Chapter 17
Chapter seventeen
Kate
My brain hasn’t stopped spinning since Cam delivered his grand plan. An absolutely crazy, fraudulent, tempting plan.
It plays on loop while I get dressed—half of me stunned, the other half terrified that a tiny piece of me didn’t immediately say no.
Cam moves around the room, pulling his shirt over his head, the muscles in his back flexing as he buttons his jeans. He looks calm, like he just suggested picking up groceries instead of changing the entire course of our lives.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to remember how to breathe.
It’s absurd. It’s reckless. It’s…exactly the kind of thing that might actually work.
My heart pounds as I mentally list the pros and cons.
It could make the court see what Evie already knows—that she has love, stability, a home.
But I’d be lying to a judge. On the other hand, Cam’s steady, respected. The town trusts him. And holy heck, the town would talk. Loudly. I know he means it. I can see it in his eyes.
Even with all of the benefits, my heart is a tangle of ‘it could work’ and ‘what the fuck’—and that’s the problem.
I slip into my jeans, avoiding his gaze because if I look at him right now, I’ll forget every reason I should say no.
He grabs his phone and keys from the nightstand, his presence filling the room even in silence. Then he steps toward me, placing a hand in my hair and my eyes instinctively look into his.
“Just think about it, Katie,” he says softly. “I meant what I said. I want to help, and I’ll be damned if a judge thinks Daniel should have joint custody of Evie.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. He steps closer, eyes looking deep into mine.
“I know you’ve carried everything on your own for a long time,” he continues. “But you deserve to have someone in your corner. Someone who fights beside you, not against you.”
I nod because right now, I can’t seem to make words come out of my mouth.
He smiles. “Just think about it.”
I nod as he presses a kiss to my temple—devastating in its simplicity—and walks toward the door.
I follow him down the short hallway, each step heavier than the last. He pauses at the doorway, glancing back once. The look in his eyes isn’t pity or obligation. It’s something deeper.
“I’m here if you need me.”
And then he’s gone.
The door clicks shut, and I stand there, hand still resting on the knob. When I finally let go, I lean back against the door, heart hammering in my chest.
The house feels too quiet, the air too still.
It’s always been me and Evie. I’ve always done it all on my own. Every sleepless night, every bill, every holiday, every doctor’s visit. It’s been me.
And the thought of someone wanting to help scares the shit out of me.
Sunday brunch at Penny’s is filled with coffee, syrup, and cinnamon rolls the size of my head. It’s cozy, every table filled with familiar faces. Haddie Carmichael waves from a seat at the counter like we’re her morning entertainment—which, honestly, we probably are.
Brynn slides into the booth first, still wearing that newlywed glow that makes her look like she has a permanent Instagram filter. “God, it feels good to be back. I missed this.”
Kinsey plops down beside her, dropping her sunglasses on the table. “You were gone for two weeks. Besides, you missed bacon, not us.”
Brynn smirks. “Both can be true.”
Evie sits beside me, swinging her little legs under the table, coloring a kids’ menu with a pink crayon that’s seen better days. She’s humming quietly, already halfway through her orange juice.
“So,” I say, eyeing Kinsey’s hair. “I see you got your hair done. Black looks good on you. It brings out your eyes.”
“I haven’t had it this dark since college. My rugby teammates and I would dye our hair every season,” she says, grinning. “It’s my power color.”
Evie looks up, curious. “What’s rugby?”
Kinsey leans closer, whispering like it’s classified information. “It’s like football but tougher. We didn’t wear helmets.”
Evie gasps. “Did you die?”
“Almost,” Kinsey says, deadpan. “Three times.”
Brynn shakes her head, laughing. “Please don’t tell her that.”
“What? It’s the truth,” Kinsey replies. “The kid’s got grit, she’ll understand.”
Evie beams, clearly pleased to be part of the conversation. “I do have grit!”
“Sure do, kiddo,” I say, trying not to laugh.
When the waitress brings our plates—pancakes for Evie, omelets for the rest of us—the conversation turns easy and familiar.
Brynn talks about the new house Knox is having built out by the old Magnolia Hotel, how she’s already picking paint colors and pretending she knows the difference between “linen white” and “ivory lace.”
Kinsey teases her about becoming “a Stepford wife with a Pinterest addiction,” and Brynn just rolls her eyes, happy in that way people are when they’ve found exactly where they belong.
For a little while, I forget the knot in my stomach. It’s nice to laugh. Nice to be around people who don’t need me to be anything but myself.
