LITMIR.BIZ

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place look like it’s a monarchy.”

      “Close enough,” Sadie said. “He’s been mayor for as long as I can remember.”

      “He usually runs unopposed. Well, I’m opposing. And I know that I would be better for the job. I understand where the town is going...” Suddenly, she remembered Colton looking at her in the hotel room, his expression filled with disbelief as he asked her if she was stumping for votes. Maybe she had a little bit of a problem. But she had spent the past few years as a workaholic, and she didn’t really know what else to focus on. Particularly when things were chaotic. She tended to fall right back onto the topics she found easy. Right now, that was her campaign. And since her marriage, or rather, the continuation of it, was directly related to that campaign, it was particularly easy to do now.

      “You know you have my support,” Sadie said. “And Eli’s. I mean, he can’t actually force people to vote for you under threat of arrest—I asked—but if anyone talks to him about it he makes his preferences pretty clear.”

      “And I appreciate that. I appreciate the support that he’s given me, always. Which I mean in a nonsexual way.”

      “I know.”

      “Eli, in my opinion, is Copper Ridge. You two. The best, the future.”

      “I feel like you’re avoiding giving details.”

      Lydia let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m running against an institution. Not only that, he’s a man. It seems like the personal lives of women are always more scrutinized in these types of situations. I was single, which already made me somewhat unapproachable. I mean, people wonder why. They want to know if I even care about family. If I throw a quickie marriage and even faster divorce onto the pile...well, that’s it. I’m done.”

      Sadie nodded slowly. “Okay. I see your point. So...what’s the plan? You stay married to him forever?”

      “No. I stay married to him until I get elected. But, basically we’re just going to pretend to be married. I mean, we’re going to actually be married, but without the love, or the sex.”

      Sadie frowned. “So, marriage with all of the annoying things like compromise, cohabitation and having to eat what he wants for dinner, without the things that make it fun?”

      “For a limited time. We’re going to be roommates. Roommates who don’t like each other and who probably had sex and don’t remember it.”

      “Wow. Good luck with that.”

      “That is not helpful to me, Sadie. You’re an optimist. You’re supposed to be optimistic about this.”

      “Sorry. Realist Sadie is the one who feels like weighing in. This is going to be a giant pain in your butt.”

      It was Lydia’s turn to frown. “I think Realist Sadie is a pain in my butt.”

      “She’s a pain in mine, too. I’m just saying, you honestly think that you’re going to live with Colton West for the next few months and pretend to be his wife and that isn’t going to be...awkward?”

      “Oh, it’s going to be awkward.”

      “Let me rephrase. You aren’t going to sleep with him?”

      “No,” Lydia said, feeling each and every one of her muscles begin to tense up. “I’m not. The situation is complicated enough. We’re not going to mess it up further. It’s a blessing that we don’t remember what happened.”

      “Okay.”

      “You don’t believe me.”

      “I believe that sex often overrules common sense.”

      “Well,” Lydia said, “that has never been the case for me.”

      “Except with Colton.”

      Lydia set her cup down on the desk and threw her hands up. “I don’t remember it. It’s basically the same as it not happening.”

      “Except that it did.”

      “It isn’t happening again.” She picked her cup back up again, then set it back down. “You know what? I haven’t had sex in four years.”

      Sadie’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me?”

      “So celibate, Sadie. So celibate. I don’t think a couple of months sharing a very large space with Colton is going to undo my willpower.”

      “Except, you did... A couple of days ago. With him. He was the one that broke the celibacy.”

      “Whiskey broke the celibacy. Alcohol is to blame. I’ll just...stay sober. Which is fine, because I usually am.”

      “I support you.”

      “But you don’t believe in me.”

      Sadie shook her head. “Two different things.”

      “You just can’t tell anyone that our marriage isn’t a real marriage.”

      “Well, I’m going to tell Eli.”

      Lydia scrunched up her face. “Do you have to?”

      “Sorry. Husbands before... Well, nothing rhymes with husbands. But, I don’t keep secrets from him.”

      The fact that it was Eli made it slightly worse. Lydia was over her Eli crush, but since she had been occasionally pathetic in his presence already, she didn’t want to add to it by having him fully aware that her marriage wasn’t real.

      A very unsettling thought occurred to her. Even if people believed the marriage was real, she still looked kind of pathetic. The bride hadn’t shown up, so Colton had snagged the nearest bridesmaid.

      But you weren’t the nearest bridesmaid. You were on the other end. So, he passed over like three bridesmaids to get to you.

      The thought made her scowl.

      Sadie clearly thought the scowl was directed at her. “He won’t tell. Not anyone. Not even Connor.”

      “I believe you.” She couldn’t imagine the very serious, upright sheriff gossiping to his brother like a couple of hens. If there was one thing she trusted in, it was Eli’s goodness. He was one of the most truly responsible and decent people she had ever known. Which, really, explained her attraction. That and the fact that he was an integral part of the community that had become so important to her. The community that she wanted so desperately to be part of.

      In a deep way. Not just a superficial way. She wanted Copper Ridge to be hers. Not out of a thirst for power; that wasn’t why she was running for mayor. It was just that she cared. She cared so deeply about this place, this place that was perfect in ways she could not begin to describe.

      The sharp, salt air; the fresh scent of the pines; the way the mist hung low over the mountains. It was in her blood. It was part of her. When she had first driven into town with her car full of her earthly possessions eight years ago, ready to make a fresh start, she had felt like she’d crossed the earth, not just into the next state.

      Had felt for the first time like something was hers. For her.

      And she wanted more. Something that couldn’t be taken from her. It was an ache, a longing that she had a difficult time articulating, even to herself.

      “So, where do you go from here? What’s next?”

      “I guess...I’m moving.”

CHAPTER FIVE

      LYDIA HAD NO idea what she should bring with her. Obviously, she wasn’t going to bring her furniture. She was going to have to forward her mail. She would need clothes, but mostly early fall clothes. Maybe a winter jacket. Definitely nothing for the late-coming spring. Because they weren’t going to be married that long.

      She was standing

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