Chapter 17
Gavin
WRONG TIMING
“Have you lost your mind?” Scottie eases back from me, and I try to pretend her need for space doesn’t sting.
I straighten, scrubbing a hand down my face. “Think about it. No strings. No pressure. Just paperwork. You’ll be covered, and no one has to know.”
For a second after I say it, the room goes completely still.
If I didn’t know better, I’d think even the air stopped moving.
Scottie’s staring at me like I’ve just suggested we bury a body together. Which, in hindsight, might’ve been a less shocking idea.
Her mouth opens and closes once, twice, before she finally manages, “You can’t be serious.”
“I am.” I keep my tone calm and even. “You need coverage. I have it. It’s simple paperwork. That’s all.”
“Simple paperwork?” She lets out a disbelieving laugh—half hysteria, half panic. “You do realize that ‘paperwork’ is a legal marriage license, right? That’s not a permission slip for a field trip, Gavin.”
“I’m aware.”
Her eyes narrow, arms crossing like her body is rejecting the idea as loudly as her voice. “Do you hear yourself? This is insane.”
“What’s insane about it? It sounds like a practical solution to me.”
She stares at me, like she can’t decide whether to yell or laugh. “Practical. Just what every girl dreams of hearing during a proposal.”
She shakes her head, pinching the bridge of her nose, and that’s when it hits me how badly I’ve messed this up.
I was so focused on the logic of it, I forgot what a proposal means. She’s probably spent her whole life picturing a man who loves her enough to ask for forever, and now I’ve gone and ruined that moment for her.
If things were different—if we lived in some alternate version of our lives where I didn’t have to choose between someone else’s happiness and my own—maybe I could be that man.
But I’m not uprooting my daughter’s world to follow Scottie back to Chicago.
And I sure as hell won’t be the reason she gives up on her dreams.
So here we are—me asking for the closest thing I’ll ever get to having her, even if it’s not real.
Unfortunately, I have to remain practical. Otherwise, I’ll start wanting things that aren’t meant for me. “You need health insurance. I have health insurance. You’re already pretending to be my wife for the sake of getting the house. This would just make it official.”
“Oh my God.” She drops her face into her hands, muffled words slipping through her fingers. “You’re not actually suggesting we do this.”
I wait, knowing better than to interrupt as she works through her thoughts.
Sure enough, she drops her hands, eyes wide. “Do you have any idea how many ways this could go wrong?”
“Scottie.” I say her name like a plea. “I know this is unconventional and sounds crazy, but it’s the only thing I can think of to help you out of this.”
Her eyes lift to mine—an endless, deep blue ocean. “Why would you do this for me? What do you get out of it?”
It’s as if she can’t wrap her head around someone wanting to help her without expecting something in return.
“Do you really think I don’t care about you?” It might be the most honest thing I’ve ever said to her. The closest I’ll get to revealing how I truly feel.
She breaks our gaze, cheeks flushing as she turns to the window overlooking the pool. She stares blankly, like she’s not really seeing it.
“I could hire you as an apprentice or something and get you on the payroll,” I continue, “but that would take ninety days to kick in. Getting married is the fastest way to get you insurance.”
With her back still turned, I watch her shoulders drop some tension.
“If we do this”—she turns to look at me—“and that’s a big if, we can’t tell anyone.”
“We won’t,” I reassure her. “Not your parents, not Elyse, not my family. Definitely not Lily. We keep it between us. Quiet. You’ll go on my insurance, stay covered as long as you need to, and when you’re back on your union plan, we’ll file for divorce.”
I hesitate, knowing this next part might push her over the edge. “There’s one more thing,” I add carefully. “We’ll need to have the same address. For the paperwork. Married couples don’t usually live apart.”
Her head jerks up, eyes wide. “You mean—move in?”
“We have to make it look legitimate,” I explain. “You can have any room in the house, but I’m assuming you’d prefer the pool house. It’s easier this way. Less risk of raising questions.”
“This keeps getting more romantic by the minute.”
“I’m just trying to cover all the bases.”
She groans, rubbing at her temples. “You’re making this sound way too easy.”
“It doesn’t have to be complicated,” I say, because to me, it isn’t. “It’s a legal agreement. Temporary. That’s all.”
Scottie finally faces me. “What if we get in trouble? Wouldn’t this be considered insurance fraud?”
I may not have fully thought this through, but I know enough to know it’s not illegal.
I’d never put Scottie in a situation that could get her in serious trouble.
“It’s not fraud if there’s a marriage license.
