Faking It with my Billionaire Grump

25. Tilly

25

Tilly

“Don’t hurt him,” I cry as three huge guys pin Jake to the ground. “Please don’t hurt him.”

The men have angry scowls and clearly don’t listen to a word I say as they roughly manhandle him. I’m scared they’re going to break his arm because these guys, all three of them, are not exactly small.

But when they yank Jake to his feet, with his hands now cuffed behind his back, he gives me this huge grin before they drag him away. My heart flutters as I try to comprehend what just happened, and I can only stand there in astonishment.

“Miss?” the flight attendant says.

I look back at her standing there, looking at me patiently. And then I notice the crowd of people that are all gawking at me. They’re clearly as shocked as I am—well, not quite, but close—and in that second, I realize I’m currently the center of attention.

Oh, Lord.

My face flushes bright red, and I smile coyly.

“Miss,” the flight attendant says again.

She looks down at my boarding pass, then back at me.

“Oh. Er. Yes. I’m going to…” I point in the direction the security guys are dragging my crazy fake husband. “I’m going to go with him.”

The steward beams a knowing smile at me and nods. “Good choice.”

Of course, it’s a whole spectacle, and everyone stares at Jake as security drags him through the airport. No doubt, they’re wondering if he’s some kind of terrorist, though I’ve yet to hear of a cowboy being detained under those circumstances.

I follow in their wake, given that everyone clears a path when they see them coming, and eventually, after turning many corners and traveling down many corridors, we finally come to a security door.

“You can’t come in here, Miss,” one of the guys says gruffly.

“But I’m with him.”

“I don’t care. You can wait out here.” He nods to a row of seats bolted to the wall.

And so, as Jake is taken through the door, I have no choice but to lower myself down into a seat and wait.

They’ve already held him for an hour. I can only assume, after some rather probing questions that they’re giving him the biggest dressing down ever. I mean, crashing airport security is a big deal, right? If he’d have done that in JFK, we might be in the hospital right now.

Meanwhile, I’m sitting outside the office, still in shock.

Jake’s actions were such a huge gesture, I can hardly believe it. Anyone else might have waited until I got back to the city. They might have phoned me and told me how they felt. Not Jake. He was willing to get himself arrested just to let me know he loves me. I’m still reeling, and I honestly can’t believe it.

But while I’m thrilled at what he did, I’m worried at the same time.

My whole body tingles while I sit here, reliving his dramatic arrival, and yet, I’m scared to death that he’s taken things too far and has managed to get himself arrested. He’s never done something this crazy before. He’s never broken the law before. I really hope he hasn’t managed to give himself a record just to see me.

After what feels like an eternity, the door to the office opens, and Jake walks out. I suppose I should take it as a good sign that he has a smile on his face while shaking one of the security guys’ hands.

A second later, he turns to look at me as I stand, waiting to hear the verdict.

“Everything’s fine,” he says, clearly seeing my worried expression.

“Oh, thank goodness,” I breathe. And then I laugh. “You’re nuts. You know that, right?”

He grins and shrugs. “It was worth it.” Stepping forward and taking hold of my suitcase, he says, “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”

“What did they say?” I ask, walking beside him as we make our way to the exit.

“Something along the lines of, if I ever pull a stunt like that again, I’ll end up spending some time behind bars.”

“Oh, Jake.”

“What?” he gazes down at me. “I’m kinda hoping I won’t have to pull another stunt like that again.”

I grin and nod because he’s right. After what just happened, I have a funny feeling I might be staying in the small town I grew up in after all.

When we get to his truck, Elsa greets us with an excited, wagging tail while jumping around in the front seat. I’m sure Jake didn’t realize he was going to end up leaving her for hours, but she looks fine. At least he had the good sense to leave the window down. I mean, who’s going to try and steal a truck with a gigantic wolf guarding it?

When we get settled in the truck, he turns to me. “I have so much I want to say.”

