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Shifting his weight, he scrubs at his blistering cheeks. “Knock it off. I can’t survive false hope right now. Who are you in love with? Maybe he’s a friend of a friend of a friend to me, too.”

“Wynnter Winslow.”

Forrest narrows his eyes, then says, “Wait. Why does that actually sound familiar…” He hits his head a few times and snaps his fingers again. “Is he…like…massive?”

“Yes!”

“Oh. My. Word. He fixed something at Damion’s place while I was staying with him during the lead up to his wedding with Belly-Belle!” Forrest shudders. “Man, that guy’s a grouse. And a giant. A giant grouse.”

“Nu-uh.” I tuck my hands behind my back. “He’s a sweetie.”

“Hates everyone but you?” Forrest asks, dry.

I bite my lip. “Maaaybe.”

“Nice. Cute. I like it. So. We gonna do this?” He offers me his hand again. “I’ll cover for you until your parents give the Hulk a chance while you provide me with an incredibly philanthropic reason to stick around and bug my girlie until she falls in love?”

Brightening, I take his hand. “Sounds like a plan.”

So we shake on it.

And my foray into fake dating begins.

Chapter 6

◼

I hate this.

Wynnter

My Dece: Everything’s totally fine!

My Dece: The guy is team Decenter!

Grimacing at my phone, I try to make sense of what I’m looking at. Everything is…fine? And Decenter? Is that…a ship name for us? Did December tell the guy that her parents are trying to set her up with about us? And did it…go well?

The knot that’s been in my stomach since she left eases, so I lift my attention to the dark sky before scanning the pile of logs I’ve been hacking into all afternoon. Little more than my back porch light casts a gleam over the mess I’ve been making now, and I’m pretty sure I’ve cleaned all the fallen trees out of the slip of woods behind my cabin.

Once the weather fully changes and gives up a more consistent cold, I won’t have any issues keeping warm.

Which is nice.

Especially when I have plans to keep someone else warm with me as the holiday season approaches.

Relinquishing my axe, I message December back.

Me: When did we get a ship name?

My Dece: August gave it to us.

Did she now? I thought she was team bleck, get all mention of you and my brother away from my right now.

Me: Cute.

My Dece: Are you okay? I’m sorry I haven’t been able to message you until now. I was panicking and then I found out things were fine right before I had to have a very awkward dinner where my parents grilled Forrest on all sorts of nonsense… I’ve only just managed to escape to the bathroom for a few minutes.

Forrest? The guy’s name is Forrest? I’ve met a Forrest.