Page 25 of Accidentally Matched

“What?” we whisper instead this time.

“All this is just a front. For appearance's sake. Because my gran and I love her to bits and she is a shrewd woman, I’m going to have to marry some guy she picks out for me so that my trust fund can kick in and I can save my family from absolute financial ruin and social embarrassment. Yay me.” Haley gives us a thumbs up with both her hands, despite holding a glass of champagne in one of them.

“Haley,” I say, completely stunned. “Is there anything my family can help with?”

“And mine too,” Clem adds.

“No one is supposed to know about this in the first place. My dad would die from the embarrassment alone, but thank you, girls. Anyway, it seems I’ll be getting married soon to some stranger my gran picked out for me. And don’t worry about me. I’ll figure it out.”

“That you will.”

If anyone can figure things out, it’ll be Haley, that’s for sure.

“We’ve done some pretty crazy things, but they haven’t even kissed me yet.” I say. I can never keep anything from my friends. “Which means it’s only a transaction for them. I bulldozed their lives and bought their time. If they liked me, they would have kissed me already on my lips and not just given me a placating kiss on my forehead. I think they’ll be happy when I end our agreement.” If I start crying right now, I’m going to be so mad.

“Oh Tierney.”

“That’s the reason you don’t want Sweetpea around the four of you, right?” Haley asks seriously.

I nod. I don’t want Sweetpea to confirm they aren’t the loves of my life. And worse, I think I may have fallen in love with them the first time I saw them. Why did I choose them to take my virginity in the first place? Because no other men would do. My heart already knew that.

Sigh.

We have a group hug and promise to be there for each other no matter what. Clem will lose her trust fund if she doesn’t marry and, with it, her family, since they would also disown her emotionally as well, and she does love her family. Haley has to marry to get her trust fund and save her family from unthinkable destitution. And me... I’m...hopelessly in love with three billionaire ranchers who couldn’t possibly love me back.

Chapter Fifteen

––––––––

TIERNEY

––––––––

My plan is to justthrow myself into my work. I’m back at the offices ofLeashed to Love,and I plan to make a slew of successful connections this week. I try damn hard not to think about Colter, Nolan, and Jace in Wyoming at the moment at some rodeo.

I’m also stalling sending them each a message to thank them for their time, but I was done—essentially forfeiting the time I still had left with them. I just can’t bring myself to do it.Now, I say to myself. I can’t bring myself to do it now, so I add it to my list of things to do, and it comes in at number fourteen, the last thing on my list.

---