Counterfeit Date: Echo Ridge Romance Read online

  Gentry smiled. “I had to help Jessica make a play for her high school buddy before she realized she loved me. If it’s meant to be, it’ll work out.”

  Mason hoped he was right, but his stomach felt hollow.

  Gentry handed him the light-blue dress shirt. “Lolly’s going to flip when she sees you in this.” He turned and left the dressing room, pulling the door shut behind him.

  Mason hurried to get dressed, cringing when he slid on the white pants. They fit him well, almost too well. Thankfully, they weren’t tight enough to show anything they shouldn’t and the material was thick enough it wasn’t see-through, but they were still plenty tight and white just made him cringe. He’d never seen his stepdad, Chayton, wear something like this, and he couldn’t imagine Axel would either, but if Lolly wanted him to, he’d do it.

  Mason buttoned up the dress shirt and slid on the jacket, pushing a hand through his hair. He had to admit, the outfit did look polished without looking like he was trying too hard. He could see himself steering a yacht or something. The clothes were high enough quality that he felt really comfortable in them.

  He glanced at the jacket’s price tag and cringed when he saw it was over three hundred dollars. He made great money, and the only thing he’d spent it on was buying into the accounting firm, his cabin, and restoring his classic truck. The money wasn’t really an issue, but he didn’t know if he’d ever be over the feelings from high school of not having anything that wasn’t from Goodwill and had a hole or two in it.

  Taking a deep breath, he walked out of the dressing room and sought out Lolly’s eyes. She glanced over him once and then did another take, slower, like she was breathing him in.

  Her eyes finally met his and her cheeks looked flushed as she gave him a soft smile. “You rock that outfit, Mace.”

  “Yeah, he does,” Gentry said.

  Mason couldn’t help but smile back. “It’s a lot more comfortable than I thought it would be, but I’m not so sure I can pull off white pants. My date might think I’m a flamer or something.”

  Gentry laughed, and Lolly pulled a face at Mason. “She’ll think you’re a smoking-hot stud, that’s what she’ll think,” Lolly said.

  Mason took a few steps closer and forgot Gentry was there. “Would you think that?”

  Lolly’s gaze got tangled up in his. Eventually, she licked her lips and said, “Yeah, I would.” Reaching up, she slowly undid the top three buttons on the dress shirt. Her warm fingers brushed his skin right above his collarbone, and Mason’s stomach heated up. Lolly glanced over his chest. “There. That will make you look irresistible, but not like you’re trying to show off your manly chest.” She said manly all goofy, but it didn’t break the spell she had over Mason. He wanted to push her up into the clothes rack and see if she really thought he was a smoking-hot stud.

  Gentry’s chuckle broke the connection. “Go change and I’ll get you rung up. They still give me the employee discount.”

  “I don’t need a discount,” Mason protested quickly. His neck got warm as they both looked at him. He didn’t want to be a charity case to anyone, but especially not around Lolly. She was so polished and classy. She’d probably never understand how it felt to hurt for money.

  “I know you don’t need it,” Gentry said. “I do it for all my friends.”

  Mason forced a smile. “Thanks.”

  “Well, I’d better get going.” Lolly backed up a few steps.

  “Where are you going?” Mason asked. “I was hoping we could get dinner together.”

  Lolly blinked up at him. Her gaze swept over his outfit again. “I wish I could, but we ran a huge sale today blowing out one of our swimwear lines and I need to deal with the packaging and shipping issues.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment was so strong he could taste it. Was it wrong that he wanted to be with her every minute? “Lunch tomorrow?”

  She nodded. “I’ll meet you at Fay’s at one. I’ve got to make sure you know how to eat all civilized so you don’t scare Lily away.” She winked and sauntered away.

  Mason watched her go, loving the swish of her hips in a fitted, floral dress.

  Gentry cleared his throat. “You have no clue how to play hard to get, do you?”

  “None at all,” Mason agreed.

  Gentry clapped him on the shoulder. “At least we’ve got the fictitious dream girl helping us out, or you’d be on your knees begging Lolly to date only you.”

