Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

Sinclair bit her lip, clearly not liking that idea. She admired the man, and I worried her faith in him was misplaced.

“Second, I don’t want our relationship to keep you from achieving your dream of being mayor someday.”

Yes, I was hellbent on having Sinclair in my life. She was my dream. But I’d give her up in a minute if it meant she could have her dream. I hated that our lives had gotten so complicated. It didn’t seem too much to ask to have her as my wife and still have her dreams come true. But of course, as my father always said, “Life isn’t fair.” And sometimes it was just plain fucked up.

I was having a hard enough time convincing her to view us as a real family. If I cost her her dreams, she’d resent me. I couldn’t have that.

28

Sinclair

My heart did that roll in my chest again at Wyatt’s words. The fact that he thought about my hopes and dreams reminded me that he wasn’t the same boy who asked me to run off without a thought about my goals. Today he was a man who took his role as owner, leader and head of family very seriously.

I looked over at Trina, giving her the silent message to leave us.

“I’ll leave you two to figure this out,” Trina said, backing out the door.

I made sure it was shut and then engaged the lock. I moved to Wyatt and I slid my arms over his shoulders. His eyes registered surprise, but his hands went to my waist and pulled me in.

“I believe in what we’re doing,” I said to him. “Stark is clearly concerned he’s losing, otherwise why come to see you personally?”

He shrugged. “He still has influence. I think he’s a lying cheat, but I believe him when he says he’ll try to ruin your reputation, and I can’t have that, Sinclair.”

“He can try, but he’ll fail. First, people of Salvation know me. I

grew up here. Most of them shop at my dad’s store. They don’t know Stark.”

“What if the mayor’s in on it?”

“I don’t believe that, but if he is, I’m still not worried because you grew up here too. People admire you-”

“I’ve been gone ten years-”

“But you’re back. And you know how small towns are, Wyatt. Gossip travels like tumbleweed. Wyatt Jones, decorated vet, dutiful son, committed family man, honest businessman… The other farmers are watching you and they’re inspired.”

He shook his head and looked down. “I haven’t done anything to earn that.”

I gave him a shake. “You’ve stood up to Stark and his goons, three times now. You supported Jasper by buying his pony. Which by the way you really should have talked to me about.”

“I know.” He smiled sheepishly. “But she’s a great rider, Sinclair.”

Because she was and because she loved it so much, I let it go. “The point is, others are starting to stand up too. They’re calling the mayor’s office. They’re calling me because through my marriage to you, I have a vested interest. Now they have an advocate. It’s working, Wyatt.”

He leaned his forehead against mine. “I couldn’t do this without you. You’re the one making this work, Sinclair, not me.”

I smiled up at him. “We’re a team.” He looked at me with those beautiful green eyes, and I realized my words meant more than we were just a team in this arrangement. I was hopelessly, helplessly, irrevocably in love with him. In fact, I wasn’t sure I ever stopped loving him. Perhaps all my failed attempts to move on with other men wasn’t about focusing on my career or needing to be a mother to Alyssa, but instead because I loved Wyatt.

“Sinclair, there’s something I need to tell you.”

There was something in his voice that had my heart ticking up with concern.

“This isn’t fake. Not for me.”

My heart expanded so much, I wasn’t sure how it stayed contained in my chest. He was everything I wanted and needed. He was Alyssa’s father…and with that thought, I realized that while I was on the verge of having everything I ever wanted, I was also precariously close to losing it all.

I needed to tell him but now wasn’t the time. Not in my office where we could be overheard if he got angry. I couldn’t afford to have our private lives overheard and used against us.

Instead, I kissed him, putting all my emotion, all my love into it.