The inches he’d gained on the edge of the chair disappeared. “I can’tmarryher.”
“You certainly can. Marriages happen twice as often as divorces.”
He tripped over her logic for a moment. Then he shook his head to clear his thoughts. “No, you don’t understand. I’m never getting married.” He was soiled goods now—no woman deserved to be lashed to his past. It was his and his alone to carry as a heavy burden.
“Nash.” Pamela said his name with authority, as if she had a right to tell him what was good for him. His grandma had the same tone, though Pamela didn’t have enough wrinkles to pass as a grandmother. “A marriage is your best bet and the fastest way to gain credibility in a skeptical business environment. A man’s character is everything.”
His gut twisted at her words. “I agree.”
“The Donegal family is one of the most respected families, not only in the frozen treat business, but in the world of business as well. They have built a family-oriented company from the ground up.” A smile tugged at her lips. “Even deeper if you check out their farms, which have roots all the way to Kentucky. Aligning yourself with them will go a long way toward clearing your name.”
“Who says I want to clear my name?”
“You wouldn’t have driven from Park City to my office in a weekend if you weren’t looking forredemption.” Her emphasis on the last word reminded him of his embarrassingly honest conversation.
“You spoke with Amber.”
“You correctly deduced that we’d worked together for quite some time. Amber would not have sent you my way without at least calling first.”
He blew out a breath.
“And I wouldn’t have met with you without Rym’s glowing recommendation. Like his grandfather before him, Rym has a way of seeing into someone’s soul and finding the nugget of truth.”
Nash’s throat tightened and he had to squeeze the words out. “Rym vouched for me?”
“That he did.”
Rym believed in him—after all these years and all the headlines, his old buddy was still his friend. That was … huge.
His eyes darted to the picture of Kensington Donegal. She looked like a CEO, though a young one. Could he really marry her? “Why marriage?”
“There is an inherent level of teamwork brought on by sayingI do.And a marriage clearly defines lines of loyalty. The bonds of matrimony allow for a sharing of confidences and sensitive information. And a married couple lives together, making communication that much easier.”
“But what would I be doing?” He insisted on a clear answer. The last thing he wanted to add to his résumé wasescort serviceorarm candy.
“Whatever Miss Kensington needs. Most of your duties will be business related, though some may be of a more personal nature.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m not that kind of a guy.”
Pamela chuckled. “And I’m not that kind of a marriage broker. Intimate relations are not a requirement. Harrison has written a whole subsection protecting you both from assuming a physical relationship.”
“I’m sure he had fun writing that up,” Nash groused. He was going to have to read that thing.
Pamela popped her lips. “I’m not going to lie and say that this is a run-of-the-mill contract for me. I’m personally vested in the outcome, which is why I’ve chosen you as the groom. You stand to gain just as much as Kensington.”
He trapped his sarcastic remark behind his lips. Truly, he had more to gain than Miss Donegal. He could buy himself some time to let the buzz over his release from prison die down, and he’d be working in a respectable company—one that was beyond reproach. He shook his head. “I’m afraid the cost is too high for Miss Donegal. She would be married to a man who served time, her good name would be dragged down with mine, and whatever bad light shone on me would also shine on her. I cannot, in good conscience, foist that upon her.”
“With all due respect, darling, I’m good at what I do. I have a good feeling about you, and I don’t believe you’re the disaster you profess to be.”
“I wish I could join you in that belief.” He spoke so quietly he wasn’t sure she had heard him.
“Do this for me, Nash. Be this groom for a year. And when it’s over, we can meet up again and take an honest look at who you are.”
A year? Less time than he’d spent in a cell where he’d contemplated the man he’d become. What was one more year of his life? And he’d give this Kensington the chance to back out at any time. If she so much as hinted that he was a burden, he’d leave. “It’s against my better judgment, but I’ll do it.”
“Wonderful.” Pamela beamed. She pressed a button on her phone. “Harrison, will you bring Kensington’s marriage contract into my office, please?”
“I’m sorry, did you say Kensington’s?” Harrison’s lawyer voice was deep and full of more than just a question; it contained a hefty dose of questioning authority, too.
