AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s late, and we’re both tired,” I said carefully, convincing myself as much as him. “In the morning, we might see this situation very differently.”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so, but if you need the night to think about it, sure.”
His confidence shook my resolve. He hadn’t asked me todoanything besides a few dinners and meetings. I’d have a place to live, health insurance, and time for school. He’d solve all my problems, and I’d provide practically nothing in return.
Andy himself posed a problem. I’d always found him handsome. Who wouldn’t? A star athlete who towered over all the other boys in high school and became a fitness trainer. He had a square jaw, startlingly blue eyes and a body made for the beach, a feat considering Franklin Notch had snow on the ground half the year. A fake marriage seemed daunting enough, but with a guy like Andy? Impossible.
He shot me a wry smile. “Hand me your phone.”
I pulled my phone out of my sweater. His fingers brushed mine as he took it, lingering a second longer than necessary before pulling the phone away.
“You don’t keep this locked?”
“I’ve never found a reason to,” I admitted sheepishly.
He messed with the screen for a minute until his phone beeped and he handed mine back. “There. Now, you have my number, so you can sleep on the offer.”
Still warm from his hands, I pocketed the phone. He’d rethink his proposal in the morning. I’d wake up with a text saying “Sorry, but you were right,” and we’d both move on with our lives.
“We’ll sleep on it, then,” I said, pushing open the lobby door. “No hard feelings if you change your mind.”
Before I could slip by, his hand caught my elbow and he dipped his head, catching me with crystal blue eyes, dark and serious. “My answer will be the same tomorrow. I promise.”
He froze, his lips a few inches from mine and the smell of cedar engulfing me. My heart thudded in my chest. I licked my lips absently, wondering how his mouth would feel against mine.
He released my elbow with a friendly smile and strolled away.
CHAPTER4
Nora
It wasthree A.M by the time I finally stopped tossing and turning and fell into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares about lost jobs and a life spent isolated on a mountaintop with my family. I woke up to light streaming through my window and my alarm clock reading past ten.
I groaned, pushing myself up. My wrist ached and my head pounded. Unsurprising.
Maybe yesterday was a dream. Or a nightmare.
I sat in bed, staring at the wall and contemplating the events of the day before. My doctor’s appointment ran long. I needed surgery. I was late to the meeting. I lost my job. Andy asked me to marry him.
The last part was the hardest to believe. But one look at my phone and I couldn’t deny that Andy’s offer had happened.
Andy
I had a full night’s rest and I’m still game if you are. If you’re in, let’s talk specifics over dinner.
He’d sent the text at seven.
At least he slept well.
I groaned, throwing myself back against my pillows and covering my eyes with my arm. I spun through who could give me advice.
Bunny? She’d been married seven times and was as close to a mother as I had, which meant I couldn’t exactly spring a fake marriage onto her lap. Even if I could, she would blab to Len or Cal in a heartbeat.
There was my best friend, Becca, but not only did she live in Virginia, she was in a relationship with Cal. If I told her, the news would filter back to Cal.
Thea. My eyes opened and I sat up. Thea was perfect. The closest thing I had to a big sister, she loved gossip but also could keep a secret. I checked the time again. She’d be at her shop just a few buildings down from my apartment.
I stood, changing into jeans and a t-shirt. I ran a brush through my hair and scrounged through my drawers until I found enough money to ply her for advice with coffee and pastries—a dual purpose stop because maybe Tammy knew someone in town looking for an employee.
