Chapter 6 #2
But Hayes didn’t skip a beat. “I’m serious, Cath.
I have to get married. I’m not willing to risk losing the estate or having it tied up in a court case.
Granddad fought to keep the valley from becoming a manufacturing complex.
I will do the same.” He held his palms up. “I understand it’s a big ask.”
“A big ask?” I laughed again. “Hayes, asking to borrow money is a big ask. Asking someone to marry you to beat your brother is ludicrous.”
“I know. But I’m prepared to make it worth your while,” he said with complete seriousness. “We’re not talking till death do us part. We would only need to be married long enough to prove that the estate is rightfully mine. Six months. Maybe a year at the most.”
I stared at the mountains in disbelief. Hayes had rendered me absolutely speechless.
“I need someone I can trust, Cath,” he said with sincerity imbuing every word.
“It has to be believable. You have ties here just like I do. Lewis isn’t around unless it serves him, so he doesn’t know we haven’t been together before this.
You have to be out of your mom’s place at the end of the month?
There’s plenty of rooms in the house. Take two or three of them.
You got left with a lot of bills and funeral costs at a shitty time when you were out of work?
For every month we’re engaged and when we’re married, I’ll pay you five thousand dollars. ”
The look in his eye told me Hayes knew I was tempted by his lure.
“If you live here, you won’t have rent or groceries.
You can pay off whatever debt you’ve got.
You can replenish your savings. Take time to find a job you actually like instead of taking the first thing that comes along.
Hallie told me you’re single. The only thing I ask is that you don’t see anyone once you accept this proposal, if you decide to accept.
It would give Lewis too much leverage if he found out.
We’ll get it annulled quietly when he’s lost interest in the estate. ”
Six months of marriage…
I could make thirty grand for what—pretending to be his wife? Was that actually a hardship? Looking at Hayes certainly wasn’t.
Oh my god. Am I actually considering this?
I grabbed my wineglass, tipped it back, and downed it all in one swallow.
Nope. That didn’t help.
I set the glass down and pressed my hands to the linen tablecloth as my head spun.
“Why on earth would you think that getting married on a whim is the answer?” I dug a hand into my hair, not caring at all that it would mess up my DIY blowout.
“There has to be a course of action that’s more reasonable than marrying someone you barely know.
Cornering you into getting married to keep the land?
That doesn’t sound like Walt. There has to be some logical explanation for why—”
“He thought I would be married by the time he passed.”
I froze with my eyes on the wine bottle, then slowly looked up. His sharp gaze was a mask to hide his heartbreak.
Hayes glanced away. “I was engaged…Now I’m not. Granddad must have thought he was doing me a favor by including my ‘spouse’ in the will, when really…”
“It just complicated it even more.”
Hayes nodded.
The two of us sat in silence, reeling from the gravity of what he had to do and what he had asked of me.
Hayes reached across the table and laid his hand on mine. “Cath, I wish I could tell you to take your time thinking it over, but time is the one thing I don’t have.”
“I can’t,” I said softly as I stared at our hands. “I’m sorry you’re in such a tight spot, but I can’t say yes to that. I’ve…” I sighed. “I’ve submitted a few grant applications for funding to the Wilder Foundation. And if Lewis knows I’m involved with you, he will have them denied.”
“What would you use the funding for?” he asked.
“If the grant is enough, I’d use it to buy a parcel of land to start a program here in Honey Hollow. I think I could fundraise the rest of the start-up costs and have it staffed by volunteers until we find long-term donors.”
“I’ll give you the land you need and your start-up money,” Hayes said without skipping a beat.
The sound that left my mouth was somewhere between a scoff and a laugh, because this man was really willing to do whatever it took to make me say yes. Hell, I could probably ask for the keys and title to his fancy SUV and he’d hand it over without blinking.
“If the estate is mine, I can give you a parcel for your program,” he said.
This was getting ridiculous.
I took a deep breath and shook my head. “Hayes, we’re talking about tens of thousands of dollars. Probably more.”
But he never flinched. That unreadable poker face never slipped.
“I just inherited Walt Wilder’s entire estate and fortune.
There’s a reason Lewis will do whatever it takes to get his hands on it.
You want your program with no red tape? Your name beside mine on a marriage license is your blank check. ”
“You’re bluffing.”
Hayes reached into the pocket of his slacks, pulled out his wallet, and handed me his credit card. “The PIN is zero-three-one-six. Take it for a spin. See how it feels.” He cracked a smile. “Buy a wedding dress.”
I stared at the sleek black card, meandering between shock and intrigue. When I didn’t take it from him, Hayes set it beside my wineglass.
“I know it’s a lot, and it’s out of the blue,” he admitted. “If I had any other option, I would take it. But all the money in the world can’t buy time.” His gaze floated to the four gravestones that rested in the garden. “If it could, things would be different.”
“Hayes…” I slumped back in the wrought iron seat. It wasn’t ladylike in the slightest, but decorum had gone out the window when he decided to propose to me.
“We can write an agreement. A contract with terms that work for both of us. The house is big. The property is bigger. We’ll have plenty of space. The wedding will just be one day. After that it’s just paperwork.”
Pain lanced across his face. I couldn’t imagine dealing with losing someone that close to me and then having to fight to keep their legacy alive.
“I know I said I can’t waste any time, but at least take a few days to think about it before saying no,” he pressed.
I glanced toward the house and spotted Hallie, Mason, and Levi watching us through one of the windows.
I had been set up, and everyone was in on it.
My gut twisted as the weight of what Hayes had just asked me to do sank in. At how many people would be affected. I turned my attention back to him and offered a single nod. “I’ll think about it.”