Page 8 of Trust Me With Forever

For a second, we stared at each other. The way he said, “my wife,” all low and growly, almost possessively, made me shiver.

A woman could get used to that.

Not that it was for real. He was probably only practicing in case I agreed to his plan. Because if I did, we’d have to convince the world it wasn’t a ruse.

My stomach rumbled, and I actually didn’t feel sick. The aspirin I’d taken in the bathroom had helped already.

I gestured at Rafe. “Get dressed so we can eat. I can’t wait to steal all the sausage and you can have the tasteless bacon.”

“You really don’t want to start a bacon versus sausage war, Abigail.”

My lips twitched. “If we stay married—which I still haven’t decided—I suspect we’ll have a lot of mini-wars about stupid stuff all the time. It could be fun.”

He groaned, and I laughed. I watched as he grabbed his clothes and headed into the bathroom. I covertly checked out his ass and muscled thighs. Damn, he was toned. Soccer players were lean, and I liked that.

Not that it mattered. So I took out my phone as a distraction and gasped as I opened up my social media account. Because there was a picture of Rafe and I smiling, me dressed up, and both of us in what looked like a chapel.

I deleted it and hoped my family hadn’t seen it. Because if so, keeping this a secret—even if I decided not to stay married to Rafe—would be impossible.

Chapter Four

Abby

Aunt Lori:Abby, where are you? You promised to help me get ready for the Valentine’s Festival.

Me:Oh, crap. I totally forgot. Sorry! I’ll be home soon.

Aunt Lori:What, did you go home with a hot guy last night? I hope you took pictures.

Me:Um, no to the man and pictures.

Aunt Lori:Then I have a friend, and her son is quite the looker. And single. I can arrange a date with him.

Me: I’ve told you before, I’m not on the market right now.

Aunt Lori:It doesn’t have to be forever. Just for a little fun between the sheets.

Me:Aunt Lori! Just no!

Aunt Lori:I’m older but not dead, dearie. There’s this new retired guy who moved into town recently and all the older women are circling. Younger ones, too. But I’m biding my time. My chance will come.

Me:Then focus on that, Aunt Lori. Find a man of your own.

Aunt Lori:I can do both! I’ll show you the picture of my friend’s son when you get home. You are getting home soon, right? Otherwise, I’ll have to get West to help me instead. And he just got married.

Me: I’ll be home soon. Don’t you dare bother West and Emmy!

Aunt Lori:I’ll be waiting, hottie picture and all, when you get here.

After breakfast with Rafe, he’d driven us home to Starry Hills, and as soon as he got onto the freeway, I promptly fell asleep. Part of it had been exhaustion, but the other part had been that I was overwhelmed with what to do about my accidental marriage. I needed to take a walk through the orchard or around Emmy’s fields or anywhere without Rafe nearby to clear my head.

Eventually, he dropped me off at the entrance to my family’s property so I could walk to the house and avoid Aunt Lori’s keen eyes. Before I shut the door, he said, “When do you think you’ll have an answer?”

I searched his gaze. “I don’t know. But at least give me a day or two. Right now, I just want a shower and some fresh air.” I paused, debated shutting the door and avoiding the question, but decided to blurt, “Would you seek out other women while we were married?”

I had no right to ask that, of course. The marriage would be a fake one.

And yet, after my last humiliation, his answer was important to me.

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