Page 21 of The Fiance Dilemma

“That we do what?”

I shot him a look. “That we pretend we’re engaged. That we let the town, and everyone, think we actually are, and let Bobbi do her thing. Andrew knows now, too, apparently. He wants to be involved in the wedding like Bobbi said. Pay for it, show up…” I shook my head. I didn’t want to think of what that meant right now. Not yet. “That’s supposed to appease the gossip. Bobbi’s good at her job. She has to be if she was hired by Andrew, so I’m sure she’ll fix everything before you have to wear a bow tie. I don’t think we’ll even get into the thick of wedding preparations. Just… long-term, surface planning. We’ll just let them believe Andrew’s part of it and act like we want to get married, while Bobbi works her magic. I trust that she will do that quickly.”

“Josie,” he said. Just that. My name. He shook his head, a strange sound leaving him. “That’s not pretending we’re engaged. That’sbeingengaged.”

My cheeks flamed. “Then pretend you’re in love with me. While we’re engaged. Temporarily. Out of convenience. I’m not asking you to marry me. We’ll break things off when all this PR stuff goes away.”

He laughed then, but it dripped with… disbelief? Bitterness? “Out of convenience for whom? Because this is not just posing fora couple of pictures with Andrew. Believe me, I know. I was there, with Adalyn. I’ve seen a version of this PR crisis happen already. You have, too, when he shipped her here to shove her out of the way. So tell me, to what lengths are you willing to go to protect him just because some asshole with a bitchy attitude tells you to?”

I flinched. “This is different. It’s not a silly viral video that will blow over. It’s my life. Andrew’s. Adalyn’s.” My… family’s lives. One I thought I’d never have after Mom passed away, and I never seem to get a relationship right. “I’ve thought about this. I’m not just jumping on it because I’m told to.”

His voice softened, his tone almost turning careful. “Aren’t you, sweetheart?”

Sweetheart.It wasn’t the word that bothered me. It was the way he said it. Like someone who wanted to protect me. To spare me the heartbreak. “Give me some credit, Matthew. I’m not some simpleton who’s being tricked by the city folk.”

He immediately paled, and I saw on his face that he hadn’t meant it that way. I also realized I probably shouldn’t have said that, but it had to be said.

“I’m protecting myself,” I insisted.

“Josie,” he warned. Apologetic. Honest. “I did not mean it like that. I’m trying to look out for you. You don’t need to do this. You don’t need me, or a fiancé, or anybody.”

“Maybe I don’t,” I said, done with warnings. Apologies. Honesty, too. I hopped off my stool. “But that’s unimportant. Because if you really want to look out for me, then you’ll help me. I might not need to do this. But I want to. Do you want to hear why?”

I rounded the island, slowly crossing the distance to where he sat, his eyes not leaving me as I moved. “Why?”

“Because,” I said, reaching his side and coming to a stop. Without breaking eye contact, I placed my hands on his knees. Matthew exhaled as I turned his body in the swiveling stool so he’d fully faceme, ignoring the way his eyes widened slightly. “Because the idea of being a liability,” I continued, stepping into his outstretched thighs, lowering my voice so it was nothing but a murmur. “The idea of becoming a problem,” I added, feeling his body start to gravitate toward mine. Only a little. Only enough. “The idea of being a thorn in a man’s side, or anyone’s flaw or weakness, much less my father’s, makes me sick to my stomach.”

My words felt like a confession. And I didn’t know what to do with that. I didn’t know what to do with the way Matthew hadn’t moved an inch, besides his hands dropping to his sides in fists. Or the way I was standing so, so, so, so close to him. So much that I could smell things like his shampoo or some faded traces of cologne on him. I didn’t know what to do with how enraptured he seemed by my nearness and how that made me feel.

“I’m doing this for myself, Matthew,” I whispered. His eyes dipped down. To my mouth, making me notice I was biting my bottom lip. “Not because anyone is telling me to. I want to do this because I started it, and it’syouI need.” My hand reached up, but I stopped myself before it made contact with his arm. Chest. Him. “Not anyone else.You.So be my fiancé, Matthew. Please.”

Brown eyes softened and flared, all at once. My stomach started to constrict, but I pushed that down. I didn’t know what I was doing, but whatever that was, it was working. Hope swelled inside me as I watched him. A muscle in his jaw jumped.

“Okay,” he finally said.

My eyes widened, and I was sure they had to be sparking with surprise, because just then, Matthew seemed to realize what he’d said.

“Perfect!” I squeaked, stepping back from a confused Matthew. I started walking backward, making my way to the door. “Meet me tomorrow at the Warriors Park, okay? Eleven sharp. It’s right across from Josie’s, at the end of Main Street. You’ll find it on Google, too;I made sure it’s there.” I turned around, closing my eyes.Oh boy. Oh man. What the hell had just happened?“All right, toodles!”

It was only when I closed the lodge’s entrance door behind me that the answer to my question seemed to form.

I’d just… proposed to Matthew.

And for someone who had been engaged four times, I really sucked at it.

CHAPTER SIX

It was eleven sharp and Matthew wasn’t here for his hard launch.

Not that he knew he was being hard launched. The man had no idea, which I solidly believed was the best way to go about it. If he showed up at all, that was.

I waved a gloved hand at Gabriel, who met my gaze from across the bleachers. He returned my tense smile with a frown, and I pretended to get a call before he could approach and ask what had me looking like I’d sucked a lemon.

See you around,I mouthed at him, pointing at my phone before bringing it to my ear.

I dragged myself all the way down the bleachers, disconnecting my fake call and landing on the grass with a little jump. I greeted a couple of people here, and smiled and nodded to a few others there, but for the most part I was a girl on a mission. Scrutinizing my surroundings for my fiancé. It was game day, and everyone currently filling the stands in Warriors Park—the new name for our local sports facilities—had showed up this Sunday with more than just aninterest in the Green Warriors, our girls ragtag soccer team turned Little League champions. They were here to be a part of the mayor’s fiancé’s entry into Green Oak society.

And I’d been here, in these exact shoes, four times before. The end of summer lake barbecue with Greg. Green Oak’s Christmas tree lighting party with Ricky. Or our most recent tradition, the Easter Eggstravaganza, with Duncan. Even Shawn, who is from town, had to go through the motions.

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