I take comfort in knowing that whatever Abby starts can’t move forward without me. I have to agree to this first and set a date. Abby showed up not long after we moved, and appointed herself my best friend. I genuinely cherish our friendship, even though she’smuchmore outgoing than I am. And in instances like this, I’m overwhelmed.
She means well.
Abby’s ideology about romance is why I even told her about this. I know she’d either tell me I was crazy to move forward or crazy not to. Either way, she’d be honest.
I probably should’ve factored in the whole wedding planning thing.
She’s not taking my biggest fear into consideration, though. We couldn’t make it work ten years ago, so how will it be different now? The farm is still his priority. He’s marrying me to save it, because I fit the bill of his father’s stipulation and the vow he made to himself,notbecause we’re madly in love.
And while it checks all our boxes and solves problems, this marriage is still a binding contract.
He saves the farm. I save Christmas for Phoebe, and hopefully my business doesn’t completely fracture. We both get back on our feet, and Phoebe feels less whiplash, until we dissolve this thing, and she’s got to say goodbye to an incredible family.
We need terms. Rules. A plan that keeps Phoebe safe, no matter what happens to me.
Unless there’s a different ending, I’m not considering.
And that’s too much to hope for.
If I say yes, Phoebe gets Christmas and a safe place to sleep at night. If I say no, I protect us both from the heartache of goodbye.
Either way, I’m the one who has to tell her.
eighteen
CHLOE
I stareat the dark wooden door, psyching myself up to ring the bell. My elbow hooks around a canvas tote, and I balance a plastic storage bin against my hip. Two more bags sit behind me on the porch.
This idea is crazy.
But no matter how I flip and turn it, I can’t ignore how much sense it makes. It would be a much harder sell if I weren’t in such a rough place myself, but the prospect of him losing this quiet piece of heaven on earth isjustenough for me to say yes.
Our relationship ended over this farm, and I’m not about to let that be for nothing.
But he’s kidding himself if he thinks I’ll agree to this without pulling my weight. I’ve built everything I have with my own two hands, and I’m not putting on a ring just to solve a financial problem.
As soon as I lift my hand, the door swings open, revealing a rugged Aiden and a crooked grin.
I could be married tothis, and I’m hesitating.
“I was just about to ring the doorbell,” I say, my pulse tripping like it always does around him.
He chuckles. “You’ve been out here for ten minutes. I gave up on you.”
“I have conditions.” The words burst out of me before I can talk myself out of them.“I know you said you’d help me, but Abby was already coming over, so she helped pack. I brought essentials. If your offer still stands for us to stay here, the rest’s in the car.”
Emotions flick across his face as he processes everything I toss at him, finally resettling on a casual grin.
“Is this a yes?” He reaches for the bin automatically, as if it weighs nothing.
“It’s a temporary yes until we come to some understanding. Then it might swing to a more certain one.”
He steps back and ushers me in.
As soon as I step inside, it only takes one look around the entry, and all my arguments evaporate. I envisioned all this happening more smoothly; we’d lay down ground rules and keep it tidy.
But selfishly, I want this.Allof this.
