Page 21 of Faking It with my Small Town Billionaire

Orson

When I read the message on my phone, I jump off my sofa and fist pump the air. “Yes!” I yell, hardly able to believe what I’m seeing.

I’ll be honest; when I arrived at the bakery tonight, I had a general idea of what I was going to say, but when it came down to it, I was completely stumped. Me, a man who makes deals for a living. Speechless.

That has to be a first.

Granted, it’s the most bizarre deal I’ve ever made, yet probably the most lucrative. I don’t really know what I expected Lily to do when I asked her to marry me, but in the end, she reacted exactly as anyone might. Her mouth fell open, and she gawked at me like I’d just escaped from an asylum.

I’m trying to figure out if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that it only took her a few hours to make the decision. I’d given her two days. That thought worries me a little, and letting my excitement wane, I send her a reply.

Are you absolutely certain about this?

Clearly, she was waiting for my reply because she answers right away.

Yes. Besides, I don’t really have a choice.

You always have a choice.

Not if I want to save my business, I don’t, she comes back.

Can you take tomorrow afternoon off? I send back. I figure the afternoon will be better. She’ll have all her early morning baking done by that time.

I suppose so. Why? she texts back.

I tap my fingers across the keyboard. We’re going to need to work up a contract. How about I pick you up at two?

That sounds fine.

Okay. I’ll see you then. I send the message.

After a few minutes, I don’t hear anything back from her. Our correspondence is over, for now.

At 2:00 p.m. sharp, I pull up outside Harper’s.

The bell tinkles above my head when I open the door, and I step inside. Lily is pulling on her coat, and Jasmine beams a huge smile in my direction.

“Hello, Mr. Donovan,” she says.

“Hi, Jasmine,” I reply, waving. “How are you?”

“All the better for seeing you,” she says mischievously, giving me a big wink.

I don’t falter, but I suddenly wonder if Lily has told her why I’m here. I kick myself for that oversight. I’d asked her not to mention this to anyone if she decided not to go through with it, but I hadn’t insisted she do the same if she agreed.

No one can know this isn’t for real. Like me, my grandfather is a very astute man. I have no doubt he has spies of his own scurrying around Willow Creek at this very moment. If the cat gets out of the bag, it’s bye-bye inheritance.

Lily comes around to the front of the counter. “Hey,” she says, sounding a little weary. She looks tired too. Is that my fault?

“Bye, Jasmine,” she calls over her shoulder.

“Bye, Lily, Mr. Donovan,” Jasmine says in her usual cheery tone.

As I open the car door for Lily, I say, “Does she know?”

For a second, Lily frowns at me; then, realizing what I mean, she shakes her head diligently. “No. You asked me not to tell anyone.”

“Good. Thank you.”

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