Page 17 of Broken Player

The meal I'd just eaten and enjoyed suddenly felt heavy in my stomach. "And how's that?"

"To get married," Yates disclosed, observing my expression. A chill settled in my chest, and I started to feel a little dizzy.

"M-married?" I stammered.

He nodded. "Look, I know I just met you today, but I think this could be the solution to both of our problems."

"How do you figure? It sounds like it'd help you definitely, but what would I get out of it?" I folded my arms across my chest. My mind was spinning a million miles a second, and I wasn't sure what to focus on first. Was I even considering this?

"If you agreed to marry me, I would buy your family's ranch and sign it over to you. You'd own it outright. No mortgage anymore, it'd all belong to you."

I inhaled sharply, sitting forward, my head falling into my hands while I closed my eyes and tried to process. I lifted my head up to look at him, to study his face. The truth shone back at me in his eyes: He needed me, and I needed him.

"There might still be another way for me to save the ranch," I argued.

He shook his head sadly. "No, Ryan. There's not. I looked over everything. No bank in their right mind would touch you guys. I'm sorry to say it, but I'm your last best hope."

Breathing out slowly, I considered his offer, but he continued talking as he grabbed my hand in his again. "Look, Ryan. I know it's unconventional doing this backwards like this, but I really think we could have a legitimate future together. I like you, you're feisty and gorgeous and hard working. You fight for what you believe in. We don't know each other that well yet, but what if we're soulmates? What if we end up still married fifty years from now?"

The room was starting to spin. "F-fifty years?" I couldn't wrap my mind around that. It was absolutely overwhelming.

Yates started to backpedal. "I'm just saying it could happen, not that it has to. It's one possibility. If it makes you feel better, we can write an end date into the contract as an optional clause we can take after a year. Okay?"

I felt myself nodding along, but I wasn't quite sure what I was agreeing to at this point. Yates wanted to marry me? To get his trust fund? That made sense, even if it was a crazy idea. But still, I could see why he'd come up with this solution. And if it meant owning my family's ranch outright? Never having to answer to another bank again, would that be worth a year of my life married to this guy?

I looked him up and down, really taking him in. He looked genuine, and I could respect he was willing to do whatever it took to accomplish his goals. I was the same exact way. "How long do I have to think it over?" I asked, knowing I didn't have much time before we lost the ranch but really needing to wrap my head around everything.

"Unfortunately, I need your answer tonight. I have an event tomorrow where, if you agree, I plan to announce our engagement. Things need to move quickly for both of us, Ryan. I know it's a lot, and it's sudden, but I can't miss out on my chance, and you don't have months to decide. You have weeks at best until you lose everything."

I laid my head down on the table and closed my eyes, trying to drag air into my lungs. He needed an answer now? Could I do this?

I needed to think clearly and to do that, I needed more information. Lifting my head, I straightened my spine. "Okay, I have questions."

He smirked. "I expected you would. Go ahead."

"If we do this, when would the wedding be?"

"In a month. I don't think we can wait longer than that to save the ranch," he said, and he was right. I'd be lucky if we even got that much time.

Nodding, I moved to my next question. "My family knows I don't date. How would I explain suddenly turning up engaged and getting married in a month?"

He sat back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I've thought about that. I figured we'd say we met online or on a dating app because we're both busy. We've been seeing each other when we can for months, but we got tired of that and can't stand to be away from each other anymore, so we decided to get married. What do you think?"

I looked at him dubiously. "I don't know if anyone who knows me is going to buy that."

"Well, you'll have to get them to. Because if you agree and we sign the contract, we'll also both be signing a non-disclosure agreement so you can't tell anyone."

I thought about Quinn, who knew I was going on this date and that I hadn't dated anyone in ever. "My best friend already knows I was going out on this date with you. He'll put two and two together and figure it out."

Yates sighed. "Fine, he can know, but if he tells anyone I'm holding you in violation of the NDA. It would ruin my image if this got out. I'm serious, Ryan. Not a word."

"Fine." The weight on my shoulders eased slightly, knowing I could talk to Quinn about all of this. He was going to freak out. That was if I agreed to do it, which I was still thinking about.

"Where would we live?" I continued my questioning.

"When we buy the ranch, you won't have to make mortgage payments anymore, so use that money to hire help. Then you'd move here to Dallas to live with me. Over the next year, or longer if you fall in love with me," he grinned. "You'll be expected to go to functions and events with me as my wife. I have appearances to keep up and an image to maintain, so you'd be expected to help me with that."

I could do this, couldn't it? If it meant saving the ranch, seeing my parents happily live out their days in the place they loved best in this world, I could manage to be Yates's wife for a year.

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