Chapter 18

18

SUTTON

E ver since we helped Ryder move into his temporary home, there was a niggling doubt in the back of my mind. Everything with Wes seemed so perfect. He was attentive and sweet. Our physical chemistry was off the charts. But what would happen when the ultimatum was fulfilled and the estate was mine?

Would we go our separate ways? This was only meant to be temporary after all.

Tonight, we were going to Grandma’s birthday party at the house. I’d helped plan it and needed to make sure it ran smoothly. I was nervous that our relationship would be put to the test.

I picked up a necklace I’d chosen for this evening, a simple diamond pendant, and attempted to close the clasp.

“Are you ready for tonight?” Wes leaned a shoulder on the door frame, looking handsome in the tux I’d bought him.

I was used to nights out like these, where my every move would be scrutinized and judged. But I didn’t want the same for Wes. “Are you? ”

Wes entered the room, shifting my hair over one shoulder, and took the necklace from my fingers to close the clasp. His fingers brushing over my skin sent tingles through my body. I’d never get used to being here with him like this.

He turned me so that I was facing him, his eyes filled with tenderness. “I can handle your family.”

My heart was overflowing with emotion. I loved this man.

He cupped my cheek and leaned in to kiss me.

It wasn’t just a friendship or even a temporary marriage to get something we wanted. Our relationship had morphed into something real the last few weeks. And I was too scared to ask what it meant or if he felt the same way.

This was only supposed to be temporary. I hadn’t intended to lose my heart to him. But we’d gotten carried away on our wedding night. I should have known if I added in the physical element, I didn’t stand a chance. But I couldn’t stop myself then any more than I could now.

Wes eased back slightly, his forehead resting on mine. “Do we have time?”

My lips twitched even as my skin tingled in anticipation. “Not really.”

“I’ll make this quick then.” His hand skimmed up my leg, lifting the skirt out of the way.

I widened my stance, giving him room. When his fingers played with the lace of my panties and dove inside, easily sliding through my folds, I moaned into his mouth.

I rocked against him, needing more friction. My body pressed against the counter behind me as he cupped the back of my head, placing kisses down my neck.

I was lost in the feel of his fingers inside of me, building me up. Just when I thought I was going to go over, Wes spun me, placing my hands on the counter, then pulling my hips out and pushing the skirt up and over my hips .

He pulled my panties off and freed himself from his pants. I wanted to savor this moment as our eyes met in the mirror.

His gaze was determined and filled with so much heat. When his cock nudged my entrance, I pushed back, needing him to fill me.

He thrust to the hilt, his hands gripping my hips. Then he started to move at a quick pace. I held onto the counter and tipped my ass up for a better angle. When the orgasm swiftly built inside my body, I bit my lip against the sensation.

I wanted to feel him. I wanted to know that he was mine, and I was his. Sex seemed to be the only way to do that. To satisfy that need deep in my soul.

This angle targeted my G-spot that burned with each pass. When he reached around to touch my clit, I cried out. It was too much yet not enough.

The orgasm crashed over me, sending me reeling. I would have been lost if I hadn’t been holding onto the counter with a tight grip.

I lifted my gaze so I could see him lose control. He was looking at the spot where his cock entered my pussy, and his eyes were filled with heat. He thrust deep, collapsing on my back, surrounding me with his heat. Then groaned as his body shuddered.

A few seconds later, he slowly pulled out, then grabbed a washcloth, wetting it with warm water before carefully cleaning me. Then he pulled up my panties. “I hope I didn’t mess up your makeup.”

I enjoyed that he took care of me after sex. No one had ever treated me with such reverence.

“It was worth it.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, enjoying being in his embrace. Now I’d feel him inside me while we were at the party. It didn’t get any more real than that.

He dropped his forehead to mine. “How did I get so lucky?”

“I think I’m the lucky one.” Who else would have gone along with a fake marriage proposal? Maybe if I’d handed over a substantial part of my inheritance as a reward, but Wes hadn’t asked for anything.

My phone buzzed. “Our driver is here.”

“Do you think we could take my truck this time?” Wes asked.

I knew he’d acquiesce to the driver if I asked. But taking me in his truck seemed to satisfy a primal urge inside him, and I was happy to comply. “Of course.”

Wes grinned, and I wondered if this was how real married couples solved things. Did one compromise to make the other happy? The only difference was, real married couples knew where they stood in the relationship.

