Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97836 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
I could tell Way wanted to help people, help Majestic, and it made me wonder what his motivation was. Camille’s big heart came from guilt for growing up privileged. She felt the need to give back to make up for her luck at being born into a comfortable upper-middle-class family. It was why she’d rejected my offer of seed money to open her own medical practice and had, instead, chosen to work in the emergency department of one of the busiest trauma hospitals in New York.
Maybe resemblance was why I was feeling soft toward him. He seemed to be inundated by everyone around him with various demands on his time and energy, and I wondered at the toll it would take on him over time. I definitely didn’t want to be an additional burden on the man.
I spent the rest of our time in the cafe trying to figure out a solution to his—our—marriage dilemma. He clearly didn’t want anyone to know it had been a drunken mistake, and now that I’d seen a glimpse of his life as mayor of this small town, I could understand why. But we obviously weren’t going to actually stay married, either. Not when I had a life in New York to get back to. Not when I had zero interest in being married, period. Not when I had a billion reasons for us to be divorced.
We needed to figure out a graceful escape. An explanation that would allow me to return home tonight and end this in a practical way through the Delaware court system in a few…
My gaze shot over to him. “If the town already knows, we could, ah… file that paperwork… with your judge friend here in Majestic after all.”
Way’s nostrils flared, and the remaining friendly light in his eyes blinked out. “Absolutely not.”
I opened my mouth to ask why not when he nudged my foot under the table. “Later,” he added in a deep grumble.
I sucked in a deep breath before blowing it out.
Looked like I’d be stuck in Majestic for a little while longer.
SEVEN
WAYLON
Everything was going to shit right in front of me. The entire town now knew I’d married a random guy in Vegas. My only saving grace was the fact I’d made it seem purposeful.
Sure, everyone, in all my nonexistent spare time, I fell in love with an outsider without any of you knowing, and now we’re going to build a life together here in Majestic! Ignore the fact he’s an out-East city guy! I’m sure he’d love to settle down on a horse ranch and play First Gentleman of this fair city.
As Silas and I returned to City Hall, I tried to rein in my panic. We didn’t speak at any point during the long walk, and we for damned sure didn’t detour down any alleys again. I spent the entire time trying to figure out how to dig myself out of the hole I’d created. When we arrived back at the office, I thought I had the answer… but Silas wasn’t going to like it.
I closed the door behind us and sat him at the small conference table in the corner before taking the chair next to him. “Thank you for going along with everything back there,” I began.
Silas studied me with those damned eyes that seemed to know—and judge—everything. “Do you really think you can fool these people into thinking this marriage was on purpose?”
I really fucking hope so.
Because it felt an awful lot like the fate of Majestic was in my hands… and I didn’t want to let them down.
“Yes, I do. But in order to do that, I need you to stay,” I blurted. “I need you to pretend just a little while, okay?”
“When I said I didn’t have to leave right away back at the Love Muffin, I meant not today, Way. Not tonight.” He tilted his head. “You actually want me to stay? Here in Majestic?”
The man made it sound like a prison sentence. “Yes. Listen, I know you have work stuff and whatever, a life back in…” I frowned. “Delaware?”
“New York,” he said with a short huff of laughter.
“That’s what I thought. Did you give a fake address? Can we actually get divorced there if you don’t live there? I don’t understand.”
“That’s where my legal residence is for business reasons. Long story.” He waved his hand and cleared his throat. “Anyway, what could you possibly hope to gain by pretending to be married? What’s your plan? Be happily married for a few weeks, and then I take off?”
“Yes. Exactly. You leaving immediately was fine when no one knew about our wedding. But if I show up suddenly married to someone no one’s ever heard of, and he leaves town the same damned day, it’s going to be obvious the marriage was a mistake or a sham. Whereas if we fake it for a little while, show the town there’s real feelings here and look like we’re making an effort, then when we split, they’ll think I truly wanted to get married, but it just didn’t work out.”