Fall For Me Read online

  She leaned over and gave me a quick and fierce hug. “I know. All right, I'll be right back with your coffee.”

  Her hair swung around her shoulders as she walked briskly across the café. Of course, because, apparently, I was that guy when it came to Phoebe, my eyes watched the swing of her hips and the way her bottom filled out her jeans so gloriously. She had transformed from a tomboyish girl into a beautiful woman. And she had curves, lots of curves.

  The social circles I frequented lately in the city were filled with socialite types who tended to be so thin, I had to do a body check. Thin had never been my type, and it was downright disappointing. Phoebe was everything I liked. I was toeing the edge of danger.

  Yanking my eyes away, I turned to glance out the window. Main Street in downtown Willow Brook was still quaint and familiar. I recognized a few of the businesses, but the area had expanded. The street was more crowded now, and there was an actual sidewalk. I didn't recall that from when I was little. Snow was piled up on the corners of the street and dusting the mountaintops in the distance.

  “Well, hey there,” a female voice said.

  I glanced over just as Phoebe replied, “Hi, how's it going?”

  The voice belonged to a woman with auburn hair pulled back into a ponytail. She was pretty in a practical sort of way. She smiled at me. “Hi.”

  Phoebe caught my eye, her lips curling at the corners with a quick smile as she slipped into the chair across from me. “This is my friend Paisley. This is Archer.”

  Paisley’s ponytail bounced with her nod. “Nice to meet you. Congratulations.”

  For a moment, I was confused, but then Paisley added, “Madison told me the news.”

  Phoebe interjected, “Thank you.” She looked flustered.

  “When's the wedding?”

  Even though I was the one who somehow persuaded my childhood best friend to marry me, and the reasons seemed sensible, there was a wrinkle that unsettled me. I never thought I'd be attracted to Phoebe. Even more complicating, my attraction was like a brush fire set out of control and rampaging across the landscape.

  Phoebe replied, “We think Valentine’s Day.”

  Paisley nodded. “Rumor has it you might be upstaging another one.”

  “It's so romantic,” another voice drawled.

  I glanced up to see Beck Steele approaching the table. I remembered Beck. He was hard to forget. He was a flirt, even in elementary school. He’d been perfecting his craft in middle school. A small toddler held his hand, who I deduced must be his son since he was the spitting image of him.

  I stood. “Hey, Beck.”

  “Long time no see,” he replied with a chuckle, pulling me into a one-armed, back-slapping hug. “Good to see you.”

  “How's it going?” I asked as he stepped back.

  “Life is good. This is my son, Max.” He gestured down to the little boy.

  Max eyed me curiously. “Who are you, and how do you know my dad?” he demanded.

  “I'm Archer. I knew your dad when he was your age,” I explained.

  Max’s eyes went wide as he absorbed this information. “Wow,” he breathed.

  Beck grinned. “You want to go to the counter and order?”

  Max nodded vigorously, and Beck released his hand. “Tell Janet I want my usual coffee and an everything bagel with smoked salmon cream cheese.”

  “Can I have coffee?” Max asked cheekily.

  “Absolutely not,” Beck replied firmly. “You can get the kid’s bagel and a hot chocolate of your choice.”

  Max sighed. “Okay, fine.” Then he trotted over to the counter.

  “Has he ever had coffee?” I teased as I sat back down.

  “Of course not. You don't give coffee to kids. Maisie’s gonna kill me because I’m letting him have hot chocolate. The sugar alone makes him wild sometimes,” Beck offered with a wry grin.

  “So, Maisie is…?” I prompted.

  Phoebe chimed in, “His wife. Beck's a dedicated family man and totally in love with his wife. Who knew?” She lifted her hands and let them fall.

  “Definitely not me,” I offered dryly.

  “So, you go by Archer and not Archie anymore?” Beck prompted.

  I nodded. “Definitely. It's hard for people to take you seriously when you're Archie.”

  Beck grinned. “Aw, man, I like that name. How long have you gone by Archer?”

