by R. J. Groves
‘I know.’ She released a long breath and forced herself to relax back in her seat, her hand rubbing her forehead. She pressed her lips together, feeling more and more like a fool the closer she got to telling him why.
‘Well?’ he prompted.
She sighed. ‘I didn’t tell them because … well, I think …’
‘You’re faffing.’
She groaned, knowing there was no way out of it and no other excuse for it. ‘Fine. They’re real and we’re not. Happy?’
His face scrunched up, but he kept his eyes forward. ‘What the hell is that supposed to mean?’
She sat up straighter again. God, she wished she wasn’t stuck in a moving vehicle right now. She could very happily walk away from this conversation and lock herself in her room. ‘It means what they have is real love and we’re full of shit. I couldn’t tell them because I want what they have and all I’ll have is a husband sleeping in a separate room and a marriage with an end date.’ She almost slapped her hand over her mouth, but somehow held back. He wanted honesty—she’d give it to him.
‘You’re the one who came up with those stupid rules.’
‘Those stupid rules are supposed to keep us from getting hurt. What were you thinking we’d do? Act like a happily married couple so much that even we start to believe it? You’re the one who proposed a marriage of convenience, Shannon. It doesn’t take a genius to know it would have to end.’ He surprised her by slamming his foot on the brake and pulling over to the side of the road. ‘What are you doing?’
He shot a look towards her that sent a shiver down her spine. ‘I’m walking home before I do something I might regret.’
Before she could speak, he’d climbed out of the truck and started walking. What the hell was wrong with him? He’d wanted her to tell him why she hadn’t told her friends and she’d told him. The fact that it had escalated into a full-blown argument wasn’t entirely her fault. She sat in shock for a moment before hopping out and following him. ‘Seriously, Shannon, you can’t walk home.’
‘It’s not that far. A half-hour’s drive, maybe. You’ll be right.’
She glanced at the truck, then back at him. ‘I can’t drive that. I don’t have the license.’ He didn’t answer, just kept walking. She ran to catch up to him. ‘Shannon, wait.’
‘What do you want, Jenny?’ he said, spinning back towards her. ‘Do you really want to get married? Because it seems like you’re fighting every step of it.’
She stared at the space between them and folded her arms across her chest. ‘I do, I just—’ She bit into her lip, her eyes prickling. What was she supposed to say? ‘I freaked out. Okay? I meant to tell them. I wanted to tell them—I will tell them. It just didn’t feel like tonight was the right time.’
‘Well, you’ll be married next week.’
She frowned. ‘Have you even told Sylvie?’
He paused, his body seeming tense in the moonlight. ‘I will, I just haven’t had a chance yet.’
‘Are you serious right now?’ She couldn’t believe it. ‘Shannon, you can’t get up at me about not telling my friends when you haven’t even told your sister.’
‘You’re right, okay? I’m a hypocrite. I’ll tell her tomorrow. We’ll tell her tomorrow.’
‘Sorry, what?’
‘She’s coming over after picking Jarrod up from school. We can tell her then. But you still need to tell your friends.’
‘I will.’
He brushed past her, heading back towards the truck, and she followed him. Her head was spinning with their first argument and how it had seemingly come to an abrupt end. Had they actually come to some kind of resolution? She wasn’t fully sure. But it didn’t feel like it. She caught up to him and grabbed onto his arm.
‘What, that’s it?’
‘Jenny,’ he groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. She tried to ignore how his arm seemed to burn under her hand, stirring the butterflies in her stomach.
‘No, you don’t get to be shitty at me for something when you’re doing the same thing.’
‘Drop it, Jenny. We’ve already decided we’ll tell—’
‘I’m not talking about that.’
He turned to face her front on, his eyes dark. She could feel the heat of his body reaching her across the space between them. She lifted her chin, swallowing down the butterflies that were trying to escape.
‘What are you talking about?’ He spoke quietly, his voice reverberating through her body and sending a delicious shiver down her spine. No, it had to be the hint of a breeze that did that. Not him. It couldn’t be him.
