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CHAPTER TEN

HARLOW

“ D ad.” I crossed my arms, wishing I had more than a minute to prepare for this. I didn’t even have time to catch my breath. I was still reeling from that kiss.

“I heard you were back in Marcellus Falls,” he said, not even bothering with a greeting. No hello, or are you okay? Just straight to the point.

I fought the urge to fidget in front of him. “Yes, I was going to call you.”

“May I come in?”

Brooks moved aside but stood at the door, silently watching.

“I’m assuming you know why I’m here?”

I twisted my hands in front of me. “I was planning on talking to you in person.”

“Were you? Because it seems to me like you’ve been avoiding me.”

Brooks slammed the door and came over to my side. “Nice to see you too, William.”

My dad turned. The vein in his forehead pulsed. “I wish I could say the same.”

My stomach twisted. The two of them never got along, and that’s putting it mildly.

“Dad, I understand you’re upset, but leave him out of this.”

“Upset.” He turned to face me. “Upset doesn’t even begin to cover how I feel right now. You made a spectacle. You humiliated the Zimmermans. Do you have any idea what your little stunt has cost me?”

Brooks crossed his arms tightly. “Sounds like she finally came to her senses to me.”

Dad stepped forward, ignoring him. “I spent years working on that deal. That marriage was supposed to secure our partnership. That contract would have brought in millions. Now, it’s up in smoke because you couldn’t keep it together for one day.”

The deal. That was all he cared about.

Tears burned the back of my eyes. “I didn’t want to marry someone I didn’t love.”

He shook his head in disappointment. “You’re more like your mother than I ever gave you credit for. You are too soft.”

“Please don’t talk about my mother like that.” I raised my voice, letting him know I wouldn’t tolerate his petty comments. “You expected me to commit the rest of my life to a loveless marriage, all so you could get your hands on another piece of property.”

He jabbed a finger in the air. “Don’t you act like a child and talk back to me?”

My back straightened. “Then stop treating me like I am a five-year-old having a temper tantrum. Does my happiness not matter to you at all?”

He didn’t even try to pretend to care about me. I expected him to be mad, but this was on a whole other level. One that I would never understand.

“This is business,” he said coldly. “There are worse people for you to marry than Baz Zimmerman. You have known him for years. You are acting like I tried to marry you off to a stranger in a foreign country.”

“Dad, I don’t want to fight with you. I came here because I needed some space. My intention was to go to the lake house. But it’s flooded. I’d like to take some time and get the house repaired and figure out my next steps. I can work remotely once I get the rest of my things.”

He unbuttoned his suit jacket and placed his hands on his hips. “You won’t be working remotely, because you’re fired.”

I felt the floor tilt beneath my feet. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I worked my ass off for that job. I’ve spent years proving myself, fighting for every opportunity that was put in front of me.

“You are seriously going to fire your own daughter?”

He was punishing me. Plain and simple.

“I don’t want to fire you, but you’ve left me with no choice.”

Brooks scoffed because we both knew he wasn’t giving me a choice. He was giving me an ultimatum. “You’re a piece of work, you know that.”

He wanted me to cave. He was playing hardball, like I’d seen him do in the boardroom.

I shook my head, standing my ground. “I’m staying here in Marcellus Falls until the repairs are finished on the lake house.”

“No, you’re not,” he barked.

“Mom put that house in trust for me.”

His lips curled. “Which you only get if you are married, which you are not, may I remind you.”

I shifted on my feet, because damn it, he was right.

That house was left to me by my mother. It had been in her family for decades, but there was a catch.

I had to be married in order to inherit the property.

Until that time, it would be held in a trust. At first, I thought it was messed up until I learned why she did it.

She was worried that my dad would try to hold the property over my head or sell the house from under me. However, if I were married and had someone to stand up for me, then it would make it harder for him.

I guess she knew him well.

“I am your daughter. Why are you trying to make things difficult for me?”

Why couldn’t he be a normal father and want what’s best for me? Why did he have to be such an asshole?

“Just because you’re my daughter doesn’t mean you’re entitled to that house.”

This was my punishment for going against him.

“You don’t want anything to do with that house.”

