The Hometown Hoax (The Hoax Series) (9 page)

Damn it. Every time she was up close to him, his proximity played with her senses, clouded her brain, and made her want to forget her reasoning for staying away.

“Can I help you?” she asked, crossing her arms as an added barrier between them.

“You got a text and I thought you’d be anxious to hear back from your man so I walked your phone over to the bathroom. Of course, along the way I couldn’t help but notice that the text was from your sister. That is unless Richard the Dick also goes by Mary.”

He handed her the phone and she held it close to her chest while trying to maintain her composure. It was one thing to put up with his questions and him being in her space, but it was completely unacceptable for him to go through her private belongings.

“You had no right to read my text. From my boyfriend or from my sister.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

“Good, so we’re in agreement that you’re officially an asshole.” She moved to walk around him, but he sidestepped, blocking her path. On instinct she put up her hands up to brace herself against running into him. His pecs were as firm and sculpted as she remembered. Without permission, her hands roamed down his sleek torso, gliding over ridges and plains.

“I wouldn’t say that.”

“What would you say?” She withdrew her hands and attempted to step the other way around him and was blocked once more.

“That I was curious who you were actually texting since I knew it couldn’t possibly be your boyfriend.”

“That’s a pretty big assumption considering I’d told you I was texting him. Not exactly roommate-like for someone who moments ago claimed to not be in my space. Why didn’t you take my word for it?”

“Because you don’t have a boyfriend.”

The accusation hung in the air. She didn’t respond, silently refusing to confirm or deny his comment. He remained steadfastly mute as well, not giving an inch on his claim to her relationship status. Why couldn’t he let it go? “What’s it to you?”

He shrugged but didn’t say anything, simply held her gaze, raising an eyebrow, questioningly.

“I don’t have to tell you anything.”

“True, but you should admit it.” His smirk grew. “Wouldn’t it be easier if you didn’t have to be deceitful even in your own cabin for the rest of the week?”

True. It would be nice if she could have this one spot to relax. And with Logan seeming to be everywhere she was when she left the cabin, it would be nice if she could be herself with him at least. Hiding it from everyone was hard. But if she gave in and admitted the truth, what would that mean for the thing that definitely
wasn’t
going on between her and Logan? That feeling she definitely
didn’t
feel spring up inside her when he was around? That tingling and heat
not
pooling low in her belly whenever she smelled his spicy cologne mixing with campfire smoke and lake water. Would she still be able to push all of that nonsense aside if there wasn’t the fake boyfriend buffer anymore?

She met his gaze and could clearly see that he knew the truth even without her admission. He wanted to make her say the words. “Fine.”

“Fine, what?” he asked, his eyebrow arching again.

“I might have exaggerated the boyfriend story.”

“Why’d you lie?”

“Because if I told the truth, they’d never shut up about how I should move home and marry a guy from town. I hoped for a week of peace, but I guess that’s never happening with my family, is it?”

“What’s wrong with a guy from town?” His voice rose with defensiveness. “Your family is nice. I can only imagine at least some of the men in this town are okay too.”

Some might be nice, but not all. And that wasn’t a conversation she was having with Logan now, or ever if she could help it. The past was the past and that’s how she wanted to keep things. “I’ve had my fill of small town life.”

“Vague.”

It was her turn to shrug. “You’re so full of questions. How about you answer one for me?” she asked.

“Fire away,” he said, his mouth set in a firm line.

“Why do you care so much that I lied about having a boyfriend?”

“Because if there’s a guy back in the city I have no choice but to respect that.”

She swallowed, suddenly feeling nervousness and excitement mix in her stomach. “And if there’s no guy?” Her voice came out as a whisper.

Logan lifted her chin with his fingers then slid his hand along her jaw and into the hair at the base of her neck. “If there’s no boyfriend, then you’re single. And I’m single. And we’re all alone in this cozy cabin every night.”

