Apparently, talking is okay. “Yes. Is it obvious?”
“You looked a little surprised at dinner last night.”
“Everyone—well, almost everyone—is so nice. But I don’t know how to keep people straight.”
Felix chuckles. “Some of them aren’t actually related. Just some friends we’ve picked up along the way.”
“Oh, wow. Okay, that makes sense. I was trying to figure out how you had twenty-seven children,” I tease.
“I heard about this morning,” he says.
“You mean how the bacon got gobbled up so quickly?” I ask innocently.
“I heard you held your own with Preston.”
I clear my throat. “I know he’s your grandson…but he’s rude to Miles, and I don’t like that.”
“I love all of my grandkids, but some of them still have some growing up to do,” he admits as he casts the fishing line again. “I like that you’re loyal to Miles. That’s a good quality. I think you guys will last fifty years. Loyalty will see you further than feelings.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. He thinks we’re going to be married for fifty years.
I could be silent.
But this man helped me hide behind a shrub.
I try to open my mouth. Then snap it closed.
There’s a lot of money on the line.
But I have to tell him.
“I don’t know about that,” I say.
“Oh?” This time, Felix actually looks at me with raised eyebrows.
“We got married so that he could beat Preston at the bet. Ainsley’s the one who proposed. Miles doesn’t want to be married to me. It’s not real.” I don’t take a breath as I blurt out the truth.
Felix nods, the soft breeze blowing through his white hair. “I know.”
“What?” I gasp.
He shakes his head. “I’ve been watching you two. Miles is careful where he places his hands on you.” He chuckles. “After Goldie and I got married…we couldn’t keep our hands to ourselves.”
I blush at that, because I’m attracted to Miles so much that I wish our marriage was that way too.
“Please don’t be mad at Miles. He did it for me.”
“And to get even with Preston,” Felix adds as he reels in the line again.
“I have a student loan, so he was going to make sure that got paid if we did this. He’s a good man.”
“He is.”
“He’s my best friend, and I want him to be happy. I don’t want his family to be mad at him.”
Felix stares at his hands wrapped around the fishing rod. “Did you get married legally?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
