I stared blankly at Chase, my eyes wide and my mouth hanging open. Was he really suggesting what it seemed like he was suggesting? Because if so… well, that was crazy, right?

“Chase,” I murmured, trying to get a hold on the situation. “You can’t be serious.”

He nodded, sitting up straight. There was not even the slightest shred of deceit or pretense in his expression. “This is not a joke. I mean every word I said,” he proclaimed.

“But that’s insane,” I protested. I was utterly flabbergasted.

This did not seem like the kind of thing that could possibly happen in the real world. This had to be the plot of some over-the-top, made-for-TV movie or something.

I shook my head. “No. I get that you’re offering this to make up for the fact that your company just bought my father’s legacy out from under me, but you know I can’t accept this. You’re trying to be noble, and I get that. But this? This is the most ridiculous half-baked idea I’ve ever heard. No offense,” I added.

“None taken. I understand how all of this must sound. But do me a favor and humor me on this. Just think about it,” he insisted.

He reached across the table to take my hand. I almost flinched away, but he was too fast. And as soon as his fingers closed over my much smaller hand, I felt a rush of warmth and affection I couldn’t fully explain. I hated that even the tiniest touch from Chase could render me weak and speechless. All he had to do was utilize one itty-bitty drop of his charm and suddenly I was putty in his hands.

“Okay. So, just to get this straight, you’re saying that we should marry each other to fix the mistake you just made,” I laid out. I stared at him.

“I wouldn’t call it a mistake so much as an unfortunate side effect of being an overworked, overzealous businessman who leaves the fine print to his team of lawyers,” he clarified.

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah. I would still call that a mistake,” I corrected him in a flat tone.

A brilliant, fiendish smile spread slowly across his face. My heart skipped a beat. He could take whatever I dished out at him, and we both knew it. Hell, judging by the spark in his eyes, I had a feeling he actually kind of liked it when I gave him a hard time. Despite the serious nature of my situation, I had to fight to keep a smile off my own lips. His good humor was infectious.

“Whatever you want to call it, I think it would be in our best interest to turn this change into a benefit for both of us,” he reasoned. “There is no reason why either of us can’t make this work. There are winnings to be had on both sides. It’s a mutually-beneficial arrangement.”

“Careful,” I warned him. I smirked. “Using that corporate lingo might just turn me on.”

Chase chuckled. “See? This is what I mean. You and I work well together. We mesh. When the two of us come together, it’s magic. Especially if last night was any indication.”

I rolled my eyes even though my heart was pounding. I was willing my face not to blush as I replied, “I hardly think one night of admittedly awesome sex is an accurate predictor for how well we would work as business partners. Or as, well, make-believe life partners.”

“We could try,” he urged me.

All the joking disappeared from his demeanor. Now he was just earnest. Genuine. He was imploring me. Not begging, because Chase Hawthorne never begged for anything from anyone. But he was dead serious. Still, I knew this was a bizarre offer, no matter how earnestly suggested. No matter how gorgeous and brilliant and amazing Chase was. Who in their right mind would ever agree to such a crazy idea?

“I don’t know.” I shook my head and withdrew my hand from his grip, folding my hands in my lap as I looked at him.

He didn’t waver for even a moment, his eye contact unbroken. “What you’re offering me, what you’re suggesting right now in this cafe is that you want to get married. For convenience. As a strategic move.”

“It’s not so much a marriage of convenience as a marriage of business,” he clarified. I cocked my head to one side and gave him a soft smile.

“And that makes it better, how?” I asked gently.

“There’s nothing convenient about marriage,” he answered. “Even a marriage based on a business deal. If you want me to be totally honest, the convenient option for me would be to just walk out of here with the deed to the Peppertree and never look back.”

I frowned. “Well that’s a cruel thing to say,” I mumbled.

“I know,” he agreed, nodding. “And that’s not even me saying it. But I know my investors and my lawyers well enough to know that’s what they would tell me. They would try and convince me to just turn and run off with the money, leave you stranded. To hell with your father’s legacy, with the dream you’ve been holding onto for years and years. As far as they’re all concerned, you were just a blip on the radar. A small hurdle to jump.”

“How lovely,” I said icily.

“But that’s them. Not me,” Chase assured me. “I know that meeting this morning probably has you convinced that I’m some wheeling and dealing corporate asshole. And you know what? For the most part, you would be correct. But you’re forgetting one important detail.”

“And what is that?” I asked.

“I care about you,” he replied matter-of-factly.

“Do you care about me? Or do you just want an heir to your company?” I inquired, not mincing my words at all. If there was going to be any chance of my accepting this wild idea, it was of the utmost importance that I be completely honest with him about everything.

“Both,” he responded. He leaned back, regarding me with a mild curiosity, like he was waiting to see what I might ask next.

“Okay. And what about me makes you think I would be a good mother? Or a good womb-donor?” I corrected awkwardly.

He smiled. “You can say ‘mother.’ You’re not a lab rat.”

“So, what? We’re just going to get together and make a baby to carry on your legacy and then I disappear into the background? You dump me back at the Peppertree and find a more suitable, high-class wife to mother our child?” I demanded to know. I kept my tone calm and even, knowing that it was in my best interest to keep my emotions under control.

