Renting His Heart

by Jaclyn Hardy

  “Tell me about it. I have my mom and grandma getting after me.”

  Chloe’s smile dropped and she reached forward to set her hand on his. “I heard about your grandpa. I’m so sorry. I know you two here close. When Mike told me, I was heartbroken for you.”

  “Thanks. It’s been pretty rough. He could barely remember me at the end.” Austin swallowed hard. “And to make things worse, Grandma told me I couldn’t have anything to do with his estate until I got married. Can you believe it?”

  “Wow, who does that?” Chloe leaned forward, her thumb caressing his hand in sympathy, then pulled back, blushing. “Sorry.”

  Austin sighed. “I don’t know anyone but my grandma.”

  “Or my mom.” Chloe rolled her eyes.

  “Is she going to be there?”

  Chloe nodded. “She’s already there helping with the decorations.”

  The meals arrived and Austin thanked the waiter. His food gave him the perfect excuse to stay quiet for a bit while he tried to compose himself over having his grandpa brought up again. The steak was a little overcooked, but the barbecue sauce was tangy with a little heat to it. The veggies and mashed potatoes were good as well.

  When they were finished, Austin paid for both of their meals and they headed for their gate. Austin glanced at his watch. They still had a bit before boarding, so he took a detour into the gift shop.

  “What are you doing in here?” Chloe picked up a stuffed bear and then put it down.

  “I figure I need a wedding gift for Lacey, so why not look here? The tackier the better.” He grinned and picked up a T-shirt.

  Chloe raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. “How about a shot glass? Or maybe a spoon. Nothing like giving them kitchen gadgets, right?”

  “Good idea.” Austin sifted through the shot glasses, but nothing really said Lacey to him. Of course, he hadn’t really seen her in years, so he had no idea what she would like.

  “What about these?” Chloe held up two mugs. “You could do a his and hers?”

  Austin laughed. “Colo’rad’o, huh? I’m not thinking they’ll go for that. Plus, then they’d know where we bought them.”

  Chloe set them down on the shelf. “I thought you wanted tacky.”

  “I do. Let’s put those at the top of the list. Along with the shot glasses and spoons.” Austin wandered over to another store that promised to have better items for a wedding. He found a few shirts he liked for himself, but nothing quite worked for a wedding. As much as he joked about it, he really did want to get them something they’d like. Lacey deserved that. He’d have to look somewhere else once they got to Idaho. He found Chloe at the counter sorting through a display of rings. She slipped one on her finger and held her hand up to look at it.

  Austin leaned down close to her ear. “Wouldn’t your mom love to see that on your finger?”

  Chloe jumped and turned. “Don’t do that.”

  “Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He gestured to the display. “Mood rings? I thought they left those in the eighties.”

  “They’re big again.” She put that one back and pulled out another one. Instead of the band turning colors, it was a stone in the center. It turned a light blue color on her finger. “I think I’ll get this one.”

  Austin set the shirts he’d found on the counter. “You plan on wearing it on that same finger? Then you’d really freak your parents out.”

  Chloe froze, her eyes widening. “That’s brilliant.”

  He handed the cashier his card and turned to Chloe. “What’s brilliant? Scaring your mom?”

  She pulled out another ring that was much bigger. “Does this fit your finger?”

  “Uh, why?” But Austin had a feeling he knew where this line of thought was going. He slipped the ring on, but it was a bit snug. “We need another size up. And I think you need to have your head examined if you think it’s going to work.”

  Chloe grabbed another ring and paid for both. Austin shook his head. If she was really suggesting they used these as wedding rings . . . As soon as they were out of the store, Chloe yanked Austin by the hand over to their gate. She found two chairs that were separate from the other passengers and sat down.

  “I have a proposition, but you can’t say anything until you hear me out. What if we didn’t have to go to the wedding and listen to our parents go off on marriage? What if . . . what if we pretended we were married?” Her eyes had a spark in them that remind Austin a lot of Mike’s let’s-get-into-trouble spark.

