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“Yeah,” he says. “You and Izzy did. You know…he thought we were a family.”
Laughter bursts out of me, cut off when Flower lets out one resonant, very clear bark.
Crap. Hopefully, Mrs. Longhorn gave up the ghost and went to bed. How a woman her age has hearing like that I’ll never know…
“Shhh, baby,” I say, getting down on my knees in front of her wire crate. She licks my hand.
I sneeze.
I eye Shane, who’s watching me with an expression I can’t interpret. Was he checking out my ass? Deviant excitement fills me, because I enjoy catching the glances he probably thinks are so subtle.
He lifts his eyebrows.
“I’m going to let her out of her crate,” I say. “We’ll see if she can sense evil.”
But the second I open the wire door, she passes me and goes to Shane, her little tail wagging.
He shocks me by getting down to her level to pet her. Something in my chest…eases, like hard candy turning to caramel. This is why Dog is Love has a yearly calendar of men posing shirtless with dogs—there’s something sweet about a big, strong man showing love to a dog. No doubt Shane knows it, and this is another piece of him trying to butter me up.
“You’re not worried about your suit?” I ask, reclaiming my chair. My eyes are riveted on him.
“I like dogs. I had one when I was a kid.”
I notice he didn’t answer the question, but I’m too hung up on being surprised to say so. I don’t remember him having a dog. Then again, I never went to his house—only Danny did. In fact, they spent much more time there than they did at our house. Shane’s an only child, and he lived alone with his mother after his dad died when he was fifteen. My brother probably welcomed the chance to get away from our parents. Shane made it pretty clear he welcomed the chance to get away from me.
Flower licks Shane’s hand and then climbs into his lap, no joke. And instead of putting her down like a hot potato, he lifts her and sits in the chair like that—my little dog curled up on top of him.
“Fuck, you must really want something,” I say.
He has the good grace to laugh. So do I. In fact, I laugh so hard I sneeze again.
“Yeah,” he finally admits. “I do. But I also really like dogs. Maybe you can put it down to another piece of kismet since you seem determined to believe in signs.”
“Go on.” I pick up my fork, trying to signal a disinterest I don’t feel.
“Freeman only offered me the job because he thought I was a family man. I’m not going to dance around it, Ruthie. I let him think you were my wife. I want to pay you to go to a few events with me to keep up the ruse.” He gestures to the dog cradled in his lap. “Dogs are expensive, and I’m guessing the reason you’re waiting to report her is because even an apartment complex this crappy has a pet deposit. Plus, I know you’re trying to get your bookmobile off the ground. This could be good for both of us.”
My mouth gapes open, and shock curls through me. The fork drops from my hand.
He’s being manipulative, but I see no need to point out what we both must already know. My head is swimming—Josie was so certain he’d be getting married, and now he’s here asking me to pose as his wife. Also…he’s not wrong. I could use the money, more than he knows.
But I dislike dishonesty, especially to a sweet man like Mr. Freeman. If Mr. Freeman wants a family man at his company—one who’s going to stay for the long haul—he certainly hasn’t found one in Shane. It would be a dick thing for me to help Shane fool him into thinking otherwise.
Desperate as Shane is, he shouldn’t have done this. I’m guessing this sort of dishonesty might even be serious enough to see him disbarred, not that I’m a tattle tale. While he may not be my favorite person on the face of the planet, he’s important to Danny and Izzy, who insists on calling him Uncle Shane even though I’ve told her a dozen times he’s not her uncle.
And a little voice inside of me insists that maybe this is my chance to finally rise up—to achieve things that too expensive or no time have made impossible.
But for some reason, the first thing that comes out is, “But I’d have to pretend I like you.”
For a second, he looks almost…hurt, but then he barks a laugh. “I think you could manage it. You pretended to like that drink Mira made you a few weeks ago.”
It’s funny that he noticed, and also that we’re having this conversation as if it’s perfectly normal for two people who barely tolerate each other to pretend they’re married. Then again, from what I’ve witnessed, plenty of marriages devolve into a state of unhappy toleration. I’ll certainly never get married again for real.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t dislike marriage for the same reasons Shane does. I’ve already been Googling engagement rings so I’ll be prepared to act the instant my brother says he’s ready to propose to his girlfriend. And if he doesn’t get with the program, I may have to be the one to introduce the idea, because there’s no way I’m letting her go. It’s just…
I don’t trust myself to pick the right person, and the last thing I want is for Izzy believe in a dream that will never become her reality. I’d allow myself to fall in love with the wrong man, but I won’t let her do it.
“Yes, I know how to pretend.” I say slowly, then pick up the fork again and dig out a huge bite of the heart cake. Because my mind is whirring, and maybe the sugar will help it whir faster. With any luck, it’ll make me forget my itchy nose while it’s at it.
