“It’s the only way.”
Griffin leans forward on the screen, his stare cutting through me. “What if feelings get involved and you get hurt?”
I scoff. “You know me, Griff. I swore off relationships a long time ago.”
He gives a dry laugh. “Yeah, you and me both, my friend. But this is different. She’s not some date you’ll forget in the morning. She’s going to be yourwife, living in your house, brushing shoulders with you every day at work, entwining her life with yours and Brianna’s. That’s a very fine line to walk.”
“I know,” I admit, dragging a hand down my jaw. “But what other choice do I have?”
Griffin studies me for a long beat. “How did you even get Mya to agree to this insanity?”
“I spun it in a way that made it mutually beneficial. I’ll help her out financially, and she’ll help me look like the steady family man the court needs to see.”
Henson brows climb. “Wait. You’repayingher to be your wife?”
I glare at him. “No. Not like that. I offered a solution that works for both of us.”
Griff shakes his head slowly. “I just hope you know what you’re doing, Worth.”
I lean back, exhaling through my nose.I hope so too.
My mind keeps coming back to the same thing.
How the hell am I supposed to bring this up to Brianna?
The prenup will be ready tomorrow. But if my daughter reacts badly to the idea of me dating—let alone marrying—I’ll have to pivot. Bri comes first, always.
After ending the call with Griffin, Brianna—having finished her homework—joins us at the table, laughter and teasing floating through the air as Maggie serves us delicious food, and for a while, I let myself forget the storm brewing outside these walls.
When dinner is finished, Henson says his goodbyes, and Brianna scoops up her books and heads back upstairs, announcing something about a FaceTime with Kennedy. I make a mental note to ask her about him. She’s been talking about him a whole lot lately.
While part of me wants to shrug it off as harmless school chatter, the dad part wants to know exactly who this boy is, and why my daughter’s eyes light up every time his name slips from her lips.
I glance at Maggie, who’s busy stacking dishes. “Can I talk to you about something?”
She tilts her head, curious. “Of course.”
I clear my throat. “There’s… someone. A woman I’ve been seeing.”
Her eyes widen, surprise turning into a smile. “Worth. That’s wonderful.”
“Thank you,” I say, trying to sound genuine. “I’d like your advice on how to bring it up to Brianna. I don’t want to blindside her.”
“You’re right to be careful. She’s old enough to understand, but still young enough to take it hard. The key is honesty. Let her see how important this woman is to you. If you’re steady, Brianna will follow your lead.”
Steady.
That’s the word that keeps circling me like a hawk. With Mya, steady is the last thing I feel.
Maggie dries her hands on a dish towel and gives me a look that says she’s about to dig even if I don’t want her to.
“So… Who is she?”
I pause mid-sip of my drink, pulse ticking a little faster. “Just someone from work. Her name is Mya.”
Her brows lift. “Wow. Someone from work who has you smiling to yourself while you’re pretending not to?”
I grunt, shaking my head. “Busted.”