Page 35 of Line Change

“Oh, no, you don’t have to.” I shake my head. “I don’t want to put you out.”

“Please, you’re not putting me out. I haven’t been doing as much baking since Tate was born, my assistants do most of it now, so you’ll be doing me a favor and helping me scratch the itch of getting to create in the kitchen again.”

I chuckle. Can’t argue with that. Plus, all of Madison’s cakes look beautiful in the pictures I’ve seen, and from what I’ve been told, they taste just as good. “I’d like that,” I concede. “But only if you’re sure you don’t mind.”

“I don’t,” Madison says.

“Good, that’s settled. What else?” Hadley asks.

“Do you know where you’re going to get married?” Wes asks.

I trade a glance with Sebastian. “We’re not sure.”

“You’re more than welcome to get married in our backyard,” Wes offers.

“Or ours,” Hunter says.

“Or ours,” Holt adds.

I smile. “Thank you.” I look over at Sebastian. “We’ll talk about it and let you know.” He nods.

“We’ll go shopping for a dress with you,” Becca says.

“Oh, that’s too much.” I wave her offer away. “I’m sure I have something in my closet I can wear. Besides, you all are busy.”

“I think you should take her up on the offer,” Sebastian says. “It’ll be more believable if, or should I say when, pictures get out.”

I bark out a laugh. “Believable? I think the most unbelievable thing is us getting married.”

He jerks backward, his smile faltering, and I take a step away from him. This was such a bad idea. Everyone is putting so much thought into it, and it’s fake. It’s too much.

“I’m sorry, I need a minute.” I don’t wait for an answer before bolting out of the room.

Sebastian finds me a few minutes later, standing in the kitchen staring out the window, watching Daisy, Wes and Hadley’s dog, lying in the sun.

“Hey, love. You alright?”

I shake my head. “This is completely ridiculous. No one’s going to believe it.”

He steps closer to me, opening his arms, and against my better judgment, I step into him and allow him to hold me. He runs a hand over my back, and I let out a shuddering breath. All the anxiety and nerves leave my body as he holds me.

“We only need your grandmother’s lawyer to believe it, and he doesn’t know us. He doesn’t know whether or not we’ve been dating for a while.”

“Everyone’s going along with this whole crazy thing. They want to organize a wedding for us. I was going to wear a random dress from my closet, buy a cake and champagne from the grocery store, find a place we could rent, and ask our friends to just show up. And now they want to go shopping for a dress for me, make us a cake, go all out.” My voice pitches up at the end.

“If that’s not what you want, I’ll tell them no, but I think it could be fun to have a party with our friends. We haven’t had one of those in a while, not since Brody and Aubrey’s wedding.”

Part of the wall around my heart starts to crack at his words. Hell, it already had cracks in it, they’re just getting bigger, and that’s scary as hell. I shouldn’t want this with him as much as I’m realizing I do. This marriage is fake. We’re helping each other out, as friends. We can never be anything more. Especially since he might be leaving.

I chew on my bottom lip. This might be my one shot at getting married. Maybe I should make it the best it can be with such short notice.

“I think I want to do what they’re suggesting, have an actual wedding.” I peer up at him through my eyelashes, and I swear I see something flash through his eyes, but then it’s gone.

“I’m good with that, love. Whatever you want. If it gets to be too much, you tell me, and I’ll take care of it, of you.” The last part comes out in a whisper, and I wonder if I imagined it.

“Thank you. We should probably go back in there.” I step out of his arms, and he lets me go.

“One more thing.” He fishes in his pocket and takes out a small ring box. My breath catches as he opens it and turns it to me. “Will you marry me, Sutton St. James?”