The next morning, Chloe and Ty snuck out of the apartment above the Sugar Plum Bakery. “We have two hours to put our win-over-Easton plan into action,” Ty said, holding open the apartment’s outer door for Chloe. “I have a blow-dry scheduled at noon, and we have to be at Naughty and Nice at two for the fittings for the fashion show.”
Chloe touched her head. After Ty had nearly chopped off her hair, she was worried what he had planned for an encore. And he had one. He just didn’t want to share it around Estelle. Since Chloe didn’t know how to tell her manager the new plan included getting Cat and Grayson back together, it was probably for the best. So far, neither of them had responded to Chloe’s voice mails. Which is what she should be concentrating on instead of participating in a Ty plan. “What about walk-ins? I don’t want you to lose business because of me.”
They stepped into the bright morning sunshine. “I’m not taking walk-ins until after the official opening. I’ve only been accepting appointments from people I know. Well, people your family knows. I wanted to work out the bugs and train the staff before I open to the public.” He took her hand and smiled. “What do you think of your new look?”
“I feel naked.”
He rolled his eyes. “All I did was tone down your makeup and dress you in more casual attire. You still have on your hooker heels.” He gave her an up-and-down look. “You need to buy a pair of jeans.”
“They’re not hooker heels,” she protested, lifting the hem of her wide-legged cream pants. She had on a gorgeous pair of petal-pink Michael Kors sling-backs that matched the camisole she wore beneath her cream blazer. “I’m not buying jeans. They’re uncomfortable and ugly. I don’t do ugly, Ty. And I want my false eyelashes back.”
“You’re not getting them back. You’re not in Hollywood. Besides, they weigh down your upper eyelids and make you look older. And Easton likes a more casual look.”
“Really? No wonder my driver called me ma’am. You could have told me, you know.”
“I just did. And speaking of a more casual look”—he lifted her hair—“I need to fix this. Maybe take off a couple inches?”
Luckily, he’d chopped off a hunk from underneath where no one would notice. “No, I don’t mind toning down my makeup and wearing pants occasionally, but I’m not cutting my hair. If Easton doesn’t want me for me…then I don’t want him either.”
“Yes, you do. And he wants you, too. We just have to show him you’re his perfect match.”
“How are we going to do that?” she asked nervously, when she realized they were headed in the direction of the Mountain Co-Op. “I’m not learning to shoot a gun. They scare me.”
He shuddered. “Me too. But that wasn’t what I had in mind. Easton’s physically fit, so we’ll show him that you are, too.”
As Chloe had seen with her own eyes, Easton was in incredible shape. And while she was careful what she ate…“But I’m not. I have a heart condition, and I can’t do strenuous…” He glanced at her, and she sighed. “All right, so I thought I had a heart condition. Why don’t we just go for a walk along the boardwalk?”
“That’s for old ladies. We’ll go for a jog.” He held open the door to the co-op. “I’m sure Mr. Hardy can suit us up,” he said, referring to the owner.
She made a face. “We’ll get all sweaty.”
“I didn’t think of that. Okay, jogging is out. Morning, Mr. Hardy.” Ty waved to the gray-haired man behind the counter, then looked around the warehouse. Every type of sporting equipment imaginable was laid out on the concrete floor. Brightly colored activewear hung on the walls, and footwear for the corresponding activity lined the shelves beneath them. Ty pointed to an orange kayak. “How about…” He trailed off when she arched an eyebrow. “…Right, you can’t swim.”
Mr. Hardy sauntered over. “Can I help you two?”
Ty gave him an idea of what they were looking for.
“I see, so you want to appear to be active, but neither of you are. Nothing too strenuous or that will ruin your hair or make you sweat. Does that about cover it?”
“Yes, you’re very good at this,” Ty complimented the older man.
“You could go for a walk along the boardwalk. I have some tennis shoes over here.”
Chloe crossed her arms and gave Ty an I-told-you-so look. He ignored her, and said, “No, that won’t work.” His brow furrowed as he glanced around, then he pointed to a row of shiny new bikes. “Why didn’t I think of that? We’ll go bike riding.”
Seeing as how Easton was an avid cyclist, it was an inspired idea. There was only one problem. “I don’t know how to ride a bike.” Her parents had been so overprotective she’d never been allowed to learn.
Ty and Mr. Hardy shared a look, then the older man said, “It’s probably for the best. You’d have to wear a helmet.”
Thirty minutes later, Mr. Hardy helped them maneuver the bicycle-built-for-two out the doors. They’d settled on a pretty pink-and-white bike. It matched their new cycling outfits perfectly, and Chloe’s sling-backs.
