Chapter 12
Noelle
Who knew getting married would be the easy part?
After getting the court papers signed and packing our bags, we flew home early the next morning so I could be back to work today.
Nick dropped me off at my place after we landed and told me he would text me later today to talk about how we were going to get the word out about our being married.
It won’t take long once the news gets around town but still, we need a way to tell people that we’re suddenly married after not seeing one another for over ten years.
Looking at the calendar hanging from my wall, I take note that it’s the second Monday of November.
The married part is taken care of, but can we sell it enough to make Grandma Mary believe we are actually married?
I mean, technically the family will states that I need to have a husband, which I do.
But I know Grams and if she gets any whiff that this isn’t the real deal, she won’t sign the inn over to me.
We’re going to have to sell it to make her and the entire town believe that we’ve reconciled so hard we just had to get married.
My phone buzzes on my vanity. Picking it up, I see that it’s a text from Nick.
Good morning wife. When are you done at the inn today?
I roll my eyes at him calling me ‘wife,’ but still feel the butterflies in my stomach flap their wings a little faster than before.
Don’t call me that. You don’t need to pretend with me.
Who says I’m pretending?
I scowl at my phone trying to figure out what the hell that’s supposed to mean. Of course, he’s pretending. Why would he not be pretending?
I’m usually done by six on Mondays.
I send a response back, ignoring his message completely.
Okay. I have some projects to work on today so let’s talk after work about how we’re going to break the news to people.
Okay.
I set my phone down assuming the conversation will end there but it buzzes again. Confused, I pick up my phone and read his text message.
I hope you have a good day at work, sugar. You were made to own and run Holly House. Go out there and show the world how much that’s true.
Rereading his message at least four times, I glare at my phone and wonder why he’s trying so hard.
He doesn’t have to pretend with me, I’m in on the secret.
He knows that, right? I put my phone down again and finish getting ready so I’m not late to work.
Standing from my vanity, the light catches the silver, diamond-studded band resting in the small trinket dish where I left it.
I feel like it’s staring at me, reminding me of the permanent bond I’ve recently made and how I have to show people that it’s not all pretend.
Picking it up, I hold it in front of my face as if my staring at it will make it disappear.
“Oh for Christ’s sake,” I huff to myself before shoving the damn thing onto my finger.
Storming out of my bedroom, I grab my coat and my purse, ready to head out into town sporting my new piece of jewelry.
Only seven weeks to convince the town and Grandma Mary that Nick and I are in this for real.
Only seven weeks where I have to keep my heart in check and continue to believe that my feelings for him are nothing more than pretend. It’s only seven weeks.
I can survive seven weeks.
I hope.
Oddly enough, the inn is slower for a Monday than it normally is.
While the bulk of our check-ins and check-outs happen over the weekend, Mondays are when many of the townspeople like to stop in for a coffee or have lunch at the restaurant.
Eve has caused quite a stir around town for how delicious her food is to the point where more and more locals are popping in for a quick bite or when they opt to have dinner here than cook at home.
While I know she’ll never admit it, I know she’s happy to be back.
“Happy Monday, Noelle. How was your weekend?” Belle asks, coming to say hi as she comes in for the day. It’s a little after lunch and she’s coming in to work the evening shift since our usual night manager is home with a sick kiddo.
“Oh, it was good. Chill, you know,” I answer causally, spinning my wedding band around my finger.
She sets her stuff in the office and comes back out, bumping me out of the way so she can check the online registration book for the week.
“That’s nice. We didn’t see you all weekend, were you sick? I know you usually take the weekends off but you still pop in every now and then.” Her eyes are fixated on the computer screen as she asks.
“Uhh, no. Not sick. Just…busy.” I’m waiting for her to look at me. When she does, I quickly use my left hand to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear. She immediately spots the ring and her eyes go wide.
Snatching my hand into hers and pulling it close to her face, her eyes bug out at my ring. “What the hell is that?”
“What the hell is what?”
The two of us look over my shoulder to find Eve staring at us from the doorway.
“This!” Belle shouts, yanking my hand up for her to see.
Eve scrunches her nose up at my hand. “Ew, why are you wearing an old lady ring on your finger?”
