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“Unless you wanted me to visit, but that’s a long time from now and another conversation down the road,” he said bluntly. “I don’t want to cause problems, just help.”
“I don’t want anything to come between our friendship,” she whispered painfully, looking at him, and he felt his heart turn over in his chest. “I meant it when I said I needed a friend. I can be quite the loner sometimes or come off as aggressive, and that tends to drive people off. Max is everything to me and takes up quite a bit of my free time, so sometimes it’s months before I get out or talk to other people…”
“Nothing would change for us,” he said simply. “You could write when it was convenient. I could help out financially or send Max stuff in the mail, which is all things that close friends do for each other.”
“But if you are… married,” she practically hissed the word like she was uttering something vile or offensive, making him flinch. “Then that prevents you from finding someone in your life.”
“I don’t really have a need for a wife right now, and this is just on paper…”
This time, Madison was the one that flinched.
“What’s in this for you?” she asked candidly, not looking away. “There has to be something in this for you, something you want. Are you expecting to go to bed with me, to get some, because that’s not happening and…”
“Madison,” he hissed, shocked, and looked at her, aghast. “I’mnotlike that.”
“I just don’t understand why or how you can be this open, this giving, to someone you barely know,” she muttered tearfully. “It doesn’t make sense, and I can’t wrap my brain around it.That’swhere I’m struggling. Everything your mother said is true – it would chase off my ex, close the door on him, give me stability, help with insurance, all of it…but what’s in it for you?”
Eric put a finger under her chin, making her look at him, and tried not to blurt out what was surging through him right now.
“A chance to help my friend, to let me be the hero in someone’s life, and it would give me a person to visit when I come home… someone that I get along with and can be myself around,” he admitted openly. “I’m far from perfect, and there’s a good reason I’m single at thirty-one years old. But if you think you can put up with someone talking over the television, leaving the seat up, eating too much or leaving dirty socks on the floor… and still being an ear to listen when you need to talk? Then maybe I might be your guy… husband-on-paper or not.”
“You don’t have to marry me, on paper, to come visit me and Max,” she whispered, her dark eyes searching his.
“Call me old-fashioned…”
“Eric…”
“We can give it a year, and that should give you plenty of time to get things settled, plus establish the fact that we’re married and keep Asher away from you.”
He could see her internal thoughts warring within her and hesitated, feeling like he almost needed to say something else, but wasn’t sure what.
“I want to try this, to do this, and maybe we could keep talking,” he breathed. “If we keep fighting at it and we’re on the same side? Then perhaps in a year you might decide tokeepputting up with me. I can think of worse things than being married to a friend I respect and admire.”
He paused, looking at her.
“Deal?” he asked, and saw her swallow, realizing she might actually still say ‘no’ to him. Her eyes held his, not looking away, as she stood there before him.
“Deal,” she whispered.
“Tomorrow afternoon too soon?” he asked gently, trying not to acknowledge the fact that his hands were trembling, and he wanted to kiss her so badly right now. “I fly out on Friday morning. This was just a short get away for me and…”
“Let’s just get it over with,” she uttered painfully, grimacing as she spoke and he did the same, hearing it said so callously.
“Sounds good. Tomorrow at four? I can meet you at the courthouse and we’ll get it over with.”
Both of them flinched.
Her at his words – and him at the way it came out.
He was going to botch this up before ever getting a chance to talk to her or win her over. She needed support and help… and if he was going to ever possibly hope for something more?
Then he needed to watch his mouth...
“I’m sorry. I’m a little rough around the edges and used to dealing with guys who don’t listen or pay attention sometimes. I didn’t mean it like that, Madison,” he said openly… and saw the surprise on her face at his quick apology.
“Thank you,” she began gingerly, watching him curiously. “I’ll be there.”
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