Page 76 of The Deadbeat Next Door

“I have a…A suggestion.”

She raised her eyes to mine, her eyebrows high.

“Maybe we should get married.”

She took a step back, her frown severe. “Why would you think that?”

“You shouldn’t have to take care of three kids on your own and we get along well. Living together was fun and easy, and it’s not like I’m looking for a real marriage.” She winced and I wished I’d prepared better, had thought of better words. “I want to help you.”

She stared at me like I was crazy, and then her eyes narrowed. “You talked to Bart today, didn’t you? How’d that go?”

Damn it. I was hoping I’d have more time to argue my case, but I wouldn’t straight out lie to her. “He’s going back on the deal. He wants us to get married on his property, and then he’ll sell it to me.”

Her shoulders slumped and she sighed. “So all this, the pretending, it was for nothing?”

“Not if you marry me. I promise I’ll help with the kids in every way I can.”

“The kids aren’t a bargaining chip,” she said, venom in her tone. “And how exactly is this marriage supposed to work? We just pretend we’re happily married and then we divorce after what? A month? A year?”

“I hadn’t really thought that far ahead, but it won’t be forever. We’ll keep on like we have been, friends who share a bed and help each other out. It doesn’t have to be more than that.”

“Too late.” Her voice broke and tears filled her eyes.

“What?” I didn’t want to understand her words. Didn’t want to be the asshole who put that pain in her expression.

“It’s. Too. Late. I have…Feelings for you. Feelings that would only get more intense if we had a pretend marriage.” She held up her hands. “I know you don’t care for me. It’s not like you’re marriage material anyway, and you certainly aren’t the guy I see myself with for the rest of my life. A pretend marriage would be a horrible idea.”

She turned and stalked from the house before I could say a word. I dropped to the couch, my dream property gone. Only, I couldn’t focus on the property I’d lost or my next steps. I just kept seeing Carrie’s expression, the pain on her face. I did that to her. I hurt her. I’d lost her. She had every right to hate me. How could I not have seen that she had feelings for me? How could I not have seen that I’d fallen for her? Because I had. I’d felt it every time she’d walked away from me, I just hadn’t realized until now that every time she’d left me it was her absence making me feel hollowed out and lost.

She cared for me, but only against her better judgment. I wasn’t good enough for her. I wasn’t the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. And she was right. The right guy for her wouldn’t offer her a pretend relationship or a pretend marriage. The right guy would see how amazing she was the first time she crossed his path. He’d grab her and never let her go, never give her any reason to walk away.

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