Page 55 of Down & Dirty

I couldn’t tell if her clearing her throat was intentional or not, but when I glanced over her expression looked annoyed.

“He’s okay. I’ll talk to you later,” she reassured him.

“Okay, bye.”

I gave her a second, sitting in silence as the miles zipped by. The urge to punch something was layered on top of an equally strong desire to pull her into my arms and never let go. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Is that why you need the money? Tommy stopped paying for Micah’s medical bills?”

When her loud sigh filled the cab of my truck, I knew she’d seen that coming. But what was I supposed to think? He gave her shit about the money before the kid was even discharged from the hospital.

“He’s not that bad,” she started. I half expected her to stop there, but she shifted to look at me and then went on. “Tommy hates hospitals and doctors. Hates them. Phobia-type fear. Micah thinks doctors wear funny clothes and put cold things on his body that tickle. But ever since he was a baby, any time Micah needed a doctor, Tommy would lose it a little.”

“That explains his freak out, not his giving you shit about the money.” I flexed my hand on the wheel, my grip so tight it was starting to hurt. When I looked over, Sky was watching. “Is that why you agreed to this?”

She held my gaze for a split second before I looked back at the road, and I knew the answer before she said it. “Yeah. He’s been picking up the health insurance for both of us for years. He’d wanted to do it in the beginning. Being the ‘bread winner’ and all,” she said mockingly. “But he’s got a new fiancée now, so we needed to draw some clearer lines.”

“We?”

She laughed under her breath. “Geena did. She’s got a wedding to pay for, after all.”

It was a good thing Tommy wasn’t going to still be at the hospital when we got there. I didn’t have words for what I thought of that prick, so I’d let my fists do the talking for me.

“Sounds like a load of bullshit to me.”

Sky’s eyes were fixed out the windshield, the lights of the highway casting an orange glow across her face. “I wasn’t too pleased myself. But it was bound to happen eventually.”

“Eventually, fine. But you don’t just drop a shit-ton of expenses on someone without warning. Didn’t you guys have an agreement? Can he even do that?”

Her expression fell and I knew my turning into Mr. Fix-it wasn’t what she needed, but I couldn’t help it. This wasn’t right.

“We never had a formal agreement.”

Fuck me. “This is why you said that the night at the bar, isn’t it?In writing. He knew he could change things whenever he wanted because you didn’t have anything to hold him to.”

“Made my dad real proud with that one.” Her sarcasm was brittle and worn.

“And he hasn’t flipped out at Tommy about the change?”

Her eyes dropped to her hands in her lap.

“He doesn’t know,” I said, answering for her. “Ronnie either?”

A quick shake of her head was all she gave me. My chest started to pound even harder. She was trying to navigate this all on her own. And then I’d made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

Well, I was about to make her another one.

“I think we should get married.”

Sky’s head whipped in my direction. “What?”

“You paying for your health insurance and whatever portion of Micah’s is a waste of money. Putting you two on my policy would be way cheaper.” It made perfect sense.

“Cory, you’re insane. I don’t need your help.”

I shook my head. “I know you don’t. But hear me out. We get married for one year, we cut down on your stupid insurance bills, ‘cause I know they’re probably higher with Micah’s condition. You get Tommy to shut the fuck up. You pocket the extra cash, and then you can finally figure out what the hell it is youactuallywant to do with your life. Cause being Ronnie’s manager isn’t going to cut it.”

Her eyes were boring a hole in the side of my face, staring at me like I’d lost it. And maybe I had? But this wasn’t the first time I’d been impulsive, and this also wasn’t entirely altruistic.

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