Lara Evans wiped flour off her hands, the smell of burnt cookies filling her tiny bakery, Sweet Haven. The oven's timer had broken—again—and her last batch was ruined. At 25, she'd dreamed of a thriving business, but now the shop was a crumbling mess: peeling paint, cracked counters, and a bank account in the red. Her phone buzzed on the counter, a text from her sister, Maya: Wedding invite! You're coming, right? Jake will be there…
Lara's stomach dropped. Jake Miller, her ex, who'd cheated on her a year ago, breaking her heart and leaving her terrified of love. Now he'd be at Maya's wedding, probably smirking with his new girlfriend while Lara showed up alone, a failure. Worse, she needed a loan from her parents to save the bakery—they'd only give it if she proved she had her life together, starting with a stable relationship.
She slumped onto a stool, her curly brown hair falling into her hazel eyes, her apron stained with chocolate. "I can't do this," she muttered, staring at the wedding invite on her phone, a pastel pink design with Maya's name in gold. The wedding was in two weeks—a fancy venue upstate, where her whole family would see her alone and struggling.
Her best friend, Chloe, burst through the bakery door, her blonde ponytail bouncing, her blue eyes wide. "Lara, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost!" Chloe was a barista at the coffee shop next door, always dragging Lara out of her shell.
"Jake's going to be at the wedding," Lara said, her voice small. "And I need a boyfriend to get Mom and Dad's loan. They won't help if they think I'm a mess."
Chloe grinned, mischief in her eyes. "Then get a fake boyfriend! Someone hot, charming—make Jake jealous and show your parents you're fine."
Lara laughed, the idea ridiculous but tempting. "Where am I supposed to find a guy like that in two weeks?"
Chloe pulled out her phone, typing fast. "Online. I'll post an ad for you—'Fake Boyfriend Wanted: Two Weeks, One Wedding, Must Be Convincing.' Done!"
Lara's heart raced, her palms sweaty. "Chloe, no! What if some creep responds?" But Chloe had already hit post, and within minutes, a reply came through—an email from Ethan Cole, with a photo of a guy with tousled black hair, green eyes, and a smile that made Lara's breath catch.
To be continued…