Page 85 of The Unwanted Wife

"Half-brothers. Do you meet them often?"

"Arthur wants us to have lunch as a family on the weekends."

Of course, being in the service industry, every day is a working day. In fact, Sundays are when I make a lot of sales from families who are out and about. It’s another thing I didn’t fully understand when I started this business. It’s like having a real-life baby. You can never leave home, unless there’s someone tending the baby—I mean, bakery—for the day. Most days, I don’t mind, but sometimes, I want to sleep late on a weekend and just be lazy.

And now, with the team I’ve hired, I can do that, from time to time. Honestly, the morning prep is so essential, I don’t like to miss it. But most days, I don’t even have to close, the staff takes care of that. And it’s thanks to him giving me the money to hire them, and then he went a step further by arranging for me to interview the prospective candidates. It facilitated the process and helped me onboard the team in a much shorter time than I thought possible.

He’s so thoughtful, and that’s so unexpected. Given his gruff, sometimes distant persona, I never did expect him to be this caring. And he shows me he is at every turn. So, why can’t he share whatever it is that’s weighing on his mind? Is it something that’s going to upset me? Could it be an ex-girlfriend or an ex-wife, even? I never asked him if he was married before.

"Were you married before?"

"What?" He blinks.

"Do you have an ex-wife? Or someone you fell in love with before? Is that what you want to tell me?"

He finishes whatever he’s typing into his phone, then puts it away before turning to me. "You are the only woman I’ve ever loved. The only one I ever will love. You’re it for me. Why can’t you accept that?"

46

Nathan

"I…" She swallows. "I… guess, I’m still having trouble accepting that you want me. I know you find me attractive, I know you like my curves, or so you’ve told me, but?—"

"You don’t believe me."

She wriggles around in her seat. "I do believe you, but?—"

"But you’re not entirely convinced."

"Some part of me thinks you asked me to marry you out of some misplaced notion of responsibility to my brother. I’m sure he made you promise to take care of me before he went off on his mission."

Something in my features must give me away for she nods. "That’s what I thought."

"He did ask me to take care of you, but that’s not the only reason I asked you to marry me."

"So, you did it because you needed a wife, and I was available."

"That, too, but it’s not only these logical reasons you’re trying to fix on my intentions."

"You’re a logical man."

"I am," I agree.

"And you wanted to consolidate your position in the company by getting married."

"And I loved you. I wanted to make sure I kept you near, and this seemed like the best way to tick all these boxes."

The skin between her eyebrows wrinkles. "So, I’m a box to tick?"

I blow out a breath. Heaven help me from a woman’s reasoning and need to know everything all at once. I take her left palm in mine and run my thumb across her wedding ring. "You know you’re more than that. I haven’t hidden what you mean to me."

"And I’m trying to understand why you turned up in my life now, when my bakery was floundering, and I was looking for help. The timing was auspicious, you have to agree.”

“I suspect Arthur knew of our prior connection and wanted to set things up so the two of us would get together."

"Arthur would do that?" Her frown deepens.

"He says he wasn’t aware we knew each other, but given his machinations with Edward, and how much he wants us to settle down, I wouldn’t put it past him."

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