Page 219 of The Re-Proposal

Clay knocks on the door. “Joel has a visitor.”

My eyes widen when I see Dawn and Elizabeth Stinton sprinting inside. Max Stinton’s wife is wearing shorts and a comfortable blouse. The daughter is in a T-shirt with the Stinton Auto logo on it.

Dawn gives me a warm and welcoming hug. “Cody, it’s good to see you.”

“You too, Dawn.”

“Hey.” Joel tips his chin up at Elizabeth.

“You’re not dead today,” Elizabeth says, smiling at him.

Joel’s lips curl up. “Nope. Sorry to disappoint.”

I point between them. “What’s going on? Why are you here?”

“I brought non-hospital food.” Dawn opens a carton and a smell of fresh vegetable dumplings fills the room.

“And chai?” Joel asks.

“You’re just as addicted as Vanya is.” Stinton’s wife rolls her eyes. “Yes, I also brought Dejonae’s heart-patient appropriate chai.”

“Sweet.”

Elizabeth walks up to me. “You’re Joel’s dad, right?”

“Foster dad,” Joel corrects her, but the words don’t sound as angry as usual.

“How come you’re never around?”

“Elizabeth,” Dawn scolds.

“What?”

“Just play your game and stop assaulting Cody with questions that have nothing to do with you.” Dawn shoos her daughter away.

My eyebrows cinch when I see Elizabeth hop on the bed and shove a game controller into Joel’s hand. Expertly, she presses a button and the bed rises a little more so he’s sitting up.

Joel smiles broadly. Although his body is wasting away, his eyes sparkle with genuine delight. “I’m going to crush you today, Lizzie.”

“Eat my smoke, Jo-Jo. By the way, everyone calls me Beth.”

“Not me,” he says, flicking his tongue out as he concentrates on the game.

It feels like they’ve done that before.

It also feels like I’m in an alternate universe. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen Joel smile.

“Elizabeth, don’t smack-talk Joel. We don’t want him to exhaust himself coming up with insults for you.”

“Yes, mom.”

Dawn takes my arm and steers me outside.

I stiffen when I see Clay and Vargas talking to Max Stinton.

The CEO of Stinton Group catches my eye and nods.

My response is a scowl.

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