Page 101 of The Fiancé Hoax

“Okay.” She looked up at me. “You have to win this case, Cooper. Gen can't win. Those girls belong with you.”

I brushed her hair out of her face and moved it behind her shoulders. “I know. I'm worried about it, but I have faith that we can figure this out. There's got to be some way to still win this.”

“Yeah. Let me know if I can help in any way. I mean that.”

“Thanks. I will.”

“Well, I'm going to get some work done in the studio upstairs,” she said. “I don't feel like going back to the boutique today.”

“Okay. I'll try to get some work done, too. Inga will be here soon after she picks up the girls from school.”

Felicity stood on her tiptoes to give me a quick peck on the cheek. “See you later.”

“Bye.”

I watched her walk out, my throat tight.

I wanted to tell her the truth—that I loved her. That I wanted to be with her for real.

But I just couldn’t bring myself to say the words. Not after what Marsh had said about tying her down.

With a heaviness in my chest, I straightened the cushions on the sofa, then I ran upstairs for a quick shower to clean up. Soon, I was back in my study.

Alone with my thoughts for the first time since my conversation with Marsh, a dark feeling sank in.

Pouring myself a glass of whiskey, I pondered my situation.

There was no way to know what decision Marsh would make. If he decided to tell the judge, it would be disastrous. Was he really that petty? Would he want to sabotage my custody case just because I was sleeping with his daughter?

Sadly, I could see him doing it. He had no problems hurting people he thought had hurt him.

As I sipped the liquor, Marsh’s words rang in my ears.

Felicity deserves to be with someone closer to her own age.

What if he was right?

I’d planned to tell her the truth of how I felt, to profess my love for her and ask if she wanted to try this for real.

But maybe it was wrong to tie her down.

A tightness took hold of my chest and wouldn’t let go.

I must have lost track of time at some point, because the girls' voices roused me from my thoughts.

“Daddy!”

The girls ran in, all hopped up from their afterschool snack.

“Daddy, we didn't know you were home,” Lily said.

“Felicity is asleep again,” Eva announced. “She's sleeping at her sewing table upstairs.”

“That’s okay. We’ll let her rest.”

Eva pouted. “But we wanted to work on our sewing projects with her.”

“I know, girls. But you have to remember that Felicity is very busy now with her store. She's been working a lot lately, and she's tired.”

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