Page 62 of The One You Want

“This looks cozy,” Libbysaid.

“Can we join you?” Iris asked, amusement flashing in her eyes. “Or is this like, adatesituation?”

I made a face at Grant and he held up his hands as if to sayit’s up to you. “You can sit down for a fewminutes.”

I hadn’t planned to tell anyone else about the scheme Grant had agreed to, but I wasn’t sure I could pull off faking it with these girls. Particularly not when they were well aware of our original ruse—seeing as how they had orchestratedit.

Iris introduced Grant and David, but before they had finished their handshake, she was already pushing on her husband’s arm. “Take Grant to throw some darts or something,” she said. “We want to talk toJenny.”

“I literally just sat down,” he grumbled, but he stood up again and gestured for Grant to follow him over to the dartboards. As soon as they were gone, the girls turned tome.

“So what’s up withthat?” Riley asked, leaning across thetable.

“You guys are cute,” Irissaid.

“Are you like, together?” Libbyadded.

I swallowed. “You, uh, remember that night you guys told Bradford I was datingGrant?”

Iris’s mouth twitched. “How could we forget BradfordRutherford?”

“Right. So, he showed up again at the Artisan Market and, uh, Grant stepped in again.” I smiled at the memory in spite of myself. “Totally scared the guyoff.”

“That’s really nice,” Iris said, while Libby and Riley shared a calculating look I tried toignore.

“Yeah, well, we started thinking it might be easier for me to concentrate on this whole finding a job thing if my grandmother wasn’t constantly pushing Bradford in myface.”

I left out the part about me embarrassing the hell out of myself the day I first brought it up at hisfarm.

“So you’re going to let people think you’re with Grant,” Libby said, eyes narrowed. “Bold move,girl.”

“I like it,” Iris said. “It sounds like something out of a chickflick.”

Riley was giving me searching looks so I turned to her. “What? You think it’sdumb?”

“No,” she said slowly, carefully. “It’s great that you’re trying to find a job. I totally support that. The less dependent you are on your grandparents the better.” I didn’t miss the way her mouth twisted when she mentioned mygrandparents.

“Then what? You’re looking at meweird.”

“I just want you to be careful,” she said, holding my gaze. I could see the concern in her clear blue eyes. “This could blow up in yourface.”

I squirmed in my seat, nerves flooding my belly. “Do you think someone’s going to figure itout?”

“No way,” Libby said. “You guys have greatchemistry.”

“We do?” I gasped, turning to face her in surprise. “Why do you saythat?”

Before she could answer, Riley was pointing at me. “That’s what I’m talking about,” she said. “That rightthere.”

“What rightthere?”

“That reaction. Youlikehim.”

There was a beat of silence. All of the girls were staring at me and I could already feel a flush creeping up my neck. “It’s not like that,” I said, but even I could hear how unconvincing I sounded. “It’s not. Grant is just helping meout.”

“Grant sure doesn’t look at you like someone he’s justhelping out,” Libbysaid

Where in the hell was our waiter? We didn’t even order drinks yet and my mouth suddenly felt verydry.