Dallas runs a frustrated hand through his hair. “Advising what?”
“Get hitched. For real.”
“For real? Are you fucking with me, Reeves?”
“It’s the only way to prove y’all weren’t full of shit.” He tosses his arms up with a shrug. “I’m sorry, Dal. I can’t confidently help you unless you do.”
Dallas cranks his neck as if to say,then that’s that.
“No,” he says flatly—at the same time as I say “Yes.”
14
Yes.
She said yes?
Has everyone lost their goddamn mind around here?
“Willow, stay out of this,” I tell her, my voice low and hoarse.
“Right, ’cause you’re doing so damn well on your own there,” she mutters back, then turns to Noah. “What would we have to do besides, you know, signing some papers?”
“You’d need an announcement—several, in fact. In the paper, the Blue River Ranch newsletter, invite as many people from town as you can.” Noah looks at me. “You’ll need to invite family—make it look real.”
Willow bites her bottom lip, making me wonder about her family. I know enough that she wasn’t looking forward to staying with her mother. Her father’s estranged. But what about the rest of her family? Does she have anyone else? I shake my head. I shouldn’t want to know about her family or anything else about the woman who’s somehow planted herself in my world. Invited or not.
Noah exhales. “Look, think about it.Talkabout it. Act like you like each other and for God’s sake, get your damn story straight.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’ll call when I hear more. I don’t know when that’ll be, could be any time, so get on the same page soon.”
Wilder and I exchange looks and he crosses his arms—coming to my defense. “Didn’t I hear something about you helping out Levi and Tessa with a fake marriage certificate?”
Noah’s jaw works. “I did no such thing.” He glances at Willow like she’s not to be trusted. “And even if I had, such an illegal act would have been warranted only if the bride was, say, held against her will in protective custody.” He grits, “Which is not the case here.”
Wilder nods in understanding. “Of course—I must have misunderstood.”
I roll my eyes. “Thanks for stopping by, boys. If you’ll excuse us.”
Noah nods. “I can take a hint. In all seriousness, Dallas. This is your daughter. The marriage would be temporary—can be as short as three months—until we can finalize the custody transfer.”
I nod back, my jaw tense. “And what the hell you suppose I tell Ellie? I’m not lying to her.”
He looks me in the eye. “If it were me? I would. She might slip up to the wrong person.”
I swallow. Lying is not an option—not to Ellie.
He closes his briefcase. “I’ve got a call scheduled with Glenda and Rachel on Thursday. Call me Wednesday and let me know what you decide.”
I walk them both out with nothing to think about. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m not lying to my daughter about her having a new mother. Nobody—least of all Ellie—needs to lose a mom all over again.
I glare at Willow silently until the door shuts. “You said yes. How could you do that to Ellie?”
Her brows snap. “You said no. How couldyoudo that to Ellie?”
“I’m not about to—”
“We don’t have to lie to her.”
“Then how do you propose I do this?”
