Festive Faking (Rust Canyon #1)

3. Aspen

Chapter 3

Aspen

Two hours.

That’s how long my thigh had been pressed flush against Mac’s as we drove from Oklahoma City to Rust Canyon.

The warmth radiating from his body had me close to overheating. How did he run so hot? He wasn’t even wearing a coat, and the temperature control in this old truck hadn’t worked for as far back as I could remember.

He’d tried to make small talk with my dad the entire drive, but Jett Sullivan didn’t mince words. He spoke with purpose, to the point where when he did have something to say, you’d do well to listen because it was usually important.

I should’ve felt bad for Mac only getting the occasional grunt in response to each attempt at conversation, but I kinda liked that he was being brought back down to earth. I had no doubt this week would humble him when he saw there was a whole world out here that he never knew existed. This place might as well be a different planet compared to where he came from.

We passed through the center of Rust Canyon, where Main Street was lined with family-owned shops decorated for the holidays. Then, we took a turn that led us off the paved road and onto that familiar red dirt path toward home.

A calm settled over my soul, a comfort found in the familiar.

No matter where I lived or how far I traveled, this place would always hold my heart.

We passed through the wrought-iron gate of the ranch I grew up on and drove down the drive until we reached the main house.

Dad squeezed my knee. “Go in and see your mama. You know how she doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

My head turned from side to side, noting I was sandwiched between the two men. “Um, someone wanna let me out?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” Mac sounded slightly ruffled as he reached for the handle, missing on the first attempt. Finally getting the door shoved open, he slid out, offering me a hand as I stepped down from the carriage of the truck.

A jolt of electricity ran up my arm, and I gasped, my eyes locked on Mac’s warm brown ones. His Adam’s apple bobbed on a swallow as he peered down at me.

Did he feel it, too?

“Door,” Dad’s gruff voice prompted, and it was enough to break the trance.

Pulling my hand away, I cradled it to my chest as I stepped out of the way so Mac could shut the passenger side door.

The truck moved to the side of the house where Dad liked to park it, and I took a cleansing breath to shake off the nerves born from lying to my entire family about Mac and me being in a relationship.

“Let’s get the introductions over with so you can check into the inn in town. I’m sure Tripp can drive you, so you don’t have to be alone with my father.”

Mac extended an arm toward the house. “After you.”

When I walked up the steps leading to the front door, a smile crept onto my face as memories of summer days spent out here flooded back.

The massive wraparound porch on the classic farmhouse provided the perfect shaded place for a redheaded little girl to keep out of the sun but also enjoy the fresh air. I grew up on this porch, going from playing with dolls and coloring to curling up on the ceiling-mounted bench swing with a good book, to planning my future with my best friend, Bex Crawford.

The two of us had been inseparable since kindergarten and left Rust Canyon together to attend college in LA. When I stayed in California for my master’s, she moved to Chicago for law school, where she currently practiced. We both had big dreams that had led us away from the town we called home. But unlike me, Bex wouldn’t be coming home for Christmas. She hadn’t been back since we were eighteen. For her, the memories were too painful, and she refused to face them.

As I gripped the doorknob, I could feel Mac’s body heat at my back. “Ready?” I asked, not bothering to turn around.

“Showtime, Freckles.”

My head whipped around to glare at him. “Not sure pissing me off right now is going to sell this thing.”

He stepped closer until our bodies were pressed flush, his breath ghosting over my ear. “Ten bucks says your family eats that nickname right up.”

“This is going to be a disaster,” I groaned.

“No going back now.” Without asking, he reached around me, curled his hand over mine around the doorknob and turned, ushering me into the house and hollering, “Hello! Anyone home?”

“Aspen? Is that you, sweetheart?” My mama came into view, turning the corner from the kitchen, an apron tied around her waist.

There wasn’t a conscious thought before I rushed into my mother’s arms. Her hugs had always been magical, and this one helped ease my anxiety over bringing a guy home for the first time—a guy I was only pretending to date.

Pulling back, she smoothed my wavy hair away from my face, cupping both cheeks. “My beautiful girl. I’m so happy to have you home.”

My lungs filled with air on a deep breath, and I sighed. “Me too, Mama.”

Her eyes peeked over my shoulder, and a hint of pink crept up her neck. Bringing her lips close to my ear, she whispered, “Oh my, he’s so handsome.”

She wasn’t wrong about that. The first time I saw him, I thought he was the hottest man I’d ever seen. Then he went and ruined it by opening his mouth.

Turning to face my partner in this charade, I introduced him to my mom. “Mama, this is Mac.”

There was a beat of hesitation, and I could have sworn I heard her whisper, “What happened to Mike?” but she covered it quickly, brightening her voice as she stepped forward. “Welcome to our home, Mac. You must be mighty special to our Aspen. She’s not often accompanied by guests of the male variety.”

Mac plastered on his most charming smile—the one that, most days, had me wanting to throat punch him—and captured my mom’s hand to dust his lips over her knuckles like he was the hero of a freaking regency romance novel.

“Thank you so much for having me, Mrs. Sullivan.”

That blush I thought I had imagined grew darker and settled onto Mama’s cheeks. “Just Daisy is fine.”

“Daisy it is, then.” His wink was damn near sinful, and suddenly, I needed a cold drink of water because my throat had gone dry.

“Well, why don’t you two come into the kitchen? I’m just about done with dinner.”

“Anything I can help with?” Mac asked as Mama led the way.

She waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, well, aren’t you sweet. Appreciate the offer, but all that’s left is to take the rolls out of the oven.”

