Page 95 of Single Dad's Fake Bride
"Not real?"
I nodded, then immediately shook my head. "But it feels real. That's the problem. I'm falling for him, Kramer. I'm falling for this life we've built, and I don't know if he feels the same way orif I'm convenient. And what if this turns out just like my dad? I mean…"
"Have you told him about the baby?"
"No. Not yet." I took a shaky breath. "How can I? He married me to save his daughter's place at school, not to create more complications. What if he thinks I'm trying to trap him?"
"Sadie." Kramer's voice was gentle but firm. "You're spiraling."
"I'm being realistic."
"No, you're being scared. And I get it, I do. But you're also being stubborn." He waited until I looked at him. "You've already chosen him."
"I haven't?—"
"You sleep in his bed. You take care of his daughter. You worry about his future and whether he's eating enough. You defend him to your mother, and you light up when he walks into a room." Kramer counted off each point on his fingers. "You've chosen him in a hundred small ways."
My chest tightened. "Those are just… we live together. Of course I care about his well-being."
"Bull. You've been taking care of people your whole life, but this is different. You're not Harrison's caregiver, Sadie. You're his partner."
"We have a contract."
"And? Harrison is a smart man. He's a good father. He could have married anyone with money or connections, but he chose you. Not because you were convenient, but because you were the right person for his daughter and for him."
I stared at the table, Kramer's words circling in my mind. "What if you're wrong?" I hated that he was making sense, especially after Harrison confessed that he loved me last night. It was too much, too fast, and I hated that it felt right. I hated myself for my reaction.
"What if I'm right?" He reached across the table and squeezed my hand. "You're one of the strongest people I know, Sadie. No matter what happens with the inheritance or the job or anything else, you'll be fine. But maybe it's time to stop assuming the worst will happen."
We ate in comfortable quiet after that, the conversation shifting to safer topics. But Kramer's words followed me home, echoing with every step.
The house was dark when I slipped inside, Mom and Eloise already in bed. I found Harrison in the kitchen, reading on his laptop with a mug of coffee at his elbow.
"How was dinner?" he asked, looking up.
"Good. Kramer says hello." I moved to the sink, needing something to do with my hands. "How's Mom? She seemed tired when I left."
"She had a good day. Dr. White was pleased with her progress." Harrison closed the laptop and stood. "I made tea earlier. Your favorite. It's still warm if you want some."
The gesture was small but thoughtful, and it made my chest ache. "Thank you."
He poured the tea into my usual mug, the one with the chipped handle that I'd claimed as mine without asking. Another small intimacy that felt larger than it should.
"Sadie." His voice was careful. "About what happened Monday with Dr. Sterling?—"
"It's fine." I wrapped my hands around the mug, letting the warmth seep through my palms. "She did what she had to do."
"It's not fine. You love teaching, and you're good at it. Eloise talks about your lessons constantly."
A smile tugged at my lips despite everything. "She's a good student."
"She's happy. That's because of you." Harrison moved closer, and I felt the gravity of his presence. "I know this is hard. Theuncertainty, the gossip, everything feeling out of your control. But we'll get through it."
I nodded, but I couldn't quite meet his eyes. The walls were already building themselves, brick by brick. It was easier to retreat behind routines and politeness than to risk the vulnerability of hoping he meant what I wanted him to mean.
"I should check on Mom before bed," I said, though I'd already looked in on her when I got home.
"She's sleeping. I checked twenty minutes ago."
