Page 108 of Strictly Pretend

“Okay. But keep us updated.”

“I will.”

“And Brooks?” He sounds almost hesitant.

“Yes?”

“It goes without saying that if her family needs any money to pay for the hospital bills, we’ll pay it.”

My heart softens just a little. I learned a long time ago that money was my father’s love language. “Thank you, but I have that covered too.”

“I love you, son.”

I blink. “Ah, I love you too,” I tell him, too shocked to say anything else. My father doesn’t apologize and he doesn’t say he loves you. And yet here he is, doing both. “Speak soon,” I say, hanging up the call as I rush into the hospital, looking around for her.

“Well, well. Look what the stupidly expensive cat dragged in,” a voice says. I turn to see the woman from the dress shop standing there in what looks like Minnie Mouse’s shoes. What the hell is her name? I wrack my brain because now is not the time to look even more like an asshole.

“Rita,” I say, silently thanking my memory. “Where’s Emma?”

“With her granddad.”

I let out a breath. “How is he?” I ask, my chest feeling tight. Because whatever happens, I’ll always feel responsible for this.

She tips her head to the side, her eyes narrow. “Are you family?”

“You know I’m not.”

“Then I can’t tell you.” She shrugs.

I lift a brow and she rolls her eyes at me. “He’s stable. He’s been admitted to the cardiac unit for more tests. Emma is with him.”

He’s stable. My chest loosens a little. “Can you tell her I’m here?” I ask. “Send her a message or something.” I’ve been around Holden for way too long to know they won’t let me back without Emma’s approval.

“Tell her yourself. Or send somebody to do it for you. You’re good at that, aren’t you?”

“The letters were a mistake. If you were given one too, I’m sorry. Shred it. I’ll sort it all out when I’m back in the office.”

“What a pity you didn’t realize that before you made an old man collapse. And made my friend cry.”

“Emma cried?”

“Not because of you, you asshole. Because she’s worried about her granddad.” Rita lets out a long breath. “I can’t believe you did that to them.”

“I didn’t…” I trail off. “There was a misunderstanding. The notice is being rescinded. You still have a lease, everything is as it was.”

“I don’t care about my lease. I care about my friend,” she tells me, her eyes narrow. “Do you know how happy she was this morning? She told me that she was falling in love with you.”

My breath catches. “She said that?”

“I’ve never seen her like that before. She was smiling so much she looked like a damn chipmunk. And then…” Rita shakes her head. “You really messed it up, you know?”

“I know,” I say softly, because I’ve been thinking about this ever since I got onto that helicopter. My father should never have sent that letter. But I’m culpable too. I could have shut this down as soon as Luke told me about the amended contract he’d found.

Or – and here’s a good idea – I should have told Emma about it and told her I had it under control. At least then she wouldn’t have been blindsided. I was an idiot for not mentioning it.

And I’m going to throw myself under whatever I can find in an effort to get her to forgive me.

“Can you call her, please?” I ask, trying to keep my voice as sweet as I can. “I’d like to be there to support her.”

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