Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75408 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
“I didn’t mean for it to sound that way.”
“It’s fine, Sutton. It was pretty damn clear from the look on your face during the whole ceremony that you were repulsed by the idea of marrying me.”
She stopped walking, and I did the same. Turning around, I saw a look of confusion on her face. “You really think that?” she asked.
“Do you deny it?”
She started fiddling with her dress.
“I’ll take your silence as a no,” I said. “I’m sorry that I wasn’t the guy you dreamed of marrying. At least it’s simply a business arrangement. Once Jack is out of your life, we’ll get an annulment.”
She stood there and stared at me. When she didn’t say anything, I turned and started to walk away again, though I moved slower this time. I could hear her heels clicking on the sidewalk behind me.
Once we got to my truck, I opened the door and held out my hand to help her get in. She ignored it and climbed in, then stared straight ahead.
The drive to The Maine Bakery was about ten minutes. Neither one of us said a word until I parked and started to get out. Sutton’s hand landed on my arm, and I stilled.
“I won’t lie and say that it didn’t cross my mind that we might be making a mistake,” she said, “but it’s not for the reasons you think, Brody. I’m not repulsed by the idea of marrying you.”
All I could do was nod.
“It’s just that…I thought the next time I got married, it would be—”
I feel my body deflate. “With someone you wanted to marry. Someone you loved. I get it, Sutton. It’s fine. Let’s go in and explain all this to Gannon and Addie before they come out here and drag us inside.”
I opened the door and got out of the truck, then made my way around to open Sutton’s door. When I did, she turned, and something about the way she stared at me made me pause for a moment.
“Do you really think of this as a business arrangement, Brody?”
“What would you call it, Sutton?”
She paused, then pressed her lips together in a tight line and got out of the truck. I placed my hand on her lower back and guided her to the front door. Once inside, we searched for Gannon and Addie.
“They must not be here yet,” Sutton said.
“You guys can sit anywhere you want!” a young girl from behind the counter called out.
I nodded toward the back. “Let’s try and find a spot where it’ll be hard for people to hear us talking.”
Sutton nodded and started to walk toward the outside patio. She pointed to a table in the corner as soon as we were outside. Once we were seated and had ordered our drinks, Addie and Gannon walked up.
We all waited for our drinks, then each ordered a little something to eat. Once the waitress brought our food and was out of sight, Addie glanced between me and Sutton.
“What the fuck? You two decide to get married, and it has to do with Jack being back in town, and no one thought to tell us? I mean, I knew something was going on between the two of you—”
“Excuse me,” Sutton interrupted. “What do you mean, you knew something was going on?”
Addie rolled her eyes. “Sutton, please. Brody has been spending so much time at your place and the boutique. Why are you two hiding it? Even the gossip column is writing about it.”
“Addie, we’re not hiding anything,” I said. “I’m legit helping her with things around the house and the store. Nothing has happened between us.”
Her eyes bounced from me, to her sister, and back to me before finally settling on Sutton. “Well, maybe something does need to happen. It’s obvious to everyone but you two that there’s a connection here.”
Sutton leaned in. “It’s called friendship, Addie.”
Addie laughed. “Oh, okay. Is that what you called it when you two hooked up before you went off to college?”
I immediately looked at Gannon. He held up his hands. “I didn’t say a word to her.”
“You knew?” Sutton asked Gannon.
Before he could say anything, Addie jumped back in. “No one told me anything. I guessed.”
Sutton’s mouth dropped open. “You little sneak.”
Addie shrugged. “It’s way past time the two of you fessed up to what’s going on between you.”
Dropping back in her seat, Sutton crossed her arms over her chest. It was clear she wasn’t going to say anything, so that left me.
“Yes, Sutton and I have a past.”
Sutton snapped her head over to look at me.
“What kind of a past?” Addie asked.
“Does it really matter?” Sutton probed.
“Considering you just married Brody, yes, I think it matters.”
Sutton slowly shook her head.
I shot a quick look to Gannon, and he gave me a single nod. It was time to get everything out in the open. “We slept together the summer before Sutton went to college, when I was home on leave.”