Chapter 7

SEVEN

WAYLON

Everything was going to shit right in front of me. The entire town now knew I'd married a random guy in Vegas. My only saving grace was the fact I'd made it seem purposeful.

Sure, everyone, in all my nonexistent spare time, I fell in love with an outsider without any of you knowing, and now we're going to build a life together here in Majestic! Ignore the fact he's an out-East city guy! I'm sure he'd love to settle down on a horse ranch and play First Gentleman of this fair city.

As Silas and I returned to City Hall, I tried to rein in my panic. We didn't speak at any point during the long walk, and we for damned sure didn't detour down any alleys again. I spent the entire time trying to figure out how to dig myself out of the hole I'd created. When we arrived back at the office, I thought I had the answer… but Silas wasn't going to like it.

I closed the door behind us and sat him at the small conference table in the corner before taking the chair next to him. "Thank you for going along with everything back there," I began.

Silas studied me with those damned eyes that seemed to know—and judge—everything. "Do you really think you can fool these people into thinking this marriage was on purpose?"

I really fucking hope so.

Because it felt an awful lot like the fate of Majestic was in my hands… and I didn't want to let them down.

"Yes, I do. But in order to do that, I need you to stay," I blurted. "I need you to pretend just a little while, okay?"

"When I said I didn't have to leave right away back at the Love Muffin, I meant not today, Way. Not tonight." He tilted his head. "You actually want me to stay? Here in Majestic ?"

The man made it sound like a prison sentence. "Yes. Listen, I know you have work stuff and whatever, a life back in…" I frowned. "Delaware?"

"New York," he said with a short huff of laughter.

"That's what I thought. Did you give a fake address? Can we actually get divorced there if you don't live there? I don't understand."

"That's where my legal residence is for business reasons. Long story." He waved his hand and cleared his throat. "Anyway, what could you possibly hope to gain by pretending to be married? What's your plan? Be happily married for a few weeks, and then I take off?"

"Yes. Exactly. You leaving immediately was fine when no one knew about our wedding. But if I show up suddenly married to someone no one's ever heard of, and he leaves town the same damned day, it's going to be obvious the marriage was a mistake or a sham. Whereas if we fake it for a little while, show the town there's real feelings here and look like we're making an effort, then when we split, they'll think I truly wanted to get married, but it just didn't work out."

Silas sat forward. "At the cafe, you told your sister I had to go home. Go do crucial, strategic corporate business, I think you said." His eyes were bright with teasing, and I fought against the urge to reach out and touch him. He was mesmerizing. Something about his eyes or his handsome face or his… whole… everything made me want to touch him damned near all the time for some reason.

"I panicked, okay? But now I've had time to think about it, and I realize how suspicious that would look. We can still file the paperwork in Delaware, but I need you to stay here and help me sell it. Be a… a happy husband and all that. At least until after July Fourth and the exhibition. Two months, give or take. Otherwise, I'm going to be dealing with gossip and fallout while I'm trying to handle summer tourism, roundup, the exhibition, and all the other crap I have on my plate. Please ."

I didn't usually admit to feeling overwhelmed, but this was pretty close. The entire situation made me feel uncomfortable, but asking a practical stranger for help was damned near untenable.

"Sorry to ask," I added belatedly.

Silas waved my apology away. "What would being a ‘happy husband' entail, exactly?"

I felt my face heat. "Just… you know… being with me? At… events? Here in town?" I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes in embarrassment for a beat before opening them. "I don't know, Silas. I've never had a husband before. Do you have a better idea? I'm drowning here."

Lord only knew what I expected, but it definitely wasn't his hand moving up to cup the back of my neck and pull me in for a hug.

He held me tightly for a long moment. It was a little awkward since we were sitting in chairs side by side, but I appreciated every minute of it. The fresh, masculine scent of him surrounded me. The strength of his embrace grounded me. And his unexpected kindness made my nostrils sting.

There was nothing sexual about it, even though my brain was silently suggesting there could be, and I'd most likely be very happy for it. Rather, it was a solid gift of comfort and support I so rarely received these days.

I was humbled by the gesture. It took me a moment to relax and accept it, but when I did, I let out a shuddery sigh and returned the hug, hanging on for dear life.

The worn flannel of his shirt was soft and warm under my fingers. I wanted to grip it and hold it—hold him —for as long as he'd let me. For some reason, he felt like a safe place… which made absolutely no sense when I didn't even know the man.

When Silas pulled back, I took in a shaky breath in hopes he wouldn't be able to see how much the hug affected me.

"I'll do it… on one condition," he said, sounding almost as affected as I was.

"Anything. Anything you want," I blurted before remembering Foster's warning about my ranch and the truck.

"You'll sign a promise to give me an uncontested divorce, no questions asked, and no financial arrangements or detailed disputes that might slow things down. Agreed?"

I wondered if this was too good to be true. "Agreed," I said quickly before he learned about the size of my family's spread.

It didn't occur to me at the time that he might have had just as much reason to want an easy out with no financial disclosure, and honestly, I didn't care. Either way, there was no need for either of us to consider any kind of financial arrangement when we'd never intended to get married in the first place. It wasn't a real marriage of any kind.

Even though for the next couple of months, we were going to pretend it was.

Silas nodded and exhaled, his shoulders lowering as if in relief. "Good. That's settled. I guess I don't need to worry about finding a hotel or anything, right?"

I stared at him as the reality of the situation sank in. Silas Concannon was going to come home with me, live with me. Share my tiny, one-bedroom cottage… the place I'd hand built just for myself. The only place on earth where I drew up boundaries and didn't allow anyone else in.

Silas was going to invade my sanctuary.