by Zoe York
“You’re laying it on thick.”
“I mean it. You said you would never get married again, married for love. But that’s not what I’m asking—or offering. I’m offering transparency and friendship and mutual support.”
Everything that had been missing in her first marriage.
“You’re still young,” she whispered into the phone. “What if you…”
“So are you. You know what you want in your future, right? So do I. And I don’t…I haven’t dated a lot since I came home from overseas. That’s four years of not getting laid that often. I’m not giving up some wild social life. I like to go dancing. If we got married, you could come with me. The nearest club is an hour away and it’s kind of gross compared to the place we went in the city, but it’s got pulsing lights and loud music. If you ever change your mind about wanting some intimacy, I’d be up for that, too. But I’m fine without it. God gave me two hands for a variety of experiences and—”
She laughed in shocked relief. “Is your marriage proposal really including a detailed breakdown of how you jerk off?”
“I wasn’t going to be that explicit.”
Sighing, she clicked to a new tab on her browser. A map, to see just how far away Pine Harbour was. “When is your next weekend off?”
“This coming one. I get possession of the house on Thursday, so I’ll be unpacking.”
“Can I come up and visit you? I can help.”
“You want to see the bakery?”
It wasn’t just the bakery. She wanted—needed—to see Adam again, too. Spend a weekend in his house and figure out if she could actually pretend to be his wife. Nothing pretend about it. Actually be his wife, for his sake and for hers. A mutually beneficial agreement.
It was wildly unrealistic—but also, intensely practical.
A bakery for a dollar.
Or she could spend the next five years working as a pastry chef in a restaurant, hoping to meet the right investor for her idea, which someone else would surely have taken and run with in the meantime.
Who did she trust more? Some random future potential investor, or Adam Kincaid, the nicest man in NATO? When she put it like that, testing his harebrained scheme out for a weekend was the least she could do. “I do. And I want to hang out with you, too. See if you might do as a husband number two.”
“Husband number two. That rhymes.”
Isla thought she might faint. “I was going for levity.”
“Levity achieved.” His voice softened, going feathery light. “I’ll text you the address. See you on Friday.”
Chapter Seven
On Thursday, Adam got the keys to his house. His brothers came with him to do the first wave of unpacking. They called Seth on video chat after carrying in the biggest pieces.
“How many beds do you have?”
“One for upstairs, one for the main floor. I like to have sleeping options.” Adam spread his arms wide. “In my kingdom.”
Seth leaned in to the screen, squinting. “Your kingdom looks like it needs a new coat of paint.”
Adam shrugged. “It needs more than that, but it’ll be a fun project. Let me show you the new bathroom, though.”
When he got back to the living room after giving Seth a virtual tour, Josh and Will had carried one of the two beds upstairs. He’d ordered them both online, to be delivered to Will’s house, and they were identical. Basic black wood frames, good quality mattresses.
Owen picked up the memory foam mattress, vacuum packed in a giant tube. “This one is ours to set up.”
Adam got out of his way, grabbing the headboard. They made quick work of it, setting up the frame first, then carefully cutting the plastic wrapping open so the mattress could expand into its full size.
“You got bedding for this?”
Adam rolled his eyes. “Nah, I was planning on sleeping on it just like that. Minimalist style. This isn’t a frat house, Owen. Yes, I have bedding. But we have to let the mattress air out for a few hours first. Let’s go get more shit from my truck.”
After they unloaded everything, the thought of scrubbing down the kitchen was exhausting, so he took his brothers to Mac’s for burgers.
“This is on me,” he insisted when Owen and Will both tried to grab the bill. “Thanks for your help tonight.”
“We’ll help this weekend, too,” Will said.
Adam shook his head. “Actually, I’d rather you didn’t. I’m having a visitor come up tomorrow.”
“Who?”
He forced his face to stay nonchalant, even though he was pretty damn excited. But that warm swell of energy that he felt when he thought about Isla coming up to stay with him was complicated and layered and none of his brothers’ business, really, so he’d put off telling them for days.
He didn’t want to hear their opinions about her, in any direction. His friendship with her was private and special and none of their business. But it would be worse if they caught wind of her visiting, or dropped by and she was helping him put his kitchen to rights.
So he shrugged like it was no big deal. “Isla.”
Josh pretended to search his memory. “The woman with the cookies?”
“Shut up, I know you guys have been talking about her and me for weeks.”
Owen looked at Will in exasperation. “Who snitched?”
Adam wouldn’t rat out Becca. “No snitching required. Whenever I talk to her, Will gets this matchmaking gleam in his eye.”
Now it was Will’s turn to flip him off. “Fuck you.”
But that wasn’t a denial.
“Look, we’re just friends.” He took a deep breath, setting the stage for what might come next. “But if—if—anything develops between me and Isla, that’s about us. She’s slowly sorting her life out, and frankly, so am I. Neither of us need meddling in our lives, got it?”
Will looked far too fucking proud of himself.
But nobody suggested Adam needed help with the house again, and that was a small miracle.
