26. Emma
Chapter Twenty-Six
EMMA
E mma kept replaying Garrett’s words of reassurance. He was going to find a solution, hopefully one that didn’t involve charity or breaking any laws.
“He will fix it,” Georgia had insisted over coffee earlier, a to-die-for Yemen blend Rainer had ordered from a roaster in Berkeley. “The thing is you have to let him.”
Emma sipped the coffee. “Don’t worry. I’m not about to shoot myself in the foot. This time, I will take the help.”
It was only fair. Garrett had gotten her into this mess. He could get her out of it.
She didn’t care what kind of job Garrett got her. Emma was prepared to scrub the toilets of this apartment if it meant keeping her insurance.
However, when Garrett got home, his expression told her things hadn’t gone well with his partner. “I guess Fletcher didn’t have good news.”
Garrett shook his head. “He excels at being the voice of doom and gloom. But there’s no cause for concern. I said I was going to take care of everything, and I will. ”
Emma thrust a hand through her hair. “I can’t let you pay for everything.”
“Oh, I’m not. I have a new plan.” He covered her hands with his, guiding them down because she’d started making fists, pulling her hair.
He tipped her chin up so she couldn’t avoid his eyes. “I think we should get married.”
Emma groaned aloud. Seriously, there was a time and a place. “I told you that wasn’t funny.”
He squeezed her hands, the earnest light in his downright terrifying.
Emma straightened, her heart beginning to hammer in her chest.
“Emma, I’m not joking. Marriage is the fastest and most reliable solution. You have pre-existing conditions, which makes things complicated. But there is no way the insurance company that covers Next Chapter would deny my spouse coverage. Not when it could jeopardize our entire corporate account.”
He rubbed her arms, chafing warmth back into them. “The contracts we have with them are worth mid-six figures and growing. Not to mention the business I could throw their way in the future. Hell, they’d bend over backward to add my wife to the plan.”
His wife? A frisson passed down her body, making her skin tingle. Mrs. Garrett Chapman. What would that even look like?
It would look like a Wall Street wolf went slumming.
With that apt assessment, she snorted and shook her head. “Please stop talking nonsense. We can’t get married.”
“People do it every day.”
“Because they’re in love.”
His cheek twitched.
“True,” he said, looking at his feet as if to make sure they were still there. “But they also do it for a lot of other reasons. Money and green cards to name a few.”
“Are you comparing this to a green card marriage?”
He perked up suddenly, and she realized she’d phrased it as if she was considering his crazy plan. “I’m pointing out that there’s a long and varied list of reasons people marry other than love. Practical reasons.”
Garrett led her to the couch. But he didn’t sit next to her. Instead, he sat on the coffee table in front of her.
“I know you have a million arguments against it but trust me when I say I’ve given this a lot of thought, and the benefits outweigh the costs.”
Emma had to be careful. A wheeler and dealer like Garrett needed just a crack, the tiniest of openings to work his magic.
“For me,” she pointed out. “Not for you.”
What would he get out of this? She was afraid to ask.
Garrett rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m the one who jeopardized your current health plan. So let me fix it. And not just temporarily. By marrying me, we can guarantee your coverage for life. It can be part of your prenuptial agreement.”
Emma sat up. “A prenup?”
“Yeah. One with special considerations for both of us. That’s legal speak for the things we get out of it.”
Christian Grey’s contract sprang into her mind. With effort, she pushed that visual away. “Mine is health insurance. What would yours be?”
“Protection.”
“Huh?”
He gestured to the space around them. “We would spell everything out in writing. In the event of a divorce, you wouldn’t have a claim on my fortune, businesses, or properties. You only get insurance, and perhaps a small stipend to offset any expenses a divorce would cost you. That kind of thing.”
Garrett leaned forward, patting her knee. “I know you are leery of accepting money but it’s important you don’t come out owing money because of this.”
His logic seemed reasonable. Or was she just grasping at a shiny piece of straw?
“Oh.”
“Can I get another syllable?”
