Chapter 9
Cameron
Ijust asked a woman I don’t even know to marry me.
Obviously, the best thing to do now is talk fast.
“What the hell are you talking about?” she asks and I can tell she’s about to start laughing in my face. I would too if I were her.
“I know it sounds crazy,” I start in.
“Ya think?”
“But listen. You need insurance that will cover all of Noah’s needs.
Not just help with but fully cover. My insurance and status at the hospital can help with that.
My dad was Arthur Reinhart. I am in the process of taking this facility over.
But I can’t do that without my inheritance.
And that inheritance is locked unless I am married. ”
“Oh my god, hold on,” she shakes her head. “Just…fucking pause for a second. You’re serious right now?”
“Yeah…” I say with zero smile on my face or in my tone.
“That was an actual proposal? For real marriage?”
“Yeah,” I parrot.
And here comes the laugh. It’s high pitched, bubbling up from her throat, a little bit hysterical and has her pacing the room and covering her face. “So let me just…attempt to get this straight. You can’t access your late father’s inheritance unless you’re married…”
“Correct.”
“And you want that money…”
“Need. Honestly, with the free-clinic and the way my father so generously ran things, we need the money. If we want to keep the clinic open and the staff paid.”
“Don’t you have a brother?” she asks.
I cross my arms. I knew this wouldn’t be easy. I’ve already applied a layer of metaphoric burn cream for the grilling I knew was coming. But Jesus this woman can roast.
“I do. But he’s younger and the inheritance would go to me to split how I see fit. We also have a sister to take into consideration though she’s not a part of the hospital.”
“Smart woman,” she taps her lips. “So why wouldn’t it just be split three ways then?”
“Because I am power of attorney. I am also his most level headed child and he knew I would put most of it back into the hospital, probably so we could keep running it the way he wanted it to be run.”
“But you have to be married,” she states.
“Yes.”
I watch the wheels turning behind her eyes as she thinks about that.
I also keep my eyes above her neckline because the last thing I need right now is for her to see me checking her out.
It’s kind of hard not to. Every time I see her she’s dressed differently.
A nurse costume. A cozy fall outfit. This time she’s in dusty pink sweat pants with an oversized Billy Joel hoodie, her hair down and wild and her presence has the whole room smelling like strawberry shampoo.
If I had to guess, it’s one of those bargain brands but it doesn’t even bother me.
“And you want me to marry you,” she adds, another question posed as a statement.
“Yes,” I answer with less hesitation than I probably should have.
“The money would become available. Not only would it keep the hospital afloat, ensuring Noah’s needs along with the needs of thousands of others would be men, but it would keep the free-clinic running.
My brother Josh is head of finances and he is very opposed to the clinic and the in-house insurance we try to provide, along with grants and everything else that makes Reinhart risky. ”
“If it’s so risky, why do you do it?” she asks.
“Because I care more about people than I do about money,” I say and again she is processing. This time her face is a teensy bit softer though you had to stare really hard to see it. “You would benefit from that money. Especially if Noah needs residency before, during or after his surgery.”
She sits down, staring at her lap for a minute or two. Then she looks back up at me. “So this marriage…it would be real?”
“Yes. It would have to be. My lawyer is going to go over the paperwork with a fine-tooth comb. But after everything was said and done, we wouldn’t have to stay married.”
“So…we’d get divorced?”
“I assume?” I sort of laugh. “I mean unless you decided you were falling in love with me.
This time she laughs. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
“I know it sounds insane. But it is contractual, purely. There would be no expectation…on an…intimate level…outside of making it convincing in public.”
Riley swallows hard, her eyes on mine. “What constitutes as convincing? Publicly speaking I mean.”
“I mean you’d have to pretend you don’t hate me,” I say and she laughs again. Somehow it’s become a game for me to see how many times I can make her do it, even if it is at my expense. It’s a lovely sound and so far I’m up by 2.
“I don’t hate you. I just think you’re an ass.”
“Well, you might have to pretend I’m not.”
“That will be easier if you stop acting like one.”
I bite my lips and she raises an eyebrow.
“We would have to go on dates, hold hands, share an ice cream. You know, all the things people who are in love do.”
“I don’t share ice cream with anyone,” she says.
“Even if you love them?” I ask.
“Nope,” she smirks and for a second I wonder if this is her flirting. She could also be fucking with me. Either way, I’m having fun.
“Also, you’d have to kiss me,” I add.
“What?” she asks, her smirk disappearing.
“People who are engaged kiss, Riley.”
“I guess,” she mutters. Then I wait while she takes a breath, thinking about everything I’ve just proposed, no pun intended. I give her a solid sixty seconds before circling back.
“So…what do you think?”
“I think…you’re right,” she says, standing up.
“...you do?” I ask, standing up with her.
Riley smiles. “I do. I think you’re right that…you are absolutely fucking insane!”
And just like that, all the air pops from the balloon that was my hope as she goes off like a bottlerocket.
“You have some serious nerve, or mental issues, if you think that you can just propose to me and that I would agree to it! I don’t care if your daddy left you and your entitled siblings with a million bucks, if you think that I would be dumb enough to–”
“Four hundred,” I mumble.
She stops. “Four hundred? Four hundred what? Thousand? HA! That’s not enough for one lung and an hour worth of anesthesia let alone enough to keep your hospital running. Your number crunching brother could tell you that.”
“Four hundred million,” I state and then let it sit.
“Dollars?” she asks with no voice in the question. It’s all breath.
“Yes. Already taxed.”
“Jesus fucking Christ. That would cover…I mean, no! No. I can’t just get married to someone I don’t even know. There are other ways to help my son. Honest ways. And this…is not honest. I can’t.”
Before I can say anything else, Riley gets up and walks out. I rush to the doorway but close my mouth. I’m not about to chase her down the hall begging her to be my wife. That is a step too far for me.
Still, as I sit back at my desk thinking about everything, I know I’m not quite as crazy as she thinks.
We need that money. And if getting married is the only way to access it, then fine.
I’ll get married. Obviously it’s not going to be to someone I love because I’m not even dating anyone right now.
I haven’t dated since I got divorced and don’t plan to for a long time.
So really, it doesn’t matter who I marry.
But for some reason…I want it to be her.
I’m not sure if it’s because she’s amusing or beautiful or obviously smart and hard working.
None of that matters if it’s not real. And yet…
it does. I also care about Noah. Helping him is something I can do no matter who I wed, and yet…
this just makes the most sense to me. We’d both benefit from it greatly.
In a crazy scenario, this is the least crazy answer.
Now I just have to find a way to convince Riley of that.