The music cued up, and they all glanced toward the stage. “The concert is about to start,” Angi said, as if that wasn’t obvious.

“Catch you later, RPC,” Brandon said with a wave, and led away his wife.

“What’s the RPC about?” Gabe asked, immediately releasing her.

She stood there for a second, too stunned to move. “Roly Poly Cannoli,” she told him, then immediately wished she hadn’t. It was a horrible nickname, left over from a childhood of being plump and having a sweet tooth.

“Jackass,” Gabe muttered.

“What was that?” she demanded as emotions rushed through her. “You kissed me. You told them we were dating. You know that asking those two to keep quiet is like posting the whole thing on social media. This whatever—” she flicked a hand between the two of them “—is going to go viral in minutes.”

The choir started singing the first stanza of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,” but Angi couldn’t even appreciate the way the crowd enthusiastically sang along.

“I know.” Gabe shrugged and turned toward the stage. “That’s the point.”

“You said no.”

“I changed my mind.”

“You can’t do that,” she whispered.

“Break up with me,” he countered.

She let out a groan.

“I thought this was what you wanted.”

“Yes, but...” How could she explain that what had seemed straightforward in theory was so different in practice? That when she’d come up with the brilliant plan for him to be her fake boyfriend, she hadn’t considered how it would feel to be close to him, her body not paying one bit of attention to the fact that it was a charade. “Why?”

He continued to watch the concert for a few more seconds before turning to her. “I saw my grandma earlier today. She was crying, which the nurse told me is normal around this time of year for people in her condition. She seemed confused and upset, and kept talking about going to work and taking care of her business.” The stark pain in his gaze gutted Angi. “You said you’d help with the shop, to get it back to what it once was. I need that. Gran needs that, or at least I need to give it to her.”

Angi nodded. “Okay.” She wasn’t going to push him for more. They were both too close to the edge. A pretend boyfriend was what she wanted, and with Gabe she knew things wouldn’t get confusing.

She closed her eyes for a moment. That was a lie because everything about this man befuddled her. But it was only until the new year, and he’d certainly distract her mom so Angi could also spend time at the inn.

“Okay,” he repeated without glancing at her. Then her new boyfriend turned and walked away.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“INVITE HIM TO DINNER.”

“Mom, no.”

“He’s your boyfriend. I want to get to know him.”

Angi inwardly cringed at the excitement in her mother’s tone. “We’re dating. It’s new. He’s not exactly my boyfriend.”