Page 27 of Good Girl’s Guide to Love (Guide to Love #4)

That makes sense, even though it hurts my heart to know that he went through a past that he still feels like he’s atoning for. I want to ask him about it, but I know this isn’t the time or the place.

“Well, then, we’re really up a creek,” I say. “Because if you think I know what to do, you’re sadly mistaken. My only adult relationship experience is with Jonathan, and you see what a gem he is. And I’m not the best at making decisions.”

“Really? You seemed just fine today deciding that we were going to do this.”

“I think you were right. I was still drunk. Because that’s not me.” My joke coaxes a smile out of him. “But what about you? Weren’t you the one last night who swooped in and played the hero? Declaring yourself as my boyfriend? That seemed pretty decision-y.”

He gives me an almost shy shrug. Which is adorable, because I didn’t think there was anything shy about Linc.

Though I’m seeing a different side of him this morning than I did last night.

“That was a split-second decision, and believe me, those usually don’t pan out for me.

Actually, that might be the first time in my life an impulsive decision didn’t end up with me in a fight or in jail. ”

I can’t hid my surprise. “Jail? You’ve been to jail?”

“A few times,” he says. “Minor arrests. Nothing with extended sentences.”

“Still,” I say. “I’ve never even gotten a speeding ticket.”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” he says. “Okay, so this is the blind leading the blind?”

“Pretty much.”

Linc puts down his fork—after taking the biggest bite I’ve ever seen—before resting his elbows on the table. “Okay, let’s start easy. How is this going to work?”

“That’s the easy question?”

“Maybe easy wasn’t the best word. More like necessary.”

“True,” I say. “How about we lay out what we absolutely need to get out of this. And then we can figure out what we need to do to make those things happen?”

“Look at you, taking charge,” Linc says with a wink. “I like it.”

I feel a blush creeping in, which I do my best to push down. If that’s all it takes for my cheeks to turn red around this man, then I need to figure out a way to build a better defense system.

“For me, I need for Jonathan to get the picture and leave me the heck alone. So I’m going to need to be able to talk freely about you being my boyfriend.”

Linc raises an eyebrow. “That’s it?”

I shrug. “I think?”

He shakes his head. “Oh, no. I told you last night we’re going to make that man jealous as fuck. And I don’t know if we really did a good enough job last night, since he’s still texting you.”

He moves a chair over, sliding into me and grabs my cell phone.

“What are you doing?” I stare at him, jaw hanging, as he flips my phone toward me to open it with the Face ID.

I watch for another second as he navigates to my camera. I’m still in shock as he holds the cell phone in front of us, snapping a selfie as he kisses me on the cheek.

“Linc!” I say with a giggle. “What was that?”

He holds it in front of me. “Our first photo.”

I take a look at it, and if you ignore the mess of hair that’s thrown on the top of my head with a hair tie I found in my purse, the fact that I have no makeup, and not a lick of my normal morning skincare routine, we do look cute.

“I’m sending this to myself, which then also means you now have my number.”

“Oh yeah. Probably need that.”

“You should make that your wallpaper, just in case Dr. Dipshit sees your screen.” Linc navigates around my phone for a few more seconds before handing it back to me.

“You done?”

I watch as this man takes two more random selfies, and then a few of me, likely looking exasperated with my new boyfriend. “Now I am.”

“You’re a lot, aren’t you?” I ask.

He winks at me as he moves back to his side of the table. “Oh, you have no idea.”

I’m going to blame the sudden knot in my stomach from the lack of food I’ve had today and the abundance of alcohol last night.

“Okay, so you need me to go into overdrive and make Dr. Dipshit get the picture that he’s not a part of your life.

Easy enough. Call me boyfriend whenever you want.

Hell, come up with a pet name for me. I’ll also make sure to send plenty of flowers to the hospital.

Lunch deliveries. Coffee drop-off. Impromptu patient visits.

He’ll see me so much he’ll think I work there. ”

“That seems like a lot,” I say. “Plus, isn’t football season starting? Would you even have time for all of that?”

“Ah, see, the thing about football schedules is that we’re very regimented. Every week, unless we have a Thursday or Monday game, is very structured.”

“So the opposite of mine,” I say. “I work mostly days, but the shifts are long and can fluctuate.”

“That’s why this will work,” he says. “So when I randomly pop in with your favorite coffee order, it won’t be random at all.”

“Well, I don’t drink coffee, so you’ll have to think of something else.”

Now it’s Linc’s turn to be shocked. “You don’t drink coffee?”

“Nope. And that Coke I had today was a hangover exception. I do drink sweet tea though”

He shakes his head. “With every word you say, I’m more intrigued by you, Ainsley Mae.”

I have to look away, because there’s no fighting this blush.

Linc calling me that is making my body react in a way that is definitely not appropriate for a Saturday afternoon in a dive diner.

Only after I take a few breaths can I look back to my boyfriend, who’s just looking at me with…

gosh I can’t describe it, but his eyes are soft and warm, and I have a feeling I’m going to need to remind myself on a daily basis that this is not real.

“Thanks,” I say. “So with your season starting, what will you need from me?”

He sits up a little straighter as I turn back the conversation.

“I’m guessing Katie is going to make sure we’re seen out.

So dinners, when we can squeeze them in.

I have some charity things and team functions that people would assume you would attend with me.

And of course, if you can make it to games—that’s the easiest.”

“That should be no problem,” I say. “Oh, just wait until I tell my brother I’m going to be going to Fury games. He’s…”

The words die on my lips as I look out of the window of the diner. I watch four very familiar people looking around outside on the street, acting as if they’re lost, until they spot me staring at them through the window.

“What?” Linc says, looking out the window in a panic. “Is someone watching us?”

I nod, but I don’t blink. “Yes. My siblings.”