I pull my hand from Belle’s and clutch it into my chest. “It’s not an old lady ring,” I cry out defensively.
“Yeah it is,” she scoffs. “It looks like some old lady wedding band. Where’s the big rock? And why are you wearing a wedding band anyway?”
I swallow hard and look between them, pinching my lips together.
“Because I’m married.”
“You’re what?” Belle’s mouth falls open.
“Oh, god, tell me it isn’t Ron,” Eve grimaces.
“Eve! Gross, no it isn’t Ron. It’s—it’s Nick.”
“What?” Eve deadpans, all of the muscles in her face going slack.
“Ahhhh! Oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you!” Belle holds onto my shoulders as she jumps up and down. “I knew you would get back together; you two were always meant to be together.”
I jump along with her, trying to sell my fake marriage to my two best friends.
“Haha, yep. You said it,” I say as convincingly as I can, painting a smile on my face as we bounce around behind the check-in desk.
“What are you talking about?” Eve barks.
“You aren’t supposed to end up together.
We burned pictures of that low-life, piece of shit’s face after he dumped you.
You’re not supposed to end up together and you’re definitely not supposed to be married to him.
You better tell me right now that this is some sort of stupid prank, Noey. ”
I stop bouncing to look at her.
“It…it isn’t a prank,” I lie and feel my heart sink when I do. “When we went to coffee we talked and he apologized. Being back in the same space and him being back in town brought all those old feelings back up. I don’t know; it’s hard to explain.”
Eve glares at me and takes a few steps closer, bringing herself just a few inches short of where I’m standing.
“Noelle Holly, you look me in the face and swear on your grandmother’s life that you and Nick got married for real.” She holds my stare and I can feel the nervous sweat starting to roll down my back as her eyes pierce straight through me like the expensive knives she uses to slice vegetables with.
I press my lips together trying to get my mouth to lie but I can’t.
I glance around the inn before snatching them both at the wrist and pulling them into the back office.
I shove them inside and close the door behind me.
The room is tiny to start with but with the added boxes filled with Christmas decorations that need to go up and the old clunky desk that’s been in here since I was a girl, it’s even smaller.
“I can’t lie to you two,” I start, looking between them. “And I’m not going to swear on Grams’s life, that’s just asking for bad luck to hear me and come knocking,” I add, glaring at Eve.
Taking a breath, I let them in on the secret.
“Nick and I are married. We went to Boston this weekend and got married at the courthouse.”
“You’re fucking kidding,” Eve mutters.
“But it’s not permanent,” I cut in. “Belle, your rent–a–husband joke gave me the idea of finding someone to marry temporarily. Long enough to where Grams will sign the inn over to me so it can stay in the family. It sounded crazy at first but the more I thought about it, the less crazy it sounded.”
“So you picked Nick Winters to be your temporary husband?” Eve grimaces as if she just took a bite of bad fruitcake.
“He was the choice that made the most sense. We have history, we used to be together. When I presented the idea to him I fully expected him to tell me no, but he didn’t.” I shrug.
“Of course he didn’t,” Belle hums, looking at me with hearts in her eyes. “I never thought you two were supposed to break up. He’s probably still in love with you after all this time which is why he jumped at the chance to be your husband—even if for a short while.”
“Nick is not still in love with me,” I say firmly, shaking my head at her.
“And Jack isn’t in love with Eve,” she deadpans, looking at me with a flat expression.
“Jack isn’t in love with me,” Eve butts in. Belle and I both roll our eyes at her.
“Look, I know this is crazy. I know this sounds made up or like it’s from some silly romance book but it’s not,” I say, waving my hands out in front of me.
“Nick and I are married but it’s all fake.
And we need to convince the town, and Grams, that it isn’t fake.
At least long enough for me to inherit the inn and save Holly House from being sold. ”
I look between the two of them, both with different expressions on their faces. Belle is beaming from ear to ear and Eve is scowling at me like this is the dumbest thing she’s ever heard.
“So what do you need from us?” Belle asks, sounding excited.
“To help us sell the story? Tell people around town if they ask about it that we’re really in love and happy to be married?” I offer.
