Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 79831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
He rolls his eyes. “Stop it.”
“I’m just being sure. I don’t want to marry a man who is secretly pining for another woman.”
He makes a face, trying hard not to laugh.
“Okay, fine,” I say. “Yes, I still think we should do this. It’s a little batshit crazy, but this will change our lives. You’ll get the land, but I’ll get the house and a chunk of acreage, too. If hell freezes over and I decide I want to stay, I’ll have a nice place to live. But, if it doesn’t, I can sell it, maybe even to you, if you want it, and not have to save and scrimp for the rest of my life.” I shrug. “I can pretend to be your wife for a year for that.”
A shadow crosses his expression before he smooths it away. “How do you want to do this?” he asks.
“Get married? I mean, I don’t know. I suppose we can go to the courthouse or something, right?”
He nods. “She said we have to tell her within a week, but did she say how fast we have to actually do it?”
“No,” I say, grabbing my phone from inside my car. “But I’m sure it’s an unspoken requirement. I’m going to text her.”
Me: Quick question. IF Hartley and I get married, how soon do we need to actually go through with it?
Lolly: A week.
Me: YOU WANT US MARRIED IN A WEEK?
Lolly: Don’t shout.
I roll my eyes as I look up at Hartley. “She said we have to get married in a week. That’s ridiculous.”
“A week?” He runs a hand over his jaw. “Lolly isn’t playing.”
“I don’t know, Hart. Maybe we just tell her that she’s gone too far this time and that she needs to let us take a breath.”
He considers this as his eyes search mine. “We could. Or we can look at it like this—the sooner we get married, the faster it’ll be over.”
True. I want to crack a joke that he’s trying to get rid of me before we’re even married, but he doesn’t seem to be very jokey. That’s understandable, given the circumstances.
Lolly: ATD. BFF. Talk to you soon.
I study her message but can’t make sense of her abbreviations. At the door? Best friends forever?
I hope she didn’t mix up her meds again. Although, that would make a lot of sense right about now …
Me: What’s that mean? ATD. BFF.
Lolly: At the doctor. Best friend fell.
I snort. Of course that’s what it means. Shaking my head, I type out a response.
Me: I hope she’s okay.
Lolly: She probably broke an arm. I need younger friends.
Me: So a week. You’re sticking by that?
Lolly: I have to ensure that you two won’t back out on me. With all due respect—I know you, Mira Mae. You could very well get cold feet by the weekend, bail out, and I’d have already turned down Beardsley. Even if I went back to him, he’d lower his price, and that would be a hell of a negotiation.
Me:
Lolly: There is a lot of money on the line, honey. I need proof that you’re serious about this, and this is the only way.
Lolly: And it could be worse. You’ll thank me, eventually.
I glance up at Hartley, and the look in his eye makes my knees weak.
Me: I know you don’t have to give me anything, and that you’ll give me and Markie so much—even if I have to jump through hoops to get mine—is very kind of you. Thank you, Lolly.
Lolly: I love you girls. Everything I have is yours. Even if I wind up selling the house and land, you and Markie would split it. But Markie doesn’t want the house, and I think you might someday. I’m trying to do what’s right by you.
My heart softens as I stare at her words.
She’s been an amazing stand-in mother to my sister and me, and I know she has our best interests at heart. Either way it works out, Markie and I are going to be very well off. I’m beyond grateful for that and haven’t really taken enough time to ponder what that might mean or the exact dollar amount I might be dealing with. I just hope Lolly is right and this marriage thing is worth it.
Me: I love you.
Lolly: You more. GTG. DICI.
I’m not even asking what that means.
I toss my phone back in my car. “Do you ever text Lolly?”
“Yeah. She uses this weird code that you can’t quite figure out.”
“All the time.” I smile at him. “So a week.” I take a breath as frustration gets the best of me. “This is going too far. I’ll have to uproot my whole life in a week. Where am I supposed … to go …”
Hartley’s lips curl. “If you’re my wife, I’m guessing you’ll live with me.”
Right.
Oh, fuck.