Ethan motioned for them to follow him inside. The snow made a strange squeaking sensation under Sean’s boots, and he had to keep his head ducked so the white stuff didn’t get into his eyes.
“Come in, come in.” The woman with the red hair stepped back and smiled, her body cocooned in a fluffy green jumper. “Welcome to the Forever Falls Inn. Give your feet a stomp before you come inside.”
Sean dislodged the snow from the tread on his boots, and then he stepped through the door. The foyer was inviting, with a crackling fireplace visible through an archway. Fairy lights were wrapped around the railing of a vast staircase and the warmth was a welcome relief to his stinging hands.
“Sean and Lily, this is my partner in crime, Monroe. Roe, meet my old schoolmates.” Ethan closed the door behind them while everyone shook hands.
“It’s a pleasure. I’m so thrilled to finally meet people from Ethan’s life back in Australia.” Monroe went to Ethan and slipped an arm around his waist. “We haven’t made the trip out there, yet.”
“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Sean joked. “Nothing is worth twenty-four hours of travel.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to him. It’s a wonderful place to visit.”
“Where’s everyone else?” Sean asked, looking around.
Monroe and Ethan exchanged a glance, and he sighed. “Not good news, I’m afraid. They’re stuck.”
“Who?” Lily and Sean said at the same time.
“Everyone.” Ethan shook his head. “The storm wasn’t supposed to hit us head on like this. The forecast said it would skate past, bringing a little extra snow, but nothing this bad.”
“Evie called to let us know she and Jasper are still stuck in New York,” Monroe added. “The airline cancelled their flight, so they’re staying overnight at an airport hotel and hopefully getting in tomorrow.”
Lily dug her phone out of her bag and frowned. “Uh oh. Looks like Mum and Dad’s flight has been cancelled as well.”
“Travel this time of year can be like that. Don’t worry,” Monroe reassured her with a smile. “There’ll be plenty of flights heading out tomorrow once the storm has moved on.”
“You two have the run of the entire place tonight,” Ethan said.
Out of the corner of his eye, Sean saw Lily’s gaze flick over to him, but she looked away before he could figure out what she thought about this turn of events. A night alone with his fake girlfriend?
Now why did that sound like a surprise benefit to this whole situation?
Two hours later, Lily and Sean sat at the dining table with Ethan and Monroe, everyone feeling full after devouring a delicious meal. Monroe had brought treats from her business, a bakery named Some Like it Sweet, which included mini cinnamon apple cupcakes and truffles fashioned to look like tiny Christmas puddings.
“I haven’t eaten that well in forever,” Lily said, leaning back and making a pleased hmmm sound in the back of her throat. “Seriously, it feels like everyone in LA lives on kale smoothies and crystal powders designed to heal your chakras.”
Monroe snorted. “That sounds like my personal nightmare.”
“Mine too. I’ve certainly done my share of subsisting on frozen pizza during the deadline crunch. It’s hard to be motivated to cook for one.” The words popped out before she could think about what they meant. She’d have to be on her guard all weekend, remembering that she wasn’t single… at least for the next few days. “Especially when I’m eating dinner while he’s eating breakfast.”
Sean leaned toward her and slipped an arm around her shoulders. He’d taken a long shower before dinner and she’d avoided the awkwardness of having to avert her eyes while he changed by choosing to stay downstairs talking with Ethan and Monroe. Now he smelled even better than before—like soap and something woodsy.
“How do you make that work?” Monroe asked, shaking her head. “Long distance is hard.”
“We Skype every night before bed,” Sean replied. The words rolled off his tongue so smoothly that even Lily was tempted to believe him, which was a little unnerving. “And knowing that we’d finally be together in person for the wedding made it even sweeter.”
The man could charm a toy right out of a child’s hands.
“Isn’t that right?” When his eyes roamed her face, it made every cell in her body melt on the spot. How did he do that? “Being apart only makes the build-up even better.”
“Uh, huh.” She couldn’t seem to get any words out.
This was everything her teenage heart had desired—everything she poured into her writing. The feeling of being wanted, of being seen. It was addictive.
“I should help you clear up,” Lily said, pushing back on her chair suddenly. “I’m sure Sean is desperate to get some sleep after the long flight.”
Ethan and Monroe exchanged cheeky looks, as if Lily was trying to hurry things along so she and Sean could jump into bed. She didn’t mean it like that! Heat rose into her cheeks.
You’re making things believable. It’s a good thing.
Just as she reached for her plate, however, everything suddenly went dark.
“Ah crap,” Ethan muttered. “I had a feeling that was going to happen. You guys stay here. I’ll go find the torches.”
His phone lit up, casting his face in an eerie blue glow.
“This place isn’t haunted, is it?” Lily asked with a nervous laugh.
“You don’t believe in that crap, surely?” Sean made a pfft sound. “Come on now.”
“We actually do have a haunted house locally. An entire family perished there in the late 1870s and it’s one of our most popular landmarks.” Monroe laughed at Lily’s horrified gasp. “Don’t worry. There are no ghosts in the inn, I promise.”
There was a thump from outside the kitchen, followed by a curse.
“Can you remember where Lottie left the spare batteries?” Ethan called out from another room. “Of course, she chose this week to go stay with her sister.”
“Excuse me a moment. I need to show my fiancé what is probably staring him right in the face,” Monroe said with a laugh. “Be right back.”
Monroe left Sean and Lily alone in the dark. Outside, the storm obscured the moonlight, so only a faint glow made it into the darkened house. The wind rattled the panes of glass in their frames, and howled like an animal. When something thumped outside, Lily squeaked.
“First you believe in ghosts, and now you’re afraid of the dark,” he said, chuckling. “Am I going to have to protect you tonight?”
His words sent a delicious shiver down her spine and the reality of their fake relationship—namely the sleeping in the same bed part of it—was starting to sink in. This was like going on a diet and then having to stare at nothing but chocolate cake all day long.
“I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself,” she replied, keeping her voice low. “And don’t go thinking about putting any moves on me in the middle of the night, okay?”
Sean made a snorting sound. His chair scraped as he pushed it back and stood, his arm brushing by her hip in the darkness. “Please. If there’s any touching in that bed it will be because you’re begging for it.”