He lifted a shoulder. “Maybe I’ll sell it.”

It felt like I was going to puke. My mom inherited the lake house when my grandmother passed away.

She wanted me to have a place where I could feel safe.

Where I could breathe. It was my last connection to her, and I would not allow him to take it from me.

“Mom did not want you to have that house. That’s why she set it up the way she did and had her lawyers handle everything. ”

“Who do you think paid the taxes and handled the upkeep on that property when we were married? I did. Maybe this will be a good way to earn back some of my investment.”

Oh, my God. He was actually serious.

“That house is legally mine. You don’t have the authority to sell it.”

I would be calling Molly as soon as he left. There was no way he would get his hands on the only thing I have left of my mom. Because if anyone could find a loophole, it was him.

“I’ll tell you what? I’ll make a deal with you. Come home and marry Baz, and you can have the house today.”

Brooks stepped closer to my side. “She’s not going anywhere.”

It was rare for anyone to challenge my father like this. In fact, it was a big no-no. The whole situation made me uneasy.

“This is none of your business. She is my daughter.”

Brooks let out a bitter laugh. “I think it’s funny how you try to act like that title gives you some type of claim on her.”

“You know, you’ve always been nothing more than a?—”

“Dad, please stop,” I said, cutting him off from finishing that sentence.

Brooks has always been protective, maybe a little too protective, at times. But the thing with my dad was that if you pushed him, he only pushed back harder. He wasn’t going to give in, and Brooks wasn’t known to back down from a confrontation. This was an absolute nightmare.

“Stay out of this.” He yanked on his tie and turned to me. “You need to come home with me. We can sit down and negotiate some new terms if that’s what it takes, but this wedding needs to happen.”

“It’s too late for that.” Brooks reached for my hand, lacing our fingers together. “Because Harlow and I are already engaged.”

My head snapped to his so fast I almost gave myself whiplash.

Was he out of his mind?

My dad’s eyebrows popped up. “What did you just say?”

“You heard me. I asked Harlow to be my wife, and she said yes.”

I blinked, thinking maybe I had misheard him and was waiting for the punch line until I saw the murderous look on my dad’s face.

His sharp gaze darted back and forth between us, not looking very convinced. Why would he be? I haven’t spoken to Brooks in years. Yet he was trying to sell my dad a lie like it was something he did every day. As if it was no big fucking deal.

My dad’s eyes narrowed. “Bullshit.”

Brooks looked perfectly at ease, while it felt like my world had just tilted sideways. “It’s no secret that I’ve been in love with your daughter for years.”

My heart pounded in my chest.

It was a lie. He didn’t still love me, did he?

His gaze was sharp and assessing. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but I don’t believe it.”

Brooks brushed his thumb across my knuckles. “Believe it, because it’s the truth.”

I had no idea what he was doing or how he could keep a straight face.I don’t remember him being such a damn good actor before.

He could feel me freaking out, so he squeezed my hand, trying to get me to relax.

He was too good at this. So good that I was almost convinced that this was real.

“Is he telling the truth?”

Hell no, he wasn’t.

Nothing about this was true. There was a time when I wanted it to be, but that was a long time ago.

Brooks’ warm hand folded along mine. It was strong and comforting, but it did nothing to quiet the noise in my head.

I should say something, but what was I supposed to say?

My lips parted for a second before I hesitated, and then the words, by some small miracle, came from my mouth. “Yes.”

My dad scoffed. “This has to be some sick joke.”

“No joke,” Brooks said calmly. “Harlow has made her decision. You need to respect it.”

My dad’s face turned beet red. “I don’t have to respect anything. You are a nobody. I don’t know how you weaseled your way back into her life, but you weren’t good enough for her then, and you sure as hell aren’t good enough for her now.”

His face fell, and my heart shattered for him. My dad hit his target. Exactly like he did five years ago.

“You know what, Dad, I think it’s time you leave. This is his home. I won’t allow you to come here and disrespect him.”

My father curled his hands into fists. “If you think this is over, you can think again.”

With that, he stormed out the door, slamming it so hard I flinched.

