Page 15 of The Fiancé Hoax
Inga smiled at me, then corralled the girls to the foyer. They got their jackets, shouted their goodbyes to Cooper and me, and left through the front door. With them gone, it was suddenly quiet.
Cooper turned to me. Our eyes met.
He looked amazing in his button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up to reveal meaty forearms. The edgy tattoos on one arm, paired with his overall wealthy businessman look, made me weak in the knees.
Look away, look away.
“Hungry?”
“Uh-huh,” I squeaked.
And then I realized he was referring to food.
4
COOPER
“So, where did we leave off last night?” I asked between bites of my Indian korma.
Eva and Lily ate mac and cheese with Inga earlier. I wanted to speak to Felicity alone.
Felicity dabbed her napkin at her mouth. “You were saying I had no business sense.” She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
“Look, I’m blunt, Felicity. That’s how I got to where I am now. But I know what I’m doing. You need customers to get inside your store, and you need to make enough money to keep your business running.”
She sighed. “If only it were that easy.”
“It can be.”
We ate in silence for a few moments. Finally, I looked at her.
“Why are you driving that ancient car?”
“It took me months to save up for that thing. I got a good deal on Craigslist.” She stabbed a chunk of chicken with her fork and shrugged. “Times are tough. I put every extra dime I have into Moonstone.”
I watched her for a moment. Felicity was unique, and it wasn’t just her looks. She wasn’t at all like how her father talked about her. He described her as lost and aimless.
This girl was totally different. Brave. Resilient. Special.
It took guts to ask her dad’s clients for a loan to save her boutique. She was passionate about her business. I could relate to that.
Then there was the magnetic pull I felt toward her…
I shook the thought out of my head.
“You know, I would never let one of my daughters drive a heap of junk like that. Why hasn’t Marsh bought you a new vehicle?”
Felicity looked down at her lap. “My father doesn't believe in parents helping their adult children. Especially when they go into a business he doesn't approve of.”
“Wow.”
She shrugged. “I'm used to it. He did pay for my college tuition. So I'm thankful for that. But since graduation, I haven't expected any help from him.”
I nodded. “It makes sense on a certain level. He didn’t come from wealth—he worked for everything he has. I guess that shaped his ideas about helping his daughter out.”
She pushed her food around on the plate. “I guess so.”
“Still, though. It wouldn’t kill him to help you a little. He could turn things around for you with a loan. Hell, just paying for some business courses would help. Anything.”