The following morning, we set off on our local sightseeing adventure. Upon Caleb's request for natural attractions, I drove to a park along the La Salle River near my parents' place. His eyes were glued to the window as he took in the golden and green fields of wheat, soybeans, corn, and flax, flat as the eye could see. It was a touch odd to be somewhere so flat where only the horizon obstructed our sightline.

In less than fifteen minutes, we arrived in a large parking lot populated by a few other cars, but far fewer than on a weekend. We crossed the greenspace interspersed with baseball fields, barbecue pits and a disc golf playing area. I'd never tried the game, which resembled the lovechild of frisbee, basketball, and golf, but wished I had a disc so Caleb and I could try it together. He seemed like he'd be a fun, playful partner.

Soon we reached the river with a red, arched pedestrian bridge. Caleb snapped photos  of the old-growth trees towering above us on his DSLR camera. The hefty grey squirrels also caught his attention as they lunged from tree to tree and chased each other away from their respective territories with squeaks and bark-like grunts. I'd missed the entertaining and adorable creatures while I was away. They were much less menacing than the bag-rifling monkeys in Thailand.

A few Canada geese drew Caleb toward the bridge. Once we arrived, we leaned on the rail and looked down the small, meandering river. Bright green trees lined both sides of the banks.

He smiled at me. "This park is gorgeous. Thanks for suggesting it."

It wasn't a typical tourist attraction, but I'd come here so often growing up that it seemed natural to bring him here. It warmed my heart he appreciated a place that meant something to me without even knowing it.

"You picked a nice time of year to come."

The sun illuminated everything and warmed our faces in that gentle way.

"Do you think we'll see a beaver?"

I shook my head. "Might catch a deer if we're lucky and the trail is quiet. But I imagine somewhere between here and Churchill I can find you one."

His smile was contagious. "I couldn't have asked for a better tour guide slash girlfriend."

That word made me giddier than it should have. I enjoyed being single and travelling alone and suspected Caleb was the sort of person who did too. But that giddiness would help us sell the act to our friends, so I let it linger.

"Gotta repay you for the trip to Churchill and being my buffer at the wedding," I said.

"No repayment needed. You're perfect company. But speaking of our fake relationship, shall we take some couple's photos? Just a splash of love." He gestured to the river flowing behind us.

I shook my head and laughed. "If we're doing this, you are not writing the captions."

"Who said anything about captions? The photos should speak for themselves. So what's your couple's pose of choice? Peck on the cheek or just standing close and letting our sizzling chemistry speak for itself."

I laughed to dispel the awkward sensation in my stomach. His tone was teasing, but his eyes burned into mine with intensity, almost daring me to do more.

Challenge accepted Caleb.

"How about this?"

I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head against his chest. Both he and the forest smelled amazing, a soothing piney, earthy, woody blend. His breathing hitched, but I wasn't backing down yet. Soon I shifted, so we were locked in a stare-down, but his emerald eyes erased all traces of my motives from my mind. He leaned closer, his warmth sending my heart racing.

"It feels great, but you're getting distracted from our photo mission," he whispered.

A different person would have brushed off the mission to kiss him or tease him to 'distract' me more. But I was too stubborn and competitive for that.

"And I suppose your thoughts are focused on taking that photo."

"About as much as yours are." His accent still drew me in, and his playful smirk told me he'd noticed.

"So we're equally terrible."

"I suspect I'm slightly less so." He was so close his breath tickled my lips.

"You're the one getting closer."

"And the one who just got our picture." He pulled away, leaving me shaken and confused.

His phone screen displayed us what must have been seconds ago. He and I were both transfixed by each other. It was a nice confirmation that I wasn't imagining his attraction, but seeing that look on my face was startling since I'd never observed it in myself before. Was I that into Caleb? He was a fake boyfriend, someone I'd say goodbye to in two weeks.

"Shall we take another?" he asked.

I swallowed my unease and nodded. If he wasn't that shaken up, there was no reason for me to be.

Afterward, my phone chimed as he sent the photos to me. We looked kind of cute together, and I still liked the first one, despite how it'd unsettled me.

He watched me as I stared at my screen. "Debating whether to post it?"

I hadn't been until now, but it was a fair question. Posting a photo would fit with the timeline of announcing it to my family and friends and might leave them less shocked at the wedding.

