Huh?Did I just say out loud that I love Noah? Only I didn’t say his name. I just said “I love him.”
Troy chuckles. “I can guarantee that’snotwho she’s talking about.”
I can tell the moment Cameron puts things together. His eyes gain a thoughtful expression. “When you joked about your lips going into hibernation, it was because of the man you’ve fallen in love with?”
I nod and sit down hard on the edge of the fountain, my knees now weak for a different reason.
Cameron looks between Troy and me, a confused crease between his eyes. “But I thought you were in some small hick town for the past few months.”
I nod again, still in a daze.
“She fell in love with a cowboy there,” Troy says, filling in the pieces for him.
“And the dirtbag didn’t feel the same way about her?”
I shake my head. “No, he told me that he loved me. I was the idiot who was too scared to stick around. Loving him meant giving up my friends here”—Troy snorts at that part—“and the things I love about Beverly Hills.” Except that had all been a lie—a lie I’d told myself to make leaving Copper Creek easier. It had been an excuse, not reality.
“You really gave him up for those plastic, privileged women?” Troy asks.
“Yes, because apparently I’m not much better than they are.”
Troy and Cameron join me on the fountain’s edge.
“Kate,” Troy says, “you’ve never been like them. You’re a sweet and funny and smart woman. Yes, before Copper Creek, the idea of wearing anything that wasn’t by a designer label would have been unthinkable to you. But you stopped caring about all of that stuff once you started falling in love with the place.”
He’s right. I did stop caring about all of that.
I started to care about other things, more important things.
Genuine friends.
Lady and Scoundrel.
An amazing man who fell in love with me.
I cringe. “It’s too late now. I didn’t tell Noah that I love him when he told me he loved me.”
“So what, you think he fell out of love with you in a week?” Cameron asks, sounding somewhat skeptical. “Trust me, if that’s true, then he never loved you like he claimed he did. It’s not that easy to fall out of love.” Something about his tone makes me think that he speaks from experience.
“So what should I do about it?”
“What does your heart tell you to do?”
I smile. “It’s telling me to go back to Copper Creek and tell him that I love him. And hope he gives me a second chance.”
“And if he doesn’t. I still have the job opening for a fake girlfriend.”
I laugh. “I’ll keep it in mind.”
“What about your new job?” Troy asks.
“I think you and I both know that’s not the job for me. I loved working with you when we were renovating Charlotte’s house. I loved doing the hands-on designing and getting messy.” I shrug. “Being the voice for someone else’s designs just isn’t me.”
He gives my shoulder a friendly nudge. “I was hoping you’d say that. I’ve already told my father that I’m leaving his company and creating my own. I have several renovation jobs lined up in Copper Creek and the neighboring towns. When I said, before the meeting last week, that I had some things in the works, that’s what I was talking about.
“So if you’re planning to permanently move back to Copper Creek, I would be interested in forming a home design and renovation company with you. As partners.”
I blink. Twice. Then smile. “Are you serious? I would love to do that.” Because the one thing I’ve learned during the past three months is that Troy and I make a great team.
