or otherwise, was a big leap for her. But this place... It was like moving to an alien planet.
She’d known her best friend was a strategist. He always looked at every angle before making a decision, routinely kicking her rear in chess and rarely making a wrong move on the game board or in life. He didn’t just win, he won intelligently. Still, it was hard to believe Tyler had pulled all this together in a day’s time. He’d bought a car, found an amazing house he knew she’d love... She had no doubt he had movers on standby both here and in New York, just waiting for the call that he’d signed the lease on the house.
What did she expect? She’d laid down a challenge—thirty days to fall in love. Tyler was taking it seriously and would tackle it with the same drive and commitment that had gotten him from an old, overcrowded apartment to a multimillion-dollar mansion in ten years’ time. She would be hard-pressed to fight him off, especially when his opening volley included a mansion with a movie room. He was playing to win. What would he do next?
“I saved this room for last because I think it’s going to be your favorite.” He led her through what would probably be the living room to the kitchen. That was where her heart stopped and her worries vanished in an instant.
It was a chef’s dream. Gorgeous cherry-stained cabinets, gold-flecked granite countertops, ornate tile work on the backsplash, professional stainless-steel appliances... It was gorgeous. She couldn’t help rushing past him into the space to look more closely. The kitchen in her apartment was average. Nice, but nothing special. The one at the chapel was large, sterile and industrial, for cooking for hundreds of people at once. Neither of those places had anything on this.
She opened the deep drawers for pots and pans, sliding out built-in spice racks. The massive gas stove had two ovens, six burners and a grill in the center. There were two farm sinks on opposite sides of the kitchen, one beside a full-size dishwasher and the other with a small drawer dishwasher for quick washes of glasses. The French doors of the refrigerator opened wide, revealing enough space for countless platters and large serving dishes. There was even a warming drawer built in beside the stove.
It wasn’t just a beautiful kitchen, it was a well laid-out one with all the latest amenities. She knew better than anyone how important it was to have the space designed properly to get work done with the fewest steps possible.
Amelia could cook up a storm here. She could throw some of the most amazing dinner parties ever thrown. Maybe an engagement party for Bree and Ian. They’d gotten engaged right before her reunion and had yet to have a party. Thoughts of gatherings with champagne and canapés started spinning through her head, but a glance at Tyler’s smug grin brought everything to a stop.
She’d fallen for it, she realized with a silent curse. What was better than a movie room? The kitchen of her dreams. He knew exactly what he was doing, bringing her to this house and seducing her with stainless-steel appliances. He knew better than anyone that the route to her heart went through the kitchen. She’d underestimated how easily she could be had by someone who knew her every weakness.
Amelia wasn’t ready to lose herself to the fantasy quite yet, though. Even if they did rent this place and move in, she couldn’t get attached to any of it. In four weeks, everything could be different.
Tyler was confident they could build a successful relationship, but they had a steep hill to climb. She’d take a great love in a camper over a so-so romance with a mansion.
“Well, what do you think of the place?” he asked.
“You’ve done well, Tyler,” she said with a polite smile. She ran her hand over the cool granite countertop. “I can’t believe you turned up a place like this in a day. This kitchen is amazing. It’s a shame you’re the worst cook I’ve ever met.”
He smiled and ran his hand through the messy strands of his dark blond hair. “Well, honestly, I have no intention of ever doing anything more complicated than making a bowl of cereal in here. But when I saw it, I knew how much you’d love it. This is all for you, really.”
His pale blue eyes were focused on her with unmatched intensity as he spoke. She could feel the truth of his words and the depth of what they really meant. He could’ve rented a lesser house with average amenities, but he’d wanted to find the one that would make her eyes light up and her heart flutter with excitement. The kitchen had done that, easily. And he knew it.
Looking around her, it was obvious that her life had taken a very surreal turn. Tyler would rent this house, she was certain of it, and they would be living here by the weekend.
The flowers, the dinners, the granite countertops... She’d demanded Tyler woo her, and he was doing a damn fine job. She could already feel her resolve weakening, and it was day two. What would happen over the next twenty-eight days?
The mere thought scared the hell out of her.
* * *
“I didn’t say anything because it’s a temporary arrangement.” Tyler rolled his eyes as his brother Jeremy needled him. He shouldn’t have answered the phone when he saw his brother wasn’t accepting his text at face value.
“Moving to Nashville doesn’t seem temporary.”
“I never said I was moving, just that I would be here for a while. I kept my apartment in New York,” Tyler argued. “And I’m not moving my business. I’m only telling you so someone knows where I am.” He’d chosen to text his younger brother Jeremy so someone in the family knew where he was if something happened. He had his cell phone, of course, but at least one person needed to be able to find him in an emergency. He regretted the decision now. Jeremy wouldn’t accept the fact without the justification.
“What’s going on that would make you drop everything and run to Nashville? Wait...” Jeremy hesitated. “Amelia lives in Nashville, doesn’t she?”
“Yes,” Tyler confirmed, feeling anxiety pool in his stomach. The conversation was unraveling faster than he’d like.
“Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. She just...needs me for a little while.”
A long silence followed. “Needs you? Cut the crap, man. What’s going on? I’ll tell everyone you’ve moved to Nashville if you don’t tell me why. Your life will be hell.”
Tyler sighed. Better Jeremy know than the whole family. “Okay, but you can’t breathe a word to anyone. I mean it.”
“Of course. I’m not the blabbermouth in the family. I never even told anyone about that trip to Tijuana where you got arrested.”
Tyler frowned at the phone. “I’ve never been to Mexico, Jeremy.”
“Oh, that must’ve been Dylan,” Jeremy said. “Crap, I just told a secret. It’s normally not a problem, though. I’ve kept that secret for five years.”
That didn’t make him feel better, but he didn’t have a choice. “Okay...I’m going to stay in Nashville for a few weeks because Amelia and I got together at the reunion and we’re trying to make it work.”
“You hooked up with Amelia?” Jeremy asked with an edge of incredulity in his voice. “Finally! I thought you guys would never—”
“We’re married,” he interrupted. “And she’s pregnant.”
“Holy
