Say You'll Marry Me

His brusk words earned him a sharp glance, then she thunked the ice cream tub down between them and reached for the ring. “Fine time now to change your mind after—”

“I didn’t change my mind.” He dug into his pocket. “I just don’t want you wearing the ring from a guy who cheated on you and having people think it came from me.”

“Oh.” Annoyance dissipated, and after a moment, she tugged the diamond from her finger. Holding it in front of her, she eyed the solitaire with a frown. “After the comments earlier, don’t you think I should probably wear something?”

“Here.” He extended his hand, the silver ring with emeralds and diamonds held between his thumb and forefinger. No way he was putting it on for her.

Her eyes widened as she lifted her gaze to his. “Where did you get that?”

“It was my mother’s. Don’t lose it.”

She stared for a moment longer, then tucked her ring in her pocket before carefully taking his. She slid it on, then held her hand out in front of her, fingers held up in the way women did when admiring jewelry.

“It’s beautiful. And it fits just right, so I won’t lose it,” she added with a touch of sarcasm.

He picked up the ice cream and ate another bite. Anything to get his mind off the fact that his mother’s engagement ring was a perfect fit for his fake fiancée. After the next bite, he offered Joy the spoon again.

“Oh, no, I’ve had enough, thanks.” She rubbed her palms on her jeans, then tucked her hands between her thighs, hiding the ring. “I suppose you want to talk about the money, too. I can have Wes draw up a contract—”

“No.”

“We can trust him not to say anything. Though I did have to explain to Tara and Jen—”

“There isn’t going to be a contract.”

Her eyebrows rose as she leaned the tiniest bit away from him. “You’re just going to trust me to pay that much money? I mean, you can, but—”

“No, I don’t want the money.”

Now she frowned. “But the farm—”

“We do this my way, or we don’t do it at all.” Logan dug through the soupy parts to find what was left of the chocolate. “No money, or no deal.”

“Then what do you get out of it?” She shifted, and color infused her cheeks as she faced him with one leg bent at the knee and the other dangling over the side of the hay stack. “Because when I said I kissed you to get you to say yes that did not mean I’m going to sleep with you.”

“I didn’t expect you to. It’s a bit insulting that you think I would.” He did not admit out loud that he’d hoped, because hopes and expectations were completely different.

“Just making sure we’re clear,” she said in a firm voice.

Clearly, either way, it was a foolish idea. “Yep.”

“Good. So, then why do this if you don’t want the money? Especially when we both know you need it.”

Unlike the money, the stinging reminder was something he didn’t need.

“It’s for June, okay?” Now he shoved the spoon in the tub and set it aside.

“She’s always been nice to my family, no matter what we were going through. And I’m not blind, you know. I see how the idea of you happy makes her happy.”

“This isn’t about me being happy. It’s about her thinking you’re Luke, and loving that she now gets to plan the wedding since she never got to plan my dad and mom’s. Or mine the first time.”

He wasn’t so sure it was only the wedding planning.

A particularly loud rumble of thunder drew her attention to the rain pouring down outside the open loft doors. The breeze was cool, but she wore a sweater, and he was hot just sitting next to her. He studied her profile, thinking about how he’d misjudged her all this time. Maybe their physical attraction could lead to something more—

Whoa. Dangerous road, man. Back it up.

“Do I really look that much like him?”