally stable. And when Livvy recommended me, the person in charge hesitated. Said they needed someone confident, someone they could rely on.”

Miles frowned. “Someone not fresh off a divorce and still licking their wounds.”

“Exactly. Which is why Livvy took it upon herself to tell him that it wasn’t an issue since I’d already gone and gotten engaged.”

“You what? When the heck did this happen?”

Stephanie flinched at his outburst. Sure, the idea was a bit shocking, but why did he look mad enough to spit?

“Cool your jets, I didn’t. She lied so he’d give me an interview…”

“Oooh, I get it.” Miles nodded, his lips pursed. “Stephie got herself in a pinch and now she’s looking for someone to bail her out.”

Stephanie rose up onto her knees. “Please, Miles? Please pretend to be my fiancé? You won’t actually have to do anything. Just, I don’t know, walk by and pat my shoulder or something during the interview. Then after I get the job, we can, you know, amicably part ways.”

“Pat your shoulder? Oh, yeah. That’d be convincing.”

“Fine. Give me a hug, smile and wave, I really don’t care. I just…I really need this job. To prove to everyone I didn’t give up on life. To prove it to myself.”

The smirk on his lips faded away. “So…why me?”

“Because you owe me about a hundred times over for all the times I fibbed to get you out of trouble with Ruby when we were kids.” She gave his arm a playful jab. “Besides, you’re the only one I can trust.”

His gaze shifted from hers. “I don’t know about all that.”

“Come on, Miles? Please? For old times’ sake?”

“How long are we talking?” he asked.

“I don’t know. At most, a week, maybe two?”

“That’s all? A week or two, no strings, no dinner parties?”

“Nope, none of that. Just you and me playing the part in front of Mr. Evanston. I’ll take care of the rest.”

He stared out over the pond, considering her request. The silence between them grew, and for the first time Stephanie found herself wondering if he might turn her down. He never had before, not on something like this. Had Miles changed over the years more than she’d realized?

“Fine,” he said on an exhale. “But don’t even think of trying to take advantage of me while we’re pretending to be engaged. Because once you’ve had all this,” he said, hitching a thumb toward himself, “you’ll never go back.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Really?” He perked up at that. “From who?”

“It’s a joke, Miles.”

His eyes narrowed. “I can still throw you in the water, you know.”

“But you wouldn’t do that to your new fiancée.” Stephanie leaned over to peck a kiss to his cheek. “Thanks, hon.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

“I should probably get back, keep rehearsing my answers to the usual array of interview questions.” She rose and scooped her sandals from the dock. “You coming?”

“Nah,” he said, looking out over the water once again. “I think I’ll stay another minute or two.”

“Oh, right.” She rubbed a hand over the opposite arm. “You…okay?”

“Yep. Never better.”

There was something in Miles’s tone that didn’t quite match his words, but she let it go. If he had something to tell her, he would. At least, the old Miles would have.

“Well, thanks again. For agreeing to play the part and all.”

“Sure, sure.”

“I’ll, uh, call you later? Give us a chance to work out some of the details?”

“Mmmhmm.”

Stephanie turned and headed for the inn, an odd mixture of emotions swirling in her mind. On one hand, she was hugely relieved to have a fake fiancé locked in. But on the other, she worried about putting Miles out. Which was silly, of course. He didn’t have to do anything more than vouch for her fib, and that was only if someone asked. Besides, she had covered his butt more times than she could count back in the day.

So why did she feel like he was getting the short end of the stick?

With a sigh, she pushed the worry from her mind and tried to focus on something far bigger—getting her life back on track.