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“Before Thomas and I came here and started the ranch, our parents were pushing us to find someone. They want us to settle down and take over the family businesses. When we said no and that we were moving to the states, they were furious. At one point, one of our dads said we’d be disinherited. We couldn’t have that, since we were using our money to fund the ranch. In the end, we came up with an agreement. If we didn’t marry by the time Thomas turned thirty, we would marry Tori.”
Declan hung his head.
An arranged marriage. That was what they’d been hiding from me.
They were promised to someone else, someone who their parents loved, and they were messing around with me.I was the other woman.
“Why would your parents push so much for you to get married? Is there something you have to do by the time you turn thirty?”
“There’s a law in Cosland called the Law of Heirs. In order to keep our titles and our wealth, the oldest heir has to be married by his thirtieth birthday or they forfeit it all. Also, being the oldest, everything falls to me in succession. We need to produce an heir for the line to continue.” Thomas’ shoulder lifted.
“So, this whole time you’ve been engaged to Tori, you continued to date and sleep with other people?” I crossed my arms over my chest. They needed to stop fooling around with me and those bimbos and get serious. I didn’t want to be the reason they ended up unhappily married because they wasted precious time.
“It’s not like that, sweetness. Tori isn’t saving herself for us. We were all actively looking for the person or, in Tori’s case, people, we want to spend forever with.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Let me make myself perfectly clear. We stopped looking for our soulmate a while ago. We knew the moment we met her she was the one.” Declan leaned forward on his desk.
My breath caught in my throat. “You don’t mean me, do you?”
Declan came around his desk to stand in front of me with Thomas by his side.
“Yes, babydoll. We mean you.”
I laughed, knowing it sounded a little hysterical. Was he serious?
Looking between the two of them, I couldn’t deny the look in their eyes. They were very serious.
“But I can’t have kids. You know that, Declan. I couldn’t give my ex what he wanted. I won’t be able to give either of you what you want either. It’s not fair to you or your family. Not if you are truly looking for heirs.”
“Do you know for sure you can’t?” Thomas asked.
“What do you mean?” The pain of trying and failing again swept over me.
“Did you ever get tested?” He crossed his arms. His gaze was too intense, and combined with the swirl of emotions fluttering around in my stomach, I had to look away.
“Well, no.” I’d wanted to, but Randol insisted so many times it was my fault. I’d just accepted it.
“Don’t put this all on yourself. It could have been his issue and not yours,” Declan said softly.
Why were we talking about me having kids? It was far more important to discuss outdated Cosland law and how we were going to deal with the fact that Thomas needed to settle down before his thirtieth birthday.
I rubbed my forehead. “When do you turn thirty?”
“June,” Thomas replied.
“Ofthisyear?” That was only four months away.
“Yes.”
It all clicked. Things weren’t working out with Tori, but they needed someone to get them out of their arrangement. I was convenient. What a fool I was.
My chest tightened, and my stomach twisted.
I pushed out of my chair and shoved past them.
“I see what this was all about.” I turned to look at them, even though I knew I shouldn’t. My emotions were trying to break free, but I wouldn’t let them. Not in front of Thomas or Declan. “I was your ticket to getting out of the arrangement. Fool the small town nobody into falling in love with you just so you didn’t have to marry someone else, and you still get to keep your perfect life just the way it is. Well, congratulations, guys, you did it.”