  Mason wondered how Gentry knew him so well. He was beginning to hate the fictitious dream girl and just wanted Saturday to come. Yet if this week was the only time he had with Lolly, he’d take it.

  Chapter Seven

  Lolly was insanely busy Wednesday night and all morning Thursday. She shouldn’t have taken a break for lunch, but when Kaitlyn found out she had a lunch date, she pushed her to go. She didn’t even ask who it was with, which was odd. Lolly wanted so badly to confide in her best friend about her obsession with Mason, but that was silly. He was getting ready for the date with Lily, and Lolly needed to keep her head on straight. What a mess she was in.

  She walked down the sidewalk toward Fay’s, unable to stop thinking about how Mason had looked in that suit coat, dress shirt, and white pants. She loved that he’d been confident enough to not only try on the white pants, but rock them. She’d wanted to unbutton more than just three buttons on that dress shirt. Whew, that man was all man.

  Swinging the door of Fay’s open, she walked into the retro diner, searching for Mason. Her eyes swept over the booths and tables, but she didn’t see him. A dark-haired guy sitting a few booths down caught her eye and tried to hold it. She gave him a courtesy smile and glanced away, looking for Fay. She’d been here with Axel and Kaitlyn a few times and really liked the spunky owner.

  The dark-haired man sauntered her way. She studiously avoided looking at him, but he loomed right into her personal space. His cologne was spicy and strong. She stood her ground, glancing up at him. She supposed he was good-looking, but she didn’t like the vibe she was getting from him. Way too forward.

  He rolled a toothpick around with his tongue and grinned at her. “Hey, pretty lady. You needing someone to eat lunch with?”

  “No, thank you.” She shot him a sassy glare. “I’ve already got a lunch date.”

  “Ah, beautiful, you’re breaking my heart.” He leaned even closer. “No man is going to compare to me, I promise.”

  Lolly couldn’t hold in a disgusted laugh. “Please tell me you didn’t just go there.”

  “I’ll go anywhere you want me to, darlin’.”

  “No, you won’t.”

  The door opened behind Lolly, and she glanced over. Relief rushed through her as Mason strode in. But this was a Mason she’d never met before. The muscles in his neck and forearms were bunched and his jaw was clenched so tight she wanted to rub it to release the stress. His blue eyes were dark and stormy.

  “Mason.” The guy who’d been hitting on her sneered but leaned away from Lolly. “Can you afford to eat here?”

  “You’d better back up right now, Gabe,” Mason growled.

  “Oh, is this little cutie your date?”

  Mason planted himself between her and Gabe, and the latter instinctively stepped back. When Lolly placed her hand on Mason’s back and arm, he glanced over his shoulder at her. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. He was just flirting—pathetically.”

  Mason gave her a half of a smile and she almost melted against him. She’d dated a lot of men, but she’d never had someone be so protective of her. Mason turned back to face Gabe. “Stay away from Lolly,” he enunciated each word carefully.

  Gabe put his hands up and backed away, but the glower on his face was ugly. “You think you’re all big and bad coming back into town after playing college ball, but you’re still the same white-trash loser and you always will be.”

  Mason didn’t say anything. Lolly’s heart squeezed and she wanted to yell at this Gabe idiot, but Mason put his arm up as if t
o protect her. She held on to it and looked at Gabe as he backed up another step, his bravery at his own mean words faltering as Mason glowered at him.

  “You really want to hurl insults, Gabe?” Mason asked calmly. “Or you want to go outside and I’ll finish what you started at Christmas Ball?”

  Gabe’s face whitened and he managed a barely perceptible shake of his head. He turned and scurried back to his seat, glancing over his shoulder at Mason to make sure he wasn’t following him.

  Fay appeared, looking apprehensively between the two men as the other patrons either stared or tried not to stare. “Hey, Mason. Let’s seat you two over here.” She directed them to a booth in the other direction where they couldn’t see Gabe anymore. Lolly breathed a sigh of relief. “Sorry about that idiot. I can ask him to leave,” Fay said as she set menus down.

  “Nah. Then I’d have to follow him out and thump him, and I’d rather eat lunch with this beautiful girl.” Mason winked at Lolly, then refocused on Fay. “What are your specials today?”

