Page 13 of A Very Titan Christmas (Titan #14)

Silverberry Ridge, Vermont

Monday mornings were always quieter in the lobby of the Silverberry Ridge Resort.

Fewer families checked in and out, and the coffee bar traffic trickled to a few lone caffeine hounds.

The bright sun reflected off the freshly fallen snow through the oversized windows.

The twelve-foot Christmas trees flanking the fireplace seemed lonely with so few guests milling about.

Rachel waited for Eloise on the sofa in front of the fireplace and admired the holiday decorations.

Rattan reindeer with red buffalo check ribbons tied around their necks were positioned along the entryway and in the indoor gardens of philodendrons, pothos, and palms. Had her mom overseen the Christmas decorations, or had she brought in a decorator?

Maybe the resort groundskeepers stored the decorations until Eloise could say where she wanted them.

The same reindeer appeared every year, as did the ribbons and lights throughout their property.

Rachel tried to recall if her mom had decorated the lobby before her diagnosis.

Their relationship had been like that of so many other teenage girls and their mothers: complicated yet well-meaning and loving.

Eloise had been a constant presence in Rachel’s education.

Sometimes, she liked having a mom who always organized field days and end-of-year school trips.

Other times, Rachel couldn’t stand the way her mother knew how she scored on an exam before she had.

They’d learned about the onset of Eloise’s multiple sclerosis when Rachel was at college.

Their family had missed the signs of a medical problem looming in the background.

Sporadic, unexplained symptoms had been ignored.

The fatigue and changes in Eloise’s vision had been attributed to her getting older.

Eloise had always been so busy. Why couldn’t Rachel remember if Mom decorated the check-in lobby? She had a pang of guilt.

Mom arrived with a flourish and pulled Rachel from the memories—or lack thereof.

“Good morning. Thanks.” She took the day’s schedule from Eloise as her mother cruised by with a cheery yet cursory hello. Something was wrong. Rachel scanned the lobby and the coffee bar for potential matchmaking hijinks. Nothing stood out.

Her eyes dropped to the paper in her hand. Candy canes and peppermints decorated the holly border. An oversized, bright cherry-red headline towered across the top of the schedule and read: Get to Know the Boyfriend.

Oh, come on.

“Mom?” Rachel waved the day’s itinerary as Eloise retreated toward the coffee bar.

Her stomach dropped. Eloise veered off course and stopped in front of Rachel’s security detail—Bryce—positioned in the corner of the lobby. As Eloise shoved an itinerary into his hand, time slowed as Rachel watched his surprise turn into confusion. His gaze jumped over Eloise to Rachel.

Eloise repositioned herself and beckoned Rachel to join them.

Quickly, she scanned the schedule. It included what the security detail was already privy to: planning meetings, a luncheon, and a fundraiser.

Everything except the fundraiser now included Rachel and Bryce.

She hurried to her mom’s side. “Bryce is working. You can’t yank him off his job to talk about a teddy bear tea. ”

“Sure, I can, sweetheart.” Eloise beamed. “The perks of paying for their services.”

Her eyes skirted to Bryce. “I’m sorry—”

“It’s fine.” He cleared his throat. “Actually, headquarters will have additional staff here by the end of the week. I’m with you, more or less, whenever you’re off the grounds.”

Her little fake-boyfriend lie was spiraling out of control.

Her parents had to hire more people from Titan Group because she’d claimed Bryce as her pretend boyfriend.

She and Bryce really should have talked last night, but she had retreated to her cabin to write when dinner with her parents was canceled.

The marketplace had been precisely what Rachel needed to jump-start her creative writing juices.

She studied the vendors and craftspeople through the eyes of someone new to Silverberry Ridge.

When she returned to her cabin, ideas flowed.

She drafted a summary of the marketplace that Kimberly would adore and had emailed it to her editor.

That had given Rachel plenty to do instead of thinking about Bryce and the lie she’d woven them into. He’d been gracious enough to avoid pressing for a grand plan as to how they would pull off a fake relationship convincing enough to keep her mother at bay.

Or maybe he didn’t care.

But he was game so far. They had to have a serious conversation, complete with relationship details and action items, about their fake dating plan, because her mother was terrifyingly good at ferreting out information from a bevy of sources.

They’d have to plant phony relationship tidbits and sightings with key people.

They had to be convincing. Exactly how hadn’t come to her yet, but it would.

