“And Crawford didn’t want to come?” Meg asked me. She couldn’t just drop it. She was in full-blown lawyer mode, prepared to ferret out any inconsistencies or half-truths in my story.
I forced myself to remain relaxed as we took our seats at the judges’ table on the wide stone terrace that looked out over a broad lawn. Then I spun my web of lies.
“Crawford is back in Manhattan with Greg,” I said smoothly. “You know my brothers—they always have some deal in the works.”
“But Remy usually doesn’t,” Meg said with a slight frown. “He was looking forward to the flower-arranging competition. He told me at the last Rural Trust meeting I was at. He’s not sick, is he?”
“He’s fine! He and Crawford just had to deal with something.”
“Family stuff?” she asked.
God save me from lawyers. I’d seen Meg in a courtroom. Once she got a hold of an idea, she would pick apart her witness, or the opposing argument, and wear the opposition down.
“Hunter,” Garrett said sharply.
“Excuse me,” I told Meg, standing up.
Garrett grabbed me and hauled me inside, out of the way of the various caterers and servers streaming out to the tent setup at one corner of the lawn.
“What the fuck are you doing? You’re going to tip Meg off.”
“She already knows something is up.”
“No, she doesn’t,” Garrett retorted. “This plan is stupid. I knew it was stupid, especially if it hinged on you.”
“Has there even been any word for Crawford and Remy?”
“Of course not.” Garrett scoffed. “We probably won’t hear from them until they’re in prison or dead. But on the two percent chance that their plan does work, you will not fuck this up.”
“She doesn’t trust me.”
“Shocking,” Garrett said. “You’re such a trustworthy guy.”
“I’ve sacrificed for this family.”
“Fuck you, all of us have,” Garrett retorted, eyes glittering.
I shoved him off of me.
“You have one job,” Garrett said as I turned to go back outside. “Make Meg love you.”
“What did Garrett want?” Meg asked. Her hazel eyes sparkled with intelligence.
I forced myself to turn the charm up to three hundred. “He wanted to know if I was proposing to you,” I crooned. It did the trick and threw her off balance.
“Are… are you?”
“Not today! That would ruin the surprise.”
She turned in her seat and sat forward then turned back to face me. “We haven’t even discussed it!” She waved her hands.
I grabbed them. “Meg,” I said, putting all my love and dreams for a future between us into my gaze and voice. “I adore you. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were mine. I’ve waited for you for years. I would marry you today right here, right now.”
She opened her mouth to protest. I gave her a smile, hoping she didn’t see the sadness in it. The terrible and beautiful thing was that it was all true. Garrett was wrong. No one had sacrificed more for this family or ever would than me. My brothers all had found the loves of their lives. I was sacrificing mine.
“Well,” Meg said, blinking. “At least it’s not today; I’m not dressed for it.”
I kissed her hand. “You look lovely. But I know you want the big public proposal and the big wedding. And even if you didn’t, I don’t think the town would stand for anything less.”