  “Monte Cristo.” Fay put out her fist out and Mason bumped it. “I know, it’s your favorite.” She smiled at Lolly. “Kaitlyn’s friend, right?”

  “Yes.” Lolly was still struggling to catch up. Mason had handled that bully with all the confidence, class, and calm she’d come to expect from him.

  “Do you need a few minutes to look over the menu?”

  “No, I’ll try the Monte Cristo too.” How could she focus on a menu when Mason was sitting right in front of her and he’d said for the second time that she was beautiful? Was it awful to want to steal him from Lily? Could anyone blame her for trying?

  “You’ll love it.” Fay gathered the menus back up. “Anything besides water?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Mason shook his head.

  Fay gave them one more smile, then strode away to put their orders in.

  Silence settled between them, thick and awkward. Lolly didn’t like it, but she didn’t know what to say about that Gabe loser, or about Mason saying she was beautiful. She wasn’t one to condone violence, but she wouldn’t have minded Mason thumping the jerk. Mason was a stud through and through and that guy was obviously jealous, but she couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be insulted like that. Kaitlyn had told her that Mason had grown up with nothing but he’d risen above it. That made him more appealing to her—he hadn’t been pampered and he worked hard for everything he had.

  Fay returned with ice waters for the two of them. They thanked her and she bustled away.

  “Sorry you had to meet Gabe,” Mason finally said, grasping his water glass and rubbing his thumb and finger along its edge.

  “What a loser,” Lolly said vehemently.

  Mason smiled.

  “Why’s he so jealous of you? Because you played lacrosse in college and he didn’t?” Because Mason was perfect and Gabe would never be able to compare to him?

  Mason met her gaze, and she saw a lifetime of hurt written in his eyes. Lolly could see that the verbal insults Gabe had thrown hit him hard, even though he’d stood up for himself and her. “He wanted Kaitlyn,” he said.

  Lolly startled. “Did they date?” How easy it was to push aside the past Kaitlyn and Mason shared. They’d seemed to come to terms about it, but Lolly was still reluctant to make it awkward for the two of them if she pursued Mason.

  Mason nodded. “He took her to Christmas Ball our junior year because I …” He studied the chip in the shiny tabletop. “I couldn’t afford to take her.”

  Lolly’s heart went out to him, but it also made her a little sick. He’d obviously really loved Kaitlyn and it hadn’t been his choice to break up. Dang it, dang it, dang it, she hated past relationships.

  When she didn’t respond, Mason kept his eyes down and muttered, “He tried to take advantage of her out on the football field, and I thumped him. It turned into a brawl between the football team and lacrosse team, and Gabe took the rap for it with the principal and his dad. He’s always hated me.”

  Lolly liked the image of Mason taking Gabe out, but with everything between him and Kaitlyn right under the surface, she felt more awkward with him than she ever had. “No wonder he acts like he never graduated high school,” she said.

  Mason glanced up and nodded his appreciation. “The risks of moving back home, right?”

  Fay brought their food, and neither of them said much as they savored the sandwiches piled high with ham, cheese, and jalapeño jelly, and the delicious fries.

  Lolly finally asked, “Why did you decide to come back to Echo Ridge after graduation?”

  Mason took a swig of his water and said, “The opportunity to buy into Miles Accounting came right as I graduated. Chayton helped me with the buy-in, but I’ve already been able to pay him back.” He straightened up as he talked, obviously proud to be successful. “When I found my cabin a few months ago, it seemed like everything was falling into place.” He ate another fry. “Plus I’ve always watched out for my mom and sisters. Even though I know Chayton will take great care of them, I like being close—being part of their lives.”

  She smiled. “You’re lucky to have such a tight family.”

  “Where’s your family?”

  She pursed her lips. “I grew up in Manhattan, west of Central Park, but we rarely go that house anymore. My parents flit around. I think they’re in Venice this month. My sister usually lives in L.A., but she travels almost as much as they do. She got the height in the family and is a supermodel. You may have heard of her—Kylene.” Her sister had dropped their last name after she’d hit success. Their parents had provided every opportunity for the two of them, but they’d chosen different paths.