  “Since high school. I can laugh about it now, but you know, high school can be brutal. We had moved, so I was struggling not to be a joke to anyone. Anyway, congratulations on the family. Do I know your wife?”

  Beck shook his head. “She moved here a few years ago. You remember Carol? She was the dispatcher at the station for years.”

  “Of course.”

  “Maisie’s her granddaughter. Carol passed away, Maisie inherited her house, and Rex gave her the same job,” Beck explained.

  “Ah, well I'm sorry about Carol passing away,” I offered.

  “We all are, but I’m sure glad she brought Maisie here.”

  Phoebe grinned, leaning forward. “It's actually ridiculous. You weren’t here for high school, but Beck became the most legendary flirt in town. I swear the guy would flirt with a rock. And then he fell for Maisie.”

  Beck shrugged unabashedly. “I'm still a flirt, although I don't flirt with rocks. That would be weird.”

  Phoebe rolled her eyes, and Beck glanced at me. “So are the rumors true?”

  “What rumors?” I prompted.

  “That you two are engaged. This is fast. If you two hadn’t been best friends when we were all kids, I'd question it, but it’s the real deal, huh?”

  When I let my eyes slide to Phoebe, her cheeks were flushed pink. And just that, nothing more, sent another fiery sizzle through me.

  “Am I invited to the wedding?” Beck asked.

  “Of course,” Phoebe replied quickly.

  “Who's planning it?”

  “Madison's helping,” she said.

  Beck grinned. “Good choice.”

  Paisley nodded vigorously in agreement. “She’s the best option. I’ve gotta run. Nice meeting you,” she called as she backed away.

  At that moment, Max reappeared, handing his father the coffee and announcing, “Your food is coming.”

  “Thanks, bud.” Beck grabbed a nearby empty chair by the back, swinging it over quickly and patting it. “For you.”

  Max clambered on it and looked around. Just then, the bell chimed at the entryway. Phoebe glanced over, and her eyes narrowed instantly. I followed her gaze to see a woman walking in.

  I didn't recognize her, and then Beck said, “Tasha,” just as Max announced, “You don't like that lady.”

  Phoebe’s eyes shifted to mine. I hated the look held there. I believed her when she said she was well over her boyfriend, but I sensed it really hurt her to learn her friend screwed around with her boyfriend behind her back. Phoebe was the best kind of friend and didn’t deserve that. No one did. I reached across the table, catching her hand where it rested.

  “She’s an old friend,” Phoebe explained.

  Max looked at me with the innocent curiosity of a toddler. “She must not be a nice friend.”

  Beck bit back a laugh, casting Phoebe an apologetic look. “Sorry, he's kind of blunt. He gets that from me.”

  “It's okay,” Phoebe said, her tone injected with lightness.

  Even though we hadn't seen each other in years, I could feel the tension emanating from her. I didn't like it. Tasha, who hadn't been here when we were kids, glanced over, taking in our table. She waved her fingers lightly, and Phoebe gave her a tight smile. She glanced at Beck. “Can you sit tight for a few minutes?”

  “We're not going anywhere,” he said easily.

  I also remembered Beck was a good friend.

  Chapter Six

  Phoebe

  When Archer reached for my hand, the heat of his touch jolted me. He laced his fingers with mine and gave them a subtle squeeze. I to
ok a breath. I was fine, I really was. It was just that what Tasha did stung. Big time. I’d trusted her, and she’d violated that trust deeply.

  I was also unsettled because of Archer and my instinctive reaction to him. I sensed he felt my internal state. It was weird how easy it was to read him. And this attraction? Holy smokes. One hot fire was burning inside. Putting out fires was my actual job, yet with this one, I felt entirely powerless. My cells were aflame, and heat suffused every corner of my body.

  Max was a great distraction. He looked up at me. “My best friend is Banana.”

  Beck caught my eye, mouthing, “Hannah-banana.”

  “How long has Banana been your best friend?” I asked.

  “A long time,” Max said firmly.

