My hand came to my collarbone as I tried to sort up from down. Felt like my heart was reeling.
“John said there were buyers lining up for the lake house,” I remembered out loud. “The sale would probably be fast, we’d get the money, and our arrangement would end pretty quickly.”
“True.” He set to pacing again.
A few moments of silence passed as we considered it, suffering a brief lapse in sanity and common sense.
“If we did this—got married—when would we?”
He thought for a moment. “When we get to Nashville? Considering it’s a timed thing, it makes sense to do it sooner rather than later.”
“What about essentials? I don’t have any way to support us. I’m thinking about groceries, nighttime diapers, that kind of thing…”
“Things aren’tthattight. I can take care of your essentials.”
“I’d pay you back.”
“That wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Yes, it would.”
He rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. You can pay me back for two months of diapers and thefourbitesof food you eat per day.”
I stared into the flames.
This would change everything.
My mind and heart were officially on overload. Felt myself dazing out, watching the blue flames flicker behind the fake log and listening to the hollowwhooshof the gas. How did my life end up in such a chaotic spiral?
Jack broke the silence a few minutes later. “We should sleep on it.”
“Yeah, for sure.” I stood to go.
He stopped pacing and turned toward me. Our gazes tangled and the thrill running through me didn’t go unnoticed. His blue eyes searched my face, and I couldn’t help but search his too. For a brief moment, my brain recalled Jack strolling into the kitchen last night, half naked. His broad chest and hardened abs on full display. Jack was too handsome for his own good. Still, ten years later, I wondered how someone so fine wound up with someone like me.
My mouth dried.
Marriage would be adangerousgame. Our hearts the stakes once again.
FIFTEEN
Then
Jack
It was her birthday. June third.
After months of prep, the surprise evening wasn’t landing the way I hoped. So far, everything had gone according to plan, except Miranda wouldn’t look me in the eye and had only picked at her meal. We made it through the candlelit dinner at a high-end restaurant with almost zero conversation. I started doubting my decision to do this tonight. My neck broke out in a sweat as we silently left the restaurant.
I considered abandoning the next part of the plan, but I already told Miranda we had another destination, so I kept driving toward Old Hickory Lake.
There was a private drive with lake access a friend of mine owned. He let me use it for tonight. We drove down the pitch-black driveway toward a dock. Soft twinkle lights penetrated the darkness and Miranda sat forward in her chair, squinting.
“Oh, this is really pretty.”
It was the only thing she said on the twenty minute drive.
I parked and helped her out of the truck to the special spot I had prepared a few hours before. I’d laid a few blankets and pillows spread out over the dock for a cozy spot and packed a cooler with her favorite wine. Two glasses were already set out. Flower petals and twinkle lights around the railing graced the whole scene.
