The Stand In

Coming face to face with a vicious looking dog named Peggy, isn't how Becca expected to meet her new landlord, who also happens to be her very sexy new neighbor.

Becca Patterson is a successful photographer with a string of happy clients, including her BFF who is about to get married. Realizing she can't be both the maid of honor and the photographer, she enlists the help of her assistant to take the lead. She thinks it's all figured out until her very pregnant assistant is put on bedrest and can't help on the wedding day. 

Evan Wallace has just taken over management of the building Becca lives in, and despite his initial hesitance over fulfilling family obligations, things start to look up when he meets the beautiful tenant from apartment 302.

After a rocky start, no thanks to Peggy, Evan and Becca end up forming an unlikely friendship in more ways than one. 

When they do each other a favor and pretend to be dating in the presence of their exes and family, it's clear not only are they lying to everyone, but they're also lying to themselves. Now their friends and family think they're together, and they're playing along.  

But this can only end one way…

Right? 

Portions of this story were previously published as the short story Opening Up in the One More Step Anthology by The Bookworm Box.