“Mommy,” Evie says suddenly, pointing across the restaurant. “That’s Lily from my class!”
I look up to see a little girl with pigtails waving enthusiastically from another booth. “You can go say hi if you want, sweetheart.”
Evie grins, sliding out of the booth. “Okay! I’ll be right back!”
“Walk, not run,” I call, but she’s already halfway there.
Brynn leans on her elbows, smiling after her. “She’s the cutest kid alive.”
Kinsey nods. “She’s basically our mascot.”
I smile faintly, watching Evie chat with her classmate. The joy on her face squeezes my heart—and reminds me of the storm waiting just beneath the surface.
Brynn’s gaze sharpens, catching it instantly. “You’re quiet.”
Kinsey raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, which is suspicious. You usually lecture me about my life choices at least twice by now.”
I toy with my napkin, debating how much to say. “It’s nothing.”
“Liar,” they both say in unison.
I sigh, glancing at Evie again before I lean over the table, lowering my voice. “Cam made a…suggestion.”
Kinsey’s eyes go wide. “A suggestion? Sounds dirty already.”
“It’s not dirty.”
Brynn smirks. “You hesitated. That means it’s at least a little dirty.”
I groan. “Would you two shut up for two seconds? It’s not that kind of suggestion.”
They exchange a look that says sure, Jan.
I take a deep breath. “He proposed something to help with the custody case.”
That gets their attention.
“What kind of something?” Brynn asks suspiciously.
“He thinks it might help if we…gave the court the image of a stable home. Like Daniel and his wife.”
Kinsey frowns. “I’m not following.”
I exhale, staring at my coffee. “He offered to marry me.”
For a moment, the table goes completely silent. Then Kinsey blurts, “Holy fake wedding, Batman.”
Brynn’s eyes go wide. “He what?”
“Not for real,” I say quietly. “Just on paper. He said it could make the judge see me as the more stable parent. Two incomes, partnership, family unit—all that.”
Brynn sits back slowly, processing. “That’s…bold.”
“Insane,” Kinsey adds. “Hot, but insane.”
I rub my forehead. “You’re telling me.”
Brynn reaches across the table, her tone softer now. “Kate, what did you say to him?”
“I didn’t say anything. I was too stunned to form words.”
“Well, how do you feel about it?”
“I think it’s crazy. And I think—” I pause, lowering my voice further. “I think it’s the kindest, most terrifying thing anyone’s ever offered me.”
They’re both quiet for a beat.
Kinsey’s expression softens. “You know he meant it, right? Cam doesn’t do things halfway.”
“I know.”
Brynn nods. “He’s not the kind of man who plays savior. If he said it, it’s because he sees you and Evie as something worth protecting.”
The words catch somewhere between my ribs. “That’s what scares me,” I admit.
“Why?” Brynn asks.
“Because letting someone else in feels like surrender. I’ve spent five years being the only one who could protect us.”
Kinsey tilts her head. “Or maybe it’s teamwork.”
I laugh softly, shaking my head. “You two are no help.”
Brynn smiles. “We’re great help. You just don’t like hearing the truth.
I, for one, think it’s a brilliant idea.
Optics, Kate.” She shrugs. “You two pull this off for a while, get the judge to believe it and Daniel is dismissed back to the ether where he belongs with his normal visitation schedule.”
Kinsey leans in. “She’s not wrong. Cam could be the key and if I had to have a fake husband, I wouldn’t mind one with an ass that properly fills out some baseball pants like his does.”
I nearly choke on my coffee.
Brynn studies me for a moment. She can always tell when my wheels are turning. “You’re considering it, aren’t you?”
I sigh. “More than I should admit.”
Kinsey pokes my hand on the table with her finger. “Do it, Kate.”
Before I can respond, Evie bounces back to the table, her ponytail slightly crooked and her smile wider than ever. “Mommy! Lily’s mommy said I can come to her birthday party next week!”
“That’s great, baby,” I say, smoothing her hair.
Brynn winks at me across the table. “See? You’re already the stable mom with the little girl that everyone wants at their party.”
Kinsey grins. “And maybe that an eligible coach wants to marry.”
“Kinsey,” I warn, but I can’t help laughing.
Evie climbs into my lap, chattering about birthday cake and balloons, completely oblivious to the emotional earthquake happening between the grown-ups.
I hold her close and force myself to smile, but inside, Cam’s voice is still echoing in my head.
You don’t have to do everything alone anymore.
Shit, I think I’m going to do this.