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“No, she would be honest.” Lauren points around the room. “And maybe he’s already beaten her to it. He’s made himself vulnerable first, not telling her how he feels about her but showing her. He did all the cleanup. He installed the shelving. He bought that fancy sewing machine…”
“That’s worth nearly fifteen grand,” I admit sheepishly while stroking the top of it.
Aubrey’s eyes go wide, and Lauren whistles.
Everything she says makes sense, but still, I glance at Aubrey and wonder if she’s right to be protective and skeptical. I always have been, but Sawyer’s affection challenges my way of thinking.
“Maybe Sawyer’s way of telling you how much he cares about you is by acts of service instead of words,” Lauren concludes.
Aubrey shrugs. “Hell, he did buy you an expensive piece of equipment after your mother ruined your first dress design.”
Lauren snaps her fingers and points at me. “And he bought you shoes so you wouldn’t keep tripping in the gravel.”
“And,” Aubrey says with a smile as she lifts my hand, “he’s not afraid to not propose with his mother’s ring, something I bet all three men in that family value highly…”
I sigh and consider their wisdom, wishing I could draw strength from them.
Clearly, they’ve found their happiness after some struggles.
I wish I could rely on their advice and know I could have my own happily ever after, too.
A real one, not a sham to spare me from my mother’s control.
Chapter 28
Sawyer
At the end of the workday on Friday, one week after Claire sobbed on the floor with the ruined dress, I hold on to the hope we’ll finally have a chance to sit down and talk. Every day and night has been busy for both of us. Me with work and Tom getting injured on the work site. Her with her dress and making use of the new machine I bought her.
Thank goodness I noticed her circling that specific machine in that catalog she left lying out on the coffee table. I never would’ve known what to get if I hadn’t spotted that hint.
Before I can go home to shower and surprise her with a bouquet of flowers and a suggestion that I make her dinner at her place before we talk, I check my phone and see a voicemail from Dalton. It’s not a long one, but the message is clear.
We need to talk. I fear it’s bad news. Adelaide has to know about my engagement to Claire by now. Dalton spread the word. So, what is the witch trying to do now? It’s got to be about her somehow.
I drive to meet Dalton at the coffee shop where he’s talking with the owner about buying the place and making it a bigger, combined retail space.
He comes over to sit with me at a table, shaking his head. “Bad news.”
“I feared as much.” I tap my finger on the table, worried about what he’ll share.
“Adelaide has been notified of the engagement, but it doesn’t seem like it’s enough.”
I slant my brows at him. “How so?”
“Now, Adelaide is trying to get the trust out of Claire’s name entirely, which means Claire doesn’t have a lot of time to beat her at this game. She has no time to try to figure this out.”
I’m crushed, beaten down by a wave of defeat. I wanted to help her, to save her. It isn’t about impressing her anymore or winning her heart with things that matter to her and would help her succeed with her goals. It’s not enough.
“Right now…” Dalton clears his throat. “All you could do is get married. If Claire marries, the estate would transfer to her name immediately.”
I sink back in the old booth. Defeated. I stare at him, hopeless and frustrated that I—Claire and I—can’t win.
I know Claire doesn’t want to do this. Part of me fears she might be annoyed deep down that we’re playacting and faking an engagement like this. I saw the pain in her eyes when I told her how I could help. She was uneasy and suspicious, and knowing she was so instantly averse to the idea of even a pretend commitment to me wounded my pride. She doesn’t feel as deeply about me, and it’s a lesson I wish I could make stick.
When will I ever learn?
But I’m stuck all over again. I’m damned if I put myself out there to help her, but I’m also damned if I don’t. Now, she’ll lose everything, and that’s just not fair at all.
