Page 40 of Faking It With the Single Dad

“I’m not saying I’ll be in here every day brewing coffee,” I say, smirking. “But I know how to attract customers. I know how to market, how to expand. You wouldn’t just be getting my money, Bella. You’d be getting my expertise.”

She crosses her arms, her expression skeptical. “And what’s in it for you?”

“I get to see this place thrive,” I say simply. “And I get the satisfaction of knowing I helped someone I care about.”

Her eyes soften for a moment, but then she shakes her head. “I don’t know, Ryan. This is my dream, my baby. Letting someone else in, even as a partner...it feels like I’m giving up control.”

“You wouldn’t be,” I assure her. “This would still be your café, Bella. I don’t want to take over. I just want to make sure it’s still here a month from now.”

She bites her lip, looking torn. “I don’t want to need you.”

Her honesty floors me, and for a moment, I don’t know how to respond. Then I take a step closer, my voice low but steady.

“Needing someone doesn’t make you weak, Bella. It makes you human. And letting someone help you doesn’t mean you’re giving up control. It means you’re smart enough to know when to accept help.”

Her eyes meet mine, and I can see the internal battle she’s fighting. Finally, she lets out a shaky breath.

“You really think this is a good idea?” she asks quietly.

“I do,” I say without hesitation. “And I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t believe in you and this café.”

She looks down at the papers on the counter, then back at me. “Fine,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “But if we’re doing this, it’s strictly business. No special treatment, no favors.”

“Deal,” I say, extending my hand.

She hesitates before shaking it, but her grip is firm.

As I look at her—tired but still standing, still fighting—I feel a surge of admiration. Bella Parker might be the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met, but she’s also the strongest. And now, she doesn’t have to fight alone.

Chapter Fifteen

Bella

Ididn’t mean to overhear the gossip. Really, I didn’t. But it’s so hard not to when their voices are raised and they’re not even trying to be discreet.

“Do you think he’ll really choose her?” a voice says from the corner. It’s unmistakably Gina, one of Cedar Ridge’s most notorious gossips. She isn’t even attempting to whisper.

“I mean, come on,” replies a man I don’t recognize. “She’s just a placeholder, right? I mean, Ryan Blackwood isn’t going to settle down with someone like her. A single mom who runs a café? Please. A man of his caliber only dates women in the upper echelons of society.”

I’m freezing, the muffin tray trembling slightly in my hand. A lump forms in my throat, hot and heavy, and I’m blinking hard to keep my vision clear. I don’t know what stings more—the words or the fact that they might be true.

Ryan deserves someone glamorous and polished, someone who fits seamlessly into the world he comes from. I’m not that person, and I never will be.

Taking a deep breath, I set the tray down with more force than necessary. My hands are shaking, and I hate how easily I’m letting their words get to me. But it’s not just their words, is it? It’s my doubts and fears, the ones I can’t seem to shake no matter how much time I spend with Ryan.

He’s too good to be true, too good for me, and I’m just waiting for the moment he realizes that.

By the time Ryan walks into the café that afternoon, I’ve already made up my mind to put some distance between us…again. It’s not fair to him, I know that, but it feels like the only way to protect myself from the inevitable.

“Hey,” he says, his voice warm as he approaches the counter. His smile is doing that ridiculous thing to my heart again, the fluttering I can’t control.

“Good afternoon,” I reply, keeping my tone polite but distant.

His brows rise immediately, and I curse myself for not being better at hiding my emotions.

“What’s wrong?” he asks as he leans on the counter.

“Nothing,” I say too quickly. “Just busy, a lot of customers to attend to.”

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