I open my mouth, close it again, and frown. “Don’t what?”
“You don’t have to walk it back. I get it. You got caught up in the moment up there. You didn’t actually mean it. There’s no way a guy like you would fall for a girl like me. It’s fine. Let’s do this like we planned. No worries.”
“A girl like you? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re you, Collin. Practically perfect. Funny. Kind. So good looking that sometimes you’re hard to look at.” She sucks in a breath. “I’m not any of those things. I’m a girl with a rough past and a basic-looking future. It’s fine.”
I shake my head. “That’s not what I meant at all.”
She frowns. “Then what?”
“I meant every word I said up there, Noli.” I grab for her hands again, willing the skin-to-skin contact to act like osmosis and get her to believe me. “I’ve been fidgety ever since because I didn’t make myself clear enough. I want to date you. I want to get to know you even more. I want to see where things can go between us. But I realize that confuses and complicates things. Because you’re marrying me as part of our agreement, right? That’s all. But now I’ve gone and caught feelings for you. So I wanted to make sure you’re still okay with this. Because if it makes you uncomfortable, we don’t have to go through with it.”
Noli’s mouth is hanging open. “B-but what about your campaign?”
“Screw the campaign. I care about you and your feelings a lot more than becoming the county sheriff.”
Noli searches my gaze, and I hold my breath.
“I’m good with it if you are,” she says carefully.
“Really?”
“I mean, we’ll still be married in name only, right?” she says matter-of-factly. Then she adds more shyly, “But we can keep getting to know each other, like in a real relationship. Is that what you mean?”
“Exactly,” I agree. “And if you want out, whenever, say the word. But I’m in with you.” I give her hands a squeeze.
Her eyes search mind, and after a moment, she offers me a small smile. “It’s backward, but I’m in too.”
I exhale. “I was hoping you’d say that. I’m going to date you so hard, Noli Kasper. You won’t even know what hit you.”
She chuckles at that, and she looks truly happy. Radiant, even.
Until she looks out over my shoulder, and her smile freezes on her face. “We’ve got company.”
I turn around and see the woman from the plane ride to Pensacola. That reporter.
“Why is she here?” Noli asks through a forced smile. She holds up her hand and waves to Ashlyn.
“Wish I knew,” I mutter. Ashlyn and I communicated via email earlier in the year. I answered her questions for an online article, but I haven’t heard from her since it went live this spring.
“There’s the happy couple.” Ashlyn smiles when she gets to us. She’s wearing a pantsuit and clicky-clacky heels.
“Uh, hi. I didn’t know the press knew we’d be here today.” I put a protective arm around Noli’s shoulder. She leans into me, anddang,I could get used to this.
“I’m pretty invested in you two,” Ashlyn says, glancing between us. “The community seems to be buzzing about your engagementand nuptials. My boss says we need to give the people what they want, so I’ll be writing an article about your wedding.”
“Of course,” Noli says, her voice measured.
“No cold feet for either of you?” Ashlyn asks.
“We were just talking about that, actually,” I say easily. “Our toes are toasty warm. Right, fruitcake?”
Noli snorts but manages to cover it with a cough. She grins up at me. “Basically burning up, jellyfish.”
I get so caught up in the adorable dimples on either side of her mouth that pop out when she calls me that ridiculous name that I almost forget Ashlyn is here. But then I catch the look she’s giving us. Like she can’t believe we’re doing this. If skepticism had a face, it would be Ashlyn.
I can practically see her salivating. She thinks there’s a story here. She’s not wrong, but I’m also not going to give it to her. Not today. Not now that I’ve finally told Noli how I really feel.
