Page 98 of The Fiance Dilemma

That’s what three hundred folding chairs did to you.

I patted my hands on my jeans and looked around, taking in my work. The sight made the dropping sensation from earlier return, but that was why I’d decided to indulge in a session of self-induced shock therapy. It wasn’t exactly necessary that the bride personallychecked and arranged line after line of chairs. Not when there was a tiny army of people around to do that and I’d caught some fire for leaving my spot at the front. But I didn’t care.

These were just chairs.

And I needed something to do.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket. A message popped up in the group chat.

ADALYN:Do you need us to come help? We can head to Green Oak early and stay at Lazy Elk tonight. With Matthew staying with you.

With Matthew staying with you.We hadn’t exactly told Adalyn and Cameron that Matthew was staying at my place, but they’d assumed it. Of course they had. We were engaged. To be married in a week. So that was what the housing situation should have been looking like. My belly loved the idea of Matthew staying with me. My head was set on reminding me that we were lying to Adalyn and Cameron. Although… were we? I couldn’t tell anymore.

JOSIE:Everything’s under control. No assistance is needed (or wanted, because Bobbi is unbearable). You can just drive up tomorrow for the big thing.

ADALYN:You’re sure?

JOSIE:Positive, sis. Let’s meet in the morning if you want and catch up before everything starts.

MATTHEW:You could stay over tomorrow night. After the dinner.

I swallowed. That meant… Matthew wouldn’t sleep at Lazy Elk, then. He would stay at my place.

ADALYN:Oh. That’s a good idea. That way we don’t have to drive back so late at night.

CAMERON:Awfully nice to be invited to stay over at my own property, by the man I thought was my tenant, too. Cheers, mate.

MATTHEW:You’re awfully welcome.

MATTHEW:You’re awfully cranky lately, too.

MATTHEW:And awfully hard to love right now. But I’m not discouraged. Do you want to meet for breakfast while Josie and Adalyn catch up?

CAMERON:Yes.

ADALYN:Ignore him. Please. He’s just stressed out. We told you to make yourself at home and we meant it.

CAMERON:I’m sorry, love.

MATTHEW:I forgive you, sweetheart.

MATTHEW:And all it takes is for me to swing my schlong once around a place to make it mine. You need to love me as I am.

The gulp of air I’d been apparently holding throughout Cameron and Matthew’s exchange escaped me. It was a snort.

“There it is,” a deep voice I knew well said. “It took meswinging my schlongfor you to let go of that frown.”

My gaze lifted off my screen and was immediately snatched by Matthew’s, who stood a few rows of chairs away from me. He was smiling at me in a way that made that special place in my belly flutter. The man looked so handsome when he smiled like that. All tall and wide and happy. And way too wholesome for his own good, in his glasses and that cream knit sweater he was wearing today. The color brought out the streaks of blond in his hair, and now that I could see his sleeves rolled up, I wished I’d caught sight of him working.

He started moving, crossing the distance to where I was. “You’re staring,” he said through his smile.

“You’re wearing your glasses.”

He came to a stop in front of me. “I have a little wager going on,” he admitted with a shrug. “Wanna hear about it?”

I gave him a nod, and he moved a little closer.

“You always point out when I wear them,” he said, brushing some hair off my forehead. Goose bumps broke out across my skin. “So every time I leave home, I take a guess at whether you’ll say something that day.”

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