Page 35 of Accidentally Sliding Into A Second Chance

“No, Cat,” he whispers, placing a hand on both my arms and meeting my gaze. “I think you should do it. Like I said, it would be mutually beneficial.”

Flustered, I blow out a breath while trying to pretend that his hands on my arms aren’t making swarms of butterflies dance in my stomach. “Do you have someone in mind?” I ask, my voice slightly breathless. My heart skips, a flicker of hope catching in my chest.

“Yeah,” he responds softly, his eyes like molten brandy burning into me. “Me.”

Takingaswigofcoffee, my hands tremble slightly as I walk through the main doors of the Smokies front office, my breathing uneven. Hope greets me with a mischievous glint flashing in her eyes, which I completely ignore and make a beeline for my office, closing the door behind me.

Staring out the window at the baseball field, I take a slow breath and settle into my chair. My meeting with Travis and Charles starts in ten minutes, and I need the time to pull myself together. Rubbing my hands down my dress, I pull in a breath and blow it out in an attempt to calm my pounding heart.

David will talk to Finn, I will talk to my bosses, and later we’ll meet up with Scarlett, Duncan and Ava to let them know about our little arrangement.

To be honest, I’m not sure what I’m more nervous about: losing my job or admitting I’m getting married to David to claim an inheritance.

“This is insane,” I groan, dropping my head to my desk and banging it against it.

“Cat, your meeting—” The door swings open, and I whip my head up from my desk, staring wide-eyed at Hope. Her eyes fill with concern, and she rushes over to the side of my desk. “Are you okay?”

Reaching for my coffee, I take a gulp and nod my head. Unable to trust my voice if I speak. “Uh huh.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yup,” I squeak out, shifting papers around my desk. “What were you going to say?”

Hope searches my face, her gaze skeptical. “Travis and Charles are in the conference room and will be ready for you shortly. Here’s everything we’ve worked on.”

Taking the tablet from her, I flip through the presentation, my chest expanding at the perfect colors and themes we’ve crafted. This is my moment.

My fingers hesitate, and my stomach tightens. If only the entire thing wasn’t overshadowed by me announcing that I’m marrying David James, I would be bouncing out of my chair.

“It’s great!” I force a relaxed smile and swallow hard. “They’re going to love this.”

“I know,” Hope says confidently. Her gaze runs over my face, and her eyes narrow. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine!” My voice cracks, and I try again with a smile. “Great. Just excited and nervous for this meeting.”

What I said is honest, but not for the reason I’m letting her believe. She continues to stand in front of my desk with her brows pulled together. I sip my coffee and bring my gaze back to the presentation.

“Do you mind giving me a few minutes?” When she doesn’t move, I glance up and give her what I hope is a relaxed smile. One of her brows is raised, but she turns around and heads out of the office. “Close the door behind you, please.”

Slowly closing the door, she watches me, her expression still skeptical.

When I hear the click, I blow out the breath I was holding and drop my head to my desk. Fumbling around my purse, I pull out my phone.

Cat:

Are you sure you want to do this?

Maybe he’s changed his mind. Maybe we should change our minds? This is bonkers.

I start to type a message saying exactly that when David responds.

David:

YES!

I wasn’t exaggerating when I said my life was total chaos.

This morning I woke up to my cleats shredded.

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