For some reason, that made her teary.

“We can get along, Tessa. We can be partners. Together we can save our families.”

“We don’t get along. We can never be partners.”

“Look, people like you. You seem to be nice to everyone…except me. I see that.” The corner of his mouth quirked up. “But maybe you’re a little too nice. Forget that Sam and Marcy looked at the house. They’re thinking about it. But we can act.”

“This is the wildest idea I’ve ever heard of.”

He smiled then. “I’ll consider that a compliment.” He paused. “But just to let you know—it’s going to be all right. How can it not, when this garden is protected by Gnomeland Security?”

She almost smiled at that. “Okay, what do we need to do?”

He was already pulling out his phone. “I’ll make the arrangements.” The arrangements. That sounded like a funeral. Or a mafia hit.

“I have conditions,” she said, surprising herself.

He lifted a brow. “Yes?”

“This house. Get this one. If I have to live somewhere with you, I want it to be here.” This house gave her a good vibe, a warm feeling. She could see someone being happy here. And for just a few months, she wanted to be that someone.

For the first time in a long time, she wanted something passionately.

“The kitchen sort of sucks,” she admitted.

“Well, it’s not entirely hopeless.”

“There’s hardly any counter space. And it needs an island.”

He put his hands in his pockets. “I’m pretty good with fixing things. And…I’m okay with this house if you are.” He turned like he was going to find Indira.

“I have more conditions,” she said.

“Of course you do,” he said with a pained expression. “Hit me.”

“My mother’s dues—they get waived for the entire time we’re married.”

His thick, well-defined brows knit down in concern. “Will she feel like that’s charity?”

“She’ll get over it if you sound sincere. It will help with the terrible blow this is going to be to my family. And it will lower her financial stress immediately.”

“Done.”

“After six months, we go our separate ways, no questions asked.”

“Fine. Anything else?”

“I want you to be affectionate in public and in front of my family. So they actually believe this.”

“Of course.”

“And no fooling around while we’re married.”

He looked wary.

“I’m not going to be made a laughingstock,” she said. Been there, done that.

“Then you’ve got to agree to the same.”

She tapped her finger on her lips, pretending like that wasn’t going to be easy. As if she had a gaggle of men who were less than eighty lined up all the way to the ice cream parlor to ask her out.

“Fine,” she said. “Agreed.”

She was so done with meh. She was done with settling.