Everyone in Briar Cove thinks hockey star Colby Reid is my boyfriend. Honestly, some days I’m starting to forget he’s not.
What began as a fake relationship to quiet rumors was supposed to be simple. Smile for the cameras. Hold his hand at town events. Convince everyone we’re together.
Instead, Colby keeps showing up for me. He makes my daughter smile. Makes me laugh when I’m exhausted. Looks at me like I’m the only woman in the room.
Every day it gets harder to remember that none of this is supposed to be real.
The problem? Hockey players don’t stay. Trades happen. Careers change. And men with Colby’s fame don’t build forever lives in small towns like mine.
I promised myself I wouldn’t fall for a man pretending to love me. Now I’m terrified I’ve already broken that promise.
Because somewhere between stolen glances, lingering touches, and pretending to be in love, I’ve started forgetting the pretend rules.
And if Colby leaves, he won’t just take my heart with him. He’ll take the future my daughter and I have started believing in