  “There’s no way they’d believe us. Not with this ring. Mom would expect a huge diamond ring or something.” Austin took the ring from her and put it on. It went to black, and Austin had to admit it looked like it could be black tungsten—as long as no one looked at it very closely.

  Chloe smiled triumphantly. “And since when did she expect you to do exactly what she wanted you to do? You have a job she didn’t want you to take, you went to a different school than she wanted you to, and you avoid going to her parties. It’s totally like you.”

  “Wait. How’d you know all—”

  “Mike. I may not tell him about my books, but he still talks a lot.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “What do you think? Are you up for it? You get your estate, we get our parents off our back, and everyone is happy.”

  “Wait, hold up. The only way I get the estate is if I’m actually married. Engaged doesn’t work. Grandma made sure of that.” Austin had crumpled up the new agreement on the estate his grandma had given him, but the words still burned.

  Chloe shrugged. “So, we get married. I mean, we’re going to Salt Lake, right? There’s got to be someone there who can marry us.”

  “Not at the airport.” He stood and picked up his bag. “I don’t think I can do that, Chloe. Skipping out on dinner is one thing. But lying to everyone?”

  “Just think about it. You can give me your answer when we get to Salt Lake.”

  Austin ignored the looks that people shot at him as he headed for the gate to climb on the plane. The ring felt heavy on his finger and he was tempted to take it off. But something kept him from doing it. Some piece of him—a very small piece—thought that maybe, just maybe she was right. He shook his head and smiled at the stewardess as he walked past and onto the plane. This time he was relieved to have a full airplane of people between them. He had a lot to think about, even if he knew it was the worst idea ever.

  Chloe dropped into her chair and shot an apologetic smile at the lady next to her for jostling the seats. She could still feel her face burning after making such a fool of herself in front of Austin. Asking him to lie and pretend they were married? It was the worst idea ever.

  Except that she kinda loved it. She’d had a childhood crush on him ever since kindergarten. She tagged along with Mike and Austin whenever she could—which wasn’t often. Mike made sure of that. And even after high school, she’d kept tabs on him. Secretly, of course. She asked Mike how things were going with life, and he would go off on work, life, and hanging out with Austin. But then Austin started making a lot of money very quickly with his new job, and Chloe could watch for him in the news instead of badgering her older brother.

  But this? She’d been gone for years, and now out of the blue they run into each other and she proposed? Maybe she should have just stayed hidden in France. She’d be going back when this was all over, but first she had to survive being mortified by what she asked.

  Chloe stared down at the ring on her finger. It was cute, and it was something she would have wanted anyway, so she didn’t regret buying it. She would just think of it that way. Maybe Austin would forget she’d even asked by the time they landed, and they could go on to the wedding without having all this awkwardness.

  And maybe pigs could fly.

  By the time the flight landed forty-five minutes later, Chloe was a mess. She’d gone between liking the idea and being mortified so many times that she wasn’t sure which way was up anymore. Chloe grimaced as the plane touched down, signaling her do
om. Either he would be friendly and agree to things, or he’d completely avoid her.

  It was a good thing she was near the back of the plane. That meant that Austin could make a clean getaway and they wouldn’t have to see each other.

  Except that when she walked into the terminal, he was standing there, clearly waiting for her. His expression was unreadable. She debated turning and running. They’d just been on a flight. The bathroom was always a safe place to run after landing.

  It was better just to get it over with. Chloe took a deep breath and made a beeline for him. It wasn’t until she was right next to him before he finally moved.

  “It’s a deal.” Three words and he’d sealed the agreement.

  Okay, so it wasn’t actually sealed yet. They’d still have to work out stories and get all the details taken care of, but at least he didn’t think she was crazy.

  “You’re sure?”

  Austin pulled his phone out of his pocket and swiped his finger across it before handing it to Chloe. It was a simple text.

  I do hope you remembered to bring a plus one. You wouldn’t want to be the only one there without a date. Although I suppose we could find you someone at the inn. See you soon.

