Decidedly with Wishes - Stina Lindenblatt Page 0,59

difference between wanting two kids and wanting five.”

“Maybe that’s to allow for accidents.” I shrugged, mostly because he had a valid point.

“How many kids would you like to have?”

“Two or three. I’m not sure I’d want five.”

We continued filling in the questionnaire. Once it was finished and he’d helped me craft my bio, I submitted my application. “Now I just have to wait to see if the site matches me with someone.”

“That’s your plan for finding a husband? A dating site?” This time the prosecutor’s role was reversed—a prosecutor high on laughing gas while interviewing the witness.

I folded my arms and squared my gaze at him. “No. I might create accounts with other dating sites.”

His smirk was hardly reassuring. “You really have no other plans?”

“You don’t need to sound so incredulous. I’m kind of rusty on this whole finding-yourself-a-husband thing. Plus, the last time I did it, it was obviously a bust. So I really have no idea what I’m doing.”

What I needed was a fairy godmother who could conjure me up a husband.

Now, that would be super handy.

“Don’t you know any single men who are interested in getting married?” he asked.

“None who are straight. And none who I’m interested in. Not in that way.” I flopped back onto the bed, feeling as though if I stretched an inch farther, I could grab hold of my goal of creating the line of dresses for girls.

But at the same time, I felt as though I was sitting in the bed of Eli’s truck, the distance between me and my goal rapidly growing—and nothing could stop it from slipping away.

20

Eli

The last thing I’d expected when I picked up the piece of paper on the floor and unfolded it?

An item on Nala’s bucket list that she’d failed to mention.

Not only that—an item that was nearly impossible to complete in such a short time. We weren’t talking about how the Rock went from being a team entering the playoffs in a wildcard position and ended up winning the Stanley Cup.

That was challenging enough.

We were talking about finding a man who had to not only fall in love with Nala in a short time and be willing to get married quickly, but Nala needed to fall in love with him, too.

I couldn’t explain, though, the bitter emotion that had shot through me when she’d mentioned signing up for the dating site. She hadn’t even considered that we were becoming more than just friends.

I shook that thought aside.

What the hell was I thinking?

I didn’t want a real girlfriend or a wife. That was the point of her joining me in Copper Creek as my fake girlfriend.

But while I might have thought that, a voice deep in the recess of my heart asked me if I was sure about that. Was I certain I didn’t want a future with Nala, with her as something more than a friend?

I locked the voice away in the penalty box. It had things all wrong.

“Is that why you were so eager to catch the bouquet last night?” I asked. Nala was still flopped on the bed, her arm covering her eyes. “You thought it would magically summon your future husband?”

“No.” She groaned and removed her arm from her face. “But that would’ve been helpful. I don’t know what I was thinking. Oh, right. I’d had a few glasses of wine, and it seemed like a great idea at the time.”

“What about now?”

She peered at me, and I smirked at her God-what-was-I-thinking? expression.

“Now, it seems like more trouble than it’s worth. FYI, your mom was hoping I’d catch the bouquet.”

Yep, I’d forgotten about that little inconvenience.

“You didn’t tell her about your list, did you?”

Nala shook her head. “Only you, my grandmother, and my three best friends know about it. It’s not something I want broadcasted.”

“That’s a relief.”

Probably the only thing about this entire conversation that was a relief.

“So other than the dating sites, you seriously have no other plans for how you’re going to find a husband?”

“That’s right.”

“Okay, then. It looks like it’s up to me to help you find him.”

She pushed herself up to sit and grinned. “You’re really going to help me? Thank you!”

Before I could say anything, she flung her arms around me.

And naturally, my body instantly reacted.

Get a grip, I mentally told it. I’m finding her a husband, not having sex with her.

I might have thought that for my body’s benefit, but that was a million miles from what I said to Nala, her arms still around my