Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“Why not?”
“Why not?” I whirled around and stuck my hands on my hips. “Number one, it’s a scam. It can’t be legal.”
“It’s totally legal. We’re both single adults.”
“Two, Gran is never going to believe that you and I suddenly fell in love after what happened at lunch.”
“Gran will believe what she wants to believe.”
I glared at him. “Three, I don’t even like you, let alone love you. Why would I marry you?”
“Because you love Snowberry. And you can’t let it go.”
Another chill swept over my skin, even though the door was shut. “That doesn’t mean I’d marry you to keep it.” Brushing past him, I grabbed the pint of ice cream from the table and went into the kitchen. “Marriage might just be another kind of business deal to you, but it means something to me. I want to marry the love of my life. I want to be the love of someone’s life.”
Devlin followed me. “We wouldn’t have to stay married forever. Just long enough for Gran to deed the property to you and get the renovations underway.”
Dropping my spoon in the sink, I opened the freezer and stuck the carton of ice cream inside. “That’s another thing. Even if we convince Gran to let me inherit early, that doesn’t solve the money problem. I need millions of dollars to renovate.”
“Leave that to me. I can get the money.”
“How?”
“I know people.”
I shut the freezer and looked at him leaning casually back against the stove. His confidence was reassuring and yet irksome. “It’s that easy for you? You can just snap your fingers and get millions of dollars?”
“Maybe not that easy,” he allowed. “But I think it can be done. I’m up for the challenge.”
“Of course you are,” I said, recalling the words give me fifteen minutes. “Nothing you love more than a challenge.”
He shrugged. “I can’t help it, I’m competitive. I grew up with three brothers always trying to outdo one another. And I wasn’t the oldest or the strongest, so I got my ass kicked regularly—until I realized I was the fastest and learned to outrun them.”
“Speaking of family, what’s yours going to say about this, huh? Are they going to believe you’re suddenly head over heels for a local ski instructor you met one night at The Broken Spoke?”
“If I tell them I’m happy, they’ll be happy for me. That’s how my family is.”
I shook my head. “Won’t it make you feel bad? Lying to them?”
For the first time, he hesitated, appearing slightly less sure of himself. “Yes. It will make me feel bad to lie to them. Honesty is important to me. But in this case, the lie isn’t hurting anyone, and I believe the ends will justify the means.”
“Speaking of the ends, what do you get out of this?” I rested my tailbone on the edge of the counter across from him. “There’s no way you’re doing this for me.”
“I’m doing this so that the sale to Black Diamond doesn’t go through.”
“I thought Black Diamond was your client.”
“Not anymore. I quit my job.”
I blinked. “You did what?”
“I quit my job.”
“Why?”
“My asshole boss gave the Black Diamond account to his dickhead soon-to-be son-in-law, whom I cannot stand for various reasons, and who does not deserve to get the win.”
I studied him. He was a slick talker, but I could tell he was leaving something out. “What are the reasons?”
“Never mind the reasons.” He crossed his arms over his chest, the sleeves of his T-shirt tightening around his biceps.
“Oh, you want me to marry you, and you won’t tell me why you’d go to such lengths to piss off some business rival?”
He shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Are they business reasons? Or personal reasons?”
“Both.”
“So this is about revenge for you?”
“Maybe.”
I exhaled. “This doesn’t seem right, Devlin. Yes, I want to save Snowberry, but having to marry a man I don’t love—or even like—in order to do it feels like some real patriarchal bullshit.”
“It does. I agree.” He held up his palms. “None of this will business is fair to you. I thought that the moment your grandmother told me about it.”
That surprised me, and it did make me feel a little warmer toward him, but . . . marriage? Living together as husband and wife? Exchanging rings in front of people we cared about? Promising to love and honor one another forever, knowing it was all a sham? Trusting that this guy meant what he said, and he really was going to help me turn Snowberry around? What if he was just a shark after all?
I mean, who was Devlin Buckley?
“I don’t think I can do it, Devlin,” I said, twisting my fingers together. “I don’t even know you. What if this is all just a scam? What if you’re not who you’re pretending to be, with your camp counselor T-shirt and friendship bracelet? What if this is just another deal you want to close, and I’m going to lose everything in the end?”