Love Arranged (Lakefront Billionaires, #3)(90)

“Maria,” I say, and she pulls me into a hug before ushering me to sit beside her.

We both take a seat and make casual conversation for a bit. She shares a few stories about this week’s cooking school attendees, and I share a romanticized—or more so, fantasized—version of Lorenzo’s proposal before we finally get to the real reason for today’s coffee date.

I explain how I’d love for her to share her story with a reporter at the Wisteria Weekly. Our newspaper might seem small-time, but it’s one area Lorenzo hasn’t targeted enough, at least in my opinion as someone who still fills out the crossword puzzle every Sunday.

“I don’t know…” She looks down at her lap, where her hands are bunched up.

“I know it’s a big ask—”

“It’s not that I don’t want to help Lorenzo…” She exhales. “It’s hard to talk about how our business was going under before he stepped in.”

“I can only imagine.” Given how successful her cooking school is, it’s hard to believe that they were struggling to make ends meet, but then again, the restaurant industry has a high failure rate.

Maria holds her head high. “My husband is a proud man.”

“Of you? I sure hope so because you’re amazing,” I tease, hoping to lighten the mood.

Her lips curl ever so slightly, so I count it as a win. “Ah. I see why Lorenzo loves you.”

My blush is one hundred percent genuine.

“How could us being interviewed help him?” she asks.

“There’s no guarantee, but I’m hoping if people see that Lorenzo’s been helping this town succeed without any of them knowing for two years already, then perhaps it would help him stand out. As of right now, everyone credits the Ludlows for Lake Wisteria’s success, and while they have helped, they’re not the only ones responsible for the growth.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “I have a few friends who Lorenzo’s helped too, and they all talk about how he gives so much while asking for so little in return.”

I get choked up over her comment, and it isn’t because of hormones or a piece of dust aggravating my contacts.

It’s because someone sees Lorenzo as the incredible man he is rather than the villain he’s not, and hopefully, once the Wisteria Weekly article is published, the rest of the town will too.

I won’t stop until they do.




Between my job, meeting with the small-business owners Lorenzo works with for the Wisteria Weekly article, and all the election activities Willow has been planning, I’m run-down and struggling to keep up with the pace.

I don’t know how Lorenzo manages everything, but his ability to juggle his personal, social, and political life should be studied.

When Lorenzo’s campaign isn’t monopolizing my time, then Josefina and my mom are with planning an engagement party—something they wouldn’t take no for an answer on. I tried my hardest, but once they landed on a Saturday in early October, it was game over.

I’m too tired to offer much help, so I’m not sure what I’m agreeing to exactly. All I know is by the time Josefina leaves, we nearly have the entire event planned out.

I should feel relieved to be done with the majority of the planning, but then I receive a new message from Willow, asking if I want to swing by Lorenzo’s house sometime today.

She follows up with another new text before I can ask what’s up.

WILLOW

Latest focus group was a shit show. He’s already assuming the polls will reflect that.

Shit.

ME

I thought he was closing the gap between him and the mayor.

WILLOW

He is, but I think the engagement is backfiring.

ME

How so?

My finger trembles as I hit the Send button.

WILLOW

People are worried about Lorenzo losing focus on the campaign.

I want to throw up. While Lorenzo had originally suggested against getting engaged, it was my great idea to up the ante because I thought people would take us more seriously.

You did try to stop him.

Yeah, but not soon enough, and now look. There is a chance his polls will come back better than ever after the debate, but there is also a risk that the engagement will set him back big time—to the point where he will never recover.

If we want Lorenzo to win, we need to think of something bigger than an engagement party, political debate, or Wisteria Weekly article about Lorenzo’s entrepreneurial spirit.

But what?




I decide to pass by Lorenzo’s house since he isn’t answering my calls or texts. After Willow’s earlier message, he seems like he could use the support.

He opens the door wearing only a pair of running shorts. His hair is damp from whatever grueling workout I interrupted, and his chest glistens, beads of sweat dripping down his toned stomach.

“Like what you see?”

I finally remember that I was born with the ability to speak. “Hard not to.”

“Let me know when you’re done checking me out.”

“Thankfully, I can multitask,” I joke before tearing my eyes away from his body. “Where’s Daisy?”

“Groomer,” he answers, straight to the point. “What are you doing here?” His tone might be gruff, but his actions are warm as he opens the door wider to give me room to enter.