Page 49 of Just One Fake Date

She and Ty were going to his sister’s wedding together. His family would assume they were dating.

But that was a month away. She felt a need to put the brakes on the construction of this fake relationship, the one Tyler seemed so determined to build.

“Since about five after two this morning,” he continued, his voice so filled with regret that she knew he hadn’t seen it coming.

Which was odd, but there it was.

“You called them that early?”

“I just wanted to solve it,” he admitted. “My mom has been talking about them being up all night every night with their son, who has colic, and so I just called right away. They were up.”

“But they wondered why you were.”

“Exactly.” She could almost hear him wince. “They don’t know I swim at night. They assumed I was with you, at the house in question.”

Ah.

“Do you think your sister told anyone else?” she asked.

Tyler gave a short laugh but it didn’t sound like he was amused. “What do you think?”

Shannyn’s heart stopped. “Everyone related to you within a hundred mile radius knows already?” she guessed.

“Two hundred,” he acknowledged easily. “And possibly most of the eastern seaboard. Paige is not big on discretion.”

Tyler’s entire family knew not only about her existence but believed she was sleeping with him. This wasn’t the set of assumptions Shannyn had hoped to face at the wedding.

“Damn. My mom might have heard already,” she said, trying to hide her dismay.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

He just wanted to make a deal with her, so she’d go for dinner.

Shannyn felt a little wave of panic then reminded herself that she didn’t have a roof yet, or even another bid. She took a deep breath. “You said there were two things,” she reminded him, her tone as wary as she felt.

“I should be there when Derek comes to the house, whenever it is.”

“Why?”

“If we’re seeing each other, he’ll expect it.”

“You’re making this complicated.”

“It’s just a case of what’s plausible.”

“Plausible,” Shannyn repeated, dragging it out. “We keep coming back to that word.

“We do, because the key to a successful fake date lies in the details.”

“You’re speaking from experience here?”

“No, but it just makes sense...”

“Because I might be insulted to realize that I was number forty-six in a long line of fake dates.”

“You’re not.” Tyler sounded stubborn and a bit annoyed. Shannyn knew his mouth would be a hard line and his eyes would be glittering. Once again, she had that urge to push him over the edge and jump on when he lost control. She’d ride him right into the core of the volcano, with no regrets. “You’re first and only.”

“Thus far.”

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