“See? Everything’s working out,” Eloise offered and squeezed Rachel’s hand. “It’ll be fun, and I can get to know Bryce.”

Rachel grimaced and mouthed sorry again when Mom wasn’t looking.

Bryce placated her with a tight nod. “Roman and Cash will work the detail today, and I’ll focus on you.”

Eloise clasped her hands together like a grand plan was coming to fruition. “Sit down. Relax. Let’s go over the schedule.”

He folded himself onto the couch as if every muscle in his body was trying to urge him to run away. “When everyone from Titan is here—”

“Everyone?” Rachel asked, wondering how many from Titan Group were required to keep their little resort safe and sound.

Bryce gave her one of those noncommittal nods. “And especially as we get closer to the summit, we’ll keep both of you looped—”

“What summit?” Rachel straightened her spine. Cold bits of uncertainty fell like snow down her shoulders. She tried to catch Bryce’s eye, but he didn’t meet her gaze. She pivoted and scowled at her mother. “What summit?”

“A little thing Dad is doing.”

A little thing didn’t require them to hire a security firm.

Rachel should have known a problem lingered in the background.

Dad always had security, but she and Eloise didn’t unless a threat existed.

Rachel had learned not to ask because no one would give her specifics anyway.

However, a summit didn’t sound like it posed a threat. It sounded like an event. “When?”

“A week before Christmas.”

Not for one second had Rachel planned for her situation with Bryce to continue for the entire month.

She hadn’t thought of asking how long he would be in Vermont.

Rachel hadn’t done the bare minimum to keep her lie from falling apart.

She wasn’t a good liar to begin with. Panic mode revved its messy engine.

She and Bryce needed to speak immediately.

As though Eloise could read her mind, she tilted her head and studied them. “Remind me again: How long have you been dating?”

The fake relationship was about to reveal itself. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours. “You know we dated in high school.”

“I remember. Vividly. Especially how it ended.” Eloise narrowed her gaze at Bryce as though it had been days since the breakup, not years. “Plan on breaking my daughter’s heart again?”

“Mom.”

“No, ma’am.”

Rachel’s heart fluttered. The warm heat of a blush crept into her cheeks.

“Mrs. Porter—”

“Call me Eloise, please.” Eloise waved a hand.

“Eloise,” he offered tightly.

“I realize you two aren’t teenagers anymore, but I’d like to guard my daughter’s heart.”

“It doesn’t need guarding, Mom.”

“Eloise,” he tried again.

“Hold on.” She gave another dismissive wave. “I remember the breakup, but I remember before that too. Then, you two were inseparable.” Her eyes ran over them like she was reading a book and didn’t particularly understand the story unfolding. “Now? It doesn’t seem like you are very close.”

“What do you want us to do?” Rachel rolled her eyes. “Make out in the corner.”

“I’m on the clock,” Bryce said, as if explaining why they weren’t in a lip-lock.

Thank God for Bryce. He was far better at covering for them than she was.

He moved closer to her side, and her stomach twirled in a giddy little dance reminiscent of the way he used to make her swoon.

She tipped her head back and met his warm hazel gaze and let herself fall—pretend to fall—for the strong man helping her navigate her gigantic lie.

In high school, he’d been a heartthrob. In the here and now, he was far more than that. The rugged good looks were still there, but Bryce carried himself with the confidence of a soldier who had experienced life.

Bryce pulled back and focused on the agenda in hand. “Which means I have to stick close.” He perused the schedule. “You run a tight ship, ma’am—Eloise.” He checked the time. “We have a meeting shortly with the MSDD clinic. What’s that?”

“MS and Demyelinating Disease Clinic,” Rachel explained. “It’s a local group of providers that helps in rural areas where scheduling specialist appointments means complicated travel arrangements.”

“Let’s order our coffees.” Eloise pivoted her wheelchair toward the coffee bar. They followed behind her. “Instead of meeting with the fundraisers today, why don’t you promise to work out the kinks with the cookie-decorating contest?”

“What’s that?” he asked.

Eloise glanced over her shoulder as though he’d committed a holiday sin. “Every Christmas has a cookie-decorating contest.”

“That hasn’t always been my experience,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever decorated a cookie in my life.”

Rachel noted the somber tone that he might have meant to hide.

Eloise stopped abruptly and turned to face him. “Well, that’s terrible, Bryce.”

“Give him a break, Mom. Not everyone does what you do.”