Summer tapped on the bar top. “Are you seriously that lonely without him for three nights?”
I scowled at her. “I haven’t been without him for three nights. Besides, you’re just as bad.”
“My marriage is real though.”
“Ouch.”
She lifted a shoulder. Her verbal hit had been intentional. She was testing me. “I heard about Halloween.”
“I’m sorry, I should’ve called and invited you and Jonah over. I was panicking about dressing in my Pinocchio costume around Gideon.”
“Don’t worry about the invite. We were at his parents’ new place. I swear they acted as if they’d never met the Jonah who hands out candy.”
“Has he ever?”
“Good point. Probably not. Anyway, was Gideon horrified about the long nose?”
“It was the suspenders he was fascinated with.” To distract from my blush, I took out my notebook and wrote down some ideas I’d had for new cocktails. We had frozen huckleberries on hand, and I wanted to make more syrup for flavoring.
Summer leaned over and spied on my writing. “So it’s like that.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I couldn’t meet her eyes.
“You’re obsessed with him.” She sat back on her stool. “I’m worried about you. Hank shows no signs of hitting pause.”
“I know.”
“The marriage arrangement hasn’t changed yet?”
“No reason to.” I continued scribbling. I needed to make more candied cherries and lemon wedges. I’d gotten behind on the stock since I’d been wrapped up in Gideon.
“Remember when you told me to talk to Jonah?” she said quietly. “I think you should do the same. You care for him.”
“What would I talk to him about? He married me as a last-ditch effort. Yes, he’s helped his dad and the guys, but nothing’s changed.”
“You don’t know that. A lot might have changed for him.”
“What if it’s like cosplaying to him? I’m nothing but a distraction, and you know what? I’m okay with that.” I was a way for him to pass the time and get laid while we were pretending to be married for a month. I was fine with that. Whenever I dreamed of more, I pictured the divorce papers.
“What if you’re not just a distraction?”
Then what? “And he’ll live happily ever after with me while my family works what he thinks should’ve been his? While they till up the memories he has of his parents when they were happy? When he has to ask permission to pay his respects at the place where his mom died?”
She winced and sympathy filled her expression. “Youknow he’ll be able to go out there whenever he wants for that.”
“Forthat, Summer. The place where he grew up. The home he thought would be his forever, to pass down to his kids.”
“Which you said he doesn’t want.”
She wasn’t taking it easy on me. “I said he’s weird about them.” I sighed. “Why would he want to stay married to me when I’m nothing but a reminder of why he doesn’t have anything?”
“You know you’re not.”
I knew that. Would Gideon think that way? “Did you come here to shit on my time with him? I know you don’t like him.”
She stiffened. “How much I do or don’t like him depends on how he makes you feel and how he treats you. I couldn’t give a crap about him otherwise.”
“Well, I do. But I’m being realistic. His life isn’t here, and it’s not looking like it’ll ever be. He knows it. I know it. We have a deal. You all keep treating me like I’ve got no brain when it comes to him. Let me have this fantasy, okay? I like pretending I have a sexy husband who can’t get enough of me.”
