Chapter 2
chapter
two
Henry
I did not walk into the bakery planning to kiss Gracie. But when I walked in and saw that dipshit ex of hers kneeling in front of her with an open ring box, instinct took over. And once I pulled her soft, plump curves against my body, it was inevitable.
Her lips part in surprise beneath mine, a soft sound catching in her throat that goes straight to my cock.
I keep it brief—reminding myself that I’m in the middle of my sister’s bakery—and if I give in to how much I want this woman, we’re going to get inappropriate real quick.
When I pull back, she’s staring at me like I just upended her entire reality.
Andrew sputters. He clumsily comes to his feet. “I’m supposed to believe that the two of you are married?”
I shift our positions so that Gracie is behind me.
I lean closer to her worthless ex-boyfriend, just enough that only he can hear me.
“Walk away,” I say quietly. “Or I stop being polite.”
He looks between us, anger and humiliation warring on his face, then scoffs.
“This isn’t over,” he grounds out.
“It is,” I reply. “Trust me.”
He storms out.
I grab Gracie’s hand and pull her to the back of the bakery.
“What the hell was that?” Gracie hisses.
I let her pull me through the swinging door and into the prep area, where the noise of the bakery fades, and everything smells like sugar and warm bread.
She spins on me, eyes flashing. Pink stains her cheeks, and her breathing comes out in rapid little puffs. Adrenaline vibrates through her. I know because it’s still surging through me.
Her eyes drop to my lips, then she grabs the front of my shirt and kisses me.
She’s not careful. Definitely not tentative. No, her kiss is raw and unrestrained. She fits against me like muscle memory. Like instinct. Like something I’ve been denying myself for far too long.
For half a heartbeat, I forget where we are. Forget everything except the way her mouth moves against mine and the soft sound she makes in her throat.
I growl in my throat and walk her backward until her back is up against the walk-in freezer. That’s when everything in her shifts.
She pulls back first.
Her fingers go to her lips. “Oh my God.” She swallows visibly.
I back up a few steps to give her some space.
“I don’t know why I did that,” she says.
“I surprised you,” I say.
She makes a noncommittal noise in her throat.
“You just told my ex I’m married!” She bends over, her hands on her knees, her twin brown braids dangle at weird angles.
“We need to talk,” I tell her.
“Oh my God,” she says.
Then my sister is at my side, punching me in the arm. “What is wrong with you?”
“This isn’t about you, Kels,” I tell her with a shake of my head. “Look, I’m gonna drive Gracie home. She’s done for the day.”
I expect Gracie to fight me on that; instead, she rights herself and methodically takes off her apron and hangs it on a hook on the wall.
I ignore Kelsie’s furtive glances and take the purse that Caroline holds out to me.
“Let us know if you need anything,” Caroline says.
Gracie says nothing. Just lets me lead her out the front of the bakery and into my truck, where I lift her into the cab.
We ride to her house in silence, and I kill the engine after pulling into her driveway.
“I’m going to explain,” I say. “If you have any questions, just ask.” I blow out a breath, then scrub my hand down my face. “What I said was true. We are married. Legally.”
Her eyes narrow, and she shakes her head, but still says nothing.
“It was obviously a mix-up, and I wanted to tell you months ago—”
“Wait, you’ve known for months and didn’t tell me?”
“Yes.”
“Why the fuck would you not tell me something like that, Henry?”
“Because I was asked not to.”
She squishes her facial features up. “Nothing is making sense to me right now.”
“Simon called me a while back to tell me about the mix-up. He discovered it after requesting a copy of their marriage license. What he got, instead, was our marriage license.” I unbuckle my seatbelt and turn my body to better face her.
“Evidently, there was some confusion since we walked through the ceremony at the rehearsal. The wedding coordinator had us sign that while Simon and your cousin were our witnesses.”
“So what does that mean for Lana?” she asks.
“They’re not married.” I hold a hand up. “But that’s where the secret came in. At least my keeping it a secret from you. Simon doesn’t want Lana to know. First, it was because they were doing IVF, and now it’s because she’s on bed rest for the pregnancy. He doesn’t want anything to stress her.”
Gracie sighs. “That makes sense, I suppose, but why couldn’t you have told me regardless?”
“I was going to tell you. But then I got a text from Simon telling me to call him immediately. He didn’t think you’d be able to keep it a secret.
” Gracie opens her mouth like she’s going to protest. When I arch my eyebrow at her she just snaps it closed.
Everyone in Saddle Creek knows she can’t lie worth a damn. “And well, now we’re here.”
“Surely this is a simple problem to fix, though, right? I mean we didn’t exactly say vows.”
“The marriage license was filed with Mexico and then subsequently filed in the state of Texas. Simon brought me our marriage certificate. I checked with a buddy of mine who practices law in Dallas. He says the time has passed when we could have contested it. Now our choices are an annulment or a divorce.”
Even saying those words feels wrong.
She shrugs. “An annulment makes sense.”
“Except for the fact that your cousin can’t find out, and this marriage does get you off the hook with your asshat of an ex. Unless you were considering accepting his proposal.”
She winces. “Of course not.”
Her phone keeps buzzing from her purse, but she ignores it.
I nod towards it. “Probably the girls are checking on you.”
“Or you know, the whole damn town since you just said I was your wife in front of everyone.”
“I didn’t plan that. I just kind of lost my head when I saw him kneeling with a ring box.”
“What are we supposed to do now? Just fake it until Andrew gives up and Lana and Simon’s baby is born?”
I lift a shoulder in a shrug.
“Wait, seriously? Is that what you were thinking we’d do?”
This could be the only opportunity I ever have to show this woman what we could be together. I can’t not take the chance.
“Actually, yes. It’s only about six months until their baby is due. We can tolerate each other’s company for that long, don’t you think?”
Her phone buzzes. Again. And then again.
She growls and then digs in her purse to pull out her phone.
Caroline: We’re here if you need us, Honey.
Kelsie: I need to know what’s going on ASAP.
Unknown Number: We need to talk. I’m not giving up.
Her shoulders slump.
“We’re married,” I say slowly. “And now he knows it.”
Her eyes widen. “Henry, no.”
“If we hesitate,” I continue, “he’ll dig. And if he digs, your cousin’s marriage blows up.”
She stands. “So, we what?”
I hold her gaze. “We sell it.”
Her breath catches. “Sell what?”
“The marriage,” I say. “All of it.”
Her laugh is shaky. “You’re insane.”
“Probably,” I admit. “But it’ll work.”
Silence stretches between us.
“No one will believe we secretly got married.”
“Sure they will. We just have to sell it.”
Then she asks the question I both want and dread.
“What does selling it look like?”
I hesitate.
“Living together,” I say. “Being seen together. Public date nights.”
Her phone buzzes again.
She exhales. Long. Slow.
“This is temporary,” she says. “You understand that, right?”
I nod.
I understand that she thinks that.
“Obviously,” I agree.