Page 30 of The One I Stood Beside

My stomach sinks. I never expected Jude to put his family farm on the line to save my family’s dinky one. But the fact that Bruce said no puts a line in the sand that does hurt a little if I’m honest. He’s always made me feel like family, but it’s a reminder that I’m not. “Got it.”

He slides down the railing, closer to me. “Of course, he wants to help any way he can, but he can’t put my family’s farm in jeopardy not knowing if…”

I turn to look at him. “What?”

His expression says he doesn’t want me to make him say it.

“What, Jude?”

“He’s worried about what would happen if I cosigned, then you found someone you wanted to be with…” He swallows hard. “To marry.”

First my mom and now Bruce. Does the older generation really not know that I’m madly in love with Jude?

“So if we just get married, that eliminates the possibility of that. And as my wife, it solves the problem of me not being able to cosign.”

I down the rest of my wine. “Just get married?”

He shrugs. “Yeah, we’re best friends. It’d be easy. You can move in here, and we’ll pretend for everyone’s sake. Tell them we’ve been seeing each other in secret for a long time and decided to come out.”

I turn away from the lake and place my wine glass on the railing. “No one is going to believe that.”

“We just have to be convincing.”

“You mean we’ll just be engaged, right? Not actually get married?”

He shakes his head, the corner of his lips tipping down. “No, we’d have to get married. We can elope or have a town wedding. It’s up to you. The sooner we get it done, the better chance of you getting the loan processed.”

I strip my gaze from him. “You make it sound so easy.” I walk off the porch and back into his house.

He follows me. “It is easy.”

“No. It’s not. It’s complicated. Very complicated. What if we get married, I get the loan, and I fail?”

He chuckles. “You won’t.”

I throw my hands in the air. “You don’t know that, Jude.” I try to calm myself. “I can’t. I appreciate it, I really do. You’re trying to help me, and I appreciate it, but I’ll get myself out of this.”

He glowers across the room at me. “You’re being stubborn.” He moves to the stove and plates the two dishes.

“Me not agreeing to marry you just to get you to cosign a big loan is being stubborn?”

He drops the spatula on the stove and whips around, raising his voice. “It’s the only solution you have, Sadie. Don’t you see that? You either marry me or lose the farm. There is no other choice for you. Unless you want to take money from Ben.”

His sour tone draws me back. “I would never. And don’t yell at me.”

“Well, I’m sorry if I’m offended that you don’t want to marry me.”

My head rears back, and I look around as if someone is going to pop up with a camera and say this is a prank. “You’re offended?”

“You won’t let me help you.”

“Marriage is no small thing, Jude!”

He stares long and hard at me. “You think I don’t know that? You’re the only person I’d even entertain this idea for. And you go and shoot me down.”

A laugh slips out. Then I continue to laugh, unable to stop myself.

“Why are you laughing?” Jude turns his back to me, continuing to serve up the plates.

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