Mr. Hardy cast them a worried look. “I really think you should reconsider buying the helmets.”
Chloe and Ty shuddered at almost the same time. They’d tried the helmets on. They looked hideous, not to mention what they’d do to their hair. “We’ll be fine, Mr. Hardy. We’re just riding up and down the boardwalk. Chloe, you get on the back.”
Mr. Hardy rubbed the side of his nose. “The rear rider has to be clipped in, and unless Chloe will agree to exchange her high heels for a pair—”
“Oh my goodness, no. Did you see my legs in these stretchy shorts? They’ll look like stumps if I wear tennies. You take the back, Ty.”
It took another fifteen minutes for Mr. Hardy to get them organized on the tandem bike. Once they were set, they turned to wave at him before heading off on the sidewalk. “Thanks for all your help, Mr. Hardy!”
The older man’s eyes went wide, and he yelled, “Mrs. Tate, move out of the way!”
Chloe whipped her head around, accidently jerking the handlebars to the right. Ty overcorrected by jerking to the left, and they hit a parked car. Evelyn Tate backed against a store window, clutching her shopping bag to her chest. “Sorry, for the fright, Evelyn. Your next blow-dry is on the house,” Ty yelled. “Pedal, Diva, pedal. I think that big guy owns the car we just hit.”
Ten stores down, they both let out relieved breaths. “Okay, we’ll just take a short cruise down Main Street. Make sure you wave and say hello to everyone by name. Easton will expect his girlfriend to be friendly.”
This was true. “But I don’t know everyone’s names.”
Ty sighed. “Just follow my lead.”
Easy enough, Chloe thought. Only riding the bike while waving hello didn’t go according to plan. “Stop yelling at me, Ty! I’ve never ridden a bike before.”
“Oh, there’s Vivi and Chance going into the Chronicle.” Ty poked her in the back. “Work it, and look good doing it. Stop pedaling so we just kind of glide by. I’ll peek in the window to see if Easton is…Diva!”
* * *
Easton walked into the Chronicle. Vivi was sitting at her desk with tears streaming down her face. “Oh my God, I’ve never seen anything so hilarious in my life,” she was saying to his chuckling brother.
Well, that was a relief. At first glance, Easton thought she was crying. “You guys going to let me in on the joke?”
“You might want to take a walk on the boardwalk and check it out for yourself, little brother. Chloe and Ty were headed that way.” Chance grinned at Vivi, who started laughing again.
The smile fell from Easton’s face. He was still angry about yesterday. He couldn’t believe Chloe had pulled a fake-faint. One more sign that she was a spoiled drama queen, and he’d fallen hook, line, and sinker for her act. “What did she do now?”
“Other than taking out half the shoppers and cars along Main Street, nothing much.”
“But…but”—Vivi gasped for breath—“you have to admit they looked stylish doing it. Their outfits…” She was laughing too hard to finish.
His brother must have picked up on Easton’s growing frustration and explained. “They’re riding a pink-and-white tandem bike. And from what I could tell, neither of them knows what they’re doing.” Chance started laughing. “They were yelling at each other between waving hello to everyone.” His brother got himself under control and wiped his eyes. “And you know how Chloe said she only ever wears high heels? It’s true.”
“Jesus. Tell me she at least had a helmet on.”
“Well, we suggested that, didn’t we, honey?”
“We sure did,” Vivi said. “Once we got Ty back on the bike after they’d crashed into the building, we recommended they both should have on helmets.”
“And?”
Chance’s shoulders shook. “They didn’t want to mess up their hair.”
Easton clenched his jaw and dropped his messenger bag on the chair in front of Vivi’s desk. “I’ll be back.”
He couldn’t help but think Chloe riding a bike had something to do with him. He might be angry at her, but that didn’t mean he wanted her hurt. And Chloe on a tandem bike with Ty had the makings of a disaster. As he headed down the path into the park, he searched for some sign of them on the boardwalk. It was a warm spring day with not a cloud in the sky, drawing more people than usual for a weekday morning stroll. At least, from what he could tell, they hadn’t run anyone over. Yet.
That’s when he saw them. He scrubbed his hand over his face, fighting back a smile. They looked like they were having fun. The two of them were laughing as they pedaled along the water’s edge. At the pace they were going, he was surprised they remained upright.
Ty spotted him and poked Chloe. She turned her head and gave him a movie-star smile. The light breeze blew her hair back from her face, and she lifted her hand to wave. She looked beautiful and…Oh, shit. “Chloe, watch out!”
