Page 14 of Blindsided By Fake Love

“First, thanks for having such a high opinion of the man you married.” His smirk sends tiny shivers shooting to my toes. “And second, I live on Cherry Street.” His head tilts toward the corner, toward Cherry Street.

I cross my arms and narrow my eyes. “This town is ridiculously small. You live around the corner, and I didn’t hear about it?”

“Yes.” His cheeks lift higher, and I hate him a little as my breath catches. “Four-twenty-six. Mrs. Maple’s old house.”

Mrs. Maple passed away a few months ago, and her kids only recently got around to putting it on the market. I vaguely recall Katy Blake, the town gossip, and a few others talking about it being sold one morning at Bean Me Up, but I didn’t catch the name of the buyer.

I’m sure I would’ve remembered if they said Beau’s name.

Does Gen know? Is it possible that someone mentioned it, and I completely forgot?WouldI forget hearing that he was the buyer?

The truth is maybe. I’ve been so busy with the clinic and trying to plan a wedding with a man who didn’t want to marry me that not remembering is definitely possible but highly unlikely.

Reading my face like a book, he raises his hands. “I swear! It’s just been hectic with the Marauders switching stadiums so close to pre-season. I’m still not fully unpacked.”

Staring at him, an eyebrow raised and arms still crossed, I don’t say anything.

“When I come home, I usually take the left from the highway; it’s more direct. Today, I took the scenic route. When I saw the clinic, I thought of you, and then—boom—there you were!”

What he’s saying makes sense, but it’s hard for me to believe that I wouldn’t have seen him at some point before today.

Starhaven isn’t big.

“Kit, we didn’t talk about where we lived. I would’ve told you had you asked.” The playful glint in his eyes has my cheeks pulling up. I uncross my arms and go to grab my bag. But he pushes his body in front of mine and grabs it first. “I got this. I’ll walk you to your door.”

The brushing of his body against mine sends shivers down my spine. For a second, I just stand there, frozen, watching him walk up my stairs.

My high school self is doing cartwheels while the adult version of me is admiring the man he’s become. And not just physically.

Though he is quite the specimen, a smirk crosses my face.

“Are you just gonna stand there, Garrett?” My gaze snaps up from Beau’s…um…attributes to his eyes, and the teasing glint there tells me he knows exactly what I was doing.

My face flames, and I stomp up the stairs with my head down. The sound of his amusement sets a swarm of butterflies in motion and makes me want to die of embarrassment.

Nothing has changed. I still want to kiss and kill Beau Matthews all in the same breath.

Ordering my cheeks to cool, I walk toward him and gaze down so my eyes aren’t tempted to admire him again.

The last thing I want is to give Beau the upper hand.

What if that’s not what you’re doing?A quiet voice asks.What if this entire crazy situation is actually an opportunity?

“Be quiet,” I mumble to the voice in my head. Not wanting to think about the emotions that being around this man is invoking.

“Everything okay?” He asks when I meet him on the porch. The humor in his eyes is replaced with a softness that makes my stomach flip. And sucks all the air from my lungs.

A small smile creeps along my face, and I scoff. “That’s a loaded question…Husband.”

His eyes dance for a moment before they shift to an emotion I can’t read. “Who would’ve thought that was ever a good idea, huh?”

Me.

Woah! Where did that come from?

“As much as I love talking about you being my wife and all, I do have a serious question for you.” A surge of energy races around my body like a strike of lightning struck me and I can’t breathe. “I’m a mentor for an organization called Play It Forward. When I moved here, I was assigned Jack Samuels as my new mentee.”

My pulse slows, and my nerves flutter when I realize the topic he’s discussing has nothing to do with us.

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