Ashley

I met Knox for coffee for our usual weekly matchmaking meeting and date postmortem. I was hoping this match was the one. We sat at our usual table with our usual beverages.

"Nothing? No sparks? You had no sparks with her?" I was having a hard time believing it. I'd been so optimistic.

Knox shrugged. "Chemistry. What can I say?"

"We won't give up. I'll just have to work harder." I pulled up a file on my tablet. "Anything I can fine-tune?"

Knox held his hands up. "Sorry."

I blew out a breath. Lazer wasn't happy with me keeping Knox on the client list. We'd had another disagreement over it. But I couldn't let Ruck's best friend go. I couldn't do it to Knox, or Ruck. It was just more motivation to get him happily matched quickly. Before Lazer ran out of patience.

Knox reached across the table and grabbed my hand. "What's wrong?"

"Lazer's been on my case about you. He wants you in the successfully matched column. Now that I've gotten Dylan—one of my worst offenders—matched, you're one of the main ones bringing our average down." I tried to sound light and jokey, but there was an element of truth to it. Only an element.

"Sorry."

"Knox—"

He cocked his head. "What?"

I shook my head.

"Come on," he said. "Out with it."

"We're old friends." I didn't know how to phrase this. It was so ridiculous.

"Yeah."

"So I'll just be frank."

"All right, Frank. Hit me with it."

I laughed. He was still the same old Knox. "You have to try harder. Lazer wants me to cut you loose as a client. He has this ridiculous notion that you're…interested in me." I laughed like it was silly.

Knox's expression became serious. He squeezed my hand and let it go. "Lazer is an astute guy. I'll give him points for that. A worthy adversary."

I frowned. My hands shook. "What? No—"

I couldn't believe it, but Knox didn't look like he was joking. Yes, he'd hinted. Yes, he'd flirted. But he knew it was impossible. He knew I was in love with Lazer, that I was engaged to Lazer. It was just a game Knox played.

"Don't tell me I've been too subtle. And you a matchmaker…"

I went cold. All right, I had suspected. It was flattering, but…no.

"You have noticed." He paused. "Ashley, even Ruck knew I was in love with you."

Shock rippled through me. "No. You couldn't have been…" I took a second to process my thoughts. "You and Ruck were best friends."

"Which was why he tolerated it. Look, he pressed me. I told him flat out. He said he could trust me. He counted on me to keep you safe when he was away and keep my hands, and feelings, to myself. But he knew."

I hadn't known. Or had I and just denied it to myself?

"And I've had the feeling, all along, that you feel something for me, too."

I didn't rush in to deny it. I had to think of a way to handle this. This new revelation about Ruck—

"I made Ruck a promise. He asked me to look after you if anything happened to him." Knox took a deep breath. "He picked me out as your second husband, Ashley."

If I had been cold before, now I was ice. I simply stared at him. "What are you saying, Knox? We can be blunt with each other."

"I'd like to be your second husband, Ashley. Why do you think I came back?" His eyes were dark. His expression was serious.

"You're asking me to leave Lazer? To break my engagement?"

"I'm asking you if you'll consider marrying me? If you'll give me a shot. If I have any chance at all?"

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