Page 8 of Just Can't Fall for the Enemy

“Glad to hear it.”

I handed him the change and his receipt, careful not to touch him this time. “There you go. Have a good day.”Please go away.

“Tanner Carmichael,” my boss said, hurrying over to shake Tanner’s hand. “I heard you were in town. Are you featuring Huckleberry Creek next?”

“That’s the plan.” Tanner fixed his gaze on me, sending another jolt of electricity down to my heels.Stop it.“Actually, I came to see if Sophie would consider showing me around town for a few days while I put this episode together. If it doesn’t interfere with her work here, of course.”

Paul glanced at me, his mouth pressed into the closest resemblance of a smile I’d ever seen. “It’s been awhile since she took any vacation days. I suppose we could do without her for that long.”

I gaped. Was the guy actually asking my boss rather than me? “I’m not a truck to be borrowed. I like my work here, and I have no desire to play tour guide to celebrities.”

Paul snorted. “Don’t be foolish. You’re doing an important work for the park. The more visitors, the more federal funding we get and the more of a difference we can make here.”

As if Paul cared about that. His priorities included sustaining the patriarchy of the National Forest Agency above all—men at the top, women at the bottom. Orwoman,I should say, since I was the only one he’d ever hired. Back then, I’d considered this my dream job—spending the day in nature, working with animals, preserving the environment.

Ha. Funny.

Word was he’d be retiring in a few weeks, though, and passing his position along to Kenneth Vawdry. The new hire would have to take my place here, freeing me tofinallyperform the duties I actually wanted to do. Which included pretty much anything outside this booth.

But as restricted as I felt here, I kept my personal life under an even tighter rein. A celebrity bent on using us to further his career had no place in it whatsoever. Now that I knew what he intended to do here, I wanted no part of his little scheme.

“What exactly do you want to see?” I asked coolly.

“Just the spots only the locals know about. You know, insider stuff. Your favorite places, why you chose to live here.” He grinned, sporting teeth just as straight and white as Senator’s Son but somehow looking more natural. “The pasta is surprisingly good, but I’m guessing it isn’t reason number one.”

A sudden thought stopped me from rejecting him outright. If I told him no, he’d only turn to the first person in town who threw themselves at him. Lucille Morena, for one. She’d show him agreattime—just like she did every other male tourist who came slinking through here in need of one-night companionship. The thought of her hanging on Tanner’s arm made me see red, though I didn’t want to explore why.

Both men watched me expectantly, waiting for my answer.

It was simple. If I said no, someone else would say yes. And she’d show Tanner all the best spots before his departure, leaving our town to take the fallout. But if I agreed . . .

“How much do you know about Huckleberry Creek?” I asked innocently.

He shook his head. “Hardly anything. I couldn’t find much online, so it’s all up to you.”

My plan snapped together like a set of plastic building blocks. Instead of the highlights, I would show him the worst—all the rough and questionable parts. I would sabotage his entire week, and he wouldn’t even know it. I would convince him Huckleberry Creek was the last place he should recommend to his tourist followers.

Do my job well and I would see his fancy taillights leaving town by this time tomorrow.

“Sounds like fun. Count me in. But I can’t start until tonight.” I had a plan to put into place. I batted my eyelashes and smiled widely to really sell it.

He only looked more amused. “Ah. Okay. Your booth closes at six, right? How about we meet after that and discuss a plan for the week. That Chinese place you mentioned last night, around seven?”

“Oh no. It has to becomida Mexicana.”

“Great. I love Mexican food. What’s the restaurant called?”

“There are only five restaurants in this town. You really haven’t spotted it yet?”

“No, actually, I . . .” He looked adorably flustered. “You know what? I’ll find it. Seven it is.”

Someone honked. I hadn’t noticed the car behind him.

“Seven,” I confirmed. “In the meantime, make sure you have a wet suit and hiking gear for the next few days. McCally’s should have anything you need, but he’s closed tomorrow for the—for an event, so you’ll want to go today.”I’d almost let the wedding slip.

“Closed on a Thursday?” When I nodded, he shrugged helplessly and muttered something under his breath that sounded likesmall town. “Perfect. See you tonight.” He rolled up his window and waved as he drove away.

“See you tonight,” I echoed even though he was already gone, a whirlwind of ideas filling my mind. I couldn’t stop grinning at the possibilities.

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