‘Do you want to get married?’ she managed.
He nudged closer, his body almost pressing against hers, but she couldn’t find it in herself to take a step back. Her grip on his arm loosened and her heart pounded harder in her chest.
‘I’m the one who proposed it, aren’t I?’ His gaze dropped to her lips and the breath left her body.
She swallowed. ‘And the rules?’
His lips tugged into a smile, his eyes darkening even further, and he lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, his palm resting against her cheek. A pulse of electricity shot through her body, settling in her core. She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand before she had a chance to talk herself out of it. Hell, the logical part of her seemed to have shut up for once.
‘Oh, Jenny.’
Before she knew it, his lips were on hers, so tender, sweet. Hot. The softest kiss she’d ever had and the mere taste of it sent her toes curling. Her lips parted on a sigh and the tip of his tongue ran across the seam, setting all her nerve endings alight. She let him in as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer, engulfing her in a warmth she’d never felt before.
And as quickly as the kiss had started, it was over, the cold flooding over her again. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him to find him grinning, his eyes still dark.
‘Your rules are as full of shit as we are, Jenny.’
Chapter 13
‘Sylvie just pulled up.’ Shannon made his way into the kitchen of the main house, stopping short when he saw Jannette’s ashen face, staring at something in her hands. It didn’t take him long to register what it could be. He made his way to her side. ‘Jenny?’
She slowly lifted her gaze to meet his and handed the note to him. He looked down to read the two-word note written in the same chicken scratch as the previous note she’d received. You’re leaving? He glanced up at Jannette in time to see her swallow.
‘Jenny,’ he started.
‘You know, I could stop having my mail redirected. That way I wouldn’t get the notes, right?’
‘That’s not going to solve anything.’
‘I don’t know, Shan. If they don’t know where I am, I’m safe, right?’
‘Maybe we should take it to the police. Let them handle it. It’s obviously not the people they’ve charged for breaking into the shop.’
She snatched the note back, shoving it into her handbag and zipping it up. ‘You said it yourself. All we’ve got are a couple of innocent-enough notes and a very good picture of me. They’re not going to do anything unless there’s something more concrete.’
‘Jenny—’
‘Knock, knock!’ Sylvie called out, letting herself in the front door.
‘Later,’ Jannette said, giving him a look that he took as a warning to drop it.
She was right though. The police wouldn’t give this their full attention if all they had were a couple of notes, a picture, and a gut feeling that something was wrong. But what kind of evidence would be concrete enough? He wished Sylvie hadn’t chosen that moment to show up—even though he’d been the one to invite her. If he just had time to nut it out with Jannette, they could come up with a plan.
But what plan could they have other than the one they had already set in motion?
‘Hello?’ Sylvie called out again.
‘In the kitchen,’ he called back, trying not to sound as choked as he f
elt.
Jannette plastered a smile he knew she wasn’t feeling on her face just as Sylvie poked her head around the corner, her eyes going wide. ‘Oh my word, Jannette, it is you!’ She bustled into the kitchen and pulled Jannette into a hug. ‘You know, I didn’t believe Jarrod when he said you were back, but here you are.’ She leaned back, her hands still resting on Jannette’s shoulders, and smiled, shaking her head. ‘It’s been a long time. You look good.’
Jannette’s cheeks darkened and Shannon noticed her smile had become more genuine. ‘Thank you. You look great, too. How’s married life and motherhood treating you? Are the boys here?’
Sylvie waved a hand at her comment as she leaned into Shannon for a hug. ‘Taking it in my stride,’ she said. ‘Jarrod’s taken the twins down to have a look at the calves. I hope that’s okay. Shannon said he wanted to talk to me about something important.’ She shot him an odd look and his chest tightened.
‘Actually—’ He cleared his throat and put an arm around Jannette. She was tense beneath his arm, but she probably had every reason to be. For starters, she would be tense over the note. And secondly, well, after how telling her brother about their upcoming nuptials went … ‘Jenny and I are getting married.’
