Page 7 of May's Bad Boy: Kody

"There's a man I know. A good man. He's fighting for custody of his daughter. But the court's stacked against him. He needs stability. Though he has a home, a job, and plenty of money to support a family. What he needs is a wife. On paper, anyway."

I blink. "I'm sorry... what?"

Caitlin doesn't flinch. "Courtney says you need insurance and a roof over your head. A chance to get healthy again. He can give you that. You can give him the image of a stable home so he can keep his daughter."

My jaw tightens. "You want me to marry a stranger?"

My heart starts racing. What if he's just as bad as my ex, or worse? I finally saw the possibility of freedom ahead of me, and now they want to take that away in the blink of an eye.

"It's not forever," Caitlin says. "Just until you both get what you need. No pressure. No expectations. Just a clean solution to a messy problem."

Courtney chimes in, her voice softer. "It could save your life, Paige. And his daughter's too."

I don't respond. I can't. There's a roaring in my ears that won't quiet. This can't be real. Is this what my life has come to? Marrying a stranger just to be able to afford the insulin I need to stay alive?

Then Caitlin slides a folder across the table. Inside I find insurance paperwork, a contract, and the terms of the arrangement. There is also a photo clipped to the folder.

A man with tired, dark eyes and a strong jaw. A little girl on his shoulders, smiling so hard it hurts to look at her.

"His name is Kody," Caitlin says.

I stare down at them.

Even though I've never met them, something in that photo catches in my chest like a hook. I've always judged people by their eyes. Kody has kind eyes like Courtney does and like my mom did. My ex had adventurous eyes like my dad did, which should have been a warning.

"You wouldn't just be saving yourself," Caitlin says quietly.

She leans in, voice nearly a whisper.

"You'd be saving each other."

CHAPTER 3

KODY

The sun's sitting high over the trees, beating down like it has something to prove. I wipe the sweat off my forehead with the back of my hand and take another swing of the axe, splitting the log clean in two. It's good work. Honest work. And it keeps the noise in my head at bay.

Behind me, Sadie runs wild across the open grass, a crooked stick clutched in one hand like it's a magic wand. She twirls, makes whooshing noises, and chases invisible dragons. Her laughter rings out across the clearing, bright and unburdened. That sound—it's everything. That's the sound I fight for.

Sinking the axe into the stump, I roll my shoulder. That's when I hear the crunch of tires on gravel. I know it's Shane's truck before I even look up.

I turn, wiping my hands on the rag I keep tucked into my back pocket. The passenger door opens and Caitlin steps out first, grinning like a cat who just caught a mouse. Then a woman slides out behind her, slow and cautious, clutching a single duffel bag like it's a life preserver.

I know instantly this is Paige.

She looks different from what I expected. Pale, sure. But steady. There's something quiet and grounded about her. It’s as if she's already had the worst happen and lived to tell about it. She glances up, meets my eyes, and doesn't flinch. That alone surprises me. Most people hesitate around me, so the fact that she doesn't give me a second thought stuns me for a minute.

Sadie notices them too. She freezes mid-spin, her wand-stick dangling. Then, in one quick movement, she darts across the field and hides behind my leg, peeking out at the newcomers.

Paige takes her time to approach us. She then surprises me by ignoring me. Then she kneels right there in the dirt, setting down her bag, and looking Sadie in the eye.

"Hey," she says softly, like they're the only two people in the world. "That is one very cool wand. What spell were you casting?"

Sadie blinks at her. Then whispers, "A dragon-fighting spell."

Paige gasps. "No way. I love those."

Sadie hesitates. Then she steps out a little, offering her the stick. "Wanna try?"

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