“Our townspeople. And I’m not sure that’s true since I didn’t know what handfastingwasuntil after I’d already done it.” He paused, then said in a rush, “You know it’s not about you, right? The relationship thing. I just… I have no interest in getting married again. Ever.”
I blinked at him. “Well, right, but even if you were, I wouldn’t be the person you’d choose.” I laughed lightly.
He frowned. “Don’t say that. Look, I know we barely know each other, and after the way I’ve acted toward you, you have no reason to believe me, but you’re a likable person, Luke. You’re funny. A-and smart.” His face darkened. “About everything except home repairs, anyway. And I’m sure any guy looking for a… a handfast partner would pick you. But I’m not?—”
“That’s…” I shook my head. Was Webb Sunday actually giving me the it’s-not-you-it’s-me speech? He was adorable. And so freakin’ obtuse. “I meant because I’m aman, Webb. And you’re straight?”
“Oh.” Webb hesitated. “No, yeah, that’s probably also a good point.”
Probably?
I turned to eyeball him and found that Webb was already staring at me, green eyes intent on mine and lips parted just a tiny bit, his face so close that I could feel his breath on my cheek.
What… the…
Then Webb sucked in a breath and pushed to his feet so quickly I thought I must have imagined the whole thing.
“So! Speaking of the handfasting! We should, ah… talk about the, ah… the requirements. The… the ‘confirmation tasks.’ So we can avoid fulfilling them.”
“Oh, right.” I shook my head to clear it. “Yeah. Good idea.”
“I had my attorney look it over earlier, and he chuckled a lot, but I haven’t read it yet. I was a little bit… upset,” he admitted. “Have you read it?”
I shook my head. I’d been waiting until I was calmer, too. I had a feeling I’d be waiting a while.
“Well, Curt—my attorney—said as long as we don’t fulfill all twelve obligations within eight weeks, the handfasting process expires, the bylaw won’t apply, and we’ll be free.”
“That easy?” I asked. “Awesome.”
“Yup. But he also said Ernest York is gonna be publicizing the heck out of this thing. It’s the kind of charming story that brings in tourists,andit deflects from the divisive clusterfuck of the resort development. You’ve heard about that, right?”
I nodded.
“And the people of this town…” He shook his head. “When they think there’s matchmaking to be done, they get even more meddlesome than usual. And they’re not gonna believe that you and I aren’t actually… you know.”
“Together?” I supplied.
“Exactly. So we’re gonna want to be careful, otherwise we’ll find out too late that eating pancakes together at Jack’s somehow made our betrothal official because of the Little Pippin Hollow Breakfast Food Consumption Act of 1742.”
I snorted. “Right. Lemme grab my copy. I put it up here.” I stood on the mattress to reach the upper storage area.
“Where up there?”
I knew Webb was looking over my shoulder because I felt the heat of him against my naked back.
“Not sure. I may have chucked it up here in frustration before going out to deal with the tarp.”
Webb chuckled, and a shiver moved down my spine.
This is a no-erection zone, Williams. Jesus, especially while I was wearing these pants.
“Got it!” I seized the scroll and jumped back down. “Okay, let’s see.” I threw on a sweatshirt, then moved a pace or three closer to the heater so I could no longer smell Webb’s pine-and-cotton scent. “Here we go: ‘At a general affembly… I mean,assembly, held at the Town Seat of Pippin Hollow on the tenth day of May, Anno Domini, One Thousand Seven Hundred, and Sixty Seven, be it here Enacted that Partners who may be disposed to Matrimony, where Sufficient Permission cannot?—”
Webb sat down at the table again and let out a fake yawn. “I’m aging here, Luke. Skip to the confirmation tasks.”
“Uh… Right. Part the First.” I glanced at him over the scroll. “The bugle blowing. Too late to avoid that.”
“Right.”