  His mom. Chloe met his eyes. “Is she serious?”

  “Yes. And I can guarantee I would have absolutely nothing in common with whoever she picks out. So, I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry.” He searched Chloe’s face. “Your offer still stands, right?”

  “Are—are you sure?” Chloe could have hugged him. She hadn’t freaked him out after all. She started heading for the next terminal. One more flight to catch and then she’d be there.

  He laughed. “Believe me. It took the plane ride to decide. And I was about to say no until I got this text.”

  “Oh.” So he did think she was crazy.

  Austin stopped walking. “That sounded bad. Sorry. Look, are you flying to Twin Falls or are you driving from here?”

  “My flight leaves in half an hour.” Chloe checked the gate. “Several gates down from here actually. I’ve gotta go. See you there?”

  Austin reached and took her wrist, sending a shockwave of emotion through her. He walked next to her. “I’m on the same flight. And I meant what I said. It just came out wrong. We get along great, we’ve known each other for forever. I think we could make it work. If you’re still willing.”

  Chloe kept walking. She really did have to hurry to the gate so they could board. “Fine. We’ll talk about it on the plane.”

  This time the flight was small enough that there was no first class. Their seats were on the opposite ends of the plane, though.

  Austin wrapped his arm around her and bent down close to the lady next to Chloe’s seat. “Excuse me. We just got married, and our seats got messed up. Do you think it would be possible for you to switch seats with me?”

  Chloe grinned sheepishly, but inside her stomach was doing flip flops. Austin Quinn had his arm around her. She needed to sit soon, or she’d fall over. “Pretty please?”

  The woman’s eyes widened as she glanced from the magazine in her hand and then back up at Austin. “You’re . . .”

  “Yes I am. I could sign that for you if you’d like.” Austin winked at Chloe, then turned his charms back on the woman.

  “O—okay.” The woman scrambled for a pen in her purse and came up with a marker. “This is all I have.”

  Austin took it from her and signed the front cover. “The marker is better for this type of finish. Now, the stewardess is looking at us, so we might want to make the switch soon.”

  “Oh, oh dear. Yes, you’re right.” She grabbed her bag and scooted past them, holding the magazine tightly to her chest.

  Austin sat down in the woman’s seat and closed his eyes with a sigh. “I can’t believe I just did that.”

  Chloe took her seat just as the stewardess got to them. “Sorry. We’re set now.”

  “I think you just made her day.” The stewardess smiled at Austin, then continued on with the safety check.

  Chloe’s hand shook as she checked her messages on her phone. There were a couple of reminders from Mike and her mom about where they were meeting and what room they’d be staying in. She cringed. Rooms. What was she supposed to do about that? Maybe they could just stay in Twin or something. In totally different hotels.

  She texted back that she would be there in a couple of hours and that she had a surprise—and then erased the last part. She didn’t want to say anything in case Austin decided against it before then. But then having Austin come at all would be a big surprise, right?

  “We forgot about one big thing.” Austin made Chloe jump.

  “What’s that?” She set her phone on airplane mode and put it in her bag.

  He held up his hand with the ring. “The marriage. We don’t have enough time to get married here, and we can’t really crash Lacey’s wedding and get married there.”

  Right. She pulled her phone back out and turned her data back on. “If we have time, we can find a judge in Twin Falls before we head there.”

  “That works.”

  The loud speaker crackled before the captain came on saying they would be departing in a moment. Great. She’d have to turn her phone back off. “I guess we’ll look when we get there.”

  As soon as they were up in the air and got the okay, Austin pulled out his laptop. He typed in the code for the Wi-Fi and ran a search for Twin falls.

  “Anything there?” Chloe leaned closer to him. “These all look like wedding events centers, not a place to get married. What about the courthouse?”

  He clicked on the courthouse. “Too late. It closed at five, and it’s going to be eleven by the time we get there. Which means everything is probably going to be closed.”

