Page 21 of Blue Jean Summer

“I know it’s a lot, and it’s out of the blue,” he admitted. “If I had any other option, I would take it. But all the money in the world can’t buy time.” His gaze floated to the four gravestones that rested in the garden. “If it could, things would be different.”

“Hayes…” I slumped back in the wrought iron seat. It wasn’t ladylike in the slightest, but decorum had gone out the window when he decided to propose to me.

“We can write an agreement. A contract with terms that work for both of us. The house is big. The property is bigger. We’ll have plenty of space. The wedding will just be one day. After that it’s just paperwork.”

Pain lanced across his face. I couldn’t imagine dealing with losing someone that close to me and then having to fight to keep their legacy alive.

“I know I said I can’t waste any time, but at least take a few days to think about it before saying no,” he pressed.

I glanced toward the house and spotted Hallie, Mason, and Levi watching us through one of the windows.

I had been set up, and everyone was in on it.

My gut twisted as the weight of what Hayes had just asked me to do sank in. At how many people would be affected. I turned my attention back to him and offered a single nod. “I’ll think about it.”

Chapter 7

Hayes

I tried to focus on the market rates that had just come in, demanding my attention. But no amount of blinking and looking at the charts could make me focus on my job.

Catherine was perfect and she had said no.

Technically, she said no and then said she’d think about it.

Catherine was the only woman who could do this. The fabricated story would be believable. She came back to Honey Hollow to be with her mom. I came back for my granddad. We bonded in grief. Easy peasy.

But it wasn’t just the convenience of the lie. Catherine was composed. She was well-spoken, but funny. She was gracious and graceful. She knew when to play the game and when to let her guard down.

If I had to go through with this nightmare, I didn’t want to be tethered to someone I’d be miserable around. Even though the marriage was a farce, we would have to be seen together on occasion. Though we had only been together a few times, being in Catherine’s presence wouldn’t be a burden in the least. It was easy to be around her. She had a sharp wit that was only outmatched by her passion. Usually, it took me much longer to become comfortable with someone, but with her it was instantaneous.

Kismet.

I hated dating. The formalities, the metaphorical dance of getting to know each other—it was exhausting.

Maybe that’s why I had proposed to Lynn…

It wasn’t that we were madly in love, though I had tried to convince myself we were. I just didn’t want to be alone. Especially when it felt like I was losing the last of my family.

In hindsight, I could admit that I didn’t propose out of love. I proposed to mitigate risks. Formalizing our partnership was the logical next move. It was less risky to commit than to stay in limbo, wondering when the other shoe would drop and I’d lose someone else.

The joke was on me. I lost her anyway.

I was done putting my heart in someone else’s hands. It was too risky. Keeping it locked away in my rib cage was safer.

The walls began to close in as the last year played in my mind on a loop. I glanced out the window at the rose garden and had just begun to debate if the Wi-Fi would reach far enough for me to take my laptop out there when there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I said as I realized I had completely zoned out and hadn’t actually read anything. I scrolled back to the top of the page to try again.

Hallie poked her head in. “Anything from Catherine yet?”

“No,” I said as I pressed my thumbs into my eye sockets to ease the strain.

Hallie’s forlorn expression matched my own. “I can call her and see where her head’s at.”

“She said she’d think about it. I don’t want to pressure her, but I need her to make a decision soon.”

“Have you started thinking about alternatives?” Hallie asked.