Page 6 of Fore-Ever Yours

The line goes dead, and with a frustrated sigh, I toss the phone onto the chair. I plop onto the bed and rub my face with my hands. How would this fake dating even work? Leak photos? Staged dates?

I’m about to have the busiest part of the year with tournaments and events. The Savannah Marsh Classic is just a few weeks away. This is the time I need to have my undivided attention on my career, not rumor mills or tabloid disasters. Or relationships—real or fabricated.

My phone rings again, pulling me from my thoughts. I groan, half expecting it to be Travis again. Instead, Owen Bennett’s name illuminates my screen, a welcome surprise.

“Hey, man. It’s been a while. How’s baseball life?” I ask.

“I’m good. What are you doing in Meadowbrook?”

“Here for a few days to relax before tournaments pick back up. I didn’t realize you were from here.”

“Born and raised. Funny how you’re in my hometown, meeting people I grew up with. So what’s this thing with you and Beth?”

“You know her?”

“Yeah, she’s close with my twin sister, Emma. How’d you two meet? Or should I ask, how did she end up in your arms?”

“I saw your comment on the post…”

“Mhm.”

“It was purely coincidental.” I chuckle, unsure how much information to give. The thought of faking something sounds awful, but what if we did what Travis suggested and didn’t deny it? “But I guess in a small town, that’s all it takes to spark a rumor.”

“Yeah, the Madame C’s, as everyone calls them, spread the town gossip. But it’s been worse since they’ve discovered social media.” He chuckles.

“I bet.”

“And Beth just got back from finishing college. So everyone’s got their eyes on her. Including you?”

“Including me?” I echo, a laugh escaping me. “No, I’m just passing through. It’s crunch time for me; I’m not looking for anything.”

Owen laughs heartily. “Sure, man. Whatever you say.”

We talk for a little while longer before ending the call. I try to shake off the whole situation surrounding Beth, but my mind keeps circling back.

I open my phone to look back at the photo. I can feel my arms around her again. She is undeniably beautiful. Her brunette hair was tied on top of her head. Her green eyes, lighter and brighter than mine, stared at me. There was something intriguing about her that pulled me in.

We do look like a real couple caught mid moment. Horizon Golf Tour Pro meets marketing grad—maybe we could pull it off. A few public events, some photos.

I see how this could work to my advantage. My dream is the Summit Pro Tour card and the buzz, outside of my skill, could get me there quicker. I can’t believe I’m contemplating it.

I wonder if it’s something she’d entertain the thought of. Maybe she would know what to do. She just finished studying it, after all. Maybe she would be open to the idea. Understand the business side of things.

Chapter 3

Beth

“ElisabethAnneMitchell,”oneof my closest friends, Desi, screams into my ear as I pick up the phone.

“Desiree Maya Pearson,” I dryly yell back at her.

After a grueling day of trying to figure out my next step (and being unsuccessful at it), I went to bed early and slept in until noon. Clearly, decision-making is taking a toll on me.

Mom left me breakfast in the oven when I went for a run. I had just gotten out of the shower when my phone rang.

“I’m not the one who’s in tabloids right now.”

“I would hardly call it a tabloid. It’s merely a small town gossip post.”

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