Chapter 5
Chapter Five
F ish hadn’t felt the urge to hit someone in years. The tightness in his chest, the clenching of his jaw—those feelings had been buried long before the last time he'd stepped out of his fatigues. The final mission he'd been on had zapped him of all emotions. Or so he'd thought.
He'd been walking in a fog since separating from the military. Until the day he'd shown up at Chow Town. The spark inside of him had come back to life the moment Jules had stepped into the room. It had ignited when she'd handed him a treat, tuning his savory palate into sweetness.
Now, seeing Jules’ eyes prick with tears as Amari rejected her proposal brought it all rushing back. Not the sweetness, the bitterness of battle. Amari’s dismissive tone, the way he overlooked Jules’s passion for the bakery, made Fish’s blood boil.
His fists clenched at his sides, the knuckles turning white with the pressure. His teeth ground together so hard he swore he heard the enamel grating. Every muscle in his body was coiled like a spring, ready to snap. A vein pulsed at his temple, and every heartbeat echoed in his ears like a war drum.
The instinct to protect Jules, to stand between her and any harm, surged through him with a force that made his vision narrow. He took a step forward, the room around him fading as his focus locked on to Amari, the urge to fight and defend her coursing through his veins like molten lava.
His injured hand was now wrapped and secure in a bandage. The stitches pulled as he made a fist. But he didn’t punch Amari. Instead, he focused on Jules, who stood there, her shoulders slumped and her eyes blinking rapidly to hide what she was feeling.
"I'll do it."
Both Jules and Amari turned to look at Fish. Fish ignored Amari and set his gaze on Jules. There was a spark in her eyes. He wanted to make it ignite just as she'd made his feelings and emotions come back online after leaving the fog of war.
"If it will help you rebuild the bakery and reach you dreams, I'll marry you, Jules."
"What?" Amari sputtered, his professional demeanor slipping for a moment.
The man had just stitched Fish up. He was near medical equipment like a scalpel and syringes. To Fish's mind, those weapons would be as effective on him as a tongue depressor. Amari had given up his position on the battlefield, and Fish saw a way in.
But he'd have to be smart about his sneak attack.
"If it's for the money, I'll marry Jules temporarily. She'll get the funds to get the bakery repaired. Once it's repaired, then we'll get a divorce."
Lies. And done so easily. Years after he'd left enemy territory, it looked like his SEREs training was coming in handy. Not that the good doctor would be a challenge to Fish in any survival, evasion, resistance, or escape techniques.
Jules looked at Fish, her mouth opening and closing as if she couldn’t find the words. "Fish, you don’t have to?—"
"I know I don’t have to. I want to. I can’t stand to see you give up your dream because of this. I want to see you succeed. If marrying you is what it takes, then that’s what I’ll do."
Jules bit at her bottom lip. Fish tracked the motion. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times with clear desire.
"I may have an ulterior motive; I can't go another day without the buttery goodness of your sugar free croissant."
The sun broke through the clouds. A rainbow shone overhead. Birds sang a song. All because Jules Chou cracked a smile at him. It was the first one he'd seen since the fire.
Across the room, a suspicious light flickered in Amari's eyes. Though the doctor might be low on street smarts, Fish had to remember that Amari was an intelligent man. Just dumb when it came to locking down the incredible woman that chose to remain on his arm for two years without a ring on her finger. It was a mistake Fish would not make. But it was still a farce he'd have to pull to get his ring on Jules' finger first.
If Amari suspected that Jules meant something more to Fish, then he might just man up and marry her. No one but Noah knew how madly in love with Jules he was. Maybe Jacqui suspected it. Other than that, Fish was certain he'd kept his feelings under wraps, and he intended to keep it that way.
His military training kicked in, particularly the lessons that had been drilled into him on luring the enemy into a false sense of security. Once the enemy thought they were safe, that was when a soldier should strike.
"I know this all sounds crazy, but I'm just trying to help Jules out," Fish said, his voice light and unassuming. "Plus, it would equal job security."
Amari's eyes narrowed slightly. "You work at the restaurant, not the bakery."
Fish kept his expression open and sincere. He knew Amari already thought he was nothing but a worthless cook, and he planned to let him keep believing it. "That's the thing; I've developed a knack for baking over the last year of helping Jules out."
"Helping out in the bakery is one thing," Amari replied, his tone skeptical. "But marriage? That’s a bit extreme, don’t you think?"
Fish shrugged, keeping his demeanor relaxed. "Maybe it is, but it’s just a piece of paper, right? If it means Jules gets her inheritance and can rebuild the bakery, then why not? In exchange, I want to work full time at the bakery."
This whole time, Fish had Amari to his back. As battle tactics went, it was unwise to keep the enemy at your back. In truth, it was a reflection of how Fish felt about his adversary. If Jules accepted his proposal, Amari would no longer be a factor. And so Fish kept his attention focused on the most important person in the room. It was Jules he had to convince.
Jules' eyes were wide. Fish didn't make the mistake of getting caught in her pale gaze. He looked past the dark flecks and saw that she was calculating. She was a Chou, and those women were from strong, independent, intelligent stock.
"We'd be business partners," Fish pressed. "We can have paperwork drawn up, just like Noah and Jacqui."
"What's that about Noah and Jacqui?" asked Amari.
"Doesn't matter." Jules dismissed Amari. "Fish, are you sure?"
Fish nodded. "This is what I want."
Jules tugged at her bottom lip, considering.
Amari rounded on him, coming to stand beside Jules. Fish only barely kept his hands at his sides instead of shoving the doctor away from Jules. Amari studied him for a moment, then seemed to relax slightly, the suspicion in his eyes dimming.
"I suppose it’s not the worst idea. Then you annul in a few months and we can marry in a few years, as planned."
Fish watched Jules as she glanced at Amari, who seemed to be warming up to the idea of a fake marriage. From behind the closed door, the hospital hallway buzzed with activity, but Fish's focus was on the two people in front of him.
Amari was relaxing, the tension in his shoulders easing as he turned the idea over in his head. An idea that required nothing of him, but would cost him a treasure beyond measure. "As long as it's kept quiet and doesn’t cause any complications."
Fish's heart pounded as he glanced at Jules, who was still looking at him with those beautiful, questioning eyes. He forced himself to stay calm, to keep up the charade. "Exactly. We’ll keep it quiet. No one needs to know the details."
Jules's lips curved into a tentative smile. "I don’t know what to say, Fish."
Fish shrugged as though it was no skin off his back, his throat tightening. "It makes sense."
It did make perfect sense to him. He knew once he had that ring on her finger, he there would be no divorce, no annulment. The thought of being married to Jules, even under the guise of a fake marriage, was everything he’d never thought he could have. Once he had her, he would show her that he was the one who truly cared about her dreams, about her happiness, and he would never let her go.