“So? I’m still not interested. Sorry to burst your big ego bubble.” The lump of anticipation in her throat made it feel as if her airway was closing, but she sucked in a staggered breath.

She tried to step away but before she could, he had her pressed against the doorframe. A tiny gasp escaped her parted lips at the pleasure of him leaning into her body in all the right places. How many times had she imagined a scenario like this happening? Many. But Logan wasn’t a fantasy. He was real and felt better than anything her imagination could ever come up with. Why she’d been fighting the attraction she’d felt for him since meeting him on the twisting mountain road escaped her realm of thinking right now.

“You might claim you’re not interested, but I’m pretty sure that’s another lie. And if you’re single and willing, and I’m single and wanting, then there’s nothing to stop me from doing this.”

He brushed his lips against hers, lingering only long enough to cause her to arch into him involuntarily. Feeling as if she was suffocating, she tried to suck in a breath. When she did, his tongue swept across her bottom lip and she trembled.

He pulled back, his eyes heavy-lidded. “I’m pretty sure I know the truth about what you want too. So tell me once and for all, is there a guy in the city waiting for you?” His gaze penetrated hers, intense and full of need, longing.

“You can’t say anything to my family. They’ll never leave me alone to make my own decisions.”

“I’ll keep your secret.”

She relaxed in his arms. His thumb brushed across her lower lip, and she fought to control the tremble of nerves his touch brought to life.

“If…” He paused.

Biting her lip, she prayed he wouldn’t ask for something in return she couldn’t give. “If what?” she whispered.

“If you’ll promise to be one hundred percent real and honest with me when we’re alone. I get that you don’t want your family to know. They’re well meaning, but even I can see how much of a hard time they give you over everything. If they knew the truth, I think you’re right about how they would react and I’d hate to see you go crazy over it. So around them you can keep up the charade.”

She nodded, not trusting her voice to stay strong and steady.

“But when we’re alone, you’re single, and you won’t write me off because I decided to move to Cutter’s Creek instead of staying in the city. You’ll respect my decision as much as you want your family to respect yours.”

Well, when he said it like that… She hadn’t realized she’d acted hypocritically. It wasn’t fair to him anymore than it was fair to her that her family tried to pressure her into moving home. She thought she was a better person, but apparently the meddling apple didn’t fall far from the busy-bodied tree.

“Deal?” He inched forward slightly and her breath caught in her throat at his nearness. He was even hotter up close. There was something so sexy about his confident ability to take charge of the situation.

She licked her lips while finding her voice, never taking her gaze from his. “Deal.” The word was barely out of her mouth before his lips were on hers again. Heat rocketed through her body making her toes tingle with desire. His kiss was deeper, needier than the first, and she wanted more.

A few seconds later, Logan broke the kiss, his chest rising and falling with quick breaths that matched hers. He looked at her for another few moments then stepped away and went to lay on his bed as if nothing had happened.

Her head spun as if she’d drunk an entire bottle of wine. Walking back to her bed, she felt in a fog. Not wanting to show him or admit to herself how much she’d been affected by his kiss, she picked up her book from the nightstand as casually as she could and mindlessly stared at the pages, flipping once in a while to look as if she were actually reading.

Somehow, in an odd twist of fate she hadn’t seen coming, she no longer had a fake boyfriend but instead now had a very real crush on the sexy man lying a few feet away. A man who recently moved to the town she couldn’t wait to leave.

This couldn’t be good.

But that kiss had been anything but bad.

Chapter Nine

L
ogan poured a coffee to take with him back to his cabin. Being in nature was amazing, but he could do with a few comforts from home. His smoothies were something he rarely went more than a few days without. Coffee was great quick energy, but after a good workout like the one he’d had this morning, he could use the sustained energy his protein-enriched smoothies would’ve offered.

“Anything on the schedule for today?” he asked Martha.

She paused her organizing of the pantry momentarily to answer him. “Joe and I might head out on the lake for a bit. James mentioned running into town to check on Tessa’s car.”