“I can do that!”
“I can’t,” Eve comments. Her arms are crossed in front of her chest as she looks between the two of us. “This is crazy, Noelle. You can’t pretend he’s your husband for what, eight weeks, then divorce him and move on like nothing’s happened. I know you; I know how your heart works.”
“Eve, I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl; I can handle this.”
“I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” There’s a softness to her that she rarely shows as she speaks. She’s one of my longest and dearest friends, the one who was there to put me back together when everything fell apart before. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that she’s worried about me.
I pull her into a hug and speak into her ear. “I promise, I can handle this. It’s not about me or Nick or our past. It’s about Holly House. You know I’d do anything for this place.”
She pulls away and holds me by the arms, studying my face. “Yeah, including putting your heart on the line to be broken again. But if this is what you want to do, I’ll help you do it. Even if it is insane.”
“Thank you, Eve. Thank you both, seriously. Help us keep our secret and sell our fake relationship and there’s a Christmas bonus in it for both of you,” I say with a smile.
“I’d take cheaper rent if I’m being honest,” Eve says as we spill out of the tiny office space.
“You don’t pay rent as it is,” I call out to her as she heads back to the kitchen. I hear her fall into a fit of laughter as she lets the kitchen door swing closed behind her.
Before I know it, the day has gotten away from me and it’s past six.
Belle and I spent the afternoon going through Christmas decorations and taking stock of what needs to be repaired, replaced, and restocked.
We’re working to count the number of wreaths we have to make sure we have enough bows for each when the bell above the front door chimes.
I step around the boxes to greet the newcomer.
“Welcome to the Holly House Inn, how may I—what are you doing here?” I stop dead in my usual greeting when I see Nick standing in front of me.
He’s wearing a dark gray overcoat and some sort of deep burgundy sweater underneath.
The color of it highlights the color of his eyes and I can’t help but notice the fresh stubble dotting his jawline.
“I’m here to walk my wife home,” he replies confidently. His eyes move to where Belle is standing behind me in a mess of artificial pine and flower wire. “Hey, Belle. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. How are you doing?” she calls back with a sideways smile.
“I’m doing better now that I get to spend the evening with my beautiful bride.” He looks back at me. “You ready to go?”
“Uhh, we’re kind of in the middle of something here—”
“She’s ready,” Belle hurries out, dropping the wreaths in her arms to the floor to reach for my stuff from the office. She pushes my coat and my bag into my hands and shuffles me out from behind the counter and into Nick’s arms. “You two have a good night now.”
I make a face at her, confused why she’s acting like this when she knows as well as I do that Nick and I are only acting. She simply smiles at me and Nick, pushing us both towards the door.
“I’ll finish our little project tonight and give you an update tomorrow. Bye, you two!”
Before I can stop him, Nick is taking my jacket from my hands and helping me into it. I go to take my bag from him that he’s taken but he pulls it away.
“I got this,” he says, turning away from me so I can’t reach it.
“I can carry my bag, Nick. Give it to me,” I say under my breath.
“That’s okay, sweetie. Let me carry it for you,” he replies a little louder than necessary. Looking behind me, I notice that the entire dining room is watching us go through the little dance we’re in with raised, suspicious eyebrows.
“Thanks,” I say, suddenly feeling on display.
He opens the front door of the inn for me and takes my hand into his before pulling me through it. When it’s closed behind us, I try to pull my hand away from his but he only hangs on tighter.
“Let me go, Nick, we don’t need to hold hands.”
He releases an almost comical sigh, breathing in the crisp fall air that’s only getting colder and sharper with each passing day.
“Nope. I don’t think I will. I think the best way to ease people into the idea of us being married is to walk through town holding hands. Don’t you?”
“Uhhh, no?” I sputter, hating his idea more than anything.
“Come on, wife. It’s time to show the town that the Winters’ are wed and we have something to celebrate.” He pulls me down the front steps and I have no choice but to follow along with him.
“I wish you would stop calling me that,” I grumble as he pulls me down the main drive and into town.
Not because I don’t like it, but because I hate how it makes my insides hot and wish something fierce that this is actually real.