That night, he crawled into the upstairs bed and lay wide-awake wondering what Isla might think of the house, the town, and most importantly, the cafe.
She was a grown woman. If she didn’t like any part of his wild idea, that would be fine. She could wish him good luck with his family, his house, and his job, and be on her way after what he would do his best to make sure was a fun weekend either way.
That was the official line in his head. It would be fine. But as he lay sprawled on his bed, alone in his own house for the first time, it wasn’t hard for him to admit how much he was looking forward to seeing her again and spending extended time together.
Some of his feelings didn’t quite make sense, even when he looked at them real hard. He couldn’t put his finger on why he was drawn to her or why she made him feel so sure of an outlandish plan.
But as he drifted off to sleep, he knew he would be disappointed if she passed on the opportunity. He’d spent a lot of time in his life scraping by with “fine”. He wanted more than fine, he wanted great and awesome. He wanted a cheerleader just as much as he wanted to be someone’s cheerleader, and Isla was the first person who had ever inspired that in him.
He couldn’t wait to show her just what that life together could be like.
Isla left the city early and arrived in Pine Harbour in the middle of the day. She knew the area a bit—there was an army training base on the other side of Georgian Bay, in Meaford, that she’d worked at many times. But she had never driven onto the peninsula before, and she marvelled at how suddenly the landscape changed. Farmland gave way to rocky outcrops and dense forest, and the highway narrowed. Nothing but road and wilderness for quite some time, until she saw the turnoff for Pine Harbour. She didn’t miss the emergency services building at the highway, and smiled to herself. That was where Adam worked, and she was proud of him for it.
And then, when she pulled into town, Lake Huron glittered at the end of Main Street. It was a quiet, quaint little village, but something abo
ut it made her pulse quiver.
She had to—got to—drive past the cafe to get to Adam’s house, and her breath hitched in her throat when she finally caught sight of it. She imagined the striped awnings vanishing, leaving the big windows open for her bake sale painted letters on the glass.
If she wasn’t careful, she would find herself falling hopelessly in love with the fantasy of it all.
She turned at the next block and drove deep into the residential neighbourhood, past neat bungalows and larger Victorian-era homes. Adam’s street was nearly at the edge of town, and the houses here had more space between them, the landscaping a little wilder.
Then she saw him, close to the road, pushing a shiny red lawnmower.
Slowing, she waved through her window before turning into the long driveway.
Adam had sent her a photo, but it didn’t capture the fairytale magic of his little cottage. It was tucked back into a dense grove of trees, and overgrown vines crawled up the front of the porch.
When she got out of her car, her legs aching from the long drive, he had mowed to where she was and turned off the engine. He held out his arms and she folded in against him for an easy hug.
He smelled like fresh-cut grass and gasoline, and when she pulled back, he had a ready smile for her.
“I’m here,” she announced. Ready to discuss the wildest plan.
He squeezed her hand. “I’m glad. Let me show you inside.”
That same wild, fluttery feeling she’d had on Main Street rioted in her chest as he pushed the door open. There was a small foyer, which was dark, and a living room immediately to the left. Also dark. But to the right was a staircase, and a window high on the wall flooded that with light. The whole place smelled like wood cleaner and fresh laundry.
“I’ve been cleaning all morning,” Adam said apologetically. “But there’s still a lot to be done. I have a room for you, though. This way.”
He led her past the very small but cozy living room, then stopped again. “The kitchen needs the most work. Well, other than the bathroom upstairs. That does, too. Just—”
She realized she hadn’t said anything, and she grabbed his hand. “It’s beautiful, Adam. I love it. And I can tell that you’ve been getting it ready. It’s a lovely work in progress.”
His brows pulled together, and then he shook his head, laughing. “Just like me.”
“Me, too.”
His mouth curved in a slow smile. “Bit of a theme, then.”
As he’d warned, the kitchen was dated, with rough-looking appliances and no furniture. Boxes were stacked beside a back door that looked out onto a private backyard.
Then he led her down a short hallway that also had a door back to the living room on it. “And here is your room,” he said, leading her into what had probably been the rest of the living room at some point.
It was now a beautiful suite, with what looked like a modern, classy bathroom at the back of the house and a bed under a big window that overlooked the front yard. “There’s lots of space in here to make this your own…you know, should you decide to…”
The elephant in the room. If she wanted to marry Adam, this would be where she would live. This would be her room.
He’d called it that, but it hadn’t sunk in.
A wild, wobbly laugh bubbled in her chest. She rubbed that spot, hoping to keep it inside, but it didn’t work. It burst out, and she shook her head as she laughed again and again. She doubled over, blindly grabbing for Adam, who found her and put his hands on her shoulders, righting her.
“You okay?” He chuckled. “It wasn’t that funny.”
“It’s just so absurd.” She wiped her eyes. “This would be my room? Who are you, and why don’t…” She stepped into the bathroom, which was stunning and didn’t match the rest of the house. “Surely this should be your room.”
“I’ll sleep upstairs. Do you want to see that, too?”
