Camden frowns. “Ellie, I don’t want you to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Drive around to strangers’ houses on your own. It’s dangerous.”
I wave a hand. “It’s no big deal. I do it all the time. It’s helped me earn money to pay off my medical debt.”
“You don’t have debt anymore.”
I frown, confused. “What?”
He just looks at me. Oh. He must be kidding. I laugh out of sheer disbelief. “Very funny.”
“I’m serious, Ellie.”
“What?”
“After we set you up to join my health insurance plan before the wedding, I opened a joint bank account for us and put money in there. That’s for you to pay off the medical debt. You can set up the payment to go through whenever you want.”
I shake my head, feeling dizzy all of a sudden. “Camden, no. I owe almost two hundred thousand dollars.”
He doesn’t even blink. “I know. I put that amount in the joint account. A little extra too, in case any other expenses come through.”
“But I was going to pay it off.”
A small smile pulls at his mouth. “I know. But I wanted to surprise you with a little wedding gift.”
My jaw unhinges. I can’t speak for a solid ten seconds, I’m so stunned. “Camden, a little wedding gift would be a bouquet of flowers or dinner out. Not clearing six figures of medical debt.”
He takes a step toward me, that playful smile on his face. “I know. But this is the kind of gift I want to get my wife.”
My wife.
Just hearing him say that sends a sheet of goosebumps across my skin.
“I know you wanted to pay it off, Ellie. And I have no doubt that you would have been able to. But I have the money. It’s really no problem for me to take care of it. And now you can put your money into your savings,” he says. “You can focus on building your pet-sitting business instead of working side jobs to pay off debt.”
Warmth swoops through my chest. This is so sweet and thoughtful.
“This is so generous of you, Camden,” I say. “And so one-sided. I haven’t done anything like this for you.”
“You’ve already done plenty for me, Ellie. Just think of all those times you let me copy off your homework in school. I would have flunked out of every grade if it hadn’t been for you.”
I burst out laughing.
“And already people are taking me more seriously because I’m married to you. The guys on the team are calling me wife guy.”
I fight a smile and look at him. “You’re sure this is okay?”
“More than okay. You’re my wife, Ellie. I’m gonna take care of you.”
My skin tingles at his words. Yeah, our marriage isn’t real. We’re just friends. But something about the way he talks about me—something about the way he saysmy wife—makes me ache.
I like it. A lot.
I step over to him and wrap my arms around him. He slinks his massive arms around me, holding me tight.
“Thank you,” I whisper in his ear.
