Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57853 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
"I think that's a fine idea," Pierce tells her, not hiding his smile in the least. I glare at him again.
"I'm full." I push back from the table. My head is spinning because I cannot stay at the B&B with him. Oh, I want to. That's part of the problem, and if my mom is right about the no-sex thing for an annulment, I'll never make it, which is bullshit.
I'm saving myself, not even for marriage but for my person. I don't see how that person could be Pierce. It feels right, but how can I be so sure? I often bite off more than I can chew and get myself into tricky situations.
I have to handle this right. I can’t be the one to ruin New Hope's tradition. Then a curse would fall upon the town, and we'd all die. Okay, that's a bit dramatic, and I have been hanging out with Katherine too much, but I know that's what she'd say, so I'm filling in.
"Me too." Mom stands. "Let the men handle this." She waves her hand over the table before grabbing my elbow and leading me out of the dining room.
“You got anything you need to tell me?” Mom asks when we enter the living room together.
“What?” I shift on my feet.
“You didn’t marry a random man. You must have known he was the one. Now, is there a reason you didn’t tell us about him?” Crapsicle.
He is kind of a random man, and I’m not sure what all I should share at this point. I really don’t want to tell them that because of me and my antics, a whole giant ski resort might be built here. Something New Hope has prided itself on never happening. I might be able to fix the situation without anyone ever knowing, especially since Pierce said he could help me with it.
"I mean, he's random in the sense that I haven't known him long. You know?" That’s the understatement of the year, but that’s our little secret.
"Well, that's nothing new around here." She lets out a small laugh. "Why are you running from this man? He let your father bring him back here, and I see the way he stares at you."
"I don't know his intentions." And that scares the utter crap out of me. I don't do anything half-assed. I never have, and if I let myself fall for this man, he could break me. Leave me in pieces that will never be put back together again. It might already be too late for me.
"He followed you to New Hope. Did you ghost him?"
"I wouldn't say I ghosted him. I mean from the city. Now this morning, I definitely tried to."
"Are you running scared, or are you running because you enjoy him chasing you?"
"Mom," I huff.
"So both." Why does she have to know me so well? I’m not even sure why she’s asking me most of these questions when we both know she already knows the answers. She’s not fooling me with her tactics.
"Whatever," I mutter, making Mom laugh again. I'm not going to say it outloud. Besides, Pierce is kind of blackmailing me. What he’s getting out of it I’m not sure, but my trust is low, which he also called out. “We all know from past experience that I don’t always make the best, most sane decisions.”
Mom rolls her eyes at that. "It always worked out for you in the end. You like him. Hell, you more than like him. It's written all over you, and I knew you'd been off since you got home. You might not want to admit it, but as your mom, I will for you."
"You don't have to call me out," I whisper.
"I do," she says smugly, sounding a lot like me. Okay, maybe I sound like her.
“I’m going to see where it goes,” I admit. I’m already in too deep and now he went and got my vagina involved and she’s team Pierce. I glance over my shoulder to make sure he’s not near. “He’s not from here, and it could go bad.”
“That man is filthy rich and not hard on the eyes. He’s not chasing you because he’s bored or wants to get laid. And he married you.” Yeah, I’m hung up on that last part too. I don’t see how it benefits him at all to have done that.
“You’re allowing your mind to race with the what-if’s. But you’re only focusing on the negative side and not the positive outcomes.” She reaches up, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear. I swear she climbs into my thoughts sometimes and plucks them out.
"You're freaking out because maybe you’re falling in love.”
Oh noes. Nope, this is lust. Definitely, positively, absolutely without a doubt not love.
“You’re supposed to be in love before you get married.”