  “So, I guess the option is wait till tomorrow or we just pretend.” Chloe sighed. “Wait. Look.”

  She pointed at a link in Jackpot. “How far away is Jackpot from Twin?”

  “Well, it’s the opposite direction of the hotel, but it’s about . . . forty-five minutes. About as long as it’s going to take us to get to Twin.” Austin clicked the link and scanned through. “This is an option. They’re open all night, so we could get there and then head to Cottonwood.”

  Chloe bit her lip. She had to be really desperate to think about this. “Let’s do it.”

  Austin had the online reservation filled out by the time the plane was ready to land. Chloe’s stomach tied in knots as they landed and walked into the airport. Both of them had rented cars, but Austin had the nicer one, so they went with his. While he got the car, she found their luggage and pulled them off the conveyor belt.

  How he managed to have more bags than her was beyond Chloe, but she finally collected them all. Austin arrived with a trolley and loaded them all to take them to his car. Chloe whistled.

  “I knew you had the highest upgrade, but a convertible?”

  Austin grinned. “I figured we could use a good honeymoon car.”

  Chloe laughed and shook her head. “Works for me. So . . . off to Jackpot?”

  “That’s the plan.” Austin opened the door for her and then went around to his side.

  Chloe had to take a picture before she got in. Proof and all that. The seats were comfortable, and the breeze that flipped her hair in all directions was cool on her skin. It was nice after all the air travel she’d had that day. Two days really. She’d gotten in from Europe the day before. She closed her eyes to rest a moment.

  “Hey, Chloe.” Austin’s voice was quiet as he gently shook her shoulder. “Hey, we’re here.”

  Chloe stretched and blinked, trying to remember what was going on. She was in a car. With Austin. And there were flashing lights—her eyes widened. Flashing lights from a casino. They were in Jackpot.

  “Man, I was more tired than I thought.” She yawned. She had to concentrate on the small things so she wouldn’t panic over the fact that she and Austin had just eloped.

  “Yep. Your snore is p
retty cute, I have to say.” He took her hand and tipped her chin until their eyes met. “We’re here, so this is your last chance. Do you want to do this?”

  Chloe stared up at the flashing lights. If she did this, she could never go back. Sure, there was annulments or divorce, but that wasn’t the same. This would mean she was no longer single. And then the thought of going to the wedding alone came to mind. The fact that Austin would lose everything that his grandpa had for him if he wasn’t married. It wasn’t the best reason to get married, but at this point, they were committed.

  She nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  The casino was still full of people at slot machines when Chloe and Austin walked inside. She was tempted to try one, just for a little good luck. If she won there, maybe it would mean this was the right choice. She scanned the casino, then nodded toward the back.

  “There it is. Hopefully it’s still open.” Chloe weaved her way through the slot machines and stopped in front of the reception desk.

  A bleached blonde woman looked up from her computer and smiled. “Hello, how can I help you?”

  “We’d like to get married tonight.”

  “I think we’re full for tonight, but you can come back tomorrow.” She smiled, folding her fingers in front of her on the table.

  Austin put a hand on Chloe’s back and leaned forward, flashing his smile at the woman. “Dana, sweetie. That’s your name, right? It’s beautiful. Anyway, listen. We’ve been flying all day, and we have another hour’s drive tonight before we can finally sleep. We chose your chapel to get married at, but if it doesn’t happen, we’ll have to choose somewhere else.”

  “I’m sorry, sir, but—”

  “Austin. Quinn.” Austin dropped a magazine on the table in front of her. Chloe searched the area behind her to find the rack that it had been on because he certainly hadn’t brought it with him.

  Dana’s eyes widened as she realized who he was. “You’re . . . you’re him.”

  “Yes, I am. Wouldn’t it look great for your chapel if we were to get married here?” He waited for a couple of seconds before taking Chloe by the hand. “Sorry, Chloe. Not tonight. I guess we’ll have to get married tomorrow. Not on your lucky day.”