Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

Not wanting to be alone with my father, I coerced Tucker to stay for the evening, and when I finally let him leave, I went to bed without a word to my father.

Not that I could sleep. All I could think about was how beautiful my life was last night, and how ugly it had gotten today. I hated that Mo hadn’t told me what happened, but then, maybe he’d tried after my father took my phone. I’d considered sneaking out to Mo’s house, but if my father found out, he’d do something drastic, and I didn’t want to be the source of Mo’s ruin.

I shook my head because, of course, I was the source. If I’d never tried to seduce him four years ago, we probably wouldn’t be here. Certainly, if I hadn’t finagled a marriage and had let my father’s farm be sold, we wouldn’t be here. All of a sudden, Stark getting his hands on this land didn’t seem as bad. In an effort to help my father, to win the man I loved, I’d ruined all our lives.

29

Maurice

She didn’t call. I’d been hurt and angry when Shelley left, but Brooke’s not calling me crushed my heart like a son-of-a-bitch. How had I fallen so hard, so fast, without realizing it, I thought as I made my way into the mayor’s office the next day. Unable to help myself, I texted and then tried to call her, but so far, she hadn’t responded. I’d have to accept that she chose her father. Of course she would. He was her father, after all. And I’d been such a dick to her up until the last night together. I wouldn’t want to burn a bridge with my family for me, either.

That meant I needed to figure out a way to pay back the trust. I wondered if my aunt had set up a payment plan contingency.

As I walked into the outer part of the mayor’s office, I saw Trina at her desk.

“I just got a call from Brooke. She said she’s out for the rest of the week,” Trina said. She arched a brow as if she was expecting me to respond to Brooke taking so much time off as a new staffer and without permission beforehand. But I was too emotionally exhausted to take the bait.

“Fine.”

She cocked her head to me. “Are you all right?”

No. No, I’m not. “Fine,” I said again, clearly losing my ability to hold a conversation. I went into my office and sat in my chair, wondering if and when it was going to come out that I’d married my young assistant for money.

Two days later, the gossip mill still hadn’t outed me, but I couldn’t help but feel my time was coming to a close. While Stark had called Frank, he apparently hadn’t called the media. Why not? Was he sitting on this for a reason? I wondered if maybe he was going to use the scandal closer to the election to hurt Sinclair. It was well-known that I supported her. Under those circumstances, it might be better to resign so that I didn’t hurt Sinclair’s chances of becoming mayor. I was going to need time to get my financial house in order, anyway. Leaving now would give me time to figure out what I could sell, beg, borrow, or steal to pay back the trust.

I’d start by putting the mayor’s office in order. I called Trina into my office to put things right with her. The pregnancy or something was having an effect on her, and I hadn’t been very supportive or understanding.

She stepped into my office and simply stood like a zombie. That was a bit like how I felt. Like the living dead.

I studied her for a moment. “I’m concerned about you.”

“I’m fine.”

I leaned back in my chair. “You’re not your usual self.”

“I’d think that was a good thing, sir.”

My lips twitched upwards. At least she still had her sense of humor. “Normally, yes, but you don’t look well, either. Is everything okay with the baby?”

“Yes, sir. I’m just…trying to adjust to everything.”

“I know you like order.” She was the queen of order. I wish she could straighten out my life. “I want you to know that your job is secure here, at least while I’m mayor. If Sinclair wins the next election, I’m sure she’ll keep you here, too, so despite what I said, your job is safe.”

“Thank you.” Relief shone in her eyes.

“And I’m sorry I haven’t been more transparent with you on the things I’m assigning to Ms. Campbell. I value your work, and I’m sorry if I seemed to have disrespected that.”

“I appreciate that, sir.”

I arched a brow. “Of course, that doesn’t give you permission to be hostile.”

“No, sir.”

I frowned at her lack of verve. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need the day off?”

“I’d rather work.”

I nodded, knowing sometimes distraction was better than having time to wallow in problems. “Okay.”