She kicked him in the shin, not hard. “Hey, this is a lot to take in.”
“I know,” he admitted. “But I don’t see any downsides.”
Emma blinked with exaggerated slowness. “You’re kidding, right? What about your social life?”
“What about it?”
Seriously? Emma was tempted to kick him harder.
“You’re a young single man. How will it look to the many models vying for your time if you suddenly get married to some nobody?”
He gave her the strangest look.
“I’m marrying to help out a friend,” he began in a halting voice. “Any woman I dated would understand. Besides, I haven’t been divorced long. It’ll be years before I think of tying the knot for real.”
His words were like a punch to the stomach. It’s a paper marriage , she reminded herself. Garrett wasn’t proposing anything real.
“Then the third time will be the charm?” she asked, attempting a snicker and failing miserably.
He lifted a hand. “Why not? I’m wealthy enough for a string of wives. It’s expected. In the meantime, you’ll help me keep the gold diggers away.”
Garrett gave her a hapless grin.
He was joking, but she really wanted to kick him now. Emma was still contemplating it when he put his hand on her arm.
“I realize this is a big decision. Why don’t you call your mom and baby sister and ask them what they think?”
“My sister is four and thinks boys are gross.”
He chuckled. “I see. I didn’t realize how much younger she was.”
“Yeah, well, my mom’s still pretty young herself.” Emma had been a teen pregnancy.
He rocked back on his heels. “You know that’s a bonus I hadn’t considered. You paid Pedro rent, right?”
“Yeah. A little,” she muttered, already suspicious. Emma was starting to recognize Garrett’s crafty look.
He tilted his head to one side. “It must be expensive for your mom, having such a young kid at home. I guess she’s never been able to help with your expenses or vice versa. ”
“No. Neither of us earns much.”
He nodded sagely. “Well, if you take me up on my offer, you’d have no expenses. Any money you made working would be freed up. You could send a bit of it home.”
Emma sucked in a breath, her thoughts roiling. What could she do with her wages if she didn’t have to pay rent?
Damn the man . He had her and he knew it.
“You might also think about enrolling in college classes again,” he continued. “I’m not sure if a degree in business is still interesting to you, but you had all your core classes done. I’m sure it wouldn’t be too difficult for you to finish up your bachelor's. No need to stick to business either. With your core classes done, you could pursue a degree in any field. There are any number of high-paying jobs available.”
But the one thing they all required was a degree. Or a technical certificate of some kind.
Emma pictured going to a job that earned more than minimum wage. It almost hurt.
Then she thought of the room at her mother’s house, the one full of boxes containing awards, trophies, and old report cards. The memorabilia of a past life.
The likelihood of getting back to a place where she could reclaim a solid future had been so distant yesterday. It was hard enough for Emma to maintain her status quo and to keep the sliver of independence she’d managed to carve out the last few years.
By accepting Garrett’s offer, she would be giving up some of that independence. She would have to rely on him. But if Emma agreed to marry him, she’d have time, some space to breathe and rebuild.
She could find a new calling.
It was what Georgia had done when Rainer came into her life. George had accepted Rainer’s help and built a successful business with it. She and Garrett might not be a real couple, but he was a friend now. Sort of. This wasn’t that different.
Well, it was completely different, but the benefits outweighed the costs. If she married Garrett, there would be a legal contract—the prenup. Once they both signed it, he couldn’t change his mind and withdraw the support for her medical expenses without consequences.
Emma studied him for a long moment, but Garrett didn’t appear to be fazed by her scrutiny. Nope, he was cool and collected, the picture of a steadfast and confident man.
He had to practice these expressions in the mirror. How else did they get so perfect?
“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked, a distant ringing beginning in her ears. That detached feeling was back as if she were watching herself from the outside.
“As sure as death and taxes,” he said with a charming grin.
Emma narrowed her eyes at him. He’d brought her back to the here and now with a few choice words.
“I’m going to kick you now.”
He pressed his lips together before nodding. “Yeah, well deserved.”