The Inn on Harmony Island (Sweet Tea and a Southern Gentleman #1)(13)

I held up my hand as if that was going to stop her—it didn’t. Her fingers kept flying, so I took a step toward her. “Charity, hold up.”

She shook her head. “If you don’t get out in front of this, it could kill any chance you have for a future business here. If you don’t make a mark—even if it’s fake—then you’ll be forgotten. You need to stay relevant in the eyes of every bride and future bride in New York.” I placed my hand on the screen, but her fingers had already stopped. “I sent it.”

I blinked. My brain still playing catch up. “You what?”

“I asked him if he wanted in.”

“In on what?”

She nodded toward me. “You.”

The floodgates opened. I stammered for a few seconds before I found my way to the kitchen chair and sat down again so I could rest my head in my hands. “I can’t date Titan. I can’t date anyone. I’m heading to Harmony tomorrow for the reading of Gran’s will.”

“Oh.”

I took in a deep breath as I tried to silence the anxiety rushing through my mind. A ping from Charity’s phone caused me to look over at her. She was staring down at the screen with her eyes wide.

“What did he say?” I asked before I could stop myself.

She shook her head and slipped her phone into her pocket. “It’s not a big deal. You said no.”

Even though I wasn’t ready to process what all of this meant, I knew it would be foolish to leave for Harmony without at least something to come back to.

“Did he say yes?” I asked, forcing my confidence to the surface.

She pursed her lips and nodded. “He said he’s game.”

I furrowed my brow as I let her plan stew in my mind. It wasn’t going to be real, but it would appear real enough for the next week or so. And that was all I needed. A little time to process Charlotte’s death and figure out a plan to stay relevant in New York’s wedding world.

If I was in Charity’s place and she was faced with this seemingly impossible situation, I would suggest this temporary plan as well. So why was I saying no?

I drummed my fingers on the table. I narrowed my eyes. “Can he meet me at Java House in two hours?”

Charity shrugged. “I can ask him.”

I nodded, grateful for the distraction. I already knew what outfit I was going to wear and how I was going to style my makeup. If I was going to portray that we were dating and that I had found the man I wanted the world to know I loved, I needed to look the part.

“Perfect. Tell him to meet me there at eleven, if he’s in.” I stood and was across the room before Charity called out to me.

“What about the will reading?”

I waved her question away. “I’ll be heading to Harmony tomorrow. And you’re right, it’s better to have something fake in the works than nothing at all.” I turned and gave her a wide smile. “Thanks for looking out for me.”

She let out a psssh and shrugged. “I’ve got your back.”

I smiled and nodded. “While I’m gone, you have free rein with my apartment. Make it look…” I waved my hand in her direction. “Social media ready.”

She laughed and nodded. “Will do. It’ll be a fun makeover.”

I winced, worried what my credit card bill would be once she was done, but I pushed it from my mind. It was all for the cause. Not only did I need to prove myself to New York society, but I wanted to prove to the women on Harmony Island that I did make something of myself. That I didn’t need their pity.

I was Shelby-freaking-Sorenson and that meant something.





5





SHELBY





The smell of coffee and espresso assaulted my nose as I pulled the door to Java House open and stepped inside. The morning rush was over, and there were only a few stragglers in line waiting to place their order. In the wee hours of the morning, the line was always out the door, so I was grateful for the lack of people.

The bell on the door chimed as it shut behind me. A man, wearing a beanie and sitting at a nearby table, turned to look at me for a moment before dropping his gaze back to his phone. I took in a deep breath as I hugged my purse to my chest and hurried to slip into an empty booth.

I had to talk myself into coming about twenty times before the rideshare driver dropped me off in front of this coffee house, and then I had nowhere else to go but inside. My bags were packed and waiting for me just inside my apartment door. When I finished up here, I was going to drown myself in chocolate and chick flicks before I packed the back of my car and left in the wee hours of the morning.

“Shelby?” a deep gravelly voice asked, startling me.

I yelped and turned to see a huge man standing just a foot away from me. His t-shirt was stretched to its limit over his bulging muscles. He was tan, and his very blond hair looked bleached against his skin. His smile was wide as he stuck out his gigantic hand.

“Titan?” I asked, my voice coming out a whisper. His parents named him accurately.

He nodded, and just as I began to raise my hand to meet his, he reached down and closed the gap. “Nice to meet you,” he said as his hand literally engulfed mine and half my forearm. He dropped my hand and turned to slide into the bench across from me. “You’re cute,” he said as he leaned back against the booth and gave me a wink.