Sylvie jerked back, her eyes wide as she shifted her gaze between the two of them. ‘No,’ she said slowly, her lips curving into a slow smile. ‘Are you serious? Shannon, you’re not getting my hopes up just to dash them, are you? Because that would just be cruel.’
‘We’re serious,’ Jannette said, her voice unwavering. ‘He asked and, well, I said yes.’
‘No,’ she said again, drawing out the word. But her broad smile showed how she really felt about it. She let out a shriek. ‘I can’t believe this. I’m so happy for you both.’
Sylvie pulled both of them into a three-way hug and Shannon caught Jannette’s eyes over Sylvie’s shoulder. He could tell she was surprised by Sylvie’s total acceptance—and happiness—over their announcement. But knowing what he knew about what Sylvie knew … well, he wasn’t as surprised.
Sylvie pulled back again. ‘Ring?’
Jannette’s mouth formed an O. ‘Oh, um …’ She looked at Shannon.
‘We haven’t got around to it yet,’ he said simply. Sylvie shot a glare in his direction.
‘You proposed without a ring?’
‘Well, it was … kind of …’
‘Very impromptu,’ Jannette offered. ‘I think it surprised us both.’
Sylvie’s eyes narrowed as she stared at him, but she was still smiling. ‘I mean, I can’t talk. Jack—my husband—proposed with a cheezel.’ She sighed, plopping her hands on her hips. ‘So, when’s the wedding?’
‘Friday,’ Jannette said.
‘Friday? Wow. That’s … soon,’ Sylvie said, turning her gaze back to Shannon again. ‘Not giving her a chance to get away again, huh?’
He tried to swallow the lump that lodged itself in his throat and covered it up with a cough. He could feel Jannette’s questioning gaze on him, but he kept his eyes on his sister. ‘You know how I am, sis.’
‘Mmm,’ she mused, her eyes squinting mischievously. ‘Yes, I do.’ She turned to Jannette then, and Shannon realised what she was up to. Aww, hell. ‘You know, when Shannon realised you’d left for the city by the time he’d come back, we thought he’d lost his chance.’
‘Is that so?’ Jannette said, her eyebrow lifting.
She looked over at him and he tried to swallow that lump again. Her expression was unreadable. No doubt she’d probably tease him about it later and he’d laugh it off as Sylvie’s ridiculous notions. But a part of him knew it wasn’t so ridiculous.
‘It’s true,’ Sylvie said, shooting the mischievous look towards him. ‘Well, I suppose fate has a way of making up for lost time.’
‘Indeed,’ Jannette said, still staring at him.
He cleared his throat, desperate for a change of topic. ‘So you’ll come to the wedding?’
‘Oh, absolutely. It’s at the courthouse, I’m assuming? Otherwise I would have expected more notice.’
Shannon listed off the details, still avoiding Jannette’s gaze. The last thing he needed was her thinking he’d already broken another of her rules. He pressed his lips together as Jannette and Sylvie shifted the conversation to a general catchup, his tongue running across the seam. He could still taste her. The thought of kissing her was exactly why he’d gotten out of the truck in the first place. The thing he’d been trying to avoid. Hell, now that he’d had a taste, he wasn’t sure he could avoid it anymore. But they hadn’t talked about it, and it seemed like there was no indication she’d even acknowledged the kiss.
And how fucking incredible it was.
Oh, he’d dreamed of kissing her. He’d dreamed of doing much more, too. But he had to get a hold of himself, had to avoid any more slip-ups. Like she’d said—the rules were there to keep them from getting hurt when they went their separate ways. But he had a feeling it was already too late for that.
***
‘Jannette, are you sure this is really what you want?’
Jannette glanced up at her brother in the mirror. Questions like that weren’t normally reserved for a wedding day, but she supposed this was no ordinary wedding. ‘Yes, it is,’ she said, feeling the weight settle in her stomach. It was what she wanted. She just wished it wasn’t because of the situations that had brought it on.
Oh, the thought of marrying Shannon for real …
For love.
