Page 36 of Just One Fake Date

“Without any cash infusion from you?”

“None.”

Shannyn thought about it for four seconds. She couldn’t see a catch. Two hours of conversation over dinner with Tyler wouldn’t exactly be painful, and if it meant she could get the roof done, it would be worth it. “Okay,” she said and heard relief in his voice when he replied.

Had he really thought she’d decline?

“Okay,” he agreed and it sounded portentous to Shannyn.

“What are you going to do?”

But Tyler was gone. Shannyn stared at her phone, wondering what he could possible do about her roof at two on a Wednesday morning. Giselle didn’t look as if she would have the right connections to influence the result, if he hadn’t lied to her and if she was still there.

Shannyn was not jealous. No. There was no reason to be jealous of anything when all they had was a fake date. She certainly wasn’t going to think that he’d given her free financial advice to be nice. No, it had been part of a plan to make a new deal.

Hadn’t it?

Spoils of war.

Divorced, separated or otherwise no longer living with partner.

Shannyn had gotten the house and her ex had taken everything else, including the paycheck that had allowed them to qualify for the mortgage. Ty would have bet his last buck that this guy, the ex, had also been the one to break Shannyn’s heart.

He badly wanted to straighten out that loser, but that was outside the terms of their deal.

Instead, he would fix the problem of her roof.

Ty called his third sister, Paige, ignoring the hour. His mom had told him repeatedly how their son, Ethan, was so colicky that they were up all night every night. That had to be good for something. Paige’s husband, Derek, was a contractor who specialized in renovations. He mostly worked in the Bronx, but Tyler was hoping he’d make an exception.

He was feeling persuasive.

Derek answered on the second ring. “Hey, Ty. Just in from a fabulous party and need to check how the other half lives?” He sounded weary.

Ty could hear Ethan screaming in the background.

There was a sound to reinforce his desire to stay single and childless.

Maybe forever.

“Still colicky?” he asked, and didn’t have to try to sound sympathetic.

“It never ends. We’ve tried every remedy there is. I’m starting to think he likes it.”

“Maybe he likes running your show.”

“Maybe he just needs less sleep than me. Tomorrow, he’ll be the happiest kid in the world and I’ll be falling asleep in traffic.” Derek yawned. “What’s up?”

“Will you be working Saturday?”

“I’ve got a couple of quotes to do in the morning. Why?”

“A friend of mine needs a new roof.”

Derek laughed. “I don’t work in Manhattan, Tyler. I like my truck too much to take it there.”

“The house is in Flatbush.”

Ty could almost feel Derek’s interest sharpen. “Since when do you know anyone in Brooklyn?”

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