Page 6 of Candy Coated Curves

She blows out a breath. “That was Harper Rhodes, dang it, I mean Crawford. Can’t get used to the fact that she and Johnny got married already. Anyways, she’s working in her family’s shop today, and evidently Pete went down there and met some of his buddies and she overheard them talking.”

“About you?”

“Yeah.”

“I’ll be your fake boyfriend whenever he’s around. Next time you want to go out dancing and to shake your ass around like that, you call me, and I’ll come with you. I’ll keep an eye on you. Keep you safe.”

She nods. “It’ll just be until Pete goes back to Texas Tech at the end of Christmas break.”

I nod because I don’t know what else to say. What I want to do is walk down to that ice cream shop, find Pete, and break his fucking neck. But technically he hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s just being a creep.

“I bet if we go out to Jingle Farm’s Christmas Market tomorrow and walk through the fairgrounds holding hands, that’ll solve everything. Then he’ll leave me alone.”

But maybe by then I won’t be able to. God help me.

“I don’t think it’s quite that simple,” I say.

“Just you wait. We’re going to be the cutest couple in that whole Christmas market.”

chapterfour

RONI

I thought we’d made plans, but evidently I’m some kind of an idiot. Either that or Nash has a broken neck somewhere. In this case, I’m hoping I’m just an idiot.

Still, I’m bummed that my plan didn’t work.

ME: Fake boyfriend is a no-go. He didn’t show up to get me.

AMBER: Because he’s already here.

ME: Where?

AMBER: The Christmas Market. He’s here with Ian and that whole group of guys.

ME: #sigh

ME:

AMBER: None of that. We do not give up that easily. You need to just get your sweet ass down here. Give me a second and I’m going to video call you.

A minute later my phone rings and I slide to answer. Amber’s face comes into view and she gives me a sassy smile. “Okay, I’ve gone somewhere more private so we can discuss the next phase of your plan. It’s the naked phase.”

“I beg your pardon? Did you say naked?”

“Absolutely. So, I know I’ve hinted at what I did to seduce Quinn and change our relationship from boss and employee to him pulling his head out of his ass and acknowledging that he was in love with me.”

“I feel like we’re about to cross a line in our friendship,” I say, then take a deep cleansing breath. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“You’re so silly. I’m not getting naked with you, Roni.” Amber laughs.

I laugh too, folding my legs up to sit crisscross on my bed.

“So I tried the whole dressing seductively to get his attention, and it did, but not enough for him to cross that line. I knew I had to take more drastic measures because I felt like I was running out of time, especially since that cow, Eileen Perry, was actively trying to sink her claws into Quinn.”

“Eww,” I say. “She’s so not nice. And her son is horrid. He pockets candy every time he comes into the store. It’s gotten to where Nash will stop what he’s doing and just follow the kid around.”

Amber laugh-snorts. “I love that so much. Nash is great.”

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