Lime Tree Hill (A Reluctant Kiss #1)

5. Wedded Woe

5

WEDDED WOE

Tayla stared at Mitch in stunned disbelief. If he hadn’t looked so serious, she would have laughed in his face. “Is this some sort of sick joke?”

“Do I look like I’m joking? I need a wife. You need a sale. It’s a business proposition, nothing more. I’m not looking for a connection. A few months of wedded woe, then we go our separate ways. The sale goes through, and your parents can spend their days playing bridge at the retirement complex. Everyone’s happy.”

“Except me.”

Mitch cocked a brow. “Well, that’s your choice.”

“And what will our families say when we invite them to our version of Meet Me at the Altar ? I hate that show.”

“Really? I thought you’d be all over reality TV.”

She scoffed. “As if. So, let me get this straight. You need to be married to inherit the money?”

He nodded. “That’s about the gist.”

Tayla moved her chair back a fraction. The guy was living in La-La Land. “You can’t be serious. I’m sorry, but the Norman I knew would never make such a stipulation. It sounds like some ridiculous eighties sitcom. ”

“Maybe, but he always said a man should be married by his early thirties. Even though my great-uncle knows the sale won’t go through if I don’t get the payout, as executor of the will, he won’t budge on Norman’s wishes.”

“So why make an offer on Cherry Grove if you didn’t have the money?”

Mitch frowned. “I made a hasty decision. Now I’m paying the price for my stupidity.”

Tayla wanted to walk out of that office, through the tree rows, past Norman’s cottage, and never set foot on Lime Tree Hill again. Screw the curiosity rearing its inquisitive head . A man didn’t refer to himself as stupid unless he had good reason .

Memories of her own ‘bad decision’ surfaced. That long wait in the chapel, the sun streaming through the stained glass windows, turning her gown a riot of color. The panicked knot in her chest when she’d realized Hayden was a no-show. The look of pity on the photographer’s face when she’d told him to delete all the pictures he’d spent an hour taking. She wondered if Mitch’s ‘bad decision’ was as miserable as hers.

“And you think another bad decision will right all wrongs?”

“I have no delusions on that score. But if we treat it as a business deal, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Everything. “No one would believe us.”

“Why not? We’ve known each other for years. We could say you’ve always carried a crush.”

Mitch moved back to his chair behind the desk as she struggled to hold her tongue.

“When we reconnected recently, you couldn’t stay away from me.” He stopped, his eyes alive with mischief. If he took it a step further by flashing a smirk, she’d be out of his office and on her way home. “With Barry in the hospital, we eloped to keep things simple. It’s the perfect scenario.”

“My father being in the hospital is a perfect scenario? Unbelievable! ”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Tayla glared at him until he cleared his throat. “How long have you been planning this…this horror pantomime where I’m the co-star with a crush living out my worst nightmare?”

“Since I left Simon’s office. He suggested it. I dismissed it at first, but as I drove home, I thought, why not? I could be the one with a crush if that makes it easier.”

“How kind. But that’s even more of a stretch.” His response to that was a knowing smile. Arrogant bastard . “So, what happens to the money if you don’t marry?”

“It goes to various charities once I turn forty.” He paused. “It’s Norman’s way of pissing me off from beyond the grave. He liked to pull the strings, and he keeps on pulling.”

Tayla had plenty more to say, but she didn’t know where to start. The simple solution was to shut down this ridiculous conversation. She went to stand but stopped when he continued, “Now I know you’re not in a relationship, the only problem—apart from you hating my guts—is what about your life in Sydney?”

She’d asked herself that very question every waking hour for days. What about her life in Sydney? Her job? Her apartment? “Hate may be too strong a word. As for Sydney, my plans are on hold for a few months. Mum and Dad need me here.”

He waited for further explanation, but she didn’t want to confide in Mitch about her life in the city—her life on pause.

“Okay. That’s good.” Mitch leaned forward and steepled his hands. “What do you think?”

“Thank you for finally asking my opinion.” She didn’t bother to mask her sarcasm. “I think you’ve got rocks in your head.”

“But you’re keen?”

“What! No. Of course I’m not keen.” She stood and walked toward the door. “Have a nice day.”

“Tayla?” He picked up his phone. “What’s your number? In case I need to contact you.”

“Call my lawyer.”