Page 77 of Skating and Fake Dating
Uncertain, I scoot closer and he draws me into his embrace.
“Body heat,” he says as if to convince himself that’s all this is.
His solid warmth brings both comfort and excitement—an altogether different kind of shiver races beneath my skin.
“Better?” he asks, his breath stirring my hair.
“Much.” I relax against him, feeling safer than I probably should.
“Tell me what else I don’t want to miss at the Maple Fest.”
“The corn maze and hay ride are always fun. The dog parade is hilarious and adorable.”
“Will Tiny be marching in costume?”
“More like sniffing everything, but yes. This year she’s dressing up as an otter.”
He chuckles. “What about this place? It must be old. What goes on upstairs? Modern buildings must have more than one point of egress.”
I point toward the ceiling. “The haunted house is above, but it’s more than that. It used to be the general store and the heartof Maple Falls until routes changed and everything shifted to the intersection at Main Street.”
He goes still. “You’re telling me we’re trapped under a haunted house?”
I giggle. “Are you scared?”
“No, of course not.” He pauses. “Should I be?”
I tickle his side. “Maybe we could check it out tomorrow … at dusk.”
“Game.”
“Oh, right.”
“Will you come?” Hope lights Carson’s voice.
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
I feel his cheek lift with a smile. “Do you miss it here?”
“Despite my pesky family? Yes.”
“They’re endearing.”
“Nosy.”
“A bit,” he agrees with a laugh.
“Though, I guess that shouldn’t be surprising. The Porters are one of the founding families of Maple Falls, so it’s like they think they have a right to know everyone’s business. In fact, it was my great-great-grandfather,” I count on my fingers to make sure I have enoughgreats, “who opened the general store. My grandfather said that during the Great Depression, he gave what he could to families who couldn’t afford food.”
“And here you are, selling maple butter from the family farm in just about the very same location. Funny how things work out.”
So I don’t think about how badly I’d like this fake relationship to work out, I open up about the business I’d attempted to start with Sweet Memories Maple Company, with a booth at the farmers’ market, but couldn’t get it off the ground.
“The tagline was, ‘It’s so good, you’ll never forget it.’”
Carson’s hand tightens around my side as he squeezes me closer. “Have you thought about trying again?”
“With my tail between my legs?”