“Of course.” Her head was spinning. They should keep moving so she didn’t stop and think or have random fits of the giggles again.
“Before I told you about the cafe being for sale, I planned to sleep in both rooms,” Adam said as he led her up the stairs. “Downstairs most of the time, because of that bathroom—you’ll understand in a minute—but when I’m sleeping during the day, nothing will beat the quiet of up here. This room is at the back of the house and…”
She followed him across the landing and stopped just inside the door to his room. Sure, he didn’t have a walk-in shower, but he was right. His room was the quietest in the house, by far. And out the window was nothing but trees. It was serene and peaceful. The perfect place to sleep after a twenty-four-hour shift.
“So I’ll make renovating this bathroom a priority, and we’ll both be set.”
There was that elephant in the room again. She gave him a nervous smile.
Adam sat down on his bed. “Shall we talk about it now?”
“Oh, I don’t…”
He patted the bedding beside him. He had nice sheets, dark purple up here, light grey downstairs. Solid colours, easy to add her own touches to if she…if they…
“Come here,” he said softly. “You look like you’re going to faint.”
“This is mortifying.” She plonked herself down next to him, then fell backwards, tossing her arms over her head. If they were going to talk seriously about being married and sharing this house, the least she could do is get used to stretching out on her husband’s bed. “I was a captain in the army. I shouldn’t be all freaked out over what is simply a tactical decision.”
He laughed. “Sure. But you’re also a human being faced with a scenario that seems surreal, right? I’ve been a bit freaked out this week, too. Nervous and excited.”
“Excited?”
He lay down next to her. “Of course. I’ve been looking forward to your visit all week.”
That made her feel better. “What do you want to do first? What do you want to show me about your town?”
“Are you hungry? We could go to the cafe for lunch. Scope out of the place. Or did you see the diner on the way in? That’s always good. High likelihood of running into my family, of course.”
“I like your family.”
“That’s a relief. They’re kind of all around us.”
“Where do they all live?” She didn’t really have a map of the town in her head, so where Adam pointed didn’t make a ton of sense, but she liked listening to his voice.
“Owen and Kerry aren’t far from here, a little closer to the highway, but still on this side of town. Will is on the other side—that’s the newer build area. Josh doesn’t actually have a house, he lives with Will sometimes, and pretends the apartment over his garage is habitable some of the time, too.”
“Can you show me?” She didn’t want to go to the cafe just yet. Couldn’t finish falling in love with it just yet. She needed to see more of Adam’s life here first. “Can we go for a drive together, so I can see your town through your eyes?”
He helped her up, then they went downstairs. While he put the lawn mower away, she unpacked and refreshed from her drive. Then they headed out in Adam’s truck.
He headed down to the harbour first, where she was expecting to see a ramshackle mechanic shack from the way he’d described it, but Josh’s garage was Instagram perfect against the backdrop of the glittering lake. A whitewashed two-storey building with bright teal letters and a bright red muscle car parked out front, it was beautiful.
“On the outside,” Adam said. “But his apartment is…it makes my kitchen look down right fancy.” He gestured to the marina across the road. “That’s where Seth docks when he flies in.”
“He has a float plane?”
“Yep.”
“And where does he live?”
Adam pointed northwest. “A hundred and fifty clicks that way. Spends all summer ferrying people to fly-in fishing and hunting lodges. He’ll pick up charters from here, too, but there’s more traffic out of the Sault and Sudbu
ry, so his base is halfway between the two.”
“Do you ever go up there?”
“I did once.” Adam put the truck in gear and headed back up the hill, away from the harbour. This time he drove up Main Street, and Isla tried not to crane her neck to look at the cafe as they drove past.
Adam didn’t say anything if he noticed her eagerness.
“We didn’t have a lot of money growing up. My parents did okay, but they invested everything they had in a house big enough for five boys.” He stopped in front of a large Victorian house on a corner lot. “That’s where I grew up.”
“It’s beautiful.” Isla glanced over at him, but his expression was unreadable.
“Owen had to sell it after they died because he couldn’t afford the property tax and upkeep. He put the money in trust for each of us, and used his portion to buy a smaller place two blocks that way.”
“Show me.”
The small post-war bungalow was neat and tidy, but nothing like the first house. “How old were you when you moved here?”
“Thirteen. A year after my mom died.”
“You were so young.”
He made a face. “Yeah.”
It would have been a big transition for a teenage boy to go from all that space to cramped quarters. “And Owen had his daughter then?”
“Becca was three, yeah. Bossy and loud.” This time Adam’s expression was clear. She could tell that he loved his niece and enjoyed everything about her. “Still is, which is awesome.”
He put the truck back in drive and headed across town. “You know, I was raised by teenage boys, basically. It could have been Lord of the Flies territory. “
“But it wasn’t?”
“No. That was all Owen. He went from twenty to forty overnight. Mature and responsible before his time.”
“You all seem pretty responsible. Maybe it was a group effort.” She squeezed his fingers. “Where are we going now?”
