Faking Ms. Right (Dirty Martini Running Club #1)(20)

“When?”

Dad tapped his finger on the table. He was stalling. That meant it was bad.

“Dad.”

“I have to be out this week,” he said.

I met Ethan’s eyes again and he winced. He hadn’t known either.

“This week? And you’re about to start cancer treatment?” I asked. “Dad, please tell me you’ve found a place to go. Where are you moving?”

He took a deep breath. “That’s the other thing I wanted to discuss with you. I’d planned to temporarily take up residence in one of the company’s hotels in Seattle. But I’m concerned about people’s perceptions.”

“And by that, you mean you’re trying to keep the board from finding out you pissed away your money on shit real estate deals, so you can avoid being fired from the company you founded,” I said.

Ethan shook his head. “It’s called tact, Shep.”

Dad tilted his head in acquiescence. “Yes, essentially. So I was hoping I could come stay with one of you. Just for a few months until my health recovers. Then I’ll be in a better position to find new living arrangements.”

My eyes snapped to Ethan’s. I knew exactly where this was going and I did not like it. Not one bit. But I knew what my brother was about to say. He and Grant were living in a construction zone. They’d just started a major remodel of their house on Queen Anne.

“Shep, our entire house is torn apart,” Ethan said. “We don’t even have a functioning kitchen. And it will be months before it’s finished.”

They both looked at me.

I had room. My condo was over four thousand square feet. But I had so much square footage because I liked being insulated. I did not share my personal space well.

And Dad was dating my ex-girlfriend. Would he expect to bring her here? I couldn’t have Svetlana parading around my condo. Sleeping here with my father. God, the thought of it turned my stomach.

I widened my eyes at Ethan. His jaw tightened and he gave me a very subtle shake of his head as if to say, don’t you dare tell him right now.

Fuck.

I knew I could buy him his own place—the money wasn’t an issue—but there was his sensitivity to consider. He’d probably feel like I was blowing him off. After all, he had a serious illness. I was the least emotional man I knew, but I understood my dad was different. And if he stayed here, I could keep an eye on things. Help get his financial situation under control and make sure he was getting the best medical treatment possible.

I took a deep breath. “You’ll stay here. You can have the second master suite.” At least that was at the opposite end of the condo from my bedroom.

Dad’s face broke into a wide smile. “Thank you, son. You don’t know how much I appreciate this. It’s going to make the next few months so much easier.”

“Sure, Dad.” I got up and took my mug to the kