“I’m serious. Isabelle makes the most amazing cookies on the planet.”
“That’s because you’ve been married for like five minutes. Give it a couple of decades; I’m sure the cookies will go away.”
“You know, getting married isn’t the worst thing in the world.” Freddie spun the temporary ring around his fourth finger. Because apparently male engagement rings were a thing now. “You had to know this was coming. Your father wasn’t going to leave you Blake Hotels without the promise of heirs.”
I honestly hadn’t been thinking about that when I vowed I wouldn’t let a woman get close to me ever again. Besides, I’d thought my father would live long enough for Miles to get older and be ready to take over the company.
“Knowing it’s coming and having a month to seal the deal are two different things,” I said.
“I thought you said he had six months?”
“He wants time to decide what ultimatum to give Miles if I fail.”
“Shit,” Freddie muttered.
“Why don’t you hire someone?” Orlando suggested. “You’re about to inherit all your father’s money. Besides, aren’t you a millionaire in your own right? Just offer to pay some girl a chunk of money to be your fake wife until your inheritance is secure.”
“That sounds messy. And I’d have to let a stranger live in my house for the next six months or however long it takes before Dad actually dies.”
“Who said anything about a stranger?” Orlando knocked back the rest of his drink and gave me a shit-eating grin. “You could marry my sister. The one who isn’t already married, obviously.”
“Hard pass.”
Orlando laughed. “Okay, so not my sister.”
“As much as it pains me to say it, Amato might be right,” Freddie said. “A deal makes more sense than thinking you can find The One in a few weeks. If you make a deal, it’ll buy you time and you can worry about heirs later.”
I wasn’t going to have heirs ever, but I didn’t bother telling my friends that. Essentially they were right—an arrangementwouldbuy me time, and it would buy Miles time too. I could inherit the company shares and give them to my brother when he was ready to take over, or we could sell them and erase any worries about Mom having enough to keep her house.
It wasn’t an ideal plan, but it was better than any alternative.
An hour later, we’d identified a major flaw with the fake-marriage plan. The only women I knew were either related to me or married. Maggie didn’t have any single friends left. Freddie was an only child. I’d already ruled out Orlando’s unmarried sister.
“You really don’t know anyone else?” Orlando asked. “Think friends of friends, the woman who cleans your penthouse, the barista you buy coffee from. Someone must have a sister or cousin or something.”
A face flashed in my mind—warm whisky eyes; bronze skin smattered with freckles; soft, full lips that tasted like sugar.
I shut the thought down immediately. Danielle Towler was out of the question. I’d screwed up more than enough already when it came to her. I wouldn’t drag her into my shit show of a life again. It wasn’t going to happen.
Except once I’d thought her name, I couldn’t stop. Her face plagued my every thought, and forgetting her became impossible… just like it had always been.
SIX
Danielle
My phone chimedin my purse, and I flinched. I’d hated the sound of my text tone since the weeks following Hayden’s accident when Z would text me regularly, asking for updates.
I’d heard nothing from him in over a year, and I still couldn’t break the habit of flinching every time someone texted me. Miles had picked up on it early on and started only calling me, but not everyone was that observant. Or spent enough time with me to notice my reaction.
I pulled the phone out to find a group text from Kylie telling us she’d finished our latest book club read and asking when we could all get together.
I watched the replies pour in seconds later from the rest of my friends.
Sierra
Fridays work really well for me right now. How about next week?
Piper
