Page 70 of Just One Fake Date

“Bangkok,” she insisted.

“Not since February.”

“Seattle.”

“Flew right over it because I wanted to get back home so badly.”

That was not a reassuring confession.

“Liar,” she charged and Aidan laughed.

Ty felt Derek studying him and deliberately didn’t look up.

“Miss me, Taz?” Aidan demanded of her.

“Of course not. I even forget who you are,” Shannyn countered.

“Liar!” Aidan tickled her until she squealed.

“What’s your name again? Who are you?” she said, laughing all the while. “Put me down, stranger!”

“Not until you admit that you missed me. Are you getting fat? Jeez, Taz, you weigh a ton.”

“I do not. Now, you’re the liar. I’ve lost fifteen pounds since you left and you probably know it.”

She’d lost weight when he left? There was a nail in the coffin. Ty knew all about women losing weight when love went wrong. She’d missed Aidan, whoever the hell he was. And whatever had happened, he was back.

“Maybe you’ve just been wasting away, missing me so badly. Poor little Taz.”

“Awwwwww,” Shannyn said with characteristic bravado. “I don’tthinkso.”

Ty would have argued that.

Aidan set her on her feet. They grinned at each other, hugged tightly, then seemed to finally remember that Derek and Ty were there.

“What’s going on?” Aidan asked, leading a blushing Shannyn toward them. The way she evaded Ty’s gaze spoke volumes.

She’d been caught out and she knew it.

Even so, Ty could kind of defend her choice. They had a deal. They didn’t have a relationship. He didn’t know anything about her life and he hadn’t asked. She hadn’t made any confessions or any promises, and if he’d made conclusions, that was his own fault. She didn’t know about his hard and fast rule.

Still, this bit the wall.

“Aidan, Tyler, Derek,” she said, echoing his own style of introduction. “They’re helping me with my score.”

Aidan gave a low whistle after she told him about the furniture. “Is this a new personal record?”

“Yes,” Shannyn said happily. Ty wondered whether she was happier about the furniture, the fact that he had helped her out, or Aidan’s return. By the way she was looking at Aidan, he was pretty sure of the answer.

And that was that. She had the furniture, which she believed would give her the resources to pay for the roof. He’d been part of the solution, but wasn’t likely to get the credit now.

Ty told himself it didn’t matter.

“You must be starving,” Shannyn said to Aidan. “You always are.”

The familiarity between them made Ty keenly aware that he was a lot less familiar with Shannyn. Disgruntled and knowing he shouldn’t be, Ty put the rope and blanket back in the trunk.

Dinner was off.

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