Heart poundingfor some unknown reason, I stood up from the uncomfortable bed and pulled on my white parka and gloves. I glanced at the door that led into Chloe’s room and suddenly felt like a naughty teenager sneaking out in the middle of the night. The girls were sleeping peacefully on the floor, and I glanced regretfully back at my Kindle. But I guess now was as good a time as ever to break up with my fake boyfriend. I stuffed my feet into my boots by the door and crept silently outside.
Miles stood on the sidewalk just below the front stairs, wearing a dark-blue coat and his beanie slung low across his forehead. Bits of his flannel shirt poked through the collar. I swallowed.
“I have a proposition for you,” he said. His arms were folded, and he was staring at me with a calculating expression on his face.
The wind bit at my face, but I moved to stand just in front of him. “What’s that?”
“It’s recently come to my attention that you might be crazy about me.”
My fingers clenched. “Not true.”
“I was the first person you thought of when naming fake boyfriends.”
“I just said a name, and it happened to be the same name as yours.”
He went on as though I hadn’t spoken. “You’re also not above objectifying my body—my fine pair of hams, to be exact.”
“That was sarcastic!” I stamped my foot in the snow, but he only laughed.
“But tonight’s got me thinking. This arrangement could be useful to me, too.”
“We don’t have an arrangement. I’m confessing all my sins tomorrow morning.”
“No need. You owe me now, and I wanna do it.”
Slow down, heart. He didn’t mean it like it sounded. “Do what?”
“Pretend to date you this week.”
I looked at him like he was crazy. “What? Why?”
“Have you told your mom or sister anything yet?”
“No. Chloe was already in bed by the time I got home.” I rubbed briskly at my arms to ward off the chill.
Miles noticed. “Do you want to move to the porch? It might be warmer.”
I shook my head. “No. The windows are right there. Somebody could hear us.”
Miles brought his glove-covered hands to his face and blew warm air into them. “I’ve got three dates my mom is insisting I go on this week. You’re the perfect excuse.”
I made a noise of disbelief. “Why don’t you want to go on those dates?”
“One of the girls I knew in high school. She once made out with another guy while on a date with me.”
I mimicked Miles, blowing warm air onto my hands. “And your mom wants you to go out with her?”
“She doesn’t know that part. She thinks it’s two old flames reconnecting.”
“And it’s not?”
“Nope.”
“Maybe we should introduce her to Glenn.”
He smiled, his eyes crinkling. “Not a bad idea.”
“And the other two?” I asked, clearing my throat.