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)
“Absolutely. Those are great ideas. See?” He cradled my face in his hands and wiped away the leftover tears on my cheeks with his thumbs. “Forward motion is the key. Focusing your energy on the future, not the past.”
I took a deep breath. “I’ll try. And you really think we can come up with saltwater grotto money?”
“I talked to someone today who thinks they might be able to come through with some venture capital. I’ll know more next week.”
“Who is it?” I asked as we headed inside.
“A banker in Boston with good connections.”
“Does he owe you a favor or something?”
“She.” He smiled as he held the door for me. “Her name is Jennifer Bates. It’s Sara’s mom.”
“Oh my gosh!” Buoyed by the news, I headed into the kitchen and asked him what he’d like for dinner.
“It doesn’t matter to me,” he said. “Would you like me to go pick something up?”
“I don’t mind cooking,” I told him, opening the fridge to see what was in there.
“You cook?” Devlin sounded impressed.
“I do.” I shut the fridge and pulled the freezer open. “How would you feel about butternut squash gnocchi with Italian sausage?”
He stopped at the threshold to the kitchen and leaned against the frame. “Wife.”
Every time he said wife that way, like he was holding himself back from ravaging me and could snap at any moment, it made me laugh. It just felt so good.
Why did this feel so good?
Devlin said he could use some exercise before dinner, so while he went on a run around the property, I zipped over to the grocery store. On the way there, I called Winnie.
“Hello?”
“Hey. Are you busy?”
“Just getting dinner together. But I’ve got a minute. What’s up?”
“Okay, I have to tell you something, but you can’t judge me.”
“I would never,” she said.
“And you have to keep this a secret.”
She groaned. “I’m really bad at secrets, but okay. Talk to me.”
I took a breath. “I got married.”
“You what?” she squealed. And then, “Just a second. Dex! Can you take over here? I have to take this call!” Dex yelled back he could, and after some shuffling noises, she was back. “Okay, tell me everything. I’m dying. Did you really get married?”
“Yes.”
“To who?”
I grinned. “The dragon.”
Thump!
“Win? You okay?”
“Yes. I ran into the door. Wait a minute. You married the guy who scammed you?”
“Turns out, it wasn’t a scam.” I told her about Devlin showing up on my doorstep three nights ago, what he’d told me, and what his plan entailed.
“Oh my God. So you did it? You guys ran off to Vegas and got hitched?”
“We sure did.” I pulled into a parking spot at the store. “You would not believe how easy it is to tie the knot in that place. We came home yesterday.”
“So you spent the night there?”
“Yes.”
“Together?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“Yes.”
She shrieked. “This is bananas, Lexi!”
“I know.” I turned off the engine. “But it’s how it has to happen because of Gran’s stupid will.”
“Have you told her yet?”
“No. That’s tomorrow.” I got out of the car and started walking toward the store. “And then we have to tell his family.”
“But you’re telling them like it’s real, right?”
“It is real. The marriage, anyway.”
“You know what I mean! You’re pretending like you’re actually in love?”
“Yes. We have to.” Wincing a little, I grabbed a cart at the store entrance. “We don’t love that we have to lie to everyone we care about, but Devlin thinks the ends justify the means.”
“Do you?”
“I keep saying I’ll do anything to save my home,” I said, putting some fresh sage and thyme in my basket.
“But what if your grandmother doesn’t believe you? What if she sells anyway? Or what happens if you do get control of Snowberry? Are you stuck being married to this guy forever? Two weeks ago, you couldn’t stand him!”
“We get along better now,” I assured her. “But no. The marriage has an expiration date.”
“What is it?”
“Well, it depends on when the funding comes through, but probably sometime next spring. Summer.”
“So one year of make-believe?”
“At most.” I paused in front of the squashes and lowered my voice. “It’s not all make-believe, actually.”
“It isn’t? What’s real?”
“The orgasms,” I whispered, laughing a little. “The orgasms are definitely real.”
Winnie laughed. “I thought my sister Felicity was crazy when she faked an engagement, but this is next level.”
“Felicity faked an engagement? I never knew that! To who?”
“To Hutton.”
“Wait, isn’t that her husband’s name?”
“Yes.” Another giggle. “Turns out it wasn’t all make-believe for them, either.”
The following night, Devlin and I met Gran for dinner at Snowberry’s restaurant. I’d asked her to meet me and a potential investor, although I hadn’t given her a name. After dinner, Devlin and I were heading to Cherry Tree Harbor to surprise his family at his brother’s bar opening. The plan was to introduce me to them tonight but wait until Saturday to announce the marriage so we didn’t steal attention.