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“Oh,” Janice perked up with bright interest. “Hello. I’m Janice. Nice to meet you.”

“This is my hu—” The word lodged itself in my throat, but I swallowed it down and tried again. “Husband,” I finished weakly.

“Well, it’s wonderful to meet you,” Janice replied with keen interest and an obvious head-to-toe perusal of Cal. Not that I could blame her. The man was a work of art. “Ruth mentioned that she had a husband.”

Cal chuckled. “Well, I am for now. She honestly wanted to strangle me when I asked to say hi.”

Janice came around her desk and held out a hand for Cal to shake. “Our Dr. Coldwell is exceptionally good at keeping her feelings close to the vest, I’ve gathered.”

“Very,” Cal agreed with a charming smile as he leaned forward to shake her hand. “It just makes it all the sweeter when you earn them.”

How was he saying things that were one hundred percent true even while he lied through his teeth? I gave him a genuine, slightly disbelieving smile. “Earn them, huh?”

Janice bounced a look between us. “I admit, I had some skepticism about our enigmatic young doctor and her partner, but I can see that you two are well-matched.”

I choked back a laugh. Good lord. She couldn’t have been more off. “Opposites attract and all that,” I said with a nervous laugh.

“Exactly what I’ve been trying to point out to you,” Janice replied meaningfully.

“Yeah,” I squeaked out.

“Well, we’d better get going, love,” Cal said with a warm smile my way. I could have sworn my heart stopped beating altogether. To Janice, he added, “Oh, sorry. If that’s all good. My parents live in Newport, and we’re meeting them for dinner.”

“By all means,” Janice gestured with an open arm. “We’ll see you Monday, Dr. Coldwell.”

“Have a good weekend,” I replied with a wave. We walked back to my office, and I shot him an askance, squinty-eyed look. “I’m a little disturbed by how good you are at that.”

Cal released me once we were in my office, and completely at ease, he leaned against the wall again. He shrugged with false modesty. “All I did was tell the truth.”

“Right.” I went to my desk and rolled up my snack mix bag. “And you somehow got me off work like three hours early. Smooth.”

“Wait.” Cal pointed to the snack I was shoving into my laptop bag. “Was that yourlunch?”

I glanced at it. “Yeah. Why?”

“Woman.” Cal rubbed his eyes. “You make some seriously questionable choices.”

“Like fake dating you?” I asked with an arch look.

He lowered his hand, smiling. “Cute.”

“If we’re going for fancy, seaside food, I’m probably better off hungry anyway,” I said, shoving the food into my bag, picking up my phone, and reaching over to turn off my computer. “Or is it one of those places that I’m going to need a fast-food run after?”

“It could go either way,” Cal said frankly.

“I’ll get a cheese stick from home before we leave.” I zipped up my bag. “What time are we leaving?”

“Cheese stick,” he muttered raising his eyes to the ceiling. He straightened and followed me as I left my office. “I’ll swing back around your place in an hour if that works.”

“Sure.” I tried not to touch him as I passed by, but my body had a mind of its own, and my shoulder brushed his hard chest. It sent goosebumps tickling down my arm, and I wanted to bop myself in the head for it. Was there any chance of keeping my head and heart in line during this whole charade?

I was starting to think there wasn’t.

We parted ways outside the building, and with one last wave, I headed down the historical street to where I’d parked my car in front of a meter along the road. As I hurried through the muggy summer afternoon, passing through a thin crowd of shoppers and tourists, my phone buzzed in my bag. Thinking it was Gemma wanting details about my office encounter with my fake husband, I fished it out as I reached my car. As I glanced at the screen I stopped abruptly.

Vaughn:

Hey gorg. Back in the states. Heard u were in Eugene. Up for a chat?