Fake Dating the Small Town Grump: Romancing Sugarville, #0

By Delilah Rohm

Can a grumpy gym owner and a cheery florist find real love in their fake relationship?

 

I'm a florist who thrives on sunshine, flowers, and smiles. Lying? Not my thing. That is, until a simple misunderstanding throws me into a fake relationship with Garrett, the gym owner next door.

Garrett's a rough-around-the-edges grump. A really hot, gruff grump if we're being honest here.

And now that he's asked me to play along with this fake relationship, I'm not sure I want to stop pretending...

Can I chip away at Garrett's hardened exterior to reveal the heart of gold I know is underneath? Or will his gruff demeanor and buried past keep our fake love story from turning into a real-life romance?

Romancing Sugarville is a series of short and sweet standalone romance novellas with just a touch of small-town spice before a guaranteed happy-ever-after. They can be enjoyed in any order.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Delilah Rohm
• Release date: Dec 7, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223997276

Book preview

1

Arush of wind sweeps through the flower shop as the door swings open with a creak. I look up, my eyes landing on the bulky figure that fills the doorway. It's Garrett, the owner of the gym next door, looking about as comfortable as a bull in a china shop.

Afternoon, I say, my voice dipping into a warm and comforting tone. He’s a regular sight, but his presence inside my shop is a first. You're looking a little lost. Need any help?

His gaze, previously lost in the sea of flowers, snaps to me. His eyebrows, thick and rugged like him, shoot up. Uh... yeah, he mutters, his voice a low rumble. I'm looking for some flowers, I guess. For a funeral.

A pang of sympathy shoots through me. Oh, I'm sorry, I say. Do you know if they had a favorite flower? Or favorite color?

His muscular frame seems to deflate slightly, his gaze darting around the shop.

He shrugs, his tall, tight-muscled frame appearing to shrink within his black workout tee. His eyes, a sharp green, skim over the flowers without really seeing them. Not sure, he grunts, shifting his weight from one foot to another. Just need something... nice, I guess?

I hold back a smile at his vague request. Sure thing, I say, keeping my tone light. Let's see what we can do.

As we amble through the shop, looking at flowers, I watch him out of the corner of my eye, trying to read the man behind the gruff exterior. The way he's acting, it doesn't feel like he's lost someone close. But then again grief can be a strange and unpredictable beast.

Suddenly his gaze meets mine, and I'm momentarily caught off guard by the raw intensity in his eyes. I shake off the odd feeling, reminding myself this isn't the time for fluttery stomachs. He’s handsome, sure, but he’s in my shop for a funeral, not a date.

I didn't know Ralph all that well, Garrett confesses, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his neck. But, uh, maybe something, I don't know, edible would be good?

Edible? I echo, the confusion clear in my voice. My mind races to make sense of his request. How old was this Ralph? I ask.

He shrugs. Maybe two or three?

A horrified gasp