He didn’t make it in time to save them from toppling over. At least the railing along the boardwalk saved them from a tumble into the fast-moving creek. And the mother pushing her baby in the carriage had quick reflexes. Easton made sure she was okay before moving to Chloe’s side.
He righted the bike and helped her to her feet. “Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, as he did a brief head-to-toe scan. And he had to make it brief, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to stop staring. Her pink cycling outfit hugged every curve of her petite body, and where her pink high heels should have looked ridiculous, they made her legs look incredible in the form-fitting shorts.
“Just my…” Her cheeks flushed, and she rubbed her chest.
Okay…so not much he could say to that. “Ty, how about you?”
From where he sat on the ground, Ty rubbed his ass and scowled at Chloe. “This is the second time she crashed into something and sent me flying.”
“I didn’t mean to. This was all your idea. I told you I’ve never ridden a bike before.”
Ty threw up his arms. “I suggested jogging in the park, but you didn’t want to get sweaty!”
“You didn’t want to get sweaty either!”
Easton fought back a laugh. “Okay, you two. I don’t know what’s brought on the sudden urge to get fit, but maybe you should start off slow. Like walking.”
Chloe put her hands on her hips and glared at Ty. “That’s what I said.”
Easton’s lips twitched. She might be a total drama queen, but she was pretty damn cute. He looked over the bike. “Doesn’t appear to be any damage. Why don’t you take it back to Mr. Hardy and see if he’ll give you a refund?”
Ty and Chloe stared at him. “We can’t do that,” they said at almost the same time.
“Why not? Was it on sale?”
“Well, no, but we bought matching outfits, and when we weren’t crashing into things, it was fun,” she said.
“Chloe’s right. We just need some practice. Maybe you could work with us?” Ty said to Easton.
He looked down at Chloe. “Have you fixed things between your sister and Grayson yet?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’ve tried, but they won’t return my calls.”
“Let me know once you have, and I’ll think about teaching you both to ride.” As the words came out of his mouth, Easton assured himself it had nothing to do with how smoking hot she looked. His father was married to her mother, which made her family. He was obligated to keep her safe. “And just so you both know, no helmets, no lessons.”
* * *
“Say it again…Ty, you were right. It was a brilliant plan.”
After they’d picked up their clothes at the Mountain Co-op, as well as two helmets, Ty went to work and Chloe went back to the apartment to shower. They were now on their way to Naughty and Nice for their fittings.
“Shush,” Chloe said under her breath. His plan had worked brilliantly, which she’d already told him. And she wasn’t about to repeat her praise now. Estelle was with them. Chloe still hadn’t figured out a way to break the news to her manager, and walking across Main Street wasn’t where she wanted to do it. But as she recognized several of the women entering the high-end ladies clothing store, that became the least of her worries.
She stopped in her tracks. “Ty, I thought it was just Estelle and me having our fittings today.”
He looked at her and frowned. “No, everyone is.”
“W-who’s everyone?” she asked, rubbing her chest.
Taking both her and Estelle by the arm, he led them across the road while rhyming off the women involved in the fashion show. The long list included her mother, sister, Nell McBride and her friends, and the mean girls from high school. Basically, every single person in Christmas who had an ax to grind against Chloe.
She pulled her arm from Ty’s hold. “I feel a headache coming on. I think I’ll go—”
Ty leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Your sister won’t take your calls. This is the perfect opportunity to talk to her. Remember what Easton said.”
“Don’t you worry, my dear. I won’t allow anyone to say a single word against you. We’re in this together.”
Chloe gave Estelle a weak smile. She didn’t agree with Ty. Apologizing to her sister within earshot of the women from town was far from perfect. He had no idea how catty and cruel some of them could be. But Estelle obviously had her heart set on going, and Chloe couldn’t leave her to deal with Nell and Liz on her own. Drawing on her inner diva, Chloe lifted her chin and walked to the shop’s door with her patented elegant grace.
Fifteen minutes later, her inner diva had curled into a protective ball.
From where Ty stood outside the fitting rooms, he cast her a concerned glance. The women had congregated in small groups, completely ignoring Estelle and Chloe. Every time Chloe made an attempt to speak to one of them, they’d pretend they didn’t hear her or walk away. Her mother and sister hadn’t arrived yet.
Brandi said something to her friends. They looked at Chloe and laughed before turning back to their conversation.
Chloe’s stomach cramped. She didn’t know how much more she could take. They were making her feel as awkward as they had in high school. Stealing the confidence she’d taken years to develop. It was always that way when she came home.
