Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
J ami tiptoed down the hallway. The soft click of her heels was muted by the worn wooden floors of her childhood home. Her white sundress swished against her legs as she moved. The house was quiet, blissfully still, and she was counting on that.
Both her sisters were notorious early risers. Jacqui had begun heading to the restaurant at the crack of dawn as a teenager. Jules had always been up before the sun at the stove, filling the house with the scent of warm, sweet pastries.
Now they were both married. Jami supposed she would have to silently thank her new brothers-in-law for keeping her sisters occupied into the wee hours of the night. It allowed her to slip out unnoticed, head to the courthouse, get this marriage of convenience done, and be back before anyone could ask too many questions. Her motto had always been better to ask for forgiveness than permission, especially when it came to family.
She reached the front door, hand on the knob, when a voice behind her made her freeze in place.
“Jami?”
She whipped around, her heart racing. There stood Noah, Jacqui’s husband, looking at her with a confused expression as he stepped out of the kitchen. Pajama bottoms hung low on his hips, and a mug of coffee was in his hand.
Jami forced a smile, her brain scrambling to come up with a believable excuse. “Oh, hey, Noah. Didn’t think you’d be here.”
"I live here." Noah raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying her casual tone. “I'm working a job later this afternoon."
Noah was an electrician, and a skilled one at that. Since coming to town, his services had been highly in demand.
"Where are you heading so early?”
Jami opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. Her mind was a blank slate. The carefully constructed lie she’d planned should she be caught slipped through her fingers like sand. She blinked, trying to stall. Noah tapped the bottom of his coffee cup, waiting.
Finally, he seemed to take pity on her, offering a crooked smile. “Look, if you need a ride somewhere, I’m free. Just let me know.”
Jami held on to the breath she'd been holding lest in come out in a whoosh and further condemn her. “No, no. I’m good. I’m just... heading into town. Gonna meet up with an old friend.”
Noah nodded slowly, though his eyes still held a hint of curiosity. “All right, then. You have a good day, Jami.”
“You too,” she replied quickly, inching toward the door.
As soon as he disappeared back into the kitchen, she slipped outside, shutting the door softly behind her. If she'd woken up Jacqui, she would've gotten far more of an interrogation. And Noah called himself a soldier.
Outside, the cool morning air hit her like a splash of water. Jami let out a shaky breath, relief flooding through her. That was too close.
Her heels clicked against the sidewalk as she made her way down the street. The walk into town should cool her jangling nerves. She knew she should’ve told her sisters about her plan, but that would’ve meant dealing with a million questions and a lot of disapproving looks. And right now, she needed to focus. This wasn’t about love or romance—it was business.
Ryan needed this as much as she did. Sure, the guy had always been unlucky—bad bets, bad timing, bad decisions—but this was going to help both of them. With the money from her inheritance, she could finally finish her cookbook, finally travel to all the places she’d only dreamed about.
And Ryan? Well, he’d get a fresh start. Clear his debt and finally get his head above water. He'd said Vegas had taught him a lesson, and she was glad she could help put all that behind him. And then they would go their separate ways. This was all going to work out for the both of them.
The courthouse was quiet, almost too quiet, as she entered. It was the kind of quiet that made her heart pound just a little faster. The kind of quiet that was holding its breath because it knew something big was about to happen and the quiet didn't want to miss a second of it.
Jami scanned the room, looking for Ryan. He was supposed to meet her here, supposed to be waiting. But as her eyes darted around, there was no sign of him.
Her stomach dropped.
Where was he?
Had he changed his mind?
She doubted it. When she'd told him she would have the money to put him in the black, he'd looked so relieved. Like she would be saving his life.
Jami had seen that look on her ex's face before. The desperate look, not the relieved one. Though she had seen the relief a few times at the end of their dates when he'd seemed to hold his breath as the waiter took his credit card.
She remembered how he'd often be late or completely miss dates back when they were a couple. Responsibility wasn't an adjective used to describe Ryan Daniels. She didn't need him to be responsible now. She just needed him to say two words, and she'd take care of the rest.
Just as she was about to pull out her phone and call him, a figure stepped into view from the side hallway.
Jed.
