Page 105 of Mountain Grump
What if I need to be married for four years?
I can’t do that to Ethan.
Can’t make him give up four years of his life.
Maybe I can offer him a cut of the money.
I roll my lips together.
What amount of money would be appropriate? Ten percent? Fifty?
Am I supposed to let him date other people?
My stress turns to nausea.
I’ll do just about anything to keep this marriage legal if it means keeping Uncle Jack’s money out of the claws of my family. But the idea of watching Ethan date other people while pretending he cares about me… I don’t think I could do that.
Maybe I just need to bemarried? Maybe the person doesn’t matter?
I could divorce Ethan when he wants to break up and then find someone else to marry before my next birthday.
Ethan’s thumb drags against the back of my hand.
I look up at him.
“On the plane.”
As always, he can read me too easily.
I blow out a breath, then nod.
Ethan comes to a stop, and I stop beside him. In front of a light blue door under a pink neon sign that readsFairytale Chapel.
“One last question.” Ethan keeps his voice low, just for me.
Internally, I brace myself.
Ethan lets go of my hand, then reaches up and carefully removes my sunglasses.
With the dark lenses gone, I’m sure he can see the worry in my eyes.
He turns the glasses around, then puts them on top of my head, how I had them before.
Then he holds my gaze.
It’s intense.
He’sintense.
But the longer I look into his dual-colored eyes, the calmer I feel.
And even though I don’t know him well, I trust him.
I can feel his trustworthiness.
He’s someone I can count on.
Maybe not to be myone and onlyforever and ever.But I can count on Ethan to do the right thing.
