being friends with Mandy. In fact, they’d become inseparable. When Devon had reached high school, her mother had blamed Mandy for Devon’s lack of popularity. The woman hadn’t been able to see that she was the reason.She’d driven her only daughter into a self-protective shell built from books, crafts, baggy clothes and lots of comfort food.
Her mother looked exasperated as she shifted her piercing gaze back to Devon. “You embarrassed me yesterday. I had to try to explain away your rudeness.”
“I wasn’t rude. I was perfectly cordial to Steven because I figured he got dragged into the situation with no clue about the backstory.” Devon braced her palms against the top of the counter. “I’ve told you over and over to stop trying to fix me up with these men you deem appropriate. I’m not interested.”
“Which just proves that you don’t know what’s best for you. I mean, seriously, Cole Davis? Please tell me you’re not dating him.”
Devon detected a barely contained sound of shock from Mandy. She’d have to explain everything when her mom finally vacated the premises.
“There’s nothing wrong with Cole.”
“He has nothing to offer you.”
“At least he isn’t trying to make me something I’m not.”
Her mother opened her mouth to speak again, but she instantly transformed her expression to one of perfectly crafted cordiality when the mayor came through the front door.
But before her mother could say anything, Devon beat her to it. “Good morning, Karen.”
Mayor Karen Tompkins smiled. “Good morning.”
Devon noticed the way her mother’s expression shifted back to one that promised another scolding, but Devon chose to ignore her, at least for the moment.
“What can I help you with?”
Karen pointed toward the large candles. “I need something that will make my office smell like anything other than the plumbing work they’re finally doing.”
After Devon helped Karen select a large lemon-scented candle and accepted her payment, the mayor hurried off to make an early meeting with several other mayors from throughout the Hill Country.
“You do realize it’s appropriate to address Mayor Tompkins by her title?” Angela said the moment the front door closed behind Karen.
It was the last straw. Devon rounded on her mother. “And you do realize that I’m not a child who has to live under your overbearing thumb anymore, right?”
Devon suspected she should feel ashamed of talking to her mother in such a way, but she didn’t. In fact, seeing the anger burning in her mother’s eyes gave her a sense of empowerment that didn’t often make an appearance when she was around her mom.
“Mark my words. You will regret talking to me this way when you want my help. You’ll realize that you’ve made a lot of mistakes and that I’ve been right all along.”
“I doubt that.”
“Remember you said that when your choices lead to failure and heartbreak.”
Devon started to make a retort, feeling like she was on a roll, but her mother lifted her hand to stop her.
“If nothing else, at least find someone who isn’t so...” Her mom made a face, as if she thought Cole might smell like horse manure.
“What, Mom? Beneath me?” Well, that brought up an interesting image in her head, one she simply could not indulge while facing her mother. “Cole is a good man, and you’re just going to have to get used to seeing us together.”
Her mother shook her head and strode out of the shop without another word. Devon wasn’t fooled into thinking her mother had suddenly given up, though. She also wasn’t fooled that her mom’s displeasure with Devon’s choices had much to do with Devon at all. No, her mother was more worried about how those choices reflected on her and the precious family name. Sometimes Devon wondered if her mom thought she was royalty and shouldn’t mix with the commoners.
Devon sank onto a tall stool behind the counter, already exhausted and the day had barely started. A few ticks of the clock on the wall behind her went by before she noticed that Mandy was staring at her with her mouth slightly parted.
“You’re dating Cole Davis? How exactly did that happen? And why didn’t you tell me?” The pitch of Mandy’s voice went up with each question.
Devon shook her head. “I’m not really dating Cole.”
“But...you just told your mother that you were. How long do you think it’s going to take before that gets around?”
“After her objections, do you really think she’d start spouting it to everyone on Main Street?”
“No, but I can see her cornering Cole and telling him to stay away from you because you’re destined to be the wife of a future governor or something.”
The sinking feeling in Devon’s stomach was almost audible.
“And how in the world did she get this idea in the first place?” Mandy asked.
Trying to quell the feeling that she’d just taken a nosedive into quicksand, Devon recounted what had happened the previous evening at the meeting and then out at the Davis ranch.
“Dang,” Mandy said when she was finished, sounding disappointed.
“What’s that mean?”
“I was hoping maybe you were actually sneaking around with Cole. That dude is hotter than a grill on the Fourth of July.”
Devon couldn’t disagree, but she shook her head at the idea of them dating. “And us actually being a couple is about as likely as igloos being built next to that grill.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“No, it isn’t.”
“Mandy—”
“Don’t Mandy me. You’re smart, successful, fun, beautiful.”
“I appreciate the best-friend pep talk, but it doesn’t help me out of this mess I’ve obviously made.”
I’ll play fake date when you need to get your mom off your case.
Cole’s words echoed in her head. Had he really meant it, or was he just joking around? Would he maybe agree to fake it for just long enough for her mom to get wrapped up in some project that would give Devon some peace for a while? Could she fake it without letting him know that she really did find him incredibly attractive?
But her mother’s insistence that she knew what was best for Devon ate at her, driving her toward doing something she’d normally never do. As a rule, she despised lying, but nothing she said or did ever seemed to make a dent in her mother’s determination to run Devon’s life for her.
“What’s that expression?” Mandy asked. “It feels like I’m watching a plan come together.”
“I need to make a phone call.” Before she could chicken out, Devon grabbed her cell from her purse and hurried to the storeroom, ignoring Mandy’s parade of questions.
Once she stepped behind the curtain that hid the storage room from the rest of the store, her hands shook so much that she nearly dropped her phone. What she was considering was a totally crazy idea, right? She was sure to say or do something to give herself away. How could she possibly hide the fact that, yes, Cole Davis was indeed as hot as a grill on the Fourth of July? If that grill was on the face of the sun.
But was faking it a little while any worse than allowing her mother to know that she’d lied to her about Cole? She leaned back against the wall and brought her palm to her forehead. Why couldn’t she have been like most kids who grew up with overbearing parents and moved far, far away