Page 25 of Pretend and Propose

He’s mine.

For now.

Ellery smiles. “Gentry’s always trying to set me up, no matter how many times I’ve told her I’m perfectly capable of asking a man out myself.”

“I think she just wants to see you happy,” Noah says. “She always has good things to say about you.”

“She’s a good friend.” Ellery smiles back at me. “Don’t forget to text me, Daisy. We should go out sometime and talk books.”

“I’d like that.” I’m surprised to discover I really mean it.

“See you around, Noah,” Ellery says. “Since we aren’t going to date, I’m signing on to be a patient. I’m sick of driving to Vance Vale for a doctor.”

She hurries out, nearly knocking over a burly man crossing the restaurant to pay his bill. There’s a shouted, amused back and forth between them, and then Ellery’s gone.

“Wow.” I swish a square of pancake around in my syrup puddle. “She’s the definition of energy.”

“And one of the kindest people in town, according to Gentry.”

“I can see it.” He’s sounds almost in awe of her. I am not a kind person. I’m not a mean person, but I hardly go out of my way to help strangers. “Maybe after I move back to New York—”

“You finished?” Noah asks. “I’ve got to get to work sometime today.”

There’s about a third of my pancakes left, the syrup slowly turning them to mush, but I can’t eat another bite. My stomach roils at the thought of him and Gentry together, laughing, loving each other. She’d be perfect for him. “I’m done. Let’s go.”

Noah waves to our server and hands over his credit card before I have a chance to do anything.

“I’ll pay for my meal, Noah.”

“Nope. I asked you out and I’m paying.”

“But we agreed to do this thing—”

“No argument.” Noah signs the receipt and hands it back to the server. “I know how tight money is for you.”

For once in my life, money actually isn’t tight. After I moved out of my place in New York, there was no way my roommates could afford to hold my room for me when I had no idea if or when I’d be back. For the first time in five years, I’ve got no rent to pay and, though my savings are nonexistent, I also managed not to rack up any debt. Living in New York, I didn’t even need a car.

Our first installment of our inheritance from Dad, paid on the sixth month mark of our living together, bought me a car for while I’m living in Catalpa Creek, and put more money in my savings than I’ve ever had before.

I still feel guilty about it. First, because I haven’t actually lived here for six months and just happened to be there the day Dad’s lawyer gave us the money. She said her orders were to give the money to the sisters present at that time, regardless of how long we’d stayed there.

The other reason I feel guilty is that our father was a con artist and his money is dirty. Clover is refusing to spend any of it, Honey and Dani are putting it into the sanctuary farm, and Goldy is splitting her share between the farm and Clover’s plan to re-imburse local folks Dad conned.

I’m the only sister spending the money on myself, but I’m also the only one who’s unemployed and planning to move back to one of the most expensive cities in the world. I can’t afford to be more generous.

But I can still feel all kinds of guilty about it.

“I have money, Noah. I don’t need you to take care of me.”

He gets to his feet and offers me his hand. I take it and let him pull me up. Once I’m standing, he wraps an arm around my shoulders. “I’m not taking care of you. I’m treating you like the queen you are.”

I roll my eyes. “Seriously?”

He chuckles and I feel the rumble of it in his chest where his body is touching mine. “You don’t see it yet, but you deserve all the finest things in life, Daisy Weston. You deserve to be pampered and cared for and showered with love.”

I deserve nothing. But my throat is too tight for me to argue with him.

We walk the two blocks to the bookstore with Noah’s arm around me. The sun is shining, the trees are lush and flowersspring from the pots lining the sidewalk. The day couldn’t be more beautiful and I feel… I don’t know what I feel with Noah’s arm tight around me, his easy stride matching mine despite our height difference. I feel safe and happy, but more than that, I feel cherished.

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