But what about Trevor?

My muscles tensed as I imagined his reaction. Would he hate me or be upset? Or would he figure it was inevitable after two years? He got tagged in the occasional photos with women, but it made me hopeful that he'd found a person he would share his life with, although none of the women stuck around. Even if they had, he wasn't one to share much of his life online.

Caleb was still gazing at me since I hadn't answered his question. He was a somewhat solitary single guy like Trev. His opinion would probably help me figure this out.

"Would you rather know in person or beforehand that your ex was seeing someone?"

He was quiet for a moment. "Depends on how it ended."

I grimaced as my stomach muscles clenched. If anything would cement the 'fake' part of our relationship, it was this confession. No sane person would support my actions, and he'd be relieved he didn't kiss me. I avoided his gaze as I muttered. "I bought a plane ticket to Asia and left."

"Did you talk about it, or did you flee, or were you supposed to go together?"

Caleb had to be the most considerate man on the planet if he wasn't wanting to run for the hills.

"I bought it first to go alone because I needed to do that for myself. If I'd waited, I'd have chickened out. Then I told him, and..."

After a shaky breath, I closed my eyes. I couldn't fall apart now. Today was for showing Caleb around not being a complete mess for the second time in less than 24 hours. 

Was it possible to do this without hurting Trev more? It would have helped to have not invented a fake relationship in the first place, but it was too late to change it now without upsetting everyone else by revealing our lies.

"Telling him by text seems cruel, but so does blindsiding him with it, and..." I massaged my temples with my fingers, gently releasing some of my tension. "I make the worst, most selfish decisions."

"We are our harshest critics. Have you talked to him since?" Caleb's look was inquisitive, but not as judgmental as others had been.

"We talked in the first few months that I left, but it dropped off. He sent me a message back on the plane, but after my mom was being all... herself and us talking about Churchill, I forgot to read it."

Forgot was a lie. Didn't have the energy or desire was more honest, but that wasn't my specialty.

"If it were me, I would rather hear about it from the person and not in such a public way. At least I'd know they still considered my feelings and that I mattered somewhat to them. You wouldn't be beating yourself up like this if you didn't still care about him, right?"

What I adored about Caleb was how he said this without judgment or accusation. He didn't make it seem wrong to still carry pieces of the people you once loved in your heart long after the relationship collapsed.

"Platonically, I do. He was a very close friend. We talked about so much, and losing that was the hardest part of splitting up. But I also couldn't imagine denying him or myself the lives we wanted."

"It is hard to lose someone that close." His tone wavered more than I expected. I couldn't help but take his hand to comfort him. He cleared his throat and squeezed my hand before releasing it. "It sounds like you have an easy opening to tell him if you want to."

"I already left like a terrible person. Probably best to cause the least amount of emotional damage."

"Needing space doesn't make you a terrible person. People may make you feel that way, but forcing yourself into a relationship you don't want to make someone else happy wouldn't have been good for either of you."

Who was this man and how did he know exactly how to defuse my guilt and pain?

"Thanks, Caleb. I think you're the only person who's ever come to that conclusion so quickly. Makes me wonder who you ran from."

He chuckled and sighed. "I haven't had your luck. My relationships arrive at their natural endings with little interference on my part."

If I had an actual relationship with a sweet, adventurous, and understanding man like Caleb, I'd fight to keep him.

"That surprises me." Especially after that emotional statement earlier. Who had he lost then if not a romantic partner?

He shot me a grateful smile. "You're too kind."

I didn't feel it, but I pulled out my phone to read Trevor's message.

Trevor: I heard you're coming home for Claire's wedding. I hope the flight is kinder to you than on the journey there. It'll be nice to see you again. I wanted you to hear from me that I started seeing someone, and she's coming to the wedding. But I'd still love to catch up if you have the time. Safe travels.

I chuckled to myself. Here I'd stressed about that silly message. If I'd read it, I wouldn't have even needed a fake boyfriend, but it was too late to back out now since Claire, Vince and my parents all assumed this was real. Plus, a small or medium-sized part of me wanted to be his date to flirt, dance, and spend the entire evening in Caleb's intoxicating presence.

His shoulders were tense, and he looked at me like he wanted to ask what was in the message, but he glanced back at the geese in the river instead.

