Chapter 7

7

SUTTON

E ver since I woke up in Wes’s arms after the incident with Harold at the bar, things between me and Wes felt different. There was this restlessness simmering just under the surface, and I couldn’t figure out why. Nothing had changed. I always called Wes when I was in a situation where I didn’t feel safe. Sleeping together might not have been the norm, but it felt right since we’d already shared a bed after my accident.

Now, I was being pressured by my mother to make a decision about marrying one of the guys I’d already seen. I didn’t like any of them. Some of them were nice enough. But how could I trust someone who’d agree to marry me in exchange for money?

It felt reckless. Wes worried about me, and I valued our friendship. I didn’t want to keep putting him in these positions where he had to rescue me.

I needed to figure this out on my own. I made a list of pros and cons for each guy I was considering. But at the end of the day, I didn’t trust any of them enough to marry them, even for a few months .

I was starting to feel a little desperate. I needed to marry someone, or I was losing the one thing that meant the most to me. I didn’t need a therapist to figure out that I’d latched onto the house and the property when my parents weren’t there for me. They’d always cared more about social status, parties, and money.

I was an afterthought growing up, which meant me spending more time with my grandmother. I thought we had a special relationship, and she knew how much I loved the house. Why would she put me in this position?

Maybe it was like Wes said: she wanted to control me. If that were true, maybe it was time for me to consider a life without the estate.

Where would I live, work? What would I do? For most of my adult life, I’d worked around the estate: giving tours, researching the history of the house and my family, and sharing my findings on my social media pages. I’d amassed quite a following, and they were clamoring for more. What would I do if I had to let that go?

I ran through the possible scenarios. I searched for jobs, not sure who would hire someone who’d never worked for someone else. I’d done unpaid internships and volunteer work in college, but I never had a career outside of working on the estate.

I’d allowed my family to take up too much space in my life, and faced with the possibility of losing the property, I wasn’t sure how I’d fill it.

The night of Wes’s sister Fiona’s wedding to Aiden, I met Wes at the Matthews Inn where the wedding was being held on the front porch. Despite the heaters that were set up outside, it was chilly.

Watching Fiona and Aiden’s heartfelt vows, I couldn’t help but think that I’d be getting married soon, but it wouldn’t feel the same.

I felt a pang for missing out on the love that Fiona and Aiden so clearly shared. But at the same time, I wasn’t sure I believed in a love like that. Especially not for someone like me, who’d grown up in a home that was devoid of emotion.

I curled my hand around Wes’s arm. No one thought anything of me attending the wedding. I was always his plus-one to family events because I was considered part of the family. It felt good, but I wanted to be here as more than just a friend.

Wes looked down at me and smiled, covering my hand with his own. It was sweet, and I felt a twinge in my stomach. If I married someone else, I’d miss out on these moments with Wes.

After the ceremony, we headed upstairs to the ballroom on the third floor. It had been beautifully restored after Marley’s grandmother died and she’d inherited the inn. Last year, Aiden retired from the military and came home to help her run it. When Fiona came home for the holidays, she rented a room in the inn, and she rekindled her relationship with Aiden. They’d dated in high school but broke up when Aiden enlisted.

I’d only heard bits and pieces, but their relationship sounded romantic. Especially when you considered the Matthews Inn and its gardens as the background at Christmas. Those two didn’t stand a chance. I wondered if I’d ever have the same magical story.

Would I meet someone who’d sweep me off my feet? Could it be someone I already dated? Or was he standing right in front of me?

We found our seats at a table with Wes’s brothers: Jameson, Ryder, and Teddy. Ryder’s daughter, Faith, was in attendance, and Jameson’s girlfriend, Claire.

Before dinner was served, I excused myself to go to the bathroom with Claire, but when I returned, the table had a different energy. It was almost as if they’d been talking about us when we were gone, but that didn’t make any sense.

Jameson and Claire had already gone through a difficult time when he’d lost his substitute teaching and football coach positions. They’d made up and moved on, seemingly creating a perfect family with Claire’s twelve-year-old son, Owen. I didn’t think Jameson would do anything to screw that up again. Unless he’d announced to his brothers that he was going to propose to her. It would make sense they’d have that conversation while Claire was gone.

I loved how close the Calloway brothers were. I’d always wanted to be part of a family like that, but I was relegated to being on the outside looking in. I’d only ever be Wes’s friend, not his significant other.

After we ate, the music started up, and one by one, couples headed toward the dance floor.

“Do you want to dance?” Wes asked.

“Sure.” I stood and accepted his hand.

On the dance floor, we easily fell into a rhythm, used to being each other’s plus-ones, whether it was a school dance or a wedding.