I blew out a breath and tilted my head. “I can’t believe you just told him we are engaged.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Neither can I.”

I stared at him, wondering if he had injured his head. “What in the ever-loving hell were you thinking?”

“Obviously, I wasn’t.”

I looked up at the ceiling, praying for patience. “Now, what are we supposed to do?”

He stuffed his hands in the front pocket of his jeans. “I guess we fake it till we make it.”

“Brilliant plan,” I said flatly. “And then what do you suggest?”

He lifted his shoulder and stared out the window. “We cross that bridge when we come to it.”

My mouth popped open. It felt like I was missing something here.

He stared at me, and I stared right back.

“Why would you want to help me?”

He started pacing back and forth. I silently watched him, giving my brain a minute to calm down. “Because I need a favor.”

I blinked. “What kind of favor?”

“I’ve been talking to an investor. I need to purchase some new equipment so I can compete for bigger projects. When Pops retired, we advanced him some cash. The guy I’m talking to is old-school and very family-oriented. He will only invest in businesses with values that align with his.”

“How would this even work? Would we pretend to be madly in love, tell them we are getting married, and he just writes you a check?”

He shrugged. “Pretty much.”

I scoffed. “You can’t be serious. There is no way this would work.”

“Why not?”

I threw my hands up. “Because this is crazy. I just left a man at the altar a week ago. How are we supposed to convince everyone that I’m already planning another wedding?”

He raised an eyebrow. “Do you want your house?”

I glared at him. “You know I do.”

It was the main reason why I came back to this town in the first place.

He let out an exasperated sigh. “Look, Harlow, I get it. This isn’t exactly ideal for either one of us. But you need something, and I need something. That’s all this is, plain and simple.”

I closed my eyes, fighting the urge to cry. My life had been turned upside down. I went from running from the church to staying with my ex to finding my lake house flooded. My father was pissed, and I was out of a job. I wasn’t sure how much more I could take.

“What if people can tell it’s fake? What if they don’t believe us?”

He shrugged. “Simple. We make it believable.”

This town thrived on gossip. There were probably already rumors going around about me. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if they hadn’t stopped talking about me since I left.

This had disaster written all over it, but I’d known Brooks long enough to know he wouldn’t do this if he weren’t desperate. And the worst part, the idea of living with him, and pretending we were still in love, made my heart pound for all the wrong reasons.

“I can’t believe I’m actually considering this.”

“You better make up your mind quick. We don’t have a lot of time.”

I shot him a glare. “Can you give me more than a second to make a decision?”

“Fine,” he snapped and looked down at his watch as if to remind me that the clock was ticking.

The irony of this situation wasn’t lost on me. I just walked away from an arrangement because it wasn’t about love, and now, I was contemplating walking into another one. What did that say about me? That I was a hypocrite?

Maybe, but this felt different. I didn’t feel like I was selling my soul. It felt more like I was getting it back.

I rubbed my temples as if that would make this less real. “Okay. I’ll agree to it.”

His gaze traveled down to my mouth. Was he contemplating kissing me again? Did I want him to? Yes, yes, I did, until he said, “If we do this, just remember this is strictly business. Got it?”

I crossed my arms and forced myself to nod. I needed this arrangement to be practical and logical. I refused to let old feelings get in the way. And I definitely wouldn’t allow him to kiss me again. “You’ve made yourself crystal clear. So, now what?”

“Well…”he spun his ball cap around his head and flipped it backward. “Now, we start playing the part of the happy couple who got a second chance at love. We also need to get you a ring.”

“This is insane, but if you insist, then we can get something cheap.”

“Do you want this to look real or not?”

“Of course I do.”

“Great, because we can’t have you walking around town with one that looks like it came from the Dollar Store. It’s just for show. Don’t overthink it.”

“Oh, trust me. I won’t. While you’re prattling off lists, I have a few of my own.”

He grinned. “I can’t wait to hear them.”

“Number one, we can’t let old feelings get in the way. Number two, we need to remember what this is. And last, we cannot blur any lines. No more kissing unless we are in public and it’s all for show.”

His eyebrow raised. “It sounds like you’re the one who needs those reminders, not me.”