The waitress came up to the table, and we ordered our food and beverage. Once she’d wandered away, I met Gordon’s curious gaze.
“You seem nervous,” he said softly. “Is something wrong? Do you need money?”
My face warmed. “God, no. I’m not here to ask for a loan or anything.”
His features softened. “First of all, it wouldn’t be a loan—it would always be a gift. And second, you never need to be ashamed to come to me for anything, Seth.”
“You’ve done more than enough for me already. I’ll never be able to repay you for your kindness and generosity.” I dropped my gaze to the table.
“And as I’ve told you a million times, you saved me as much as I saved you, son.” He sighed. “Seth, look at me.”
I lifted my gaze to his.
“I was headed for the grave the day I stumbled on you. If not for you, I’d be dead. Don’t kid yourself. Taking care of you was like I got Luke back. You gave me a second chance at life. You gave me a second chance at being a father.”
A lump formed in my throat.
He leaned toward me. “Now, I know you well enough to know something is weighing on you. What is it?”
I gave a gruff laugh. “For once it isn’t me needing anything from you.”
He tilted his head. “Go on.”
“I uh, I met a guy—”
“You did?” He looked so excited, I felt a little guilty. “That’s wonderful.”
“Well, I mean… it’s not quite like that.”
He wrinkled his brow, and his smile faded. “Meaning what?”
I fiddled with my silverware nervously. “I do really like him.”
“Okay.”
“I um… I’ve agreed to….” I laughed jaggedly. “Wow, this is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
He looked concerned now. “What did you agree to, Seth?”
“Like I said, I really like the guy, and he had a problem.” I swallowed. “He’s almost thirty and he needed to be married to get his trust money.”
A silence fell and Gordon’s mouth fell open in shock.
“He’s not just some bum off the street though. He’s a great guy, and he’s rich.” I winced. “I agreed to marry him so he can get his money from his trust.”
“You’re getting… married?” He pulled his silver brows together. “Um… okay.” He definitely looked confused. “But you’re not in love?”
“No. It’s a marriage of convenience.”
“A marriage of convenience… is that even a thing?”
I smiled weakly. “Yes. His grandmother put this nutty clause in the trust that he wouldn’t get his money at thirty if he wasn’t married. But he doesn’t want to be married. Or at least, he doesn’t want a real marriage.”
“So this is a fake marriage?” His face was tense, and I could tell he was guarding his words very carefully.
“It’s just for three years.”
He sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t speak.