He stood there, tall and devastatingly handsome, in his military dress uniform, the fabric crisp and immaculate, adorned with gleaming medals that caught the light like tiny stars. The rows of ribbons on his chest told stories she hadn’t heard yet, stories of bravery, of sacrifice, of a man who carried more than just his own dreams on his broad shoulders. The gold buttons marched down his chest in perfect symmetry, and the polished insignia on his shoulder glinted with authority and pride.
Jed’s posture was straight, almost regal, and the uniform accentuated every inch of his powerful frame—from the breadth of his chest to the taper of his waist. The sharp creases of his trousers led down to his perfectly shined black shoes, reflecting the light like mirrors. His hat, tucked neatly under one arm, revealed his dark hair, combed and styled in a way that made her fingers itch to run through it.
He didn’t belong here—he belonged in a magazine, or on the cover of a romance book, or... anywhere but here. The sight of him stole the air from the room. The quiet breathed a sigh, like this was what it had been waiting for.
Jed's eyes met hers, and there was a flicker of something dark, something knowing, in his gaze. He didn’t smile. He just stood there, looking every bit like the devil in disguise.
“Jami,” Jed said, his voice low, smooth, and way too calm.
Jami's pulse skittered wildly, her mind racing. “What... what are you doing here?” she finally managed to ask, her voice shaky despite her best efforts. Was he here to get married too? Why did that thought make her fingers curl into a fist? "Never mind. I don't care."
Jed took a step closer, his eyes never leaving hers. Jami’s mouth went dry. Her fingers did curl, but they gripped the strap of her purse tightly. She hadn't been prepared for this. Jed Winchester had a way of making her forget everything, every plan, every thought that made sense. And now, standing there, looking like he was about to either ruin her day by starting a war or swoop in like a hero and save her from herself, she had no idea what to say.
“I... I’m meeting someone,” she stammered, trying to pull herself together. “Ryan. He’s supposed to?—”
“Ryan’s not coming.”
“What do you mean, he’s not coming?”
Jed didn’t answer right away. His gaze went hard, unyielding. Then, slowly, a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “Because I made sure of it.”
He stood so close, his presence looming, filling the empty courthouse hallway like he belonged there. Like he had been waiting for this moment all along.
"I paid off his debt," he said simply. Like it was the most normal thing in the world. "You're not marrying a man with a gambling problem."
"It's none of your business."
But Jed went on as though he didn't hear her. "You think he won't ruin your credit and put you in debt? You think I'd let you marry a man like that?"
"Let me? You don’t get to decide who I marry."
“I’m not deciding anything. I’m giving you a better option.” Jed moved her to a corner and boxed her in. “You want your inheritance? I’ve got a way for you to get it—without Ryan, without any of that mess. You and me.”
“You and me? What are you talking about?”
Every word that passed his lips was slow and deliberate. “We get married. You get your inheritance. I don’t need your money, but I do need a partner for a couple's reality show.”
Jami stared at him, the words not quite sinking in. “Wait. What?”
“I need someone to compete with me in a culinary reality show. It’s a couples' competition. You become my wife and keep your money. I get my shot at winning the show. The show will boost your reputation in the food world. You’ll be everywhere. People will know your name.”
Jami's brain tried to catch up with everything he was saying. It sounded... insane. It sounded impossible. At the same time, it made sense in a way that made her chest tighten with something dangerously possessive. Possessive for Jed Winchester.
This wasn’t about love. This was about business, just like it had been with Ryan. But this—this felt different.
So much different.
Before she could say another word, the door to the clerk’s office swung open. A woman with a clipboard stepped out, looking down at the papers in her hand. "Who’s here to get married?" she asked, her voice cheerful, oblivious to the storm brewing in the hallway.
Jed's dark eyes ignored the woman. They watched Jami. The quiet went silent again. Watching, waiting for the next boom.
What was she doing? What had she gotten herself into?
The clerk's pen tapped against her clipboard. She looked between Jami and Jed, waiting for an answer. Jami’s breath came quicker, her thoughts racing, her heart in her throat.
But as she met Jed’s eyes, something flickered inside her. A spark. A pull she’d been fighting for years. And for just a moment, it felt like maybe—just maybe—this was the right thing to do. She let out a breath in the silence. That breath sounded like an explosion to rival the finale of a Fourth of July fireworks display.