My brother was setting the kitchen table when we walked in. Tripp turned around, his face lighting up with a smile he reserved for only two people on this Earth—me and his best friend/secret crush, Penny Atkins.

“Hey, Snowcap.”

“Hey, Clumsy.”

Our parents had given us somewhat unique names, and we’d leaned into them over the years, coming up with nicknames relative to their meanings. Snowcap for me because Aspen was a ski-resort town, and Clumsy for him because what else did you call someone who constantly tripped?

He held his arms out wide, and I wasted no time rushing into his strong embrace. “Missed you, sis,” he whispered against the top of my head.

A huffing noise accompanied the pouty note in Mac’s voice when he grumbled, “Oh, he’s allowed to give you a nickname?”

Tripp let me go so I could spin around to face my fake boyfriend. I widened my eyes, hoping he would get the message to cool it.

My mother, utterly oblivious to the tension radiating between me and Mac, clapped her hands in glee. “Ooh! Why do I feel like there’s a story here?”

“Nope! No story!” I winced at the volume of my rising voice.

“Aspen!” Mama scolded. “Where are your manners?”

Hanging my head, I mumbled, “Sorry, Mama,” as dread settled in my gut.

We’d barely been here ten minutes, and already Mac and I were butting heads. I should’ve known this was a terrible idea, but I’d been desperate. No way would we survive a whole week without blowing our cover.

But Mac’s charming voice had my gaze snapping up when he said, “Don’t be too harsh on her, Daisy. Our meal was canceled on the flight when the pilot requested the flight attendants take their seats for safety during a bout of turbulence. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how Aspen can get a little hangry.”

Musical laughter filled the kitchen, and Mama replied, “Oh, don’t I know it. I’m surprised Jett didn’t stop off when you told him you hadn’t eaten. The drive from the airport is so far.”

“It’s been a long day of traveling,” I explained. “Just wanted to get home.”

“Not sure how I can argue with that. My heart’s whole with you home, sweetheart.” She smiled warmly at me, which only fed into the guilt weighing on my heart for leaving my family behind.

Very few in our community felt compelled to leave Rust Canyon. Most born and raised here loved our town. They couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. That’s why it had set tongues to wagging when I took off for the big city. They simply couldn’t understand why I could want more than our town had to offer.

The timer on the oven sounded, and Tripp waved Mama off when she moved to take the rolls out, donning an oven mitt and pulling out the baking sheet himself. The rich aroma of freshly baked rolls filled the room, and my mouth filled with saliva. Grudgingly, I could admit—only to myself—that I was starved, and skipping that meal on the plane might’ve left me slightly irritable as a result.

Tripp piled the rolls into the breadbasket before placing it in the middle of the kitchen table.

That’s when I realized how long my father had been gone. He should’ve made it into the house by now.

Almost to myself, I mused, “Wonder what’s taking Daddy so long.”

Mama didn’t skip a beat as she worked on moving the rest of the dishes to the table. “Oh, he’s taking your bags to the cabin. Should be back any minute.”

Wait, did she say . . .

“The cabin?” I croaked out.

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed.

“Mac booked a room at Susie’s inn for the week.”

Turning around, she brushed both hands off on her apron. “No reason the two of you can’t stay here. I like having you close.”

“I’ll be here. It’s Mac who’s staying in town.”

“Oh, nonsense.” Mama waved a hand through the air. “I was young once myself, you know, and I’m under no illusions that my daughter and the man she’s brought home aren’t intimately acquainted.”

“Mama!” I shrieked, my face flaming.

If only she knew the truth. Not only were Mac and I not having sex, but I hadn’t had sex with anyone.

And because I wasn’t already praying for the ground to open up and swallow me whole while I died of embarrassment, she kept going. “It took a while to convince your father, but he agreed it would be best to have you in the cabin so he didn’t overhear anything that might be going on between the two of you at night.”

I gripped the back of a chair so tightly that I worried I might leave nail marks in the wood. “It’s really not necessary. We don’t mind spending a few nights sleeping separately out of respect, right, Mac?”

My eyes darted to where my partner in crime leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, not making a move to help me out. His brown eyes sparkled with amusement as he watched me flounder trying to find a way to talk myself out of this one.

“Mac?” I prompted, my throat closing up the longer he remained silent about our sleeping arrangements.

I realized he was in the middle of the last favor I’d asked of him, but did he honestly think sleeping in the same bed was a good idea?

Oh! It hit me like a bolt of lightning.

Maybe he didn’t realize how cramped the cabin was. In his world, cabins were massive, more like the main house we were currently standing in. If I explained, surely, he’d be quick to back me up in shutting my mother down.

“It’s a refurbished one-bedroom cabin. The original house on the ranch from the late 1800s.”

Take the hint, dude.

Mac shoved off the wall, stalking closer to where I stood. Sweat graced my temples as I awaited his response.

I stopped breathing altogether when he stepped up behind me, his arms bracketing mine as he placed his hands atop where I gripped the chair.

His breath was hot against my ear as he murmured, “Sounds cozy.” Then he pressed his lips to the side of my neck.

Oh my God, I was going to pass out. His scent surrounded me, making my head swim and my vision blur.

His chest rumbled against my back, and my knees threatened to buckle. Why was he doing this?

Because he’s better at faking it than you are. He’s all in on this charade. You need to get on his level and fast, before everyone sees right through this act.

“The cabin sounds perfect. Thank you, Daisy, for your incredible hospitality.”

Those words sealed my fate.