“Me, too. But maybe not here.”

He nods knowingly. “Alright.”

And so, with Elsa beside me, Jake peels out of the multistory parking lot and heads in the direction of Baskington. The wind blows tendrils of hair across my face as we travel, and gazing out of the window, this all still feels so surreal.

I should be on a flight to New York right about now. In fact, I would’ve landed by now and probably been on my way into the city. Yet, here I am, sitting in Jake’s truck, sharing the front seat with my now favorite dog in the whole world, and heading back to the place I truly feel is my home.

We arrive at the ranch about forty minutes later. Neither of us has shared a word, just knowing smiles and glances as Jake drove. But now, as I climb out of the truck, I feel a bit awkward and don’t know what to do.

This isn’t my home, is it? And while I pretended it was for a while, that time has passed, so I stand beside the truck, waiting for an invitation.

“What are you doing?” Jake frowns as he walks past me.

“Well, I… I…”

“Would you just get over here,” he says, waving a hand toward the porch.

Ten minutes later, we’re sitting on the porch with coffee in hand. Jake’s looking over at me with an inquisitive expression.

“What?” I say.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

He doesn’t have to elaborate. I know what he means.

I shrug. “I didn’t want to put such a big decision at your feet. I figured, if you wanted me to stay, you’d tell me.”

“Didn’t it occur to you—after what you told me about you worrying that I’d convince you to stay the first time—that the same thought might be in my mind?”

My eyes widen, and I can only look at him as I realize that what he’s saying makes total sense. But that thought hadn’t occurred to me at all. I just figured, if he wanted me to stay, he’d say so. What a fool I am.

“No.” I shake my head. “I didn’t think about that at all.”

He gazes at me, shaking his head with a half-smile. “It was the only reason I didn’t say anything, Tilly.” He reaches his hand across the table and takes hold of mine. “You have no idea how confused I was yesterday when you came and told me you were leaving. I thought things were going well between us.”

“As did I,” I reply, feeling a tingling sensation run up my arm as he brushes his thumb over my knuckles. “I suppose I was too scared to tell you how I felt. The very idea that you might not feel the same terrified me to death. I couldn’t bear to think about it.”

He looks me directly in the eye and says, “I love you, Tilly Collins. Deep down, I don’t think I ever stopped.”

My breath catches in my throat, and my mouth falls open.

Jake smiles. And then I remember the wedding rings.

“Joey told me about the rings.”

Jake’s eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, did he now?”

“He didn’t mean to. It just slipped out.”

“That man can’t hold his own water.”

I smile. “I think it’s sweet. I wish I’d have known back then.”

“Would you have stayed?” Jake asks, watching me closely.

I can’t lie to him. I don’t want us to start off like that, so I shake my head. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

He nods. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For being honest,” he says, “and not telling me what you think I want to hear.”

And then he shakes his head. “I’ve been a fool, Tilly, and I’m sorry. The idea of losing you again scared the heck out of me. Maybe that’s why I kept my mouth shut. But I should have just told you what I felt and let the chips fall where they may.”

“You’re not a fool, Jake. We both handled this badly. I was too scared to admit how I feel, too.”

He gazes at me and says, “And how do you feel?”

I can see him holding his breath, but he must know by now.

“I love you, and I’m in love with you,” I say. “You were always the guy for me. I just needed to make a mess of my life to figure that out.”

Pushing himself up, he leans across the table and presses his lips against mine. Yesterday, my soul was grieving. Now, it’s singing from the rooftops. Just like before, everything in my body comes alive, and this serene feeling washes over me.

Things are going to be okay now. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect ending to our drama, but now, as I kiss him tenderly back, I realize it’s not an ending at all. It’s a whole new beginning.

When he finally pulls away and sits down again, he smiles and says, “So, are you going to marry me, or what?”

“Well, with such a well-thought-out and romantic proposal, how’s a girl supposed to refuse?”