  Seeing as Max was in first grade, it couldn’t have been that long, but in the life of a child, time was different. Archer’s fingers tightened incrementally on mine again, and I glanced over to catch his small smile. It felt as if a ray of sunshine fell over us. He had been that kind of friend for me. It always felt easy to be with him. When I was little, I didn't remember life without being best friends with Archie. It was kind of funny how easily I had slipped into thinking of him as Archer, but it fit now.

  With the distraction of Max and Beck keeping the casual conversation rolling along, Tasha didn't even come over to the table. For that, I was relieved. I knew she was coming back to town because she continued to email and text me and message me through other channels. The most annoying part of it all was she thought I was hurt about my ex. Oh sure, I was angry because he was an ass, but her betrayal hurt worse.

  Max expounded upon his adventures with Banana when they went clam digging on the Turnagain Arm flats. It sounded exciting. I had done the very same thing with Archer more than once. Having permission to dig in the mud was a special childhood experience.

  A while later, Beck and Max had departed. Archer and I were in the parking lot together. We stood beside my vehicle, a small, slightly beat-up hatchback. Archer glanced at my car and then to his, which was parked beside it. It was an all-black SUV and appeared decked out with all of the amenities

  “You need a new car,” he observed.

  “No, I don't. Sapphire is doing just fine.”

  “Sapphire?” he prompted, his silver eyes glinting with humor.

  My belly shimmied as sparks scattered through me. “Yes. Her name is Sapphire. She's loyal and reliable.”

  He eyed her rusty bumper and then the tires. “I forgot. Alaska doesn't even have an inspection requirement, does it?”

  “No,” I replied defensively. “So what? I have good tires.”

  “I didn't say anything about your tires,” he countered. “Let me get you a car.”

  “Archer,” I warned. I ignored the heat flaring in my cheeks. “I can't have you swooping in and doing all kinds of things for me.”

  “Why not? We're getting married,” he replied matter-of-factly.

  “You know what I mean,” I ground out.

  Just then, the door to the café opened, and I reflectively glanced over to see Tasha coming out. She made a beeline in our direction. “Fuck, Tasha is coming over,” I muttered.

  “Perfect,” Archer said confidently.

  Before I could even ask why that was perfect, he closed the distance between us. Sliding an arm around my waist and dipping his head, he murmured, “I'm going to kiss you.”

  I opened my mouth to protest, only to have his lips land on mine. I was surprised lightning didn't bolt into the sky from where our lips touched. The sensation sizzled through me, fire spinning in my veins. I should’ve protested, but I was in shock. I promptly discovered Archer knew how to kiss. Holy hell.

  His lips brushed over mine, once and then twice, soft but firm at the same time. He whispered against my mouth, “Hold on, Phoebe.”

  His fingers slid through my hair as he cupped my nape. His touch sent tingles chasing down my spine and radiating everywhere. When his tongue swept into my mouth, all I could do was gasp and shamelessly moan. My tongue was teasing against his because I couldn't help it. This was all fake, but it wasn't. Then again, it was, and I didn't even know what to do.

  The only thing that made sense was to kiss him back, or at least that was what my body thought. By the time he lifted his head, I didn't even know how much time had passed. I was gobsmacked as I stared up at him, gulping in ragged breaths of air. My pulse thrummed.

  Just then, I heard Tasha’s voice. “Wow. I heard you two were engaged, but I wasn’t sure if it was just a rumor.”

  Archer kept his arm around my waist as he turned to the side, facing her. “Excuse me?” His tone was crisp and haughty, a side of Archer I'd never seen.

  I flapped my hand in her direction. It was a damned miracle I could even move. “This is Tasha. We were friends in high school.”

  “Oh, the shitty best friend who cheated with your ex-boyfriend, the asshole,” Archer stated, glancing at me.

  I nodded. Because it was all true. “Yeah. We broke up for other reasons before I found out,” I added.

  Archer looked back at Tasha. “Phoebe and I were best friends all the way through fifth grade before you moved to town.”

  Tasha’s eyes narrowed, her lips pressing in a line, as her cheeks flushed a splotchy shade of red. “You don't understand.”

  “Sure I do,” Archer replied easily. “It’s pretty straightforward. Don't fuck your friend’s boyfriend.”

