Page 31 of Fake Engaged to the Enemy

In the kitchen, George starts helping me to put the groceries away.

This makes me blush. “I’m good. Really. You don’t have to do this.”

“We need to spend more time together. Out in town specifically. If the good people of Sandburrow are going to dismiss the rumors about you, they need to see that we’re madly in love,” George says.

I grimace as I think of the way Jessica came at me earlier.

He’s right about that.

But it reminds me…

“I suppose I need to thank you for rescuing me,” I say reluctantly.

George gives me an amused look. “You mean from Jessica?”

“Yes, I mean from Jessica. You didn’t see the way she was looking at me before you arrived.” I shudder.

“I did see. I also know Jess is bored as hell in her marriage and is constantly looking for new sources of drama,” George answers. “If anyone would start getting the word that we’re to be married out, it’s her.”

The sparkly ring on my finger eases some of the tension in my belly.

“I’m not sure that this is going to be enough,” I say.

George puts the last of the groceries away. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I need to find someplace to volunteer. To get my image back into a positive light.” I frown as I consider it. “You having proposed to me is enough to stop people from saying things to my face. But I don’t want everyone to think I’m cheating on you.”

“So you want to tell everyone what’s really going on?” he prods carefully.

“Ew, no!”

George snorts. “Ew?”

I glare at him. “Ew.”

“That’s… not what I expected.” Curiosity burns in his eyes. To my surprise, he doesn’t demand answers. Instead, he strokes his clean-shaven chin. “The museum always needs volunteers. I’m sure they would be able to find something for you to do.”

“The museum.”

I consider it. If I’m honest, I don’t really understand museums. The past always seems like such a bleak place.

Why should we put so much effort into preserving it?

“I didn’t even know Sandburrow had a museum,” I say aloud.

George laughs. “The better for a promoter like you to volunteer there!”

Huh. I hadn’t thought of that.

Volunteering will look good on my resume. After everything that happened, I could use a little polish.

“I guess I’ll check it out,” I say with a nod.

Since I haven’t heard anything back from potential jobs so far, I need to revamp my resume again. Once I have some current volunteer work on there, it’ll show that I don’t like to stand still.

I can’t stay in Sandburrow forever.

Grandma might have an open-door policy, but that doesn’t mean I can just sit here and rot. There are only so many weeds I can pull before I start feeling stuck.

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