Chapter Sixty-Five

As they were seated in the church, Angel felt the weight of everyone’s gaze on her and fought the urge to cringe away. In this situation, the scrutiny wasn’t because she was a wanted fugitive. It was because in their eyes she had wronged their friend, Duncan.

Her cover was Cassie Benton, Colton’s ex-girlfriend from Baltimore. When he’d taken the teaching job in Oregon, she’d refused to come with him. But she’d flown out for a few weeks to see if they could make it work.

She knew from experience the best cover stories had some truth woven into them, and she felt a twinge of regret knowing this story held more than some truth. The only part that wasn’t real was that they were from Baltimore. And her name.

As the ceremony began, everyone moved their focus to the bride walking down the aisle toward her impatient groom. Colton’s fingers squeezed tighter around Angel’s hand and she gripped him back.

That simple gesture was as clear as a full-out conversation. He wanted this. He wanted to be married. To know he had someone, and that someone was his alone, and forever.

She had to admit, she wanted that, too. But even if she were able to overcome her own deep-seated fears, she didn’t know how they would survive the day-to-day rhythm of a mundane life. While normal was all she’d ever wanted, it wouldn’t be enough for him. She knew he needed more.

Time and again, he’d told her he was bored being a math teacher. That he needed more excitement. He’d shared how much he missed his old life.

How could he willingly want to saddle himself with a woman like her? Someone afraid to let her guard down for fear of losing the very thing she loved most? Someone whose idea of paradise was mac and cheese and a bottle of wine in front of a roaring fire. Someone whose greatest wish was to be boring and mundane, and…normal.

Hell, she didn’t even know how to be normal. So much of her life had been spent pretending. Pretending her brother wasn’t dangerous. Pretending her home was safe. Pretending she was tough and capable. Pretending she didn’t mind being alone.

Pretending she didn’t want a life with Colton.

As the bride and groom said their vows, Angel felt the sting of tears in her eyes and a tightness in her throat. She hadn’t thought to bring a tissue since she’d never been overcome by her emotions before. She hadn’t even known she had those kinds of emotions.

She used her fingers to dab away the unshed tears, careful not to smear her mascara or dislodge a contact. It wouldn’t do to spend the rest of the wedding looking like a Siberian husky.

Finally, the ceremony was over, and people began to move out of the church to await the newlyweds’ departure to the reception. The sun from the perfect day beat down on them and Colton smiled at her with some emotion in his eyes.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she lied, and put on her smile. Pretending, once again.

He hugged her close, and murmured, “Sure, you are.”

The man had the most uncanny ability to see through her pretenses, and she treasured him even more for it.

She hugged him back, and felt her heart break in a million pieces.

She wished with all her being there was a way to make this work between them.

But she just didn’t see how.