  “They broke up anyway,” she ground out.

  “So? Now you want her to be in your wedding.”

  Tasha lifted her chin. “We were friends. I understand she's a little put out.”

  “I didn't love him, Tasha. That was never the point. I just thought you were my friend.”

  “We’ll be at your wedding now,” Archer said.

  Tasha stuttered. “Wh-why, what?”

  He shrugged. “It’ll be one of those let bygones be bygones things. The only way to earn forgiveness is to own it, so own it.”

  Tasha blinked. “Um, okay. When is your wedding?” she asked next.

  “Valentine's Day. We thought it’d be romantic. We've known each other forever, so we don’t see any reason to wait long,” he replied.

  Tasha’s eyes flicked back and forth between Archer and me. I knew my former friend well. She was furious. Weddings had always been important to her but not so much to me. She smiled tightly.

  “We already have your address. Invites are going out next weekend. We hope to see you there. Please bring your fiancé,” he said smoothly.

  “Okay. Bye.” She turned and stalked across the parking lot.

  Archer looked down at me. I still hadn't recovered from our kiss. Little eddies of sensations swirled inside.

  “How are you doing?” he asked, a sly glint in his eyes.

  “You are good,” I finally said.

  He grinned, and my belly somersaulted as I tried to take a breath. I was in trouble. Big trouble.

  Chapter Seven

  Archer

  I sat in my SUV, staring at my childhood home. My body was still reverberating from that kiss with Phoebe. Fuck me. That kiss had been strategic, or so I’d thought when I started it.

  I was pissed off at Phoebe's friend. What the fuck? She was an awful friend. My anger was righteous, yet I'd made a significant miscalculation. I had deeply, and perhaps disastrously, underestimated my attraction to Phoebe.

  “Shit,” I muttered to myself.

  My plan made sense. Get married, inherit this branch of my family's sprawling business, and shut the mine down. “Yay for the environment.” I laughed to myself as I leaned my head back.

  To the day, Phoebe was the best friend I'd ever had. Our marriage would make her ex look like the asshole he was. I believed her when she said she was over him. But I knew how much friendship mattered to her. I knew how much it hurt her that her friend had screwed around behind her back. What a fucking bitch.

  I was jolted out of my train of thought when my phone
rang. I hadn't even turned off the engine yet. That was how out of it I was after that kiss. So much for thinking I had it all under control.

  The phone rang again, and when I saw my mother's name flash across the screen, I tapped it. “Hey, Mom, what's up?”

  “Archer. How's Willow Brook?”

  “It's beautiful. I just pulled up to the house, in fact.”

  “Oh wow. Have you been inside yet?”

  “Just for a few minutes yesterday. It’s like walking into a time warp,” I said dryly. “How come you and Dad never came up here after we moved away?”

  “We did a few times, but then life kept us busy. Enough on that, though. Is your news true?”

  “What news?” I countered even though I knew precisely what she was asking about.

  “You know what I mean,” my mother chided. “Are you engaged to Phoebe?”

  I chuckled. “I do know what you mean, and yes.”

  “Oh!” My mother let out a little sigh. “I love this. You two were such good friends when you were little. I don't think you've had a friend like her since then.”

  “I haven’t,” I agreed.

  “Please give her my best. I’m thrilled for you both.”

  Although my mother might be suspicious, she’d always had a soft spot for Phoebe. She’d also bemoaned my lack of romance of late.

  “You can tell her yourself. You’re coming to the wedding, right?”

  “Of course! Is it soon?”

  “We’re planning for Valentine’s Day.”

  “Wow, you're not wasting time.”

  “Definitely not. Maybe we’re new as a couple, but we’ve known each other forever.”

  “So true. How many people are you inviting?”

  “Well, family is welcome. Phoebe will invite her family and friends. I'm guessing it will be on the smallish side, though. Willow Brook is still a small town, and I don’t suspect many people will make the flight up here.”

  “We’ll see,” my mother replied lightly. “Since you're getting married, you’ll be taking over the reins for that side of the business. Dare I ask what your plans are with the mine?”