Page 89 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

“I don’t even know what to say. I’ll call Molly, maybe she can help us untangle this.”

“If she can find a way around it, great. But, Harlow, I want to protect you and build a life with you, that’s all I ever wanted. If putting a ring on your finger gives you an extra layer of protection, then I’m doing that. Not just because I have to, because I’ve never wanted anything more.”

I looked around the vineyard. It wasn’t lavish and over the top, like the flashy Long Island country club my dad picked out to show the world how important he was. This was simple and beautiful. This was exactly the type of place I would want to marry him.

However, there was something about this whole situation that made me realize the clock was ticking. This felt rushed, like we were being bullied into doing something, and it made medoubt everything. This should have been a happy moment, so why couldn’t I keep my thoughts from spiraling?

He placed a hand gently on my face, as if he could sense my inner panic. “I know everything is happening fast here. And yes, it would be great to do this at our own pace, but I don’t want to risk waiting. We both know the truth and have way too much riding on this, and I can only imagine all the fuckery those two idiots could bring into our lives if we don’t marry soon.”

I wiped a tear as it slipped down my cheek. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to take away from this moment, but it feels like we are scrambling. I know we originally agreed to get married, but things have changed between us. I love you and want to marry you. I just don’t want this to feel like a competition, like we’re trying to beat my dad to the finish line.”

“I don’t want that either.” His thumb stroked the moisture away. “But I also want to make sure you get that house. I know how much it means to you. I don’t want anyone to take that away from you. I don’t want you to worry about Baz or your father. Most importantly, I want to build a life with you because I’m in love with you.”

Things felt tangled, messy, and complicated, but as I looked at the only man I had ever loved, it also felt like we’d been given a second chance, and I would be a fool to waste it.

I rested my hand on his chest. “I want to make sure you know that I want to marry you because I love you, not because someone is closing in on us and we feel forced.”

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. “Just because we have to move up the wedding doesn’t mean we have to let them take the moment away from us. It’s still ours. Let’s not let them ruin this for us, okay?”

I closed my eyes briefly, allowing myself to believe that this wasn’t about the house or holding on to a deal.That was about us finding our way back to each other.

I nodded, leaning into his touch. “Okay.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

BROOKS

Ipushed the safety glasses against my face as I cut through another piece of wood. The smell of sawdust filled my nose as the early morning sun beat down on my back. I wasn’t supposed to be working on the house, thanks to her ex causing a hissy fit and making bogus claims about the permits, but I wasn’t going to let some rich assholes stop me. Harlow wanted her house back. She deserved it, and she was going to get it.

I wiped the sweat off my brow and stepped back. Finn’s beat-up old truck rolled to a stop in the driveway. He climbed out and slammed the door with his boot. “Why the hell am I still doing manual labor in my thirties?”

I flipped my glasses to rest on the brim of my hat and started to help him unload the shrubs from the truck bed. “You’re the boss now. Don’t you have a crew who can deliver for you?”

“Yeah, but seeing that the work permits were tangled up in red tape, I didn’t want to get my guys involved.”

I set the arborvitae down next to the fence. “I appreciate it, man. I’m sorry to drag you out so early.”

He pulled a brown tarp back over a few bags of mulch. “Molly told me that her dad tried to sink the deal.”

Of course she did. Those two told each other everything.

I wiped a bead of sweat off my forehead. “Yeah, that was one hell of a meeting.”

He leaned against the truck and kicked a rock down the driveway. “So, what’s the deal with you two? Are you still playing house, or is it something else now?”

I walked over and leaned on the tailgate. “We crossed that line a long time ago. This is as real as it gets.”

“That’s what I figured.” He took a sip from his travel mug, looking amused. ”I also heard you were moving up the wedding date.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Yeah, no sense in dragging it out. We have too much riding on this.”

Finn folded his arms and watched me carefully. “Molly said she plans to put down some roots and start a business here.”

“She is.”I couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across my face thinking about it.

He nodded, but I could tell he still had concerns. “I hope for your sake she doesn’t screw it up this time.”

“She’s trying, Finn. We both are,” I said, adjusting my cap to block the sun from my eyes. “It feels different this time.”

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