a cocktail napkin and dabbed at her eyes. “Hey, hey, no need for tears. I’m a man of my word. This really worries you, doesn’t it?”
Megan snuffled into the napkin and wiped the saltwater off her face. “I know to a rich man like you, this is no big deal. But for working stiffs like me and my parents, it feels like the end of the world. I haven’t even started my life and I’m burdened with this huge obligation! My car insurance paid out to its limit, but those blasted infections wouldn’t go away.”
“There is always bankruptcy.”
Megan’s eyes flashed with fire. “Oh, really? Just like that? Marry me, Megan, to help me inherit my fortune, and when I don’t need you any more, you can crawl away and declare bankruptcy and have that haunt your future credit line for seven years? No, thank you!”
Kevin was taken aback. “Seven years?”
“Yes! The hospital billing office started calling me for money three months ago. They dialed my hospital room number and told me they were taking me to collections because I hadn’t paid anything on my bills yet. The floor nurse had to get on the phone and raise a ruckus and tell them to leave me alone at least until I was discharged.”
The tears threatened to start again, but Kevin slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“Let’s write an addendum,” he offered. “Let’s do it right now. You start. Here, let me get you some paper.” He retrieved his briefcase and popped it open. Out came pens and a legal pad. “I’ll call my lawyer and let him know we’ll be faxing some changes tonight.”
Megan’s color was better now, although her hand shook as she pressed pen to paper.
“By the way, I should put your cell phone number in my phone,” said Kevin.
“Don’t have one anymore. Destroyed in the crash, and I didn’t have an income to pay the bills anyway.”
“Wow. Okay, that’s on our list of things to do. Get you a new phone.” He moved away to the windows to place his call.
A moment later, he was once again at Megan’s side. “He hadn’t even left for the day yet. Remind me to never become a lawyer.”
Megan rewarded him with a muted laugh. “Here’s what I have so far. What do you think?”
Kevin read her addition and nodded. “That should do it. A tidy promise to cover pre-existing medical bills. Let’s both initial it. That’s what Patrick said we should do if we’re faxing it. Then he’ll come by in the morning with the final version and we can sign it for real.” He noticed she had written a separate paragraph on another sheet of paper. “What’s this?”
Megan said, “I was hoping it would be all right if I included a weekly allowance for myself. I hate not having pocket money.”
“You just put down $1,000. Don’t you mean, one thousand a week?”
Megan looked horrified. “No! I was thinking of the thousand you already gave me. It turns out Jeffrey used your credit card for everything, so I still have that money in my bag. If we call it an allowance, I’ll have cash and I won’t feel so broke or dependent.”
Kevin looked grim. “That is ridiculous. You—”
“Fine,” snapped Megan. She was so tired, she couldn’t take anymore. “I knew this whole thing was too good to be true.” She slipped off the stool and went to retrieve her purse. Vibrating with fatigue, she pulled out the money and slapped it on the counter. “Here. And here’s forty toward the linen suit I’m wearing. You’ll have to wait for the rest on the suit because I need something to wear to job interviews.”
Kevin grabbed her wrist, then immediately loosened his grip when she winced. “Would you wait just a second? Hear me out!”
Megan stood staring at his hand clamped around her wrist. Since she couldn’t flee without cutting her arm off at the elbow, she took a calming breath and said, “I’m listening.”
“I was about to say, a thousand dollars is ridiculous. You should get at least that much every week. In fact, you should
Megan snuffled into the napkin and wiped the saltwater off her face. “I know to a rich man like you, this is no big deal. But for working stiffs like me and my parents, it feels like the end of the world. I haven’t even started my life and I’m burdened with this huge obligation! My car insurance paid out to its limit, but those blasted infections wouldn’t go away.”
“There is always bankruptcy.”
Megan’s eyes flashed with fire. “Oh, really? Just like that? Marry me, Megan, to help me inherit my fortune, and when I don’t need you any more, you can crawl away and declare bankruptcy and have that haunt your future credit line for seven years? No, thank you!”
Kevin was taken aback. “Seven years?”
“Yes! The hospital billing office started calling me for money three months ago. They dialed my hospital room number and told me they were taking me to collections because I hadn’t paid anything on my bills yet. The floor nurse had to get on the phone and raise a ruckus and tell them to leave me alone at least until I was discharged.”
The tears threatened to start again, but Kevin slipped an arm around her shoulders.
“Let’s write an addendum,” he offered. “Let’s do it right now. You start. Here, let me get you some paper.” He retrieved his briefcase and popped it open. Out came pens and a legal pad. “I’ll call my lawyer and let him know we’ll be faxing some changes tonight.”
Megan’s color was better now, although her hand shook as she pressed pen to paper.
“By the way, I should put your cell phone number in my phone,” said Kevin.
“Don’t have one anymore. Destroyed in the crash, and I didn’t have an income to pay the bills anyway.”
“Wow. Okay, that’s on our list of things to do. Get you a new phone.” He moved away to the windows to place his call.
A moment later, he was once again at Megan’s side. “He hadn’t even left for the day yet. Remind me to never become a lawyer.”
Megan rewarded him with a muted laugh. “Here’s what I have so far. What do you think?”
Kevin read her addition and nodded. “That should do it. A tidy promise to cover pre-existing medical bills. Let’s both initial it. That’s what Patrick said we should do if we’re faxing it. Then he’ll come by in the morning with the final version and we can sign it for real.” He noticed she had written a separate paragraph on another sheet of paper. “What’s this?”
Megan said, “I was hoping it would be all right if I included a weekly allowance for myself. I hate not having pocket money.”
“You just put down $1,000. Don’t you mean, one thousand a week?”
Megan looked horrified. “No! I was thinking of the thousand you already gave me. It turns out Jeffrey used your credit card for everything, so I still have that money in my bag. If we call it an allowance, I’ll have cash and I won’t feel so broke or dependent.”
Kevin looked grim. “That is ridiculous. You—”
“Fine,” snapped Megan. She was so tired, she couldn’t take anymore. “I knew this whole thing was too good to be true.” She slipped off the stool and went to retrieve her purse. Vibrating with fatigue, she pulled out the money and slapped it on the counter. “Here. And here’s forty toward the linen suit I’m wearing. You’ll have to wait for the rest on the suit because I need something to wear to job interviews.”
Kevin grabbed her wrist, then immediately loosened his grip when she winced. “Would you wait just a second? Hear me out!”
Megan stood staring at his hand clamped around her wrist. Since she couldn’t flee without cutting her arm off at the elbow, she took a calming breath and said, “I’m listening.”
“I was about to say, a thousand dollars is ridiculous. You should get at least that much every week. In fact, you should
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