find my real soul mate. I love you, Tyler, but we’re not in love. There’s a difference.”
Tyler couldn’t help flinching with the sting of her sharp words this time. He was asking her to settle for him. He hadn’t thought of it that way, but when she said it like that, it was painfully obvious that he didn’t meet her sky-high standards. That was okay, though. He was used to being the underdog in any fight; he actually preferred it. That was just a detail. His parents had struggled his whole life, but they’d always put their kids’ needs first. Not loving Amelia wasn’t a good enough reason for him not to make the sacrifice and provide a stable home for their child. “People have married for reasons other than love for hundreds of years and it’s worked out fine.”
“Well, I don’t want to be one of those people. I want love and romance. I want a husband who comes home every night and holds me in his arms, not one that texts me every other day from his latest hotel room.”
Tyler sighed and took a sip of his coffee. This was bringing back uncomfortable memories of his last fight with Christine. Nothing he did was ever good enough for her. She’d wanted him to be successful and make lots of money, but she’d also placed all these demands on his time. He couldn’t win, at least not playing by her rules. Maybe with Amelia it could be different. If they both made the effort, he was certain they could find something that worked for them. If that meant she had to fall in love with him, he would work to make that happen.
Staring into the polished wood of the coffee table, he asked, “Do you think loving me is a total impossibility?”
She scoffed. “That’s a ridiculous question, Tyler.”
His head snapped back to look at her. “No, it’s not. Tell me—do you find me physically repulsive?”
“Of course not. You’re very handsome, obviously, or we wouldn’t have made this baby to begin with.”
“Okay. Am I obnoxious? Pretentious? A jerk?”
Amelia sighed and leaned back against the cushions. “No. You’re none of those things. You’re wonderful.”
Sometimes Tyler didn’t understand women. And Amelia in particular. But he’d decided they were staying together for this baby. If he knew nothing else, he knew how to sell something. He was going to market himself like one of his finest gemstones until she couldn’t resist saying yes.
“So I’m good-looking. I own my own business and make good money. I’m fun to be around. You’ve trusted me with all your secrets. You enjoy spending time with me. The sex was pretty awesome, if I may say so myself... I must be missing something, Amelia. Is there a crimson F stitched to the front of my shirt, because you refuse to see me as anything but a friend? If there was another person on the planet exactly like me, you’d date him.”
Amelia frowned. “You’re talking nonsense.”
“No, I’m not. Tell me your top five must-haves for a man you could love. Seriously.” He knew the list was probably closer to a hundred must-haves. After each of her relationships ended, she’d add a new thing or two to the list.
She thought about it for a moment, holding up one hand to count off on her fingers. “Smart, a good sense of humor, compassionate, ambitious and honest.”
He twisted his lips in irritation. If he’d asked her to name the five things she liked best about him, she might have recited the same list. “And what on that list do I not have? I’m all of those things and more.”
“Maybe, but you’re not around. I’m not going to sit at home alone with this baby while you hopscotch around the planet.”
“What if I said I could be better about that? Maybe having a wife and a family will give me something to come home to.”
“We’re still not in love,” she argued.
“Love is overrated. Look what it got Christine and me—a bunch of heartbreak. I’m not saying it will work. We might end up being totally incompatible, and if we are, we end it and you can go back to your quest for the White Buffalo. But why can’t we at least try? Pandora’s box is open. There’s no going back to where we were.”
She sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know, Tyler. I can’t...lose you. You’ve been the person in my life I can always count on. You’re my rock.”
“You’re not going to lose me, no matter what.” A wicked smile curled his lips as a thought came to mind. “We’ve slept together and the world hasn’t ended. I’m still here. And since I’ve seen you naked, I’ve got even more incentive to stick around. I’ve touched and tasted every inch of your body, and if there’s the potential I’ll get to do it again, I’m not going anywhere.”
Amelia’s eyes widened, her cheeks flushing. “Tyler...” she chastised, but he wasn’t hearing it.
“I know you’re attracted to me. You just have to admit it to yourself.”
“Wh-what?” she sputtered. “What makes you say that?”
“Oh, come on, Amelia. You can’t blame that whole night on tequila. You were wildly passionate. You couldn’t get enough of me, as though you’d finally let the floodgates open and allowed yourself to have something forbidden. It was the sexiest thing I’ve ever witnessed,” he added, and it was true. He hadn’t lusted over his best friend in the past, but since that night, he couldn’t get her out of his head.
He placed a hand on her knee and leaned in close. “If that night was any indication, we might have a chance. So why not see what could happen if you opened your mind to the possibility of us? Forget about Tyler the friend and think of me as the hot new guy you’re dating.”
That, finally, made Amelia smile, and relief washed over him all at once.
Her eyes narrowed at him, her lips twisting in deep thought. “Okay, fine,” she said at last. “We’ll give this relationship a trial run. I will date you, Tyler, but there are some ground rules I want to lay down first. Number one, no one is to know we’re married, or that I’m pregnant. Especially not your family. Did you tell anyone?”
“No,” he said quickly. He’d never thought their marriage would last as long as it had. His family loved Amelia, but he wouldn’t get their hopes up for nothing.
“Okay. My three coworkers found out this morning, but they’re the only ones and that’s how I want it to stay. Number two, I’m putting a time limit on this so it doesn’t drag on too long. You’ve got thirty days to win me over. And I mean it. I want to be wooed, Tyler. I want romance and passion and excitement. You’re not going to get off easy because we’re friends. I’m going to be harder on you because you should know what I want and need.”
A wide grin broke out across his face. Tyler never backed down from a challenge, and this wouldn’t be any different. He could win her over in thirty days, no problem. He knew her better than he knew himself. She just had to let him try. “That’s fair.”
Amelia turned to look across the coffee shop and survey her surroundings. She sighed heavily and shook her head. She seemed disappointed by everything that had happened. Worn down. He didn’t like seeing her that way. If there was one thing he loved the most about her, it was her optimism when it came to love. She believed—really, truly believed—in the power of love. But she didn’t believe in them. He would change that.