“Don’t let them upset you, my dear. They’re just jealous,” Estelle said, staring down the women.
Chloe patted Estelle’s hand. “They’re not—” She broke off at the sound of the door chime and inwardly groaned when her mother, sister, and Nell entered the shop.
“Hey, Cat,” several women called out, waving her sister over.
Tongue-tied with nerves, Chloe blurted the first thing that popped into her head when her sister approached. “Don’t you look lovely, Kit Kat. Are those jeans new?”
Her sister stopped in front of her. “Really? That’s all you have to say after what you did?”
Around them, conversation stopped. “I tried to call you…” She twisted her sweaty hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have sent the picture to Grayson. I wasn’t thinking—”
“What are you apologizing for? My grandson deserved to know his supposed fiancée was kissing another man.”
“It wasn’t my sister’s fault, Estelle. Easton kissed her, not the other way around. And I’m the one who encouraged him.” She had, and he did. And once again, she felt the sting of betrayal. She could only imagine how Grayson felt.
Cat frowned. “That’s not—”
“Girls, this isn’t the time or the place.” Her mother forced a smile for their attentive audience. “Chloe, it would be best if you come for your fitting at another time.”
“But Ty…” she trailed off. Her mother wore the same expression she had last December. Chloe clenched her teeth to stop her chin from quivering and glanced at her watch. “Oh my, I didn’t realize how late it is. Estelle, we better leave. We’re expecting a call from Steven, remember?” She raised her hand. “Ty, darling, I’m sorry I have to go. Pick out whatever you want me to wear. I’m sure you’ll find something for me in this cute little shop. Size two, remember.” She was a size eight, but Ty knew that.
“With that ass, more like a size twelve,” someone said with a snort.
Heat rushed to Chloe’s cheeks, and she grabbed Estelle by the hand. “Kit Kat, Mommsy,” she murmured and dragged her manager to the front of the shop.
Nell held the door open with a smug smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you ladies get the perfect outfits to wear.”
Estelle opened her mouth. Chloe hustled her out the door before she made matters worse.
“Your mother certainly makes no effort to hide that your sister’s her favorite,” Estelle said as they stepped onto the sidewalk.
“She blames me for the situation with…” Out of the corner of her eye, Chloe spotted Grayson getting out of a black Yukon in front of the sheriff’s station. “Estelle, there’s Grayson. Come on.” This was her chance to make things right.
“Grayson! Yoo-hoo, Grayson,” Chloe called out and waved. He glanced their way. Since he had on dark sunglasses, it was hard to gauge his reaction. But if she wasn’t mistaken, his shoulders rose on an unhappy sigh. After her reception at Naughty and Nice, she wasn’t sure she was up to another confrontation or rejection. But she had to do something. She couldn’t stand to see that look of disgust in her mother’s or sister’s eyes…or Easton’s.
“Go ahead, my dear. Don’t waste your opportunity. I’ll catch up with you.”
Intent on her quarry, Chloe nodded and ran down the sidewalk. Since the outcome would hardly be what Estelle hoped for, it was probably best that Chloe speak to Grayson on her own.
He leaned against the hood of his SUV wearing an expensive black suit. And he wore it very well. Chloe had always been attracted to a man with a sense of style, and Grayson had been no exception. But now it seemed her tastes had changed. She found Easton’s casually rugged look more appealing. When she reached Grayson, it took a moment for her to catch her breath. “Hi,” she finally managed to say with a tentative smile.
“Hello, Chloe. What can I do for you?” His voice was tight. Obviously he was as angry at her as everyone else.
“It was my fault, Grayson. I set everything up.” His expression didn’t change, and she swallowed hard. She had to be completely honest with him to make him understand. “I heard about the problems you were having with my sister, and I thought maybe you weren’t her one after all. I didn’t mean to hurt either of you. I truly didn’t.” She looked at the parked cars along Main Street, then drew her gaze back to his. “It was me who bought the gun and sent the poem, not Easton. And that picture, I never should have sent it to you. She was upset when you moved out. Easton was just trying to comfort her. I’m truly sorry, Grayson. I’ll do whatever you need me to do to make this right.”
He sighed and took his cell phone out of his pocket. “Chloe, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. But Cat kissed Easton, not the other way around.”
“No, that’s not true. Easton told me…”
“If that’s what he said, he was trying to protect Cat.” He handed her his phone. “Look at his face, Chloe. You’ll see what I mean.”