Our relationship felt rocky despite how solid it seemed at times. We were happy, but what did he want? Would he walk away when the time came? Would we go back to being friends?

I had a flash preview of the pain that I’d feel, and it wasn’t great. I couldn’t go back to just being friends or even friends with benefits. I couldn’t imagine Wes marrying another woman. It twisted me up inside.

When we pulled into the driveway, Wes asked, “Do you miss living here?”

“You know, not as much as I thought I would. I like coming here to work and separating my home life from it. My mom can’t walk in whenever she wants. I can take personal time. Here, it felt like family life bled into everything.” It was easier to think, which meant I had too much time for that. I was running through all the possible scenarios about how this marriage could end, and most of them weren’t great.

I couldn’t believe that Wes would want to continue with the marriage, not when we went into it with the idea of it being temporary. He was a man of his word. If he agreed to a temporary situation, he wouldn’t just change his mind because I caught some feelings. He was probably able to compartmentalize our fake marriage from the rest of his life.

We pulled up in front of the house, and Wes handed his keys to a valet, while another opened my door, and I stepped out.

We met at the steps and walked up with my hand in the crook of his arm.

Mom greeted us at the front door with a look of distaste. “You arrived in a truck.”

It was Wes’s Department of Natural Resources truck, not a farm one, but they were all the same to Mom. “Wes wanted to bring it.”

Her nose wrinkled. “I sent a driver for you.”

“I don’t think we’ll be needing those going forward. We can drive ourselves.”

Wes placed his arm around me and pulled me into his body. “We appreciate the thought, Mrs. Rosesmith.”

If he was waiting for her to tell him to call her Evelyn, it wasn’t going to happen. He’d never be good enough for her, which was ridiculous because her money wasn’t hers to begin with. It was our family’s.

For the first time, I felt pride in what I’d built online and the money I made that was separate from the estate.

Evelyn turned down her nose at me. “Your grandmother is waiting for you inside.”

I wasn’t sure what to buy Grandma for her birthday. I usually went with a bouquet of flowers or a day at the salon, but this year I wanted to do something different.

We stepped inside, checking our coats with the butler, then moved into the room with the windows that showcased the gardens.

Grandmother was surrounded by a crowd of people, and a table overflowing with gifts stood nearby. What did people buy the woman who had everything or the ability to buy whatever she wanted?

When the crowd shifted, I kissed her cheek, and said, “Happy birthday.”

“I’m glad you could make it.”

She always said that as if I’d ever missed an important event like her birthday. “We wouldn’t miss it.”

I eased back, Wes to hand her the bouquet of flowers that he’d insisted on bringing. It was a lovely mix of peonies.

“My favorite.” She held them for a few seconds, then handed them to an attendant to put in water.

“My gift is outside, and it won’t be ready until it warms up a bit more.”

“Tell me what it is, dear. I love a present that doesn’t come in a box.”

I smiled because she loved those too. There was nothing Grandmother loved more than nights like this where she was the center of attention. “I thought we’d add onto the gardens so that you have one that is yours. I talked to a local landscaper and mentioned all your favorite flowers. He wants to incorporate those with plants that do well in this climate.”

A slow smile spread over her face. “Will there be lots of peonies?”

“Of course. ”

“That sounds perfect. I’ll be able to sit and drink my morning tea while I admire them.”

“I’m glad you like it. I wanted to do something special for you this year. Something that will stand the test of time.” I had plans to film the progress for social media too. My fans had proven that they were more interested in my day-to-day life than I originally thought.

“I love it.” Grandmother looked from me to Wes. “How is marriage life treating you?”

My face flushed. “It’s been great.”

“Best time of my life,” Wes said.

I wondered if he was telling the truth, or he was playing a part?

Grandma nodded. “Go enjoy the party. I have more guests to greet, and I think your mother wanted to speak to you.”

I frowned. “She didn’t say anything when we came in.”

“Let’s go find her and get it over with,” Wes said, steering me to the entrance where Mom stood at the door greeting the guests.

I approached my mother. “Grandmother said you had something you wanted to discuss with me?”

“I need to speak with you, not your husband,” Mom said your husband with a sneer.

“I’ll get a drink at the bar,” Wes bowed out before I could tell him whatever Mom had to say, she could say it in front of him.

Mom led me into a room nearby that was closed off when guests were in the house.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I sat gingerly on the settee. I didn’t want to be here. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what she had to say .

