“Just listen,” I say, holding her gaze. “If the judge wants to see a unified home—a two-parent household—then that’s something we can give them. On paper. Temporarily.”
She sits up straighter, searching my face. “You’re talking about marriage.”
“Yeah,” I admit. “I’m talking about marriage.”
Her mouth opens, then closes. “That’s…insane.”
“Maybe,” I admit. “But it might be smart. It gives the judge a picture they can’t argue with. Stable home, two incomes, committed partner who’s already in Evie’s life. You said it yourself—they care about optics.”
She’s shaking her head, but I can see the wheels turning. “We can’t just—people will talk.”
“Let them.” I shrug. “Cedar Falls loves to talk whether we’re friends, dating, or married.”
She covers her face with her hands. “You can’t just offer to marry someone like it’s a business transaction.”
I lean forward, voice steady. “Don’t think of it like that. Just think of it as me, wanting to help.”
Her eyes find mine again, conflicted. “Cam…”
“I’m not saying you have to decide right now,” I tell her. “But you’re not going into that courtroom alone. Not if I can help it.”
She shakes her head. “That’s…a lot. I mean, what about Evie in all this? This could get real messy real fast.”
“Evie’s a smart child, we’ll just be honest and gentle.” I take her hand. “My offer’s there, just think about it?”
She looks down where our hands are linked. “This is crazy…but, okay, I’llthink about it.”
I nod and bring her back into my arms. It’s a solid plan on paper, but I might have just put my heart on unstable ground.
Chapter seventeen
Kate
My brain hasn’t stopped spinning since Cam delivered his grand plan. An absolutely crazy, fraudulent, tempting plan.
It plays on loop while I get dressed—half of me stunned, the other half terrified that a tiny piece of me didn’t immediately say no.
Cam moves around the room, pulling his shirt over his head, the muscles in his back flexing as he buttons his jeans. He looks calm, like he just suggested picking up groceries instead of changing the entire course of our lives.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to remember how to breathe.
It’s absurd. It’s reckless. It’s…exactly the kind of thing that might actually work.
My heart pounds as I mentally list the pros and cons.
It could make the court see what Evie already knows—that she has love, stability, a home.
But I’d be lying to a judge. On the other hand, Cam’s steady, respected. The town trusts him. And holy heck, the town wouldtalk.Loudly. I know he means it. I can see it in his eyes.
Even with all of the benefits, my heart is a tangle of ‘it could work’ and ‘what the fuck’—and that’s the problem.
I slip into my jeans, avoiding his gaze because if I look at him right now, I’ll forget every reason I should say no.
He grabs his phone and keys from the nightstand, his presence filling the room even in silence. Then he steps toward me, placing a hand in my hair and my eyes instinctively look into his.
“Just think about it, Katie,” he says softly. “I meant what I said. I want to help, and I’ll be damned if a judge thinks Daniel should have joint custody of Evie.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. He steps closer, eyes looking deep into mine.