She took in Easton’s expression. He looked…stunned. Oh, my goodness, Grayson was right! Why hadn’t she noticed that when she took the picture? It must have been the shock of it all. But she didn’t understand how her sister could kiss another man when she loved Grayson. Or why Easton lied. He had to know how Chloe felt after seeing that kiss. Had to know how much it hurt. Then again, she shouldn’t be surprised. The only person’s feelings Easton had ever cared about were her sister’s. But given what he’d said to Chloe in Ty’s office, maybe that had changed. And the thought that her sister had initiated the kiss and not Easton gave her hope. If Chloe wanted a relationship with him, she had to ensure her sister was happily married to Grayson. Now she just had to convince the handsome man standing before her that he still wanted the same.
As she studied her sister’s body language, she knew how. “You’re right. Cat kissed Easton. But it’s not what you think, and I can prove it to you.” She pointed out how Cat’s arms and hands were positioned. She looked stiff, her feet turned as though ready to bolt. She didn’t lean into Easton. Instead she held herself away from him.
Grayson shook his head. “Sorry, I’m not seeing what you do. It’s obvious to me your sister’s made her choice. And it’s not me.”
Chloe sucked in a panicked gasp. This was not going the way she had hoped. She looked from the photo to Grayson. There was only one way to convince him. She glanced around; there were too many people on the street. She took him by the hand. “Give me one more chance to show you what I mean. Please,” she pleaded when he hesitated.
His broad shoulders rose and fell on a deep inward breath. “All right, Chloe.”
She pulled him into the alley at the same time his grandmother appeared. That wasn’t good. She had to get rid of her. “Estelle, would you mind giving us a little privacy? Grayson’s upset. Maybe get him a coffee at the bakery? A…dozen cupcakes, too.”
“I don’t want—” he broke off when Chloe gently elbowed him in the stomach.
Estelle frowned, looking from Grayson to Chloe, who gave her manager an exaggerated wink, pretending some alone time with her grandson was part of their original plan.
“Cupcakes are just the thing to mend a broken heart. I’ll get right on it.” Estelle beamed, returned Chloe’s wink, then headed down the street.
Grayson groaned. “You know what she thinks, don’t you?”
“Yes, but don’t worry. I’ll fix everything with Estelle. She thinks I’m in love with you, but I’m not.”
He angled his head, his eyebrows rising above the frame of his dark shades.
His reaction didn’t surprise her. Several months earlier, she’d been vocal about her feelings for him. To everyone, including Grayson…and Easton. “I thought I was, but I was jealous of my sister. I think Easton might be my…Never mind. Okay, so first, I’m going to kiss you like I would if I was in love with you.”
“Ah, Chloe, I’m not sure this is a good idea.” He curved his hands around her biceps, setting her away from him.
“Trust me. You need to see what I’m talking about to understand that the kiss Cat gave Easton meant nothing to her.” At his skeptical look, she added, “You’ll understand what I’m getting at, I promise. I’m an actress, Grayson. It’s not real. We’ll just pretend we’re Rand and Tessa,” she said with a cajoling smile.
Last year, Grayson had been undercover on As the Sun Sets. He’d played Rand Livingstone, Tessa’s ex-lover. “Now give me your cell phone and put your arms around me.” When he reluctantly did as she asked, Chloe wound hers around his neck, holding up his phone to get the best angle.
Then she kissed him. Passionately, like a woman in love. Kind of like she’d kissed him during the last scene in Christmas at the lodge. Embarrassment heated her face at the memory of that day. She’d made a fool of herself in front of Easton, her sister, and the cast and crew. And afterward, devastated by Grayson’s rejection, she’d made one of the biggest mistakes of her life. She’d accused her sister of trying to kill her. No wonder everyone hated her. She really did have a lot to make up for, and this was one step toward doing just that.
She took the picture, then stepped back and showed him the screen, comparing the photo of Cat and Easton’s kiss to theirs. “Do you see the difference now?”
“Maybe.” She didn’t miss the unconvinced look in his eyes.
Chloe sighed. “All right. If that didn’t convince you, this will.” She lifted up onto her toes. “Now this is how I believe my sister was actually kissing Easton.” Holding up the phone, she pressed a soft kiss to Grayson’s firm lips. No heat, no passion, just a woman searching for answers…and comfort. She heard the click of a camera and frowned. She hadn’t snapped the picture yet. An anxious knot formed in her chest, and she slowly broke the kiss, turning her head. Estelle stood in the alley with a coffee cup at her feet, focusing on the cell phone in her hand. At the zip of a message being sent, Chloe’s eyes widened. “Oh, no, you didn’t!” she cried, seeing the self-satisfied smile spread across the older woman’s face.