Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

I held up my hand. “I understand.”

“Good. Now, I hear you don’t cook, but if you really want to impress Tucker, you have to learn to make my chocolate chip cookies. So, go get the flour out of my pantry.”

My life was day after day of happiness and joy. Even the bleakness and cold of winter didn’t get me down with Tucker there to light up the day and heat up the night.

Finally, spring was in the air. The bitter cold was gone and flowers were starting to bloom. Tucker and I continued to help Sinclair with her campaign, with the elections just around the corner. I figured once she was in office, I could go back to the library project, although perhaps I’d stay more in the background in case there were any lingering concerns about my behavior with Mrs. Reynolds.

Tucker and I were door knocking out in the rural areas of Salvation to campaign for Sinclair. It was a good way for him to learn more about Salvation, the people, and its history since many of the rural folks’ families had been there forever.

The campaign was going well. While the town knew I’d pretended to be married to build the library, it also knew that Stark had brought Rick back to play with my heart in an effort to distract me from helping Sinclair. It was a nutty plan, but then Stark was a nutty guy. I figured we were about even.

The polls showed Sinclair with a slight lead over Wallace, but she wasn’t one to sit back on her laurels, so we were all going full force in her campaign. The good news was most of the people we met in the rural areas were for her. They remembered how she’d gone to bat for them to save their land from being bought up below value and turned into a prison by Stark.

We’d finished up at the Collier farm and were back in Tucker’s car heading down the highway.

“Are you hungry?” he asked. “Because I’m starving.”

I checked my watch. It was just after noon. “I wouldn’t mind eating.”

He drove a little longer, then took a left at one of the places boats could put in at the river. He parked in the little lot, and then got out.

“This is pretty,” I said getting out on my side.

“It is.” He went to the trunk, opening it up, he pulled out a blanket and a cooler.

“What’s this?” I asked, grinning like a loon as I often did at his surprises and generosity.

“It’s a picnic.” He leaned over and kissed my nose. Then he took my hand and led me to an area near an oak tree. He unfurled the blanket and helped me sit. Then he opened the cooler and pulled out a lunch of fancy bread and cheese, fruit and wine.

“It’s very cosmopolitan,” I said, popping a grape in my mouth.

We ate and listened to the flow of the river and birds, their eggs having recently hatched so we could hear the chirping of the baby birds.

“Are you happy, Holly?”

I jerked my gaze to him surprised by the question. “Yes. Very. The happiest I’ve ever been. I need to do better in letting you know that if you have to ask me.” Then I had a moment of panic. “Are you happy?”

“Yes, baby,” he said in that way he did when he was slightly annoyed at my worry. He pulled me to him, nestling me between his legs, my back against his chest as he leaned against the tree.

“I’ll be honest, when Brooke said I should move to Nebraska, I wasn’t so sure about it. I figured what the hell. You only live once, right?”

“Right.” I tilted my head up and kissed his chin.

“While I didn’t expect it to be bad, I had no idea just how good it would be. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, and that’s because of you, Holly.”

Warmth filled my body. Love flowed through my blood. “Me too.”

“No one will ever make me happier than you.”

I closed my eyes letting his words wrap around me. “You make me so happy, Tucker.”

His hand held mine. I looked down as he slipped a beautiful diamond ring on my finger. I gasped and turned around in his arms.

“Tucker.” I pressed the hand with the ring over his heart.

He put his hand over mine. “Marry me, Holly.”

Tears filled my eyes. “Yes. Yes, yes, yes.” I grabbed his face and pulled him to me for a fierce kiss, sealing the deal.