Page 76 of The Marriage Deal
Shana pulls in a big breath, as though sucking in the words she wants to say. She turns to me, “What about you, Lilah?”
“Me?”
“You’re from Sunset Falls. Is this always where you wanted to stay?”
“Oh, this has always been my home. It’s the only place I’ve ever wanted to be, really.”
“Your whole family is here?”
“They are.”
Her lips flatten into a thoughtful line as she nods. I don’t know much of her history with Daniel Alder other than it wasn’t great. But I suddenly wonder if she ever met my parents.
I hesitate for only a moment, but ask, “Do you know many people here?”
“Honestly, no. I’m sure there will be a few familiar faces, but Daniel was—” Her eyes flick to Briggs and back. “I mostly stayed home.”
“Are you comfortable here?” Briggs asks suddenly, darkly. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard the low danger in his voice that I hear now. As though he’s a moment away from burning it all down and rebuilding just to protect her from a bad memory.
“Oh, of course.” Shana smiles. “It’s very different from what it was.” She laughs low. “This whole deck, for one, wasn’t here. Much of the house has been renovated.”
“Probably why Daniel was so close to bankruptcy.”
My eyes whip to him. “What?”
“The man was months away from losing it all.”
I sputter. “He—really?”
“Really.”
“He always was a flashy man. Always wanted others to look up to him, up to what he had.” Shana shakes her head sadly. “He never was happy just being blessed.” We sit in the silence of our thoughts for a moment, before Shana asks, “So, tell me, how many babies do you want?”
“Oh, well, I…” Gosh, I’m confident I’m burning up. I can feel Briggs’ eyes on me, waiting.
Why isn’t he helping me right now?
I suck in a big breath and decide on the truth. “I’ve always wanted a big family. Three babies. Maybe four.”
I can’t make myself look at Briggs. I can still feel hisgaze is hard and hot on me, but I don’t have the courage to peek at him until he leans in and mutters low, “Always knew you were a little lunatic. Four babies.” His lips swipe across my temple. “God help me.”
God help me, too. The man is good at playing for real.
Too good.
The bedroom doorcloses behind Briggs. Senior is already stretched outbesidehis bed at the foot of Briggs’ as though this has been his place to snooze since day one. Shana seduced Spookers into her room with the promise of extra pets and a spot on her bed, not that the little traitor-cat understood her. Or maybe he did.
“I think your mom is going to steal my cat for herself.”
“She’s always liked animals. Cats especially.”
“Well, Spookers is mine.”
Briggs chuckles. “Tell him that.”
“Rude,” I huff, but the realization that I’m standing in my fake fiancé’s room hits me like a bag of bricks. I shiver, the cardigan I’d pulled on no longer giving me the warmth it had offered out on the patio. Or maybe it wasn’t my cardigan that offered that warmth. Maybe itwas Briggs’ arm and the heat of his big body next to mine.
“Cold?”