Chase looked almost hurt by the insinuation. “Of course not. We don’t even have to stay married more than a year. Just long enough to cover both ends of the contract. And when it’s over, we can figure out how to regroup and either detach and move on or come up with a plan for being in each other’s lives as much as we need or want to. We could talk about how to work out custody agreements and everything later on. Those are details. Right now, I’m focusing on the big picture, Haley.”

“Our potential future child is just a detail?” I asked, my temper just starting to flare. Keep your cool, Haley, this is serious business. Don’t be so easily offended, I warned myself. But at the same time, this was a lot to take in on top of that horrible meeting at the bank earlier.

“That’s not what I mean.” He sighed. “Look, I’m not offering you this to trick you into doing anything you don’t want to do. All I want is to put the offer on the table, be clear about my expectations and yours, and then let you decide. You don’t have to do anything. I will respect whatever decision you make. But I need you to know that our relationship, business or otherwise, does not have to end on the sour note it did at that meeting this morning. It doesn’t have to end that way. I don’t want to take the Peppertree away from you. I don’t want to wreck your plans or derail your father’s legacy. I see this offer as a chance for both of us to get what we want. It’s a gaping loophole, a way around the fine print.”

I had to smile at that, even as I could feel my eyes stinging with tears. I nodded and looked down at the table, knowing that if I met his eyes for a moment longer, I wouldn’t be able to keep from crying.

“Okay. I hear you. But just give me some time, all right? I need to think things over. Clear my head,” I bargained. “A baby. Your baby. It’s a lot, Chase.”

“I understand. I think that’s a great idea. Go home, think it over, and get back to me. Take your time, but not too long. The offer is time-sensitive. My company is expecting to totally remodel the Peppertree, change everything about it. The structure, the style, everything. If it was all up to me, I would put an indefinite hold on the project, of course. But there are jobs riding on this. Not just mine. So if you want to go through with my plan, I will need to know soon, so I can make other arrangements for the crews and teams who would otherwise be working on the Peppertree,” he explained. “I need an answer by five o’clock tonight. Understand?”

I nodded, even though my stomach was twisting into knots. “Of course. I will get back to you as soon as I can,” I promised.

I got up and began to walk away, but Chase grabbed my wrist for a moment. I looked down at him.

“Think hard about your future, Haley. When you have your answer, you know where to find me.”

“I will,” I told him gently, and I walked out of the cafe.

I somehow made it back to my car around the corner and drove slowly back to the Peppertree, careful in the ice and snow. When I got back, I was still in a complete haze, my mind running in every direction. I just couldn’t seem to get a firm grip on things.

I knew of one way I could always clear my head, though. I changed clothes into something more comfortable and warm and made the trek through crunchy snow across the grounds to the insulated stable where I kept my horses. Of course, for years my lawyers had been telling me to get rid of them, to sell them. But the horses were more than just a fun activity for guests to enjoy. They were part of the family here.

One of the horses was a seventeen-year-old palomino American named Valentine. She was calm and sweet, perfect for little kids to ride and pet. I’d had her since I was eleven years old, and she was the horse I first learned to ride.

As soon as I walked into the stable, Valentine whinnied and stomped happily to greet me. I gave her a smile and grabbed the saddle before leading her out. I started riding, heading toward the trails that wound in and out of the forest surrounding the resort. The property had a lot of free space to roam, and out here in the woods with Valentine, I could finally relax and let go of some of the tension building over the past few months. As we trotted along, I pondered Chase’s offer. On the one hand, it was crazy. Insane, really. The idea of marrying him just so I could keep the Peppertree and he could get an heir was like something out of a wacky romcom. It was not something normal people did.

But on the other hand, what did I have to lose? When I looked at my life, I realized how lonely it was. I hadn’t dated anyone for years. My job running the Peppertree soaked up all of my time and energy. And besides, this was a tourist town. Any even remotely eligible bachelor was either a seasonal worker or a wealthy vacationer just passing through. There were plenty of attractive men who worked at the Peppertree with me, but I had professional standards. I would never date a coworker or employee.

Between the lack of suitable bachelors and the lack of time in my schedule, it seemed like having a baby would never happen.

But if I accepted Chase’s offer, on top of the fantastic sex, I would get both of the most precious gifts I could ever ask for. His baby and the Peppertree.

I looked around the gorgeous Colorado forest, admiring the trails where I spent my childhood, running free and happy. It brought tears to my eyes to imagine bringing my own kid here, teaching him to climb a tree or ride a horse. I could show them the clearing where I used to build a whole family of snowmen. I could repair the old treehouse in the woods behind the stable. I could push my child on the swing my father attached to the magnificent, ancient bur oak in the courtyard. In the winter, there was ice skating, sledding, and skiing to be done. It was an unconventional childhood, of course, but growing up at the Peppertree was a truly amazing experience for me. I wanted to pass that experience to my own children.

After returning Valentine to the stables, I headed to my room, took a quick shower, dried my hair, put on different clothes, and then went next door to my parents’ old suite. I knocked on the door and Chase opened it to let me in, with a serious look on his face.

“Okay,” I announced. “It’s time to talk business.”