Page 47 of Fa-La-La-La Faking It
Frustration coursed through him as reached for the doorknob, along with a whirl of feelings he didn’t care to examine too closely. Then he swung the door open to find not Adaline but her brother waiting on the faded welcome mat.
“Ford. Good to see you. Come on in.” Jace waved him inside. The icicles hanging from the roofline of the cabin were melting, along with the frost on the oak trees that lined the drive to Gus’s property. In just a few hours, all traces of the ice storm would be replaced by a bright winter day.
Ford stepped inside and glanced around.
Jace was acutely aware of the austere, old man vibes the cabin gave off, and wished he’d done something to make it look more homey. He still had no concrete plans to stay in Bluebonnet permanently, but a few creature comforts would’ve been nice.
Too late now.
“Good to see you too.” Ford gave him an easy grin. There wasn’t a trace of judgment in his expression. “Sorry to catch you off-guard like this, but I figured with the weather warming up this morning, you might be ready to open up the Christmas tree lot again. I’m happy to help get you back up and running if you need an extra pair of hands and a truck to transport trees back to the square.”
“That’s a generous offer. Are you sure?” Jace couldn’t believe it. The other day, he’d been in a race against the weather. He’d had no choice but to accept help from the community. Today, he hadn’t even considered asking for assistance.
Texas Tidings was his responsibility. He certainly hadn’t expected anyone to just drop by, ready to haul trees around again.
But then Ford eye’s crinkled in the corners the exact same way Adaline’s did sometimes, and Jace understood. Ford was here because Jace was supposed to be his sister’s serious boyfriend. Of course he’d want to pitch in, and if Ford was anything like Adaline, he probably wanted to get to know Jace a bit while he was at it. Family was important to the Bishops, which was exactly how Jace knew Adaline’sno family involvement rulewould never work. There was no world—real or pretend—where Adaline’s significant other wouldn’t be deeply engaged with her family. Anything else wouldn’t be believable.
What he hadn’t anticipated was her buddying up to Uncle Gus. No one could’ve seen that coming. It was pure Adaline, though. If anyone could soothe his uncle’s rough edges, it was her.
She kept trying when most sane people would’ve given up. Jace’s chest filled with warmth just thinking about it.
“Of course I’m sure. Today’s my day off. My practice is closed on Fridays, and I don’t have to go in to the hospital until later tonight.” Ford shrugged, as if a pediatrician offering to do manual labor was a totally normal thing to happen around here. It probably was, considering Bluebonnet was such a close-knit community.
Even so, Jace knew this offer had more to do with Adaline than any small-town code of conduct.
“If you’re sure you’ve got the time, I’d appreciate the help,” Jace said, and he meant it. “Your sister didn’t strong-arm you into this, though, did she?”
He wouldn’t put it past her.
“You know Adaline pretty well, don’t you?” Ford laughed. “That does sound like something my sister would do, but no. I actually haven’t talked to her today. Maple said something about a meeting she’s hoping to get scheduled this morning with a real estate management company about a training facility for Comfort Paws. Plus, they’ve got a therapy dog gig today helping out with Santa photos, so I know she’s tied up. Otherwise, Adaline would probably be here to help, too. I’m sure she told you all about that, though.”
“Right... Santa photos. And the meeting with the folks at the leasing company.” Jace nodded and pretended he knew what Ford was talking about. Adaline hadn’t mentioned a thing about Santa pictures or renting space for Comfort Paws.
Then again, she wasn’t really his girlfriend, so why would she?
Jace switched gears before it became apparent just how oblivious he was. He hitched a thumb toward the kitchen. “Can I offer you a cup of coffee before we get started in the barn?”
Ford grinned. “I never turn down coffee.”
“Black? Cream and sugar?” Jace asked. The options were limited since Gus’s coffee maker was an avocado-green monstrosity straight off the set ofThe Brady Bunch.
“Just black is fine, thanks.”
“Got it. Have a seat and I’ll be right back.” Jace tapped his knuckles on the kitchen table. He’d been using it as a makeshift desk while he’d been staying here, but there was still plenty of space to sit and talk for a minute before they got to work.
Jace was only gone a few minutes, and the kitchen was close enough to exchange more pleasantries while he made the coffee. He asked Ford how the wedding plans were coming along, but before he had a chance to answer, Jace walked back into the room with a coffee cup in each hand, careful not to spill.
“Here you go,” he said as he offered one of the mugs to Ford. That’s when he looked up and realized Ford’s gaze had landed on the paperwork from Briarwood Properties, spread across the table.
“Sorry.” Ford help up his hands. “I wasn’t snooping, I swear.”
“It’s okay. I didn’t think you were.” Jace handed Ford his coffee and sat down opposite him.
Ford took a sip and nodded. “So you’re selling your farm, then?”
“Actually, I’m not sure. I’ve been putting off signing the paperwork. It’s a good offer, but I’m not sure I’m ready to make a decision.” Jace cleared his throat. Had he just screwed up? Would a real boyfriend admit he might not be staying in Bluebonnet for the long haul?
If Ford’s spidey senses were tingling, he didn’t let on. He sat back in his chair, asked about Uncle Gus and otherwise made casual conversation until they were ready to get to work.