“Tessa and I have plans to hike up to the lookout,” Mary said from the adjoining room. “You’re welcome to join us. Of course, you already got a workout by the looks of it, so maybe you don’t want to hike up a mountain too.”

“Sounds like fun. When are we leaving?”

“Half an hour. Tessa was packing a backpack and then meeting me here.”

“Great. I’ll rinse off quickly and grab my stuff.”

He left with his coffee, walking as fast as he could without spilling it. A hike up the mountain with Tessa sounded great. Although it would be better if they were alone, he’d take what he could get.

Last night had been a good moment between them. Finally, he knew that she was single and when they were in private she wouldn’t pretend that she wasn’t. She’d be real with him, and he couldn’t wait. Their kiss was the tip of something more, something amazing.

He wished she didn’t have to pretend to be in a relationship around her family either. All that made him want to do was hang out in their cabin constantly. But he also wanted to explore the area, hang out with Travis and the rest of the family, and enjoy everything that camping had to offer.

Like Tessa in a bikini on the paddleboard.

If only they’d had their conversation about her fake boyfriend before that moment. He definitely wouldn’t have let her off his board so quickly. He would’ve kept her there, between his legs and in his arms, asked her more questions about her life, and gotten to know everything about her.

As the door to the cabin swung open, he glanced around the room, but Tessa was nowhere to be seen. Setting his cup down on his bedside table, he stripped off his clothes and walked naked to the shower. As the water warmed, he shaved his morning scruff. He might be in the mountains, but he had no desire to look like a mountain man. Stubble he could handle, a beard, no way. They itched.

Logan showered and dressed in record time, not wanting to hold up the expedition to the lookout, wherever that was. Pulling his backpack out from under the bed, he made sure he had a few essentials like protein bars, a small first aid kit, and a Swiss Army knife. He didn’t know how far they were hiking today, but it was a good idea to go prepared for anything.

He finished his coffee on the way and rinsed his cup in the sink before grabbing a few bottles of water for his backpack. Outside, Tessa and Mary were pulling their packs onto their shoulders when he walked up.

“Hey,” he said. “I didn’t keep you waiting, did I?”

“Nope. We were getting ready to head out,” Mary said, smiling.

Tessa glanced between the two of them. “Are you coming with us?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“Rude,” Mary said. “I invited him to join us.”

“Well, why did you do that?” Tessa asked, her hands on her hips.

“Because he’s never been before. I didn’t think it was a girl’s only kind of trip or anything.”

“You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome,” Logan said, trying not to show his amusement. He didn’t know Tessa’s exact motivation for wanting her space, but he had a few good guesses. One, was that kiss. Maybe she liked it more than she wanted to. Two, having him around was probably a big reminder of how much she liked that kiss. Possibly she even wanted to kiss him again but was fighting it. If her gaze dropping to his lips repeatedly was any indication, she was thinking about them a lot more than he thought. Already he’d caught her a few times and he’d only been with them for a minute. And lastly, if he was around, there was always a chance he could spill her fake boyfriend secret, not that he would.

Her secret was safe with him. He wouldn’t tell. He’d already pissed her off once with the whole car accident and had only recently won her favor. He wasn’t about to risk getting on her bad side again. Her good side was so much better.

“I promise I won’t get in the way, and I’ll turn a deaf ear to any girl talk. Mary invited me, and the thought of seeing the view sounded too good to pass up, but I won’t go if you want time alone with your sister. If I had siblings, I’d probably want to spend time alone with them bonding too.”

He could practically see his words sinking in as Tessa’s stiff posture eased. She bit her lower lip, looking up at him sheepishly. “Of course you can come.”

