Page 29 of Seaside Cowboy's Marriage of Convenience

Could Kennedy stop looking over her shoulder? Was hiring the security company going too far? No, better safe than sorry. There hadn’t been enough precautions before Zoey disappeared, and that had been the biggest regret of Kennedy’s life. Always would be.

The image of Zoey in a pretty blue dress and matching ribbons flashed in Kennedy’s mind, and she pushed it away. But why did she feel it was important what Zoey had been wearing that tragic day?

“She filed a restraining order against him. She said he used to stalk her.” Marina brought her crystal goblet to her lips pursed to show what she thought of that behavior. “I’ve seen how those kinds of things can escalate.” She’d practiced as a lawyer before she moved back to her hometown and married her childhood friend, Kai. Okay, maybe one of the reasons she’d returned to Port Sunshinewasto marry her childhood friend, who’d had his heart set on her for a long time.

The taste of the lamb and herbs dimmed as Kennedy thought of ways to help Mason’s girlfriend.

Marina continued, “I talked to her coworkers, and they told me the guy harassed her at work. One more detail. He works as a mechanic. So he’d know how to damage brakes.”

“But wouldn’t it make more sense to wait until the car was brought to him and mess with the brakes than to do it at his ex-girlfriend’s house and risk being seen?” Austin asked.

Her uncle cleared his throat again. “First, in such a scenario, that would pin the blame directly on him. Second, Mason doesn’t take her car to a local station. Our personal mechanic has equipment at his home.”

“Oh,” Austin said.

Huh. She’d taken so many things for granted others found surprising.

Austin had such an aura of simplicity and sincerity, and she found it more appealing than the fence of manners and exclusivity she’d been hiding behind. But then, she found many things about him appealing. Meanwhile, he probably found this lunch as suffocating as the collar of the starched shirt he’d tugged at several times already. Yet he was here for her.

She touched his hand to show her appreciation, then looked at her uncle. “Lunch is wonderful, and I want to give you my heartfelt thanks for organizing it. Next time, how about we order pizza?” She softened her voice, hoping she wouldn’t offend him.

“Sounds great to me.” Austin smiled. “What do you all think about pepperoni?”

“Peppers and onions and extra cheese.” Marina chimed in.

When everyone else agreed, her uncle finally did, too.

Then Kennedy turned to Marina. “Sorry I interrupted. Please go on.”

Marina put down her fork, and her gaze focused. “I asked Mason and his girlfriend if they heard something outside, and they said no. Sadly, they don’t have cameras. Or a dog who’d alert them. And as we already know, she lives on the outskirts of town, so no close neighbors.”

“Except for squirrels and rabbits, and those don’t talk,” Austin added. “They don’t even seek my medical help.”

Kennedy chuckled. He seemed more relaxed now after his mother’s fork fiasco. Kennedy lifted her glass and saluted him like he’d done to her in the seafood restaurant. Clear water could be so much better than some artificial soft drinks she used to like.

The marriage was pretend, but the guy was the real deal. Her heart shifted as if it wanted the marriage to be the real deal, as well. But they hadn’t even kissed yet, hadn’t dated. They were doing everything backward. Or she was.

Well, they did volunteer at the animal shelter together now. And she was getting more and more attached to the beagle. Every evening, she found it more difficult to leave the little chocolate-splashed critter behind. She’d thought a lot about adopting him, and her heart shifted again. But as a couple, they’d already have a dog—Caramel—and then they’d be traveling internationally for their honeymoon. So how could she...

Shewantedto adopt a dog. She couldn’t watch those sad eyes one more day and deny him a home. The schnauzer mix had gotten adopted yesterday, and so had the cute kittens. That had made the beagle sadder.

Her busy life hadn’t allowed a pet before, or so she’d told herself. A dog was a huge responsibility, but so was marriage. She wanted to care for that particular dog. And not that the two could be interchangeable, but as she looked at Austin and her heart fluttered, she already cared about this particular man. She didn’t just choose a marriage of convenience but a marriage tothisman.

Yet something inside her forced her to push back. Was she afraid to be abandoned again if she loved with her whole being? Or was it just the way she was?

“Is there a chance the incident with Emma could’ve been a burglary attempt?” Austin asked with hope in his voice after he raised his fork like a child would raise a hand to ask a question. Then he coughed a little. “Not that I’d want the hotel to be burglarized.”

She shared Austin’s hope as she enjoyed the lamb again. Too bad, there weren’t more things they shared.

“A painting in that room has value but not overly so.” Her uncle shrugged.

“I’m also looking at another angle. It could be Emma was targeted, but something spooked the intruder.” Marina munched on a forkful of rice. “No violent exes in her past, and no conflicts with her coworkers or neighbors. Her family lives far away, and she said there were no conflicts there, either. Nothing suspicious I could dig up so far.”

Then the conversation turned again to the discussions of wedding flowers and table settings and guest seating. But Kennedy’s thoughts had stayed with the beagle. She spun to Austin. “Would you be okay if we adopted the beagle and call him Smiley?” Her shoulders lifted, apologizing for what might seem an odd choice of name for the sad dog. “Not that we’ve seen him smile much yet. But I think we could show him how to be happy again.”

Maybe she could learn to be happy again, too.

Austin’s eyes widened as he rose to his feet and leaned toward her. “Do you mean it?”

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