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He turned into the parking garage and stopped in his reserved space. His palms were sweating like an awkward teenager who’d driven his date home and had to face her parents. “We have to go inside.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think we should make an announcement?”
“They have to find out eventually, but I’d prefer to walk on a bed of hot coals.”
He rubbed his palms on his pants.Guess this suit is going to the cleaners. “How long is that bed of coals? I might go with you.”
Her lips rolled in across her teeth, but a grin escaped anyway. “We’re way too much alike, aren’t we?”
“I’m afraid so.”
“What if we waited until the weekend and sent an office memo?”
A breath he didn’t know he was holding drained from his chest. “That’s a great idea! Let everyone find out without having to face them.”
“But Carlie has to be told tonight.” Rylie chewed a bit more on that delectable lip, and then she gasped and turned toward him, wriggling with excitement. “Why don’t you make Matthew come over to the house and help us break the news? Something tells me she won’t go ballistic if he’s there.”
He felt his blood pressure dropping to a more reasonable level, though he could still hear his heart beating in his ears.
“I like that. I’ll call Matthew right away. And what about Finn and Juanita?”
“They’re your friends,” she said, pleased as punch. “You tell them.”
“But we’re married,” he said. “That means we share everything. So technically, they’re your friends, too.”
“That’s stretching it pretty far.”
“Desperate times—desperate measures.” He gave her his sad-eyed look, the one that used to work on all his sisters.
“Fine.” She chuckled, shaking her head. “I was going to the hospital tonight anyway.”
“When do you want to move in?”
She sighed and closed her eyes, and he remembered how much she was giving up. She’d just bought her home, and from its lack of furniture, she’d probably pushed to her limits to afford it.
“To be fair,” he said, “I’ll pay your mortgage, insurance, and utilities while you’re living with me.”
Her mouth dropped open and she stared at him. “How is that fair?”
“You’re putting your whole life on hold for me. The least I can do is foot the bill for the life you’re leaving behind. Please don’t take it as an insult, Rylie. You know I can afford it, and it will make me feel less like a heel.”
“You know what? That would be really good.” Did one of her worry lines disappear or was that his imagination? “As long as we both agree I’m not taking any money in the settlement.”
“You’ll have to work that out with Matthew,” Jarrett said. “You could always donate it to Limitless.”
Her hand jutted forward. “Deal!”
He shook it, trying not to notice how soft her skin was. “Deal.”
Before he had time to celebrate, a ton of other worries tumbled into his head. How would his family react? What about her parents? Where was she going to sleep? What about the news media?
“We should make a list together,” Rylie said, with pursed lips. “All the things we need to figure out and all the things we need to do. I’ve got this phone app. It’s called—”
“Check It Off,” they finished in unison.
Her eyes twinkled with humor. “Way, waytoo much alike!”
