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“Can’t believe what?” West’s voice is arctic despite the spring warmth. He pushes himself into the narrow space between Sam and me, and his arm wraps around my waist, strong and steadying. “What can you not believe, Dave?”

His cousin is a few inches shorter and looks up at West with narrowed eyes. All pretense of civility wipes off his face. “Not competing today?”

“Had better things to do,” West says. “You’re not bothering my girlfriend, are you?”

“Just saying hello. Seeing as she’ll become family and all that.” Dave’s smile is a razor. “Have fun.”

“You too,” West says in a voice that makes it clear he meansfuck off. Dave gives me another look and then heads off toward the parking lot, away from the ocean.

West looks at me. His eyes are narrowed, arm tight around me. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. No texts. No calls.” I tilt my head. “But I think I just learned something very interesting.”

His lips thin. “What did he tell you?”

CHAPTER48

NORA

“He offered me money to not marry you,” I say.

West’s face turns carefully blank. “Not here,” he says, and takes my hand in his. He looks at the tables around us and the people chatting, drinking. Laughing.

He grabs a chair and turns it around so it faces the ocean. Away from the others around us. He sinks onto the chair and pulls me closer.

“You want me to sit in your lap again.”

“Yes. We’re good at it.”

“I’m annoyed with you.”

“I know you are. I can tell.” He holds out his arms to me. “Can you be annoyed with me and let me hold you?”

I hesitate for another second before sitting on his lap in front of all these people, under a bright spring sun. I drape my arm around his shoulders and sit sideways so I can still see his face. We came here to play bait for the stalker, and we’ll keep doing that.

“So you’re in the market for a wife.”

His expression doesn’t change, but his eyes slide to mine, whiskey-colored and cautious. “No. I am not.”

“Oh? I could have sworn I heard something about a marriage clause, Fairhaven and you turning thirty.” I tilt my head. “Your cousin offered me triple what you’re allegedly paying me to not go through with it. Let me guess. He gets the house if you don’t?”

West blows out a breath. “Of course he did.”

“Is it true?” I slide my hand into his hair and look at him like I’m deeply, deeply in love. “You can lose Fairhaven.”

“It’s true.”

“Oh.” The word is simple and short, but it’s like a puzzle piece finally completing an image. And then there’s the hurt. “Why wouldn’t you tell me that?”

He doesn’t look away from me, but his eyes narrow. “Because I didn’t want to complicate things.”

“Complicate things,” I repeat slowly. It doesn’t add up. None of it adds up. Why would he want his mother tostopsetting him up with women if he needed marriage? Why would he agree to pretend to date me?

It doesn’t make sense.

I tilt my head. “Are people watching us right now?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’m only watching you,” he says.