Page 91 of Love Arranged

I jerk back. “I can’t get a dog. Mom’s allergic.”

“What about Lorenzo?” He smirks, and the secretarybeams.

I shake my head with a laugh, not thinking much of his comment. I’m not going to adopt a dog with someone who plans on breaking off our fake engagement in a few months. That would be reckless, and while I have made some interesting decisions lately, I need to draw the line at adopting a dog.

Right?

20

LORENZO

For the last couple of weeks, Lily and I have found a comfortable rhythm with our fake relationship. When I’m not meeting with constituents or preparing for the mayoral debate with Willow, Lily and I go on a few dates each week.

We have a picnic in the park and rent a rowboat so she can take photos of bouquets for her shop’s social media page, and we also attend the Strawberry Festival together.

I also make it a point to stop by Rose & Thorn multiple times throughout the week, and the four employees Lily hired have started to take a liking to me, especially when I arrive with coffee from the Angry Rooster Café or baked goods from Sweets and Treats.

Despite our strong public presence, I still haven’t been invited over for Sunday lunch, and I haven’tasked any more questions about it after Lily got visibly upset when I checked in to see if everything was okay with her sister, who has been out of town working on a project and skipped the Strawberry Festival.

Despite telling myself Lily was the one who got herself into this mess, I still feel bad about causing any kind of division between Dahlia and her. Or more so, I’m unhappy that Lily is upset, which is a cause for concern.

Like usual, I stop by Lily’s shop in the afternoon with her go-to coffee order. She is busy on the phone, so I take a lap around the shop while pretending not to eavesdrop.

“How much longer does she have to stay there?” Lily asks.

I don’t hear the other person’s reply, but Lily seems happy with it. “When do you think she will be transferred?”

Lily listens to the answer before letting out a huff. “Oh. That soon?” Another pause. “No, no! I’m happy she’s recovering well. I just need a little more time to sort out a few things.”

I’m itching to know more about this conversation, but Lily choosing not to use her speakerphone isn’t helping matters.

“Do you think you can give me another week please?” Her reply is followed by tense silence before she says, “Thank you! I hope I can figure out a plan by then.”

I stop in front of the counter, and she holds up her finger before spinning on her heels and giving me her back.

“Yes, I know.” Her shoulders slump. “Thanks again.” She hangs up. Instead of turning to greet me right away, she takes a deep breath first.

“Who was that?”

Tension ripples down her back as she finally faces me. “The vet’s office.”

My head tilts. “I thought you didn’t have a pet.”

“I don’t, but I went to help Rafa with his kittens the other week.”

“Are they okay?”

Her brows scrunch together. “The cats are good. All healthy and back at his barn.”

“So who’s recovering well, then?” I pass her the to-go cup.

She takes a sip while glaring at me. “Eavesdropping is rude.”

“So is talking on the phone when you have a customer waiting around, but you don’t hear me complaining.”

She puts her cup down. “Do you mind watching the store while I go grab your bouquets in the back?”

I don’t call her out on wanting to escape the conversation. “Go ahead.”