"Your idea was the right one because that's what he did. He's seeing someone."

Caleb studied me. "Unless he took a page out of your book."

"Most people have more good sense than I do."

Caleb chewed his lip, still not relaxed. "How are you feeling about his news?"

I ran my hand over the chipped paint on the warm metal railing. It was a relief, more than anything. "I'm happy for him. Maybe she'll be all the things I couldn't be. He deserves that." My tone came out more melancholic than I'd intended, and my heart weighed heavier as well.

During our relationship, Trevor knew I wanted to live and travel abroad, so it wasn't like my leaving was a complete shock. I'm not sure if he expected me to give up that dream or if he just wanted it to happen in a different order at a smaller scale than I'd imagined. I think he pictured a few two-week vacations together to exotic locations every few years, while I wanted much more time to explore, work, and settle into those spots.

Caleb covered my restless hand with his, smoothing it down against the railing and flattening some of my anxiety with it.

I laughed to myself. "This isn't what you signed up for at all. I'm a terrible tour guide."

"Luckily, I'm not in the market for a tour guide. I want a travel partner, and no travel partner can leave themselves out of situations, especially when they've come home to face their past. Are you going to respond?"

I sighed. Even though I wanted to lose myself in showing Caleb around, Trev had sent that days ago and deserved a response. "If you don't mind."

"You've brought me to the perfect place to keep me distracted. I'll give you some privacy?" His tone rose as if it was a question.

"Sure, though I might need a second opinion if it's not too weird to consult with my fake boyfriend about my ex."

He chuckled, though the amusement didn't quite reach his eyes. "What else are fake boyfriends for?"

He wandered across the bridge back to the shore where we'd entered the park. I had to remind myself I had a message to compose and wasn't just here to watch Caleb.

It made sense to start with an apology, right? I could invent an excuse like my phone being dead or jet lag, but I owed Trev more than that, although the Caleb thing was a massive lie. However, I was catching feelings for the guy the more time we spent together. Not that it mattered. In two weeks, we'd be going our separate ways.

Audrey: Sorry for the late reply. It'll be good to see you too. I'm glad you're seeing someone. I hope she's awesome.

If I joked he had great taste in women, it seemed insensitive with how his previous ex and I both destroyed his heart.

Audrey: You deserve it. I hope she loves hockey and sunsets on the farm and that she hates cheesy rom-coms, and adores action and superhero movies. I'm excited to meet her. Also, I wanted you to hear from me that I started seeing someone who I'm also bringing to the wedding. Take care, Trev.

My gaze shot down to Caleb, who was on the bit of sand along the riverbank taking shots of the bridge. Would Trevor be happy for me too or resentful?

Noticing my stare, Caleb called up, "How you going?"

"I think I got it done."

He hurried up and helped me read it through. He bit his lip and his brows folded together into a vee.

"Is it bad?"

"No, it's heartfelt and well-meaning. Although someone is quite mysterious. He'll never suspect how incredible I am."

His efforts to lighten the mood made me crack a small smile. "I'll save those compliments for your ears instead."

"Oh yeah? Which one do I get now?"

He leaned toward me, which did something to my chest. Half a dozen attributes came to mind: amazing, sweet, smart, funny, understanding, and the best possible partner in this homecoming/ex- and family-facing nightmare.

But, this would get dangerous if it got too intense. Even if we both knew it was fake, those lines were blurring, and hurting anyone like I hurt Trevor was not an option.

"Self-aggrandizing."

That made him laugh and step back with a smile. "That's not quite a compliment, but it's well-earned, I suppose."

"Do you want to do the walk and see if we spot any deer?" I asked, eager to move on from the topic of Trevor.

"I'd love to."

As we crossed the bridge, his hand brushed against mine before our pinky fingers interlocked. When I looked up at him, he smiled.

"Figured we might as well practice, if that's okay with you."

Should we be practising? My parents were convinced enough for my dad to treat him well and my mom to pull me aside this morning to tell me how happy she was for me and Caleb. There was already a natural closeness and connection between us.

But uncertainty lingered in Caleb's eyes, almost as if my texting Trev had shaken him. He had called it practice, so it reconfirmed the fake aspect. Holding his hand in the forest didn't hurt anyone if we knew it was part of our act, and Trevor wouldn't be hurt by it.