Fraud would be falsifying documents or claiming a relationship that doesn’t exist. But it does exist. Legally, if we’re married, you’re eligible for coverage. That’s the law.”
She lets out a short, humorless laugh. “Why are you so knowledgeable about this? Have you married other women for similar reasons, or am I your first?”
To that, I can’t help but smile. “Never been married, and I wasn’t planning on it anytime soon.”
“I’ve never been married either. I lose men like I lose keys.”
I’m not sure what she means but I nod along like I do.
“Well, that’s the best part about this arrangement. We’re not actually together, so you won’t lose me. After this is over, I’ll still be Gavin, and you’ll still be Scottie. Everything goes back to normal.”
Scottie’s eyes hold mine. “And what is normal?”
She lets out a dry laugh. “It’s funny, you know. Before I moved back, I honestly thought you didn’t like me. Anytime I came around, you’d make yourself scarce. It just seemed like you never cared much about me.”
I swallow, and it burns like acid. I didn’t realize she’d noticed. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be around her—it was self-preservation. Because I wanted it too much.
“Scottie, I—”
“It’s fine.” She cuts me off. “I don’t need you to list all the things you find annoying about me. Too loud. Too dramatic. Talks too much. I’ve heard it before.”
I hate when she talks about herself like that—repeating the garbage some asshole made her believe because he couldn’t handle her brightness.
She steps closer, gaze steady, unwavering. “And now you’re offering to marry me. So what changed?”
“We’ve known each other most of our lives. Just because we’ve never been particularly close doesn’t mean I want to watch you struggle.”
She looks at me, something unreadable flickering in her eyes, before mumbling under her breath.
She straightens, and some of the hardness in her expression eases. “So where would we do this? It’s not like we can walk into the courthouse off Main Street and expect it to stay a secret.”
It takes me a beat to realize what she’s just said. “Wait. So, you’ll do it?”
She rolls her eyes, a ghost of a smirk playing on her lips. “It’s like you said—this is the fastest way to get insurance. And it’s not like anyone else is offering.” She pauses, thoughtful. “Though I could probably trick Shane into it.”
“Funny,” I deadpan. “I wish you luck. That boy’s allergic to monogamy.”
“No.” She smiles. “You’re definitely the better choice.”
She’s teasing, but the fact that she’d choose me, even playfully, has my heart pounding at the thought of belonging to her.
She’s right, though. We can’t just get married anywhere. Gossip spreads through town faster than a flash flood. We’ll need somewhere discreet, somewhere far from anyone we know.
And I might have an idea.
“What are you doing this Friday?”
She shrugs, her forehead creasing. “I don’t think I have anything going on. Why?”
“I have to take Lily to Seattle to her grandparents’ house. What if you came along? On the way back, we’ll stop in some random town with a courthouse and get married.”
She exhales, a shaky breath. “Whew, that’s fast.”
“Why wait?”
“Riiiight, she draws out, nodding. “Lily won’t think it’s weird that I’m tagging along?”
I shrug. “She might, but she’ll love the company. Anyone besides me is basically the coolest person in the world to her.”
Scottie still looks hesitant.
“We’ll tell her you have a meeting or something in Seattle and needed a ride. That way, if it gets back to my family, they won’t think anything of it.”
She nods slowly, like the information is settling in. “Okay.” It’s barely audible. “Let’s do it.”
I’m not sure whether to feel relieved or panicked. This was my idea, but the reality of it is finally sinking in.
I’m happy to do this for Scottie—that’s not the problem. The problem will be letting her go and pretending nothing happened afterward. That’s what’ll wreck me.
Scottie’s head tilts, her expression twisting. “Why did you come here? I feel like you came by to tell me something, but then we got...sidetracked.”
Shit. Right. There was a reason.
I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. “I wanted to remind you to get in touch with the listing agent. I think the sellers wanted to meet with us soon, and obviously this weekend doesn’t work—for several reasons.”
“Of course,” she says through a sigh. “I’ll do that.”
We’re quiet, staring at each other, unsure of what to do next. “I should get us rings. I don’t think they noticed at the open house, but we probably won’t be as lucky next time. Besides, we’ll need them for the ceremony.”
Scottie’s eyes widen. “Right. I didn’t even think about that.” She looks down at her left hand like she’s picturing it with a ring. “I think I’m a size six.” Her voice is distant, still staring down.
“Six. Got it.” I rub the back of my neck, trying to ease the tension building between us. “I should go before Lily decides to come looking for me.”