Page 8 of Her Athlete's Wedding Secret

“If I promise not to bite my toenails, will you marry me?”

Tessa felt a laugh bubbling up from her chest. “I told you I’m going to need some time.”

“Fine, but know I’m not going to be able to sleep with my career on the line like this.”

She patted his chest. “Maybe it will be good for you.” She needed to stop touching him. It was too tempting.

* * *

Tessa pushed openher mom’s front door. “Mom? Are you home?”

“I’m back here, sweetie.” Her mom’s voice carried from one of the back rooms. Tessa pushed past piles of junk to get to her mom’s guest room. The bed was piled so high with random junk that she couldn’t even see the bedspread anymore. Her mom was on the floor sorting through stacks of old photo albums.

“What are you doing?” Tessa asked.

“I’m organizing these old pictures.”

“Organizing? You’ve been ‘organizing’ your pictures for the last twenty years. Maybe you should try organizing the rest of the house instead.” She should know better than to talk to her mom like that, but she was fed up. Her mom just wanted to look at those old pictures so she could reminisce about what it was like to be married to her dad. After all these years, she still hadn’t gotten over the fact that he’d left her.

“I know the house is a terrible mess, and I’m planning on getting to it soon, I’ve just been so busy lately.”

“Busy doing what?” Her mom had gotten on disability, so she didn’t even have a job anymore.

“Oh, you know, this and that.” She set the albums down on the closet floor and stood up. “How was the wedding yesterday?”

“It was… interesting.” She wasn’t sure she should tell her mom about Benson’s strange proposal. Her mom was terrible at keeping secrets, and if it got out to Maple Creek’s gossip mill that their marriage—if she decided to go through with it—was a sham, it could cost Benson his career.

“What do you mean by interesting?” Her mom inched her way past the bed, and Tessa backed up into the hall to let her past.

“Oh, you know, there were lots of celebrities and big Hollywood types there.”

“Owen Hadley is pretty famous. Were you able to do a piece on the wedding for the paper?”

“Yes. I’m hoping it’s enough to land me that promotion.”

“Well, you covered Chase and Lauren’s wedding last year, and it didn’t seem to be enough.”

“The job wasn’t open then. But I’m concerned because Joan’s been working for the paper longer. She’s probably the logical choice.”

“I’m sure it will work out for you.” Her mom patted her arm. “I’m about to start dinner. Do you want some?”

“What are you making?”

“Spaghetti and meatballs.”

“That sounds good. I’m starving.” She followed her mom into the kitchen, past piles of random junk. “Mom, I wish you’d take me up on my offer to help you declutter around here.”

“I told you I will. I’m just not quite ready to part with some of this stuff yet.”

“You have Christmas decorations still sitting in the hallway, waiting to be put in the attic, and it’s June.”

“I’m planning on putting that away this weekend.”

“You’ve been saying that for the past five months.”

“You don’t need to hound me about it, I’ve got everything under control.”

“I’m worried about your health. It’s not clean in here. You’ve got cat litter scattered all across your floor. I don’t even know how many cats you have living here now. I’ve lost count.”

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