They started up the path at a leisurely pace, clearly in no rush to reach the top or wherever the lookout was. After a few minutes, they were so far into the brush already that he couldn’t see the cabins or hear people in the campground. The only noise was their footfalls, the rustling leaves, and birds. The wide trail allowed them to walk side-by-side. Its gradual incline was enough to make his breathing increase marginally, but not so much that it was any kind of struggle. He’d walked a harder incline on his treadmill. The girls, however, seemed to be having a more challenging time. Already, they breathed loud and fast.

“You girls okay?” he asked.

“Fine,” Tessa answered.

“Actually, can we stop for a minute?” Mary asked. “I want to find a walking stick. Once the path gets steeper, I’ll need it.”

“Sounds like a good idea for all of us,” he said. And it would give them a chance to rest before they started up again.

Tessa wandered off the trail a few steps to retrieve a stick that came up to her shoulders. Logan looked around for a few minutes before finding one. He had no question about being able to hike the steepest sections even without the help, but he wanted to be part of the group. So if the girls were using walking sticks, he would too.

He was about to suggest they continue when Mary’s cell phone rang.

“Hey, James. What’s up?” she asked, perching on the edge of a large boulder. “Oh crap. I forgot about that. I’m about twenty minutes up the lookout trail with Tessa and Logan. I can probably be back in half that. Can you wait for me?”

Apparently, Mary was supposed to be in two places at once. The thought of her heading back to camp by herself on the trail didn’t sit well with him.

“Sorry, guys. I’ve got to cut my hiking trip short,” Mary said after ending her call. “I forgot James and I are supposed to cook tonight. I have to head back and run into town to pick up the stuff we need.”

“Can’t James go by himself? He is an adult now and can buy a few groceries.” Tessa’s voice sounded simultaneously annoyed and nervous. An odd combination.

“He could, but then we’d likely end up eating Doritos and beef jerky for dinner.”

Tessa groaned. “True. Remember last time he was in charge of the meal himself? Nothing says camping like fish sticks with macaroni and cheese for dinner. It was as if he forgot we weren’t a bunch of five year olds.”

“See why I need to go?” Mary laughed. “I’ll make sure we eat something decent tonight.”

“Can we walk you back?” Logan asked, hoping she’d say yes. Hiking alone could be dangerous.

“No. I’ll be fine. I’ve hiked this trail a thousand times and I’ve got everything I need in my pack.” Mary pounded the end of her walking stick into the ground as if testing its strength. “Besides, it’ll take me half the time to get back and you’d have to turn around and start your hike all over.”

“Are you sure? It’s no trouble?” Tessa added, shooting a sideways glance toward Logan. “Maybe we should head back too.”

“It’s your favorite place here. Take Logan. It’s an amazing view and one you shouldn’t miss because I have to go grocery shopping.” Without waiting for more discussion on the subject, Mary gave them a huge smile and started back down the trail, calling over her shoulder. “Have fun. Don’t hurry back. Dinner will be late tonight!”

As Mary disappeared around a bend, he turned to face Tessa. He grabbed his own walking stick and nodded toward the trail leading the opposite way of Mary. “Ready?”

Tessa stared after Mary for another few seconds. “This way,” she said with a shrug.

He walked alongside her, easily keeping her pace. A few minutes of silence felt like a million. Tessa sighed every minute or so, and each one sounded progressively more annoyed. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. “You seem really irritated to be hiking with me. We can turn back if you want.”

She didn’t respond.

“Will you tell me what’s bothering you?”

“Nothing’s bothering me.”

He laughed. “Famous words said by every annoyed female in history.”

“I’m sorry. It’s not you, but I can’t believe Mary bailed on us.”

“I don’t think she meant to. Besides, it’s still fun to hike this trail, isn’t it? I promise I’ll be good company. And if it will make you feel more comfortable, I’ll even call you Tessa-bear so you feel like your family is here with you and you’re not alone in the woods with a guy who’s basically a stranger.”

“First, don’t you dare call me that name. It’s one that’s been around since I was a kid and I’ve hated it my whole life. And secondly, you’re not exactly a stranger anymore.”

