Page 17 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

So he told his brother everything as he towel dried Caramel. By the time he finished the tale, they were inside the house with two glasses of fresh, cold lemonade. Well, the puppy was inside with a bowl of fresh water and another one of kibble. Though she did eye the lemonade from a distance, too.

The air-conditioning kicked in, giving them a nice breeze. Caramel was enjoying her kibble while Austin fed Quiet his favorite nuts from his hand. The parrot bobbed his head, beckoning more as he seemed to approve of the treat. Austin might forget his brothers’ favorite snacks, but he always kept snacks for their pets.

His heart was beating faster as he talked about Kennedy. He’d be a goner if they got married and started living together.

Kai drank half of the glass, then clattered it down on the counter. “Now I understand everything even less.”

“Imagine how I feel.” Austin winced when Quiet picked up the treat a bit too eagerly from his palm. The bird had a sharp beak.

“Why would Kennedy want to marry you?” Kai raked his fingers through his hair. Quiet, done with the treats, hopped back to his regular spot on Kai’s shoulder.

“Hey!” Austin feigned offense. Then he remembered Saylor’s words as he gulped a few sips of his tangy refreshing drink. “Some people happen to think I’m a catch.”

Kai gave him a pointed look.

“Okay.” Austin held up both hands and shrugged. “It’s about her uncle wanting to see her married before something happens to him. Of course, I’d sign a prenup and all. And she offered to make a sizable donation to the animal shelter. Not that the latter should factor into my decision.”

“You’re considering it.” Kai studied Austin over the rim of his lemonade glass.

“Maybe it’s selfish of me. But if your dream girl asked you to marry her, would you say no?”

“No, I wouldn’t. And considering how much I messed up the proposal, it would’ve gone much better if my dream girl did the asking.” So much love coated Kai’s voice.

“I see Kennedy sad, and I want to make her happy. But how can I if she doesn’t love me and might never love me?” Austin pushed more lemonade around the lump in his throat. “Is it wrong to take advantage of her devotion to her uncle?”

“What if youcanmake her happy? I waited nearly my entire life to make the right move. But you don’t have to. Why don’t you take this once-in-a-lifetime chance with the woman you’ve admired for years?”

His throat parched, Austin drained his glass. But he was still thirsty—thirsty for a life with Kennedy. “I believe in the institution of marriage. I always thought, if I got married, it would be for life.”

“People had arranged marriages for centuries. And many of them worked out just fine.” Kai stroked Quiet’s emerald-green head before the feathers blended to blue on his nape and back.

“Fine! Fine!” the parrot reacted.

“See? That’s already two votes.” Kai grinned. “And Mom would vote yes, as well, as would the rest of our brothers. Marina only has great things to say about Kennedy, and you know I trust my wife’s opinion.”

Austin could easily imagine waiting for Kennedy at the end of the aisle. What he couldn’t imagine was his ability to stop himself from falling in love with her. Desperate yearning unraveled inside him. And there were still too many obstacles. “She appears to be allergic to dogs, and I’m not going to abandon my profession. Or Caramel here.”

Caramel lifted her head and whined as if upset that could even be a possibility. He petted her to reassure her, then washed his hands. “Would you like to go half on the brisket sandwich? Thanks for bringing another one over, by the way.”

“Nah. You go ahead. I had a great dinner. Apparently, Marina shared about her cooking struggles with Kennedy, and Kennedy suggested Marina and I cook together. Worked like a charm. You really should bring that woman into the family.”

Austin could imagine cooking with Kennedy and having fun with it or watching a romantic comedy. Just being around her sent a pleasant wave through him. But he also sensed an invisible barrier between them, like she held back. And there shouldn’t be invisible barriers in marriage.

He munched on the brisket sandwich with pickles and onions as he needed to gear up for going to the animal shelter.

Kai poured himself another glass of lemonade. “Let me look into Kennedy’s allergies. Your puppy wasn’t the only possible allergen there. It could be the flowers, for example.”

Could he hope that was true? Austin breathed easier. “By ‘look into’, you mean talk to your wife?”

“Yup. She’s my PI. And look at the bright side. After these two fiascos, things can only improve with Kennedy.”

Wincing, Austin nearly dropped the sandwich. “Didn’t I hear something similar from you before?”

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