Page 50 of Single Dad's Fake Bride
"When's the last time you slept?" Juan caught the ball and finally looked at me. His dark eyes took in the details I thought I'd hidden well enough—the wrinkled shirt I'd grabbed from yesterday's laundry, the tension I carried in my jaw.
"I slept," I said defensively.
"For how long?"
I pulled my racquet from its case and checked the strings. "Long enough."
Juan shook his head and tossed me the ball. "Right. Let's see if you can work some of that stress out before you snap in half."
The first serve came fast and low, designed to make me stretch. My shoulder protested as I returned it, sending the ball wide. Juan didn't comment. He just retrieved it and set up for the next point.
We played in relative silence for twenty minutes with only the bounce of the ball, the thwack of the racquets and the squeak of our sneakers. Juan kept the pace easy, letting me find my rhythm without pushing too hard. He knew me well enough to recognize when I needed to move before I could talk.
When I finally called for water, he was ready.
"So," Juan said, toweling off his face. "Eloise settled at school?"
"She's fine." I uncapped my bottle and took a long drink. "Sitter picked her up early and took her for pancakes before school." I didn't tell him I'd requested the sitter to do this after feeling so out of place with how things went between Sadie and me. She would give me her answer today, but I felt like I'd been too pushy.
"And how's the prospect?" Juan's careful use of the word "prospect" made me feel edgy. I hated thinking of Sadie as an asset instead of a human. It made me feel sleazy and dirty.
I stared at the wall, watching condensation drip from the overhead vent. "That's complicated."
"Most good things are." Juan leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "You want to tell me what happened, or should I keep guessing?"
I set down the water bottle and faced him. Juan Morales had been my closest friend since college, the only person who knew the full story of why I'd walked away from the Vale name. He'd stood by me when Eloise's mother disappeared, helped me navigate single parenthood, and never once suggested I should have handled things differently.
If anyone deserved the truth, it was him.
"Her mother's in the hospital," I said. "She's recovering from another bender and Sadie is worried about her.”
Juan's expression shifted. "I'm sorry to hear that."
I ran a hand through my hair. "Sadie's been trying to manage it all—the job, the medical appointments for her mom, keeping the woman stable. She's drowning."
"And you want to help?" His eyebrow quirked up and I sighed.
"I offered her a solution." The words came out sounding a little defensive. He knew the terms of the arrangement, but I spelled it out for him, or maybe more for my sake to remind myself that it wasn't a horrible situation. "She gets health insurance for her mother, job security, a stable income. I get to meet the will's requirements and keep the school."
Juan was quiet for a long moment. "What did she say?"
"She hasn't answered yet." I picked up my racquet, testing the grip. "I gave her time to think about it."
"How much time?"
"Until today. Honestly…" My shoulders dropped and I winced at the pinch in my left arm.
"Harrison." Juan's voice carried a warning I recognized. "Please tell me you didn't corner her in the hospital and propose a business arrangement."
"It wasn't like that… She set the deadline." But even as I said it, I could hear how it sounded. "She's practical. She understands the benefits for both parties."
"The benefits." Juan straightened, shaking his head. "Do you hear yourself right now?"
"It makes sense for everyone involved."
"Everyone except Sadie, maybe."
I turned to face him fully. "What's that supposed to mean?"