He smiled as her tone and mood shifted to something more upbeat and friendly. “Don’t forget how I saved you while paddle boarding,” he added, goading her on.

She scoffed. “You did not save me. In fact, you’re the reason I ended up in the water to begin with.”

He ignored her. “And let’s not forget the kiss. That’s not something strangers do.” No way could he forget that moment. The feeling of her lips on his was burned into his memory like they’d been branded on his brain.

Tessa stumbled when her foot slipped on the path. He reached out and grabbed her upper arm, steadying her. “I’m fine,” she insisted, shaking her arm loose and starting up the trail again.

“So why exactly do you hate your nickname so much?”

“Because it’s childish.”

“Lots of people have nicknames they’re given as children and they sort of cling to them, cherish them. Why don’t you? There must be more to it.”

“It’s a childish nickname that makes me feel like I’m still a kid. And every time I tell them not to call me that anymore, they ignore me and do it anyway. It’s another way they don’t see me as an adult. They don’t listen to me or respect my opinion.”

Now that made sense, but she was probably being a little hard on her family. They’d seemed nothing but loving and kind the whole time he’d been around.

“What about you? Any nicknames you had growing up?”

He shook his head. “My parents weren’t nickname kind of people. They took life seriously. Always worrying about everything.”

“Guess you’re lucky on that account then. I’d take no nickname over the one I’ve been cursed with.”

“I think you’re the one to be envied. You have a family who loves you.”

“And meddles in my life and constantly nags me to move home.”

“Because they want you close by. You’re lucky to have a family who cares.”

“You want them? You can borrow them for a few years.” She had no idea what he’d give for a family like hers. “Did your parents care when you moved out of the city to the middle of nowhere?”

His heart ached in his chest. Even after all these years, it still hurt. “Nope. They’ve got nothing to say about it. They’re not around anymore.”

“Not around as in they moved or…”

“Back when I was about seventeen my mom got breast cancer.” His breath burned in his chest as the elevation climbed and the trail got steeper. A sweat broke out on his back.

Tessa’s hand slipped into his and squeezed. He held her tight, his large hand engulfing her tiny one. The contact felt good, comforting. As if having her touch made his story easier to tell.

“She started treatment right away and the cancer was small so she beat it and went into remission. I remember they were so happy, it was like a weight had lifted off them and they suddenly had a new outlook on life. They smiled more and stopped being so serious all the time. It was awesome.”

“It’s amazing what a little perspective can do, right?”

“Yup. So they decided to go on a huge trip around the world. I was about to graduate high school so I stayed home. They were somewhere in the Amazon when they went missing. They went into the jungle, but never came back out.”

“I had no idea. I’m so sorry for your loss, Logan.”

The tough shell that seemed to constantly surround her finally cracked. For the first time he got a glimpse of the woman she kept so closely guarded.

The pain of losing his parents had lessened over the years but there were moments when he still hurt. Telling Tessa about them made his emotions surprisingly raw. And yet she made him feel completely comfortable in sharing his story. Most of the time, he glossed over what happened saying they died, period. But with Tessa it was different. He wanted her to know the whole story. He felt compelled to be completely honest with her the same way he wanted her to be completely honest with him.

“How did you go on to become so successful after suffering a loss like that? I think I would have curled into a ball and stayed there.”

“Well, I don’t know how successful I’ve become given that I had to shut down my business and become a temporary gym teacher instead.” He chuckled, but nothing about his situation was all that funny. “I guess I kept going because I knew that’s what my parents would want.”

They started up the steepest part of the trail so far. “With everything you’ve been through, you have an amazingly positive outlook on life. I haven’t heard one negative thing out of your mouth all week. I don’t know how you do it, but I should probably start taking notes.” She tried to laugh but was breathing too hard.

Even he had to admit this part of the trail was tough. “Life’s too short to wallow in what isn’t. So I focus on what is and what could be instead. Enjoy the moment, but plan for the future too.”