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“What is with you and wanting to marry everyone all of a sudden?” she cut in, plowing to a stop so she could turn and gape at me. “Are you having a midlife crisis or something? Is that it? I think you’re still a tad too young.”
“Jesus, will you stop with the jokes and just…listento me?” I muttered.
She laughed harshly and turned away, storming further down the hall. “Um…no! I’m not going to listen to you. Especially when you’re being ridiculous like this.”
“How is itridiculous?” I asked, following her. “If you’d stop for one damn second and just think about it, it sounds pretty fucking practical to me. I mean, we… We have the same family and friend base already. The same core values and basic beliefs.”
“Corevalues?” she repeated, stopping again and lifting her hands to shield herself from me as she spun back around. “Okay, just stop there. This is not coming from you.Someone’sbeen filling your head.”
I was so surprised by her discernment that I wavered, gaping at her for the longest second with nothing to say and unable to believe she’d been able to figure that out with, like, three compliments and a stupid term likecore values.
And okay, maybe the marriage proposal hadn’t been the smartest move. Especially tonight of all nights, when she’d obviously seen better days.
But that had just come out; I hadn’t planned that one.
The woman was definitely her father’s daughter because she saw right through me.
Her hands fell limply to her sides and her mouth dropped open. “That’s it, isn’t it?” she guessed. “Someone put this idea into your head.”
Ignoring the yellow warning lights flashing inside my head that were screaming,warning, warning! Approach cautiously, I snorted and rolled my eyes. “No.”
“Right,” she countered. “Who was it?”
“Why is it so hard for you to believe I came up with this shit myself?”
Chloe squinted, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “It must’ve been…” She shook her head, mentally filing through names until, bam, she snapped her gaze up. “My dad,” she said. “That’s the only likely possibility to explain this.”
“You know, I think I’m insulted,” I muttered, jabbing a finger into my chest. “Do you seriously think I can’t come up with my own damn ideas? And you even called it ridiculous. Doesn’t something ridiculous havemyname written all over it? Not Pick’s.”
“Usually,” she murmured, frowning because I’d actually made a good point. Score! But then she gripped her head and leaned against the wall. “Except not this time,” she murmured. And from there, I basically watched her world drop into the pit of her stomach.
“Oh my God,” she breathed in doom before flopping down her hands to gape up at me. “He did, didn’t he? He asked you to marry me.” After blurting out a small, hysterical laugh, she shook her head, trying to deny it. “What was hethinking? I’m not—this is just— No.”
“Chloe,” I said softly and reached for her hand.
She startled me by looking up sharply and gripping my fingers.
“Don’t worry,” she assured gently. “I’ll fix this. He’s not in his right frame of mind right now. His daughter’s safety was jeopardized. It’s jostled his rationality. He’s thinking in extremes and trying to find the ultimate safeguard to protect me. But it’s only temporary. He’ll come back to himself again. Eventually.” With a wince, she added, “And I know you couldn’t tell him no. He’s your boss, a man you respect, and you’re one of those people that feel duty-driven to step up when you learn one of your people is in need. But I’m not in need. I’ll heal. AndIwill tell him no for you. Alright? It’s going to be okay. You’re not going to end up strapped with me for life, I swear.”
“Chloe,” I repeated softly, tightening my grip on her hand when she tried to pull away. She paused and looked up, her brow furrowing in question. “I don’t want you to tell him no for me,” I murmured. “If I hadn’t wanted this, I would’ve told him no myself.”
Chloe’s jaw dropped as she listened to me. Then she nodded. “Oh, okay. I get it now.” With a sigh, she rolled her eyes. “What does he have against you? It’s blackmail, right?”
When I exhaled and let go of her hands in frustration, her eyebrows lifted. “Or is it a bribe? Oh God, he’s going to give you something. Is it the bar? It’s the bar, isn’t it?”
I hissed out a breath and refused to answer that. “He loves you and is worried about you,” I said instead. “I’mworried about you. We just want you to be happy.”
Chloe sniffed. “And you two thinkyoucan fix that? Oh my God… Really?”
“Hey!” Offended, I scowled at her. “You can trust me a hell of a lot more than pretty much every douchebag you’ve ever dated. Especially—”
Pointing sternly, she glared. “Don’t you dare mention that name to me.”
I lifted my hands, relenting. “Okay, I’m not,” I swore softly. “But your dad asked me to at leasttrywith you, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Oh, jeez. I wish you wouldn’t. It’s not worth the effort, Luke. I promise.”
“Worth theeffort? Are you serious? Woman, no one’s worth more than you.”