When I nodded, Caleb took my hand in his and we headed down a path through the old-growth forest. Green foliage with a few berries and fallen logs and leaves lined the forest floor. He looked at me fondly as I slowed to marvel at the impressive heights and the girth of the immense trees that had escaped the logging when the area had first been developed. The trembling aspen, cottonwood, and American elms were nowhere near as big as redwoods or sequoia trees, but they were still majestic. Caleb had his eyes on the ground, spotting and photographing different mushrooms, wildflowers, squirrels, and the occasional skittering birds.

I was a slow hiker when I went with my coworkers, who were interested in the exercise. Some wanted to get through as quickly as possible while I jogged to catch up after spotting something cool on the trail. I loved that Caleb was just as entranced as me, but I regretted I only identified a couple of plants, like the asters and milkweed when he asked about the different yellow, pink, and purple flowers. He snapped photos and said we could look up the rest later, or he would, as he assumed I had better things to do.

Soon the trail opened up onto farmland with a low stump and chain fence separating us from the golden field. It made the dark green tree canopy to our right pop even more.

"This is beautiful." He held up his camera and surprised me by asking, "Can I get your picture?"

"Just me?"

He'd been photographing every natural object in the forest like he was cataloguing them, which may have been a habit from his work as an environmental scientist.

He nodded and pulled out his phone at the same time I did mine.

"The photo quality is better on mine." His words might have been true, but his hesitant smile gave away his intentions.

"Eh, I think you just want an excuse to have another picture of me."

He nodded and caught his lip between his teeth. "I want to remember this, and you're a big part of it."

Something in his shy eye contact convinced me he wasn't acting. I had to give him props for the honesty.

As fake as our relationship was, it was also as real for me as it seemed to him. The comfort and reassurance he gave me after dealing with my mom would stick with me, as would his reactions to my past with Trevor. It was a balm for my soul. I wasn't sure how I'd helped him, certainly in no profound way as he had me, but I related to him wanting to hang onto it.

A warm yet stinging sensation stirred in my chest. It wasn't possible to miss someone that I hardly knew and that I planned to spend several days with, but his stare convinced me otherwise. I both wanted this and didn't want it to end. I smiled at him, with that dangerous sensation still lingering in my chest. Even with the camera separating us, the gesture didn't seem forced. I couldn't help but be touched by his words and actions. Our connection lasted even after he pulled down the phone.

My device pinged a moment later with the photo. It stunned me for a moment. My mom always told me how happy I looked in photos with a subtle pain in her voice that told me that didn't come through in our interactions. I'd never seen what she meant since all my smiles seemed painted on for the camera, but in Caleb's shot I was beaming, and it wasn't just for the photo.

"You are an amazing photographer."

"It's easy to take a good picture of you."

I bit my tongue to keep myself from asking if we were just practising. The answer would overwhelm or devastate me. Instead, I took a shot of him in return and insisted on another couple's pose, which he didn't complain about.

This time he was the one leaning into me, encircling me with his warm, one-armed embrace, and even pressing his forehead to mine at the end. As his breath tickled my lips, I wondered if he wanted to kiss me. From the way he explored the forest, I suspected he'd be someone who took his time and got lost in the moment. Neither of us spoke or challenged each other this time, nor did we pull away.

Part of me wanted to kiss him, especially without an audience, so if it failed or got way too intense, it'd be our experience alone. But I couldn't bring myself to close the gap, nor did it seem he would. That had to mean our timing wasn't right.

Plus, we had a city to explore, so I shook off the sensation and stepped away. He snapped out of his daze just as quickly, focusing on the sea of farmland flowing to the horizon. Neither of us spoke as we walked, but we matched each other's pace. Ten minutes later, we'd returned to the bridge to find two geese and some mallards swimming downstream.

"So, where to next? The Forks, a restaurant, another park?" I asked.

"I'm still full from brunch, but I wouldn't mind checking out the Forks."

"Done, and I take it you'd be fine parking across the river and walking to avoid the parking fees. It's also, in my opinion, the best way to experience it from afar and to get to see St. Boniface."

"You haven't steered me wrong yet." He smiled, brightening those enchanting forest eyes.

How many more times would we blur that acting and real emotional line before the day ended?