The problem was, she could see a long happy life with him. She could see mini-Shannons and mini-Jannettes running around on her childhood farm that was now their home. But even if she did take Shannon up on his offer of giving her a child, the child wouldn’t biologically be his. And she wasn’t entirely sure she could bring a child into a relationship knowing they’d be separating in a year—even if the child might never know.
She tucked another strand of hair back behind the pins holding it all in place and her fingertips drifted to her lips, the ghost of his lips still pressed against them. Her cheeks flushed as she recalled the gentle goodnight kisses on her cheek, too. Every night since he’d moved up to the main house with her, he’d walked her to her room, and after a moment of hesitation, he’d kissed her cheek and bid her goodnight. And in those breathless moments as she’d watched him walk away, the memory of his kisses burned against her skin and made her feel like she might combust from the inside out.
They hadn’t talked about their kiss. Nor had any of their topics of conversation come remotely close to it. But despite his goodnight kisses, she sometimes wondered if he was still avoiding her for the most part, even if she was going to be his wife. Even their evening conversations on the porch—now at the main house—hadn’t been as deep lately.
They’d also never come to a decision about the note.
‘I am happy for you, sis,’ Robbie said, clutching the brim of his black Akubra hat in front of his chest. ‘And you look beautiful. Mum and Dad would be proud.’
A genuine smile slipped onto her face and she fought the tears that threatened to spill. Oh, if her parents were still here, she might not be in this mess in the first place. There was a light tap at the door and Robbie left to answer it. She studied herself in the full-length mirror. The benefit of having owned her own bridal shop meant that she’d chosen her future wedding gown long ago and it had been waiting for her special day.
The ivory satin A-line gown was just as gorgeous now as it had been the first time she’d seen it, with the hem ending just past her knees at the front and just above the ground at the back when she wore heels. The fitted bodice with a sweetheart neckline had a floral lace overlay with a scooped neckline just below her collarbone and lace sleeves that ended just past her elbows. She’d started to think she’d never have a chance to wear it. And regardless of the terms of their marriage, this may just be the only chance she’d have.
The bustle of female voices carried down the hall and into her room, breaking
her out of her reverie. Before she had a chance to be surprised, Andie and Harley both burst into the room all dressed up. The tears threatened again.
‘You’re here,’ she said, pulling both of them into a hug.
‘Um, yeah, like we’d miss this for the world,’ Harley said, tweaking the dress in some places to fit Jannette better.
‘I still can’t believe you didn’t tell us in person,’ Andie added, grabbing a tissue and dabbing along Jannette’s jawline to blend in her makeup.
‘I didn’t want to steal your thunder, what with you in your post-honeymoon bliss and Harley recently engaged.’ Even as she spoke it aloud, she realised her friends wouldn’t have cared about timing. They would have been happy for her. God, they’d even made the effort to come out and surprise her. It only made her wish the marriage was for real even more.
Andie and Harley shared a look before focusing back on helping Jannette with the final touches. ‘We knew there was something going on between you two anyway,’ Harley said. ‘Seriously, business partners with a hottie like him?’
‘Mmm,’ Andie agreed, closing her eyes. ‘Talk about a hunk of a cowboy. I can see why you’d want to keep him all to yourself—and snap him up as quickly as you did.’
Jannette felt the blush rise to her cheeks, the room suddenly feeling hot. She was spared from having to respond by Robbie coming into the room again, a velvet bag in his hand. She would recognise that bag anywhere.
‘Robbie,’ she started, covering her mouth with her hand.
‘I found this in Mum’s old things,’ he said, walking slowly towards her, a limp in his step.
She wondered if he’d ever be able to walk without a limp again. Regardless, he would enjoy the beach. She hoped he might one day meet someone special there. He pulled a rose-gold chain from the velvet bag, a circle of diamonds set in ivy-patterned rose gold with a larger diamond in the centre of them dangling from it. He stepped closer and motioned for her to turn around.
‘She’d want you to wear it.’
She touched the pendant as he clasped the necklace at the back. ‘She wore it at her wedding,’ she whispered.