  Mason’s eyebrows arched. “Yeah, I’ve heard of her. You look alike.”

  “People used to think we were twins, even though we’re two years apart. But then she grew and I stayed a shrimp.” As proud as Lolly was of her sister, she was grateful she didn’t have to live that life. Kylene would never eat a Monte Cristo sandwich and fries. Lolly took another bite and savored the melted cheese, spicy sauce, savory ham, and thick homemade bread. Yep, she’d definitely prefer not having to be sculpted and touched up. The limelight wasn’t an easy path.

  “You look perfect to me,” Mason said. His cheeks reddened and he took another bite of his sandwich.

  “Thanks,” Lolly mumbled. Why did he say stuff like that when he was so set on dating this Lily chick? She should ask him more about the girl he was taking out on Saturday, but the thought made her stomach crawl. Would this week together make any difference to him? Maybe Saturday night he’d realize he enjoyed being with Lolly more. Oh, she was a wicked, selfish person.

  “So your family is pretty wealthy?” he asked.

  She nodded, but regretted bringing up the topic when his eyes shuttered. Crap. As if his dream woman and his past relationship with Kaitlyn wasn’t enough motivation for him to stay away from Lolly. Now she’d just rubbed her family’s wealth in his face when he had grown up with nothing.

  The meal continued quietly, and the delicious food soured in her stomach. She wished she’d never met him for lunch.

  * * *

  Mason helped Lolly into her car, watched her drive away, and bit back the urge to curse like he was still in high school. As if the stupid interaction with Gabe hadn’t been bad enough, she came from insane wealth, she was hilarious, classy, and beautiful, and her sister was famous. How did he think he stood any chance with her?

  He walked slowly back to his office. His phone rang, and he pulled it out and looked at caller ID. Great. Axel.

  “Hey,” Mason said.

  “Hey, man. How’s Jessica and Kaitlyn’s scheming going?”

  “I don’t think it’s gonna work.”

  “Why not?”

  Before he could answer, Mason heard a scuffle, and then Kaitlyn demanded, “What do you mean, it’s not going to work?”

  Then he heard Axel’s voice: “Put it on speaker, at least. I was talking to my brother.
You women don’t have the corner on love, you know?”

  Kaitlyn giggled, then said, “Okay, Mace, we’re both here. Talk to us.”

  Mason shook his head and gripped his phone. It had taken a little time to get used to, but he was happy Kaitlyn had found her perfect match and they could all be friends. Was Lolly Mason’s match? He didn’t think so right now. “It’s just not right. She’s too good for me.”

  “Come on, man,” said Axel.

  “Now you listen to me,” Kaitlyn said. “Lolly is the most amazing person I know, but so are you, and you deserve the very best.”

  Mason appreciated the kind words, but he couldn’t internalize them right now. “We ran into Gabe at lunch.”

  “That loser,” Kaitlyn hissed. “I hope you knocked him flat.”

  Mason smiled. “Not quite. He ran away pretty quick when I offered to.”

  “Ha! So what’s the problem?”

  How did he admit this to them? They’d both grown up wealthy and Axel was the top lacrosse player in the nation. He made over a million dollars a year on endorsements alone.

  “Mace.” Kaitlyn’s voice was a warning.

  “You didn’t tell me that Lolly’s family is insanely wealthy.”

  “What does that matter?” Kaitlyn asked.

  “It matters, all right.” Mason shoved a hand through his hair. He was back at his office building, but he paced outside, not ready to go in and face work yet.

  “Not to Lolly,” Kaitlyn insisted.

  Mason didn’t answer. People who had money couldn’t understand. Plus Lolly was such a shining star that no one was good enough for her. That had to be why she’d never settled down. Now Mason had one more obstacle in the path to her falling for him.

  “You’re successful, Mace, but even if you weren’t, Lolly wouldn’t care. Mace …” Her voice dropped. “You know that’s not why you and I didn’t work, right?”

  Mason squinted at the sun. Was Axel still on the line? This was beyond awkward. “I know Axel and you are meant to be together,” he said, avoiding the question.