Page 28 of Cautious Love

“You’re really asking me to marry you?” she says, hand on her chest.

I nod. “This protects both of us.”

“But I don’t love you. I just got out of a relationship. No one will buy this.”

“No one has to buy it except the judge, who’s going to marry us tonight.”

“Tonight!” she shrieks.

“This has to be done as quickly as possible. It’s the only way it’ll work.”

“I have to work! I can’t do this!” she yells.

I get off my knee, and reach for her hand. “I know this is crazy. I understand that, and I can’t believe I’m doing this either. But it’s the only thing that makes sense. As I said, it will help us both. It won’t blow up my career, and it will protect you from him.”

Her shocked expression drops, and she looks away, rubbing her arms. She knows I’m right. Being the Sheriff’s wife comes with a sort of protection, and Grey would be an even bigger idiot to come after her then.

“He won’t believe it,” she mutters.

“If we’re legally married, it doesn't matter if he believes it or not.”

“This helps you too?” she asks.

“It does.”

She takes a deep breath and looks me in the eye. “How long?”

“Worst case, I think a year, best case, maybe six months.”

She nods. “Okay, I can do six months, and you don’t expect…”

I shake my head before she can finish her sentence. “I expect absolutely nothing from you. I don’t want your money, oranythingelse. We’re roommates at home, but to anyone outside of this house, we will be husband and wife. Which brings me to my last item.”

She drops her head back. “There’s more?”

“I want to keep this from my family as long as I can. But you know who my family is. Theywillfind out. So when they do, you and I have to sell it.”

She huffs. “I don’t know your family well, but I’msurethey won’t believe it for a second.”

“They’ll have to Shiloh. I can’t have them pulled into this. I —wehave to protect them. Please.”

“That’s fair. So if my dad somehow calls you because he hears through the grapevine, then the same goes for you.”

I dip my chin. “Understood.”

“You’re really serious? There’s no other way?” she asks.

“Grey has a lot on the line, and I don’t think he’s dumb enough to open his mouth, but he can’t be trusted.”

She huffs. “No, he can’t.”

“So, I’m preparing for the likelihood that he will, in fact, be an idiot. This is the backup plan to protect both of us.”

“And then we get a divorce in six months to a year?” she asks.

“Yes.”

She nods to herself and holds out her hand. “Let me call into work and tell them I’ll be late.”