Three Little Words (9 page)

Hope filled Lauren’s brown eyes. “You promise?”

“Yes. I promise. I’m very good at what I do and I refuse to let you ruin my record. Because this isn’t about you—it’s about me.”

This time the smile was more genuine. “Thank you,” Lauren whispered.

“You’re welcome.” Isabel squeezed her hand and started to stand. As she did, she saw movement in the mirror and realized Ford was standing in the doorway to the dressing area.

She ignored the sudden tightness in her chest and the way she felt lighter inside. As if some bubble of happiness gave her a little lift. She also ignored the broadness of his shoulders and the way his worn jeans hugged his hips and thighs.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. “There’s too much estrogen in the air. If you hang out back here, you’ll grow breasts.”

He gave her a slow, sexy grin. “I’ll risk it.”

Lauren looked at him in the mirror. “Wow,” she whispered.

“I know,” Isabel told her. “Now let’s go find you a dress.”

She picked out three simple gowns made of gorgeous fabric with just enough detailing to make them elegant. Lauren looked doubtful but agreed to try them on and went back into the dressing room.

“Why are you here?” Isabel asked again, walking up to Ford. “Do not tell me it’s about the fake-girlfriend thing because there are sharp objects in this store and I’m not afraid to use them.”

He studied her. “You were great with her. The bride. I saw how you calmed her down.”

“Thanks. I learned from a master. My grandmother believed a beautiful bride was a happy bride.”

He glanced around. “You sell a lot of stuff.”

“It takes a village. And accessories. So what’s up?”

“I need you to be my fake girlfriend. Hear me out,” he added when she started to protest. “Two of my sisters came to see me today.”

“And that is my problem how?”

“They’re my sisters. They’re relentless. They started going on about how Mom just wants me to be happy and that I had to go out with some of the women who had applied.” His expression turned helpless. “What was I supposed to do?”

“Grow a pair and tell them no?”

“They’re family.”

A simple statement she completely understood. Family made life complicated.

“I said it was you,” he told her.

“What?”

“I told Dakota and Montana I was dating you.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. Honestly, what was she supposed to say to that?

“Listen,” he said, taking her hands in his. “I’m desperate. I’ll do anything. Wash your car, paint your house. I’ll give you money. Please. Just for a few weeks. Long enough to get my mom off my back.”

She wasn’t sure why she resisted. What did she care if people thought she and Ford were together? He was nice to look at and fun to be around. She supposed the problem was that she felt funny when she was close to him. Both intrigued and afraid. He was a sexual being and she...wasn’t.

Her friends had urged her to indulge in a transitional relationship. Fake-dating Ford would certainly be that.

“What do you think?”

The soft question didn’t come from Ford. Isabel turned and saw Lauren approaching.

The V-neck dress was perfect. The simple lines skimmed over her curves, making her look voluptuous. The sheen on the fabric added a glow to her pale skin.

Isabel pulled free of Ford’s hold and walked to the veils hanging along the wall. She selected one with a simple circle of flowers and set it on Lauren’s head, then helped her up to the raised platform in front of the array of mirrors.

Lauren stared at herself, her expression disbelieving. “I love it.”

Ford disappeared for a second, then returned with the teen sister in tow. The girl blinked.

“You look great,” she said, her voice filled with surprise. “I like the dress a lot.”

“Sexy bride,” Ford added.

Lauren flushed. “I don’t know what to say,” she admitted. “Isabel, you were right. This one is perfect.”

“You need to try the others on, just to be sure,” Isabel told her. “You’re making a big decision.”

“I’ll help,” the teen said, tucking her phone into her pocket. “Come on, Lauren. Show me what else you have back there.”

They disappeared toward the dressing rooms.

Ford turned to her. “You really are good at this. Are you sure you don’t want to buy Paper Moon and settle here?”

“Bite your tongue.”

“Will that get you to say yes?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re serious about the fake-girlfriend thing.”

“Didn’t I make that clear?”

She thought it was kind of sweet that a big, bad SEAL was afraid of his mother and sisters.

“You make the rules,” he said. “Sex, no sex, I’ll make you coffee every morning, sweep up in here, you name it.”

It always came back to sex, she thought. Felicia had told her to find a rebound guy. Her friends had agreed. She didn’t want a rebound guy—she wanted...

Magic, she thought sadly. She wanted the giddy, excited love she saw every day in her store. Women excited about marrying the man of their dreams. She’d loved Eric and had thought theirs was a relationship of equals and shared interests. She’d respected him and enjoyed his company, but there hadn’t been magic. There certainly hadn’t been passion, but that was probably as much about him being gay as anything else. She wondered if her first clue about Eric should have been how interested he’d been in the details of their wedding.

He took her hands in his. “Friends don’t let friends get mauled by their families.”

She laughed because he was funny and she liked him. She should do this, she told herself. She was going to be leaving in a few months. What could it hurt?

“I’ll do it, but only if you promise to never again throw the whole ‘I’ll love you forever’ thing in my face.”

“Done.” He pressed a quick kiss to her mouth. “Anything else? Want a kidney?”

“Not today.”

“I have to get to work, but I’ll see you later. Thanks. I owe you.”

Then he was gone, which would have been fine, except there was something wrong with her lips. They were tingling in the strangest way. She had the oddest urge to call Ford back and have him kiss her again.

* * *

“I
KNOW
THIS
is really last-minute,” Noelle said, twisting her hands together. “I thought I had it all together.”

Isabel glanced around at all the boxes yet to be unpacked in the store. It was Wednesday and the grand opening was Friday. “You’re in a boatload of trouble.”

