Page 30 of Close to My Heart

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.”

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