Mom’s face was pinched as she wandered over to the piano and set a hand on it. “I don’t like him for you.”

My eyes widened. “Wes?”

Mom smoothed her skirts. “He’s beneath your station.”

“You know I don’t care about stuff like that.” I didn’t think it was a thing anyway. I didn’t look down on people because they weren’t raised on an estate and didn’t come from money. I loved Wes because he was so different from me.

Mom’s eyes widened. “He drives a truck to family events.”

I stood to go. “If that’s all you have to say about Wes?—”

Mom held her hand up. “It’s not just that. Your father and I think?—”

I braced myself for whatever she had to say. I had a feeling it wasn’t going to be good.

“It would be better to sell this place. Then you can move and do whatever you want with your life. You’ll finally be free.”

She was the one who wanted to be free. Had she stuck around, waiting for grandma to die so Dad could inherit and they could move somewhere else? Maybe travel the world? For a second, sympathy for her situation flowed through me, but then I remembered she could have worked and made that a reality for herself.

“I want to hold tours, share the history of the house with everyone.” Ideally, I wanted to work with a contractor and return the house to its original state, paint color and all. I wasn’t sure it was possible, but I’d read about another house where they’d done something similar. “I have the blog, and it’s gaining a lot of interest and followers.”

“Social media followers? Rosesmiths don’t make money online.” Mom waved her hand. “If you sell, you can do whatever you want. You don’t have to resort to filming yourself and posting it on social media. You can find a charity you want to help with, maybe the historical society if that’s what interests you.”

“It’s this house and our family that interests me. I want to sort through the history, maybe write a book about it.” I was fascinated with our family and wanted to memorialize it somehow, and I knew the limits of keeping the house as a museum. But at some point, my heirs may want to sell, just like Mom wanted to.

Mom shook her head. “I don’t understand your fascination with this house. It’s just stone and paint.”

“They don’t make houses like this anymore. If you sell it, you know it will be demolished, and a housing development will go up in its place. We need to preserve places like this.” I saw the look of awe on visitors’ faces when they came through the building. This wasn’t something they saw every day.

“But you want your father and me to move out and live on the street. We’ll have no money. We’ve never worked. We have no skills.”

I frowned at her gross mischaracterization of the truth. “You’ll still inherit money in the will. If you invest wisely, you should be fine.”

Mom’s lip curled. “I want to be better than fine, and this house represents my future.”

“I have to disagree. Grandmother wouldn’t be allowing me to inherit if she didn’t think my plan was solid.”

Mom waited a beat, her hard gaze meeting mine. “You can only inherit if your marriage is real.”

“It is,” I protested. How could anyone say it wasn’t? It might have started out as a fake relationship, but it became real on our wedding night. I might not have told Wes how I felt yet, but that didn’t make it any less real. But doubt crept in. Would Mother tell Grandma her suspicions and ruin everything?

“First, you didn’t know who you’d marry, and you needed my help.”

I wouldn’t say that I asked for her help. Mom volunteered to vet the guys I dated, and being overwhelmed, I agreed.

“Then all of a sudden, you’re marrying that farmer.” Her voice rose with each word.

“He might have grown up on a farm, but he’s so much more than that.”

“You know better than anyone the only thing that matters is what family you’re born into. It’s about status and wealth.”

“That’s what’s important to you.” My parents were uncaring and uninterested in my growth, and her ideals were lost on me.

Mother raised a brow. “You’re free to have your little social media channel because you were born wealthy. Others don’t get college and grad school paid for. They have debt. They have to work to pay for their home and expenses.”

“I work hard.” Mom didn’t realize how much my little social media channel made, and it wouldn’t help my case to tell her.

“None of us should have to. But you want to throw it all away.”

I sighed, suddenly exhausted from this argument. I’d never see things the way my mother saw them. If I hadn’t inherited the house, I would have had to pivot and figure out another career. It would have sucked, but I was confident I could have done it .

Dad appeared at the door. “They’re cutting the cake.”

“We need to get back out there.” Mom straightened and breezed out of the room.

I let out a breath before following at a slower pace. I didn’t enjoy these kinds of events, and I needed time to regroup after the argument with my mother. She never failed to unsettle me.

The guests were gathered around the table where the cake was on display, rivaling that of a wedding. White flowers cascaded over the towers. Grandmother’s cheeks were flushed as she slowly sliced a knife through the bottom layer.

