this was exactly what she’d wanted for longer than she cared to admit.
A few cars passed them as he led the carriage down the road. Finally, he turned down a dirt road she wasn’t familiar with. “Where are we going?”
“I know a guy.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in against his chest. His fingers trailed up and down her arm, causing a slew of goosebumps to raise on her skin.
This couldn’t be real. He had to be pulling something. Arthur Johnson had never been interested in her and he likely never would. He just had an infatuation with her, and she could be okay with that, right? She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled. If only for today, she’d pretend this was real.
AJ drove the carriage around a bend lined with tall shrubbery. Little white flowers dotted the green foliage, filling the air with a sweet scent. Birds chirped, singing a morning melody. She sighed and straightened.
He stiffened beside her. “Is something wrong?”
“No.”
AJ glanced at her.
Kate folded her arms. “But that’s the problem.”
“Excuse me?”
She gestured. “All of this is exactly what I have been wanting my entire life for as long as I can remember. Back when I was a little girl, I just wanted you to notice me and treat me like the girls you chased. Then when I was older, I wanted to be a part of your family so much that I almost felt guilty—” Clamping her mouth shut, she shook her head. He didn’t need to know about that.
“You are a part of the family, though.”
“But not really. I’m still just someone working for your parents. They could have easily brushed me aside when you came home to take over. The only reason they didn’t was because you weren’t quite ready.”
“You can’t believe that.”
“It’s true. If you come up with some great idea in the next couple of weeks, then you’ll have everything you wanted.”
“No, I won’t.”
“And then I will be without a family again.” She squeezed her eyes shut. He didn’t need to know all her deepest fears. She should have just kept her mouth shut.
“Kate—” His voice held notes of pity.
She sliced her hand through the air. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.”
“Kate—”
“Really. It’s fine.” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “I think I’m just tired.”
“Kate!” He pulled on the reins and jerked Ella to stop.
She jumped and stared at him, eyes wide.
“No matter what happens, you will always be part of my family. Nothing will ever change that.”
Her heart leapt into her throat.
“I have no idea where all these thoughts are coming from, but I can assure you that my parents adore you. If you even think for a second that they would allow you to be just one of the people who work for them, you’re severely mistaken.” He turned and grasped both her hands in one of his. His thumb trailed along her knuckles as he stared at their hands. “I’m not entirely certain that’s what I want either.”
She swallowed hard. This was all an act. This was all an act.
He lifted his forest-green eyes to meet hers. Her mouth went dry. He had to be one of the best actors she’d ever seen. But every girl he’d brought home hadn’t been just for show. She’d seen his heart get torn to shreds before. The way he threw himself into his relationships was one of the reasons she’d wanted to be one of his girls. “Kate—”
Kate sucked in a deep breath. “You’re right. Your parents would never purposefully turn me away. I’ve never had any reason to believe that. So, let’s get on with our date.” This was getting too serious. She thought she could just play along and go for a ride, but she was wrong. Her chest hurt at the thought of this being a game. Even playing pretend would hurt just as much as if it were real. She just had to get through this date and then she could let him know it wasn’t going to work. She couldn’t risk it all on the dreams of a little girl.
They’d go back to being just friends who would have to see each other every single day and forget that their chemistry was off the charts. Who was she kidding? That wouldn’t be possible for her.
She broke eye contact and pulled her hands out of his.
“Kate, are you okay?” He leaned in close and wiped a stray tear from