“When you get married, you won’t be my plus-one anymore.”

“I guess not.” I hated that idea.

“Have you figured out what you’re going to do?” His voice was carefully controlled as if he was braced for my response .

“I’ve been making lists for both my career and my potential relationship.”

Wes paused. “Is walking away an option?”

I knew he was referring to the Rosesmith Estate, and my heart clenched. “Yes. No. I don’t know.” I felt miserable. Why hadn’t I already figured out my life? Wes was settled in his career. He loved his job as a Department of Natural Resources police officer. He spent most of his time in the outdoors and still got to work the law enforcement job he’d always wanted.

“I know it seems like your choices and time are limited, but I wouldn’t rush into a decision. This is a big deal.”

I nodded miserably. “And I have to be realistic. I don’t see myself marrying any of those guys. I’m not sure I have anything in common with them.”

Wes’s jaw was tight, and I wondered if he didn’t like hearing about me going on dates. But I needed someone’s advice, and I couldn’t go to my mother. “On my dates this week, I mentioned my plans for the estate to see how they’d react and almost all of them were shocked. They thought I’d want to live in the house and eventually raise my family there.”

“It’s hard for other people to believe that you wouldn’t want to live in a place that grand.”

I’d confided in Wes many times over the course of our relationship. He encouraged me to work outside the family, but I hadn’t. The love for the estate itself always drew me back.

“What if there was another way?” Wes asked.

“You have any ideas?” I couldn’t imagine what other possibility there was.

Wes looked around and then dipped his head slightly as if we were sharing a secret. “What if you married me? ”

The room around me started spinning. “What are you talking about?”

“Think about it. You can trust me. We’re already friends. You know I don’t want your money or the estate. You’d be safe with me, and I wouldn’t have to worry that you’re with an asshole who’s going to take advantage of you. And I know you can take care of yourself, but why should you when you have me?”

I felt guilty for drawing Wes into my family drama, but I was intrigued by his suggestion. “You’d marry me because we’re friends?”

“You know I’d do anything for you.”

I shook my head even as I turned the possibility over in my mind. “I can’t ask you to marry me. You have a life. What if you met someone and wanted to be with her, but you couldn’t because you were married to me?”

“I’m not dating anyone, and I want to do this for you. Besides, you said it was only for a few months.”

“I can’t be sure about the timing. Grandma’s been vague about why she did this now. She’s eighty-five, so it could just be her age, or maybe she has an illness that she’s not revealing.” I enjoyed sharing a bed with Wes and having him nearby. But it brought up mixed feelings. I wanted him as more than a friend. Wouldn’t that only intensify as we spent more time together? I’d be in danger of losing my heart to him, and what if he didn’t feel the same way?

I was risking a lot with this arrangement, yet at the same time, I was excited. What would it be like to live with Wes? Would we share a bed? Would we act like husband and wife? Would he want to have sex with me? My body was humming with possibilities. “Where would we live?”

“We could live at your place, but staying at mine would give us more privacy. Your family will expect us to act like a couple. It has to look real, or your grandmother won’t believe it.”

I chewed my lip. “You know my parents want me to marry someone in our social circle.”

“But I don’t want your money or the estate. I’m the safe choice.” Wes twirled me.

“I believe you.” Wes had always thought it brought more problems than it was worth. Hence why I had to get married.

“So what do you say? Do you want to do this? We could present ourselves to our families as an engaged couple tomorrow. We could say we’ve always liked each other, and this forced us to confront our feelings. I was jealous of you dating other guys.”

Was he? “That could work.”

“We’d move in together right away, saying we couldn’t be away from each other now that we finally admitted our feelings for each other, and then schedule the wedding in a few weeks.”

There was a buzzing in my ears. “This is moving fast.”

“I’m just trying to come up with a solution that will help you.”

I looked up at him. “But what do you get out of it? This doesn’t seem fair to you.”

“I won’t have to worry about you marrying one of those guys you were dating. I’d know you were safe.”

I chewed my lip. “I know you said it would be okay, but what if you meet someone?”

“If at any point in time it’s not working for one of us, we’ll get a divorce.”

“I’m okay with that.” I’d planned to have whoever I married sign a contract, but it wouldn’t be necessary with Wes. He didn’t want my money. He just wanted to help me .

“So we’re doing this? We’re getting married?” Wes asked, his grip tightening around my hand.

My nerves kicked up. I couldn’t believe I was saying yes. It was crazy, yet at the same time, it felt right. I wouldn’t lose the house. I tried not to think about what it would mean for my friendship with Wes. I just hoped I didn’t get hurt in the process.