“I know.”

“I had it easier,” Patience said, picking her way through open cartons. “Brew-haha doesn’t have that much retail inventory.”

An hour ago, Isabel had gotten a frantic call from Noelle, who had realized there was no way she could get her store together by herself. Not in time.

Felicia was busy with the upcoming End of Summer Festival—aka Labor Day—but Isabel and Patience had been able to come offer help.

“We’ll never get this done ourselves,” Patience said. “Let me get reinforcements.” She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and pushed a button. Seconds later, she smiled. “Hi, it’s me.” Her smile widened. “Uh-huh. Me, too, but that’s not why I’m calling.” She quickly outlined the problem.

“Tell him to bring Ford,” Isabel said, assuming Patience was on with Justice, her fiancé. “Say that I asked.”

Patience looked puzzled but nodded in agreement. When she hung up she told Noelle, “They’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”

“They?”

“Ford, Justice, Angel and Consuelo. You’re going to have more help than you can handle, so let’s get organized.” She turned to Isabel. “So, what was up with telling Ford you were asking?”

“I’m his pretend girlfriend. He owes me.”

Noelle looked surprised. “You agreed?”

“It’s for a good cause.”

Patience laughed. “Does the pretend girlfriend only get pretend sex?”

“We haven’t discussed that part of it yet.”

“Hold out for the real thing,” Noelle said, “then remind me how wonderful it is.” She looked at the boxes. “Okay, we need a plan, and fast.”

The CDS team arrived as promised. Noelle sorted them into teams of two, assigning each a section of the store and a stack of boxes. She supervised.

“Already taking advantage of me, huh?” Ford asked as he ripped open a box of holiday teddy bears.

“As much as I can.”

He handed her bears and she attached the price tags Noelle had given her. Ford then placed the bears on the shelf. They worked well together, establishing a rhythm. Her fingers brushed his on occasion, which foolishly made her remember the quick kiss from earlier that day. And thinking of the kiss reminded her of the tingling, which was just plain strange.

On the other side of the store, Angel and Consuelo set up Nativity scenes while Patience and Justice were filling bookshelves under the window.

“Need I point out you said you owe me?” she asked, trying not to smile.

“I knew that would come back to bite me in the butt.”

He looked surprisingly sweet putting bears in place, making sure the tag was tucked neatly under one teddy arm. His hands were nearly the size of the decorative toys. He had big hands, she thought, then told herself not to be ridiculous. She was helping out a friend, nothing more. She wasn’t
interested
in Ford. She’d let that go years ago.

“Did that girl buy the dress?” he asked. “She looked good in it.”

“I told Lauren to take her time deciding. She’ll be back next weekend to try it on again. Then she’ll probably order it.”

“Are all brides emotional?”

“She was nothing compared to some of what I see.”

He flattened the box, tossed it on a stack of other empties and opened the next one. “She was crying.” He held up a stuffed reindeer the same size as the bear. “I’m getting there’s a theme here.”

“It’s the whole holiday thing. And I don’t mind tears. It’s the screaming that gets to me.”

“They scream?”

“Sometimes. Rarely at me, but often at whoever they bring with them.”

He shuddered. “I’d rather face insurgents.”

They continued to unpack inventory. After the reindeer came polar bears.

“They’re just more bears,” Ford complained.

“They’re completely different.”

“How?”

“For one thing, they’re white.”

He made a dismissive sound in his throat. “That’s just crazy talk.”

“If that’s how you speak to your girlfriends, it’s no wonder you’re single.”

“You’re feeling the power, aren’t you?”

She grinned. “Oh, yeah.” Maybe she
would
take him up on his offer to wash her car!

By four that afternoon, all the boxes were unpacked. Noelle thanked everyone and promised big discounts when the store opened. Patience and Justice went off together to Brew-haha. Consuelo and Angel started off toward CDS at a jog, arguing about who had better form when running.

“You going back to work?” Ford asked, standing close enough for her to be aware of his height and the warmth of his body.

“Yes. Madeline’s been handling things, but I have a five o’clock fitting. I’m meeting my tailor and acting as the voice of reason.”

“Another screamer?”

“No, but the bride’s mother can be difficult. I run interference.”

His dark gaze settled on her face. “We need to talk about our debut. As a couple.”

“Oh, that.” Her good mood vanished. “Right. What were you thinking for timing? The festival this weekend? The store is open Saturday, but I’m free Sunday.”

“Works for me. You going to be able to do this? Pretend to be interested in me?”

She found it difficult not to stare at his mouth. Kissing had always been one of her favorite things to do, and so far, Ford hadn’t really kissed her. The light brush of thanks wasn’t a real, touch-my-soul kind of kiss.

“We’re friends,” she told him. “I don’t have to fake liking you.”

“But this is different. It’s more personal.”

“Not that much more,” she said. “It’s not like we have to stage someone walking in on us having sex.”

His gaze sharpened. “Did you want to have sex?”

“I— No! How could you ask? Sex? Us? I— It’s not...” She pressed her lips together.

One eyebrow rose. “That’s a lot of energy. I’m open to it, by the way.”

She felt her face heating. “You didn’t just say that.”

“I kind of think I did. Don’t act surprised. You’re sexy and we have fun together. Don’t you think it would be the same in bed?”

Not a question she was going to answer, thank you very much. Why would he admit he wanted to have sex with her? Why go there?

Before she could say that, something in his eyes shifted. It happened so quickly, if she hadn’t been staring at his face, she would have missed it.