An attendant was nearby to help her move it to a plate.

Cheers erupted, and then the band started playing the birthday song.

Wes appeared at my side. “How was the talk with your mother?”

I just shook my head.

The music changed from the birthday tune to something slow, and Wes guided me onto the dance floor. “Are you okay?”

“I will be.” I tried not to let my mother’s demands get to me, but it was hard.

Wes inclined his head. “I admire you. Growing up in the Rosesmith family is not for the faint of heart.”

I chuckled without much humor. “You have to be tough.”

His gaze was steady. “Yet you’re caring and kind.”

My cheeks flushed from his compliment.

“The last few weeks have been nice.”

“I think so too,” I said as I scanned the room, noticing that my mom stood next to my grandmother. I wondered if she was trying to convince her to change the will .

Did my mother have a plan to get what she wanted? Who was the collateral damage, me and this house?

Wes pulled me closer. “They’ve been more than nice.”

What were we talking about? I wondered as I returned my attention to Wes’s face. His hands on my body. Oh, right, our marriage.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you how I?—”

A cry rang out.

I turned to see where Grandmother was, but there was a crowd of people. I couldn’t see her. From the looks of horror on the guests’ faces, something had happened. Was it Grandma? Was she okay?

I moved away from Wes, hurrying to my mother. “What’s going on?”

“She collapsed. She was fine one minute, talking to me, and then she just wilted. It happened so quick.”

I wanted to ask her what they’d been talking about. Had mother made demands that were too much for her heart? Was she under a lot of stress?

Mom fell to her knees next to Grandmother, trying to shake her awake. Dad pulled out his phone and called for an ambulance.

Wes appeared next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I felt weak, as if I couldn’t hold myself up.

If something happened to Grandmother before she got what she wanted, what would happen? A chill ran through me. I didn’t like the idea of being at odds with my mother, but looking back, we didn’t agree on much.

She wanted me to dress a certain way, date a certain guy, but I almost never fell in line. I wanted my own things, and Grandma was the only one who saw it, and didn’t try to stifle it.

It felt like time was moving slow. I saw the shocked look on the guests’ faces, heard the siren as the ambulance pulled up, the flash of the red lights on the wall.

Dad’s eyes were wide. “She was fine one minute, talking to your mother. Then she just fell.”

My mouth was dry, my head buzzing. I felt sick and lightheaded at the same time.

“Is it her heart? She’s always had a bad one.” We knew the end game was heart failure. But I couldn’t believe it was now. She was adamant that the marriage had to happen soon, but had she known something we didn’t? “I should have asked her more questions. But she’s always been private about health stuff.”

“It’s not your fault.” Wes’s hand rested on the small of my back, a comfort as the paramedics raced inside the house, the crowd parting for them.

Immediately, someone from the fire department tried to get the crowd to give them room, to go outside. I sprang into action. I couldn’t help my grandmother right now, but I could be useful.

I urged everyone to go home. The party was over, and we’d let them know how she was doing. I felt numb. In my periphery, I noticed Wes doing the same with the other side of the room. As soon as people realized everyone was leaving, it was easier.

The paramedics loaded Grandmother into the back of the ambulance. She looked so small on the gurney. I’d always seen her as bigger than life, but she was frail.

Someone barked out the hospital they were going to, and the ambulance pulled away.

“I need to go.”

“I’ll take you.” Wes guided me to the valet, who ran to get the truck. Within minutes, he was back, and we settled into the cab .

“Are you okay?” Wes asked as he pulled down the lane and onto the road.

“Not really.” I felt numb, as if I was moving through a dense fog and couldn’t see.

“She’ll be okay.” His hand landed on my thigh.

I curled my fingers over his hand. “She might not be.”

“Whatever happens, we’ll get through this.”

It was good to know I had someone by my side. But if something happened to my grandmother, not only would I lose the one person in my family who seemed to understand me, I’d lose Wes too. There was no reason to keep up this charade if she died. Our marriage satisfied the stipulation of the will, and I’d inherit the house with enough cash to run it for the foreseeable future. Mom and Dad would receive a decent stipend, and if they were smart, they’d be okay.

I was conflicted. I didn’t want my grandmother to die, and I didn’t want my marriage to be over. But I hadn’t said or done anything to keep Wes. He didn’t know how I felt, and now wasn’t the right time.