Because being this close to Wes, pretending we were married, was sure to mess with my head and my heart.

“How do we do this?”

“I have Christmas brunch with my family tomorrow. We’ll come together and announce our engagement. If we can convince them we’re friends turned—” I couldn’t bring myself to say lovers. It felt too intimate.

“Something more,” Wes said as he tightened his hand around mine even more.

I nodded. “If we can handle my family tomorrow, then we have a real shot at this.”

“We don’t have a ring, and we can’t go get one before brunch. I’ll say it was a spontaneous thing, and we intend to go ring shopping together.”

Wes was weaving a fairy tale I wanted to lose myself in. “It could work.”

“We’ll see where it goes from there. Can you come over to my family for dinner tomorrow? We’ll explain what’s going on.”

“At least we won’t have to pretend in front of them.” I drew in a shaky breath. “This is happening so fast.”

“We’ll only do what you’re comfortable with,” Wes said, and I couldn’t tell him that all of this was wildly uncomfortable for me. Pretending to be with the one man I’d compared every other one to? What if it felt too real ?

“We’ll need to be convincing. We’ll need to kiss and touch. Are you okay with that?”

My skin felt like it was on fire. “I think so.”

Wes grinned like he didn’t have a care in the world. “We’ve already shared a bed. Twice.”

“It’s just the kissing that’s new.” I held my breath, waiting for him to say we’d need to practice. I felt lightheaded and weak just thinking about what it would be like to walk into my family’s brunch with Wes on my arm.

He had my best interest at heart. He wouldn’t hurt me. Not intentionally anyway. If I was disappointed, that was because I was foolish and let myself fall for someone who couldn’t be mine. Wes was doing this out of friendship, not anything else. He didn’t harbor any feelings toward me.

I was the only one crazy enough to let myself go there.

The song stopped, and I backed away.

Wes held out his hand. “We have a deal?”

I shook his hand. “We do.”

“Let’s get champagne.” We headed to the bar where the bartender poured us two glasses.

He handed me one and held his up. “Till death do us part.”

I smiled, not quite believing this was real. “I think you mean when our time has come to an end, because this isn’t real.”

Wes nodded, but his smile faltered slightly. “You’re right. I was just joking.”

We sipped the champagne, the bubbly liquid fizzing in my stomach. “I appreciate you helping me.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

I was starting to hate that he kept referring to us as friends. But it wasn’t his fault. That’s what we were, and maybe all we’d ever be. This might be my only chance to get closer to him.

Excitement filled me. This could work. Friends became lovers all the time. My parents wouldn’t like it, but I was done with having them tell me what to do.

“We just have to make it convincing.”

“And what’s my side of the story? Have I liked you all this time? I was waiting on you to make the first move?” My face heated because it was the truth. I hoped he didn’t read it on my face.

Wes considered me. “Sure.”

I had to be careful in this situation. I couldn’t lose my heart to Wes.

There was a collective gasp, and we looked toward the dance floor where Jameson was down on one knee in front of Claire. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but it was obvious that he’d proposed. Then she smiled and tugged him to standing, where they kissed.

“I guess my little brother is getting married.”

“We should congratulate them.”

We walked toward them where Al was already congratulating them. Then his siblings each took their turns, ribbing Jameson about growing up and becoming a man.

“If you don’t stop giving us a hard time, I’m going to set you up.” Jameson pointed to Wes and Teddy. “And you’re not going to like who I pick.”

My cheeks flushed hot. I didn’t like the idea of Wes dating, much less marrying anyone else. Thankfully, Jameson dropped the subject, and we enjoyed the rest of the evening. We didn’t talk about our arrangement.

I was busy mulling over the huge change that was coming. We had to convince my family that I’d suddenly fallen in love with my best friend. And it might just work because it was so close to the truth.

I was a little worried Grandma wouldn’t accept him as an option because he didn’t come from the right family. But the more I thought about it, the better I felt. I wouldn’t want to go through this with anyone else but him.

I wondered what made him think of it. I knew he worried about me, but had the dating made him jealous? And if so, why didn’t he just admit that? Or was it one of those situations where he didn’t want me, but no one else could have me either?

By the end of the night, my head ached, and I was second-guessing my life choices. I didn’t need the estate, did I? How was I going to live with Wes and not reveal my feelings for him? This would be the ultimate test of my restraint.

There would be times that I’d have to see him in various states of undress, and it was clear that I couldn’t sleep in the same bed as him and not touch him. I just had to keep the logical side of my brain engaged and not my body.

This was a temporary situation to secure the estate so I could live my dream. This wasn’t about falling for my best friend. Only a fool would do that.