Page 35 of Make-Believe Match

I exhaled. “This doesn’t seem right, Devlin. Yes, I want to save Snowberry, but having to marry a man I don’t love—or even like—in order to do it feels like some real patriarchal bullshit.”

“It does. I agree.” He held up his palms. “None of thiswillbusiness is fair to you. I thought that the moment your grandmother told me about it.”

That surprised me, and it did make me feel a little warmer toward him, but...marriage? Living together as husband and wife? Exchanging rings in front of people we cared about? Promising to love and honor one another forever, knowing it was all a sham? Trusting that this guy meant what he said, and he really was going to help me turn Snowberry around? What if he was just a shark after all?

I mean, who was Devlin Buckley?

“I don’t think I can do it, Devlin,” I said, twisting my fingers together. “I don’t even know you. What if this is all just a scam? What if you’re not who you’re pretending to be, with your camp counselor T-shirt and friendship bracelet? What if this is just another deal you want to close, and I’m going to lose everything in the end?”

“You’ll have to trust me, Lexi,” he said. “I know it’s hard. But youwillhave to trust me.”

“I’ve been burned before. I thought I knew someone, I believed his promises, and—”

“I won’t lie to you.”

I tossed my arms in the air. “This whole thing is a lie!”

“When it’s just you and me, I won’t lie to you. I swear it.” He came forward and took my hands. His blue eyes brimmed with sincerity. “It’s everyone else we need to fool.”

I swallowed. “Starting when?”

“Tomorrow. We’ll fly to Vegas.”

“Tomorrow!” I snatched my hands back. “So soon?”

“We don’t have a lot of time,” he said. “Black Diamond is getting impatient. The guy taking over the account is a smooth-talking bully, and he’s not above misleading people to get what he wants. He could swindle your grandmother in minutes.”

“Gran only gave me to the end of the month to find another buyer,” I confessed. My stomach was roiling, and I placed both hands over it. “I’ve gotten nowhere.”

“Let me help you,” he said urgently. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”

“No. I’m off Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I worked double shifts all weekend so my cousin Tabitha could go out of town, so she owes me.”

“Perfect. I’ll pick you up at six a.m.”

I looked down at my bare feet, toe to toe with his sneakers, and considered my options. I could turn him away and keeping praying for a miracle. Or I could take a chance on him. Become his wife and put my fate in his hands.

He wasn’t the love of my life, but right now he was my only hope.

“Okay. I’ll be ready.” I looked him in the eye again. “Where are you staying tonight?”

“My dad’s house, I guess. It’s about an hour from here.”

“It seems silly for you to drive all the way there and come back here again so early. Just stay over.”

His dark eyebrows rose. “Here? Really?”

“On the couch,” I clarified. “Notin my bed.”

“Couch is fine. I can do couch.” He tilted his head. “You sure you want me to stay?”

“No, I’m not sure I want you to stay! I’m not sure about anything right now!” I fisted my hands in my hair. “Trusting you could be the biggest mistake of my life.”

“Or it could make all your dreams come true.”

“I know, but...I’m scared,” I admitted. “I hate saying that to you, and there aren’t many things in life I’m afraid of, but if this goes wrong, I stand to lose everything.”

“Here.” He removed the bracelet from his wrist and slipped it onto mine. “Look, it saysfearless. Look at it when you need a little reminder of your strength.”