Ifgreat uncle Marv wanted Declan to be married…
“Hey,uh…” Declan scratched the back of his neck, suddenly nervous. “Last night, yousaid, umm… you said…”
Whywas this so hard? He was just reminding Ash of an offer he’d already made.
Itwas still a lot to ask. Besides, Ash had been making the offer so Declan couldsell the place and move on.
Nowthat he’d seen it, though, he didn’twantto move on. He wanted this.Maybe Marv was nuts, maybe this whole thing was ridiculous, but something aboutit spoke to him.
Ithad landed in his lap when he’d needed it most. That had to mean something.
Evenif it didn’t actually mean anything, Declan wanted it to.
Hewanted to believe that he could change his life. That he wasn’t stuck being anunderappreciated corporate drone forever.
Hewanted that for Ash, too. Ash deserved better.
Inthe time it had taken Declan to work up the courage to say what he wanted to,Ash had turned around to look at him. He wasn’t staring, exactly, but Declancould feel that all of his attention had shifted from the excitement of all thebooks to whatever Declan had been about to say.
Thatwas a lot of pressure.
“Wecould get married,” Declan said. “Not… not just to sell the place. What if weran it? Together, I mean. I couldn’t do this by myself, but you love this kindathing. And I could pay you. I think. I mean, we could definitelylivehere and I promise you won’t go hungry or anything. Tell me if this is stupid.”
“Oh,it’s stupid,” Ash said.
Declan’sheart sank. He’d already been picturing running the store with Ash in his mind,surrounded by old books. He didn’t know much about retail, but there wasprobably room for a coffee machine in the front, and who didn’t love a goodbookstore cafe?
“Right,yeah.” Declan nodded. “Of course it is.”
“Ididn’t say I didn’t want to do it,” Ash said, raising an eyebrow. “It’d be alot of work, even running a small store like this. And we’d have to move outhere.”
Declanwet his lips. “Sure, yeah, I know, but… is there anything either of us reallycares about in Denver? And since when are we afraid of a little work? You’repractically running a three-floor big city bookstore by yourself. You canhandle this. And I’ll try not to be useless.”
“You’renot useless,” Ash said. “And you’re not wrong, either. And Iwouldlikea chance to sort through all of these books. We could modernize. I always hadbig plans for how I’d personally run a used bookstore…”
Asmile spread over Declan’s lips, excitement at the thought of running away withAsh swelling in his chest. “We could totally do this. And it doesn’t have to beforever, if it doesn’t work out. But this could be another adventure. A biggerone. This could be the chance to change ourlives.”
“Well,when you put it like that…” Ash trailed off, one corner of his lips turning up.He was clearly trying not to smile, but Declan could see that he was excited,too.
“Marvreminded me that you only get one shot. At life, I mean. Why shouldn’t we takea chance when something like this just landed in our laps?”
“Okay,”Ash said. “I’ll enter into a sham marriage with you for thirty days, asrequired by your great uncle’s will.”
“Didyou want me to get down on one knee?” Declan asked.
“Idon’t think you’d ever be able to get back up in here,” Ash said, lookingaround again. “Let’s not and say we did.”
“Worksfor me.” Declan grinned at him. “I need to go talk to a lawyer.”
ChapterEight
“Anddo you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
Ashlooked between Declan and the judge who was marrying them, surprised by howpainless this entire process had been.
“Ido,” he said.
“Thenby the power vested in me by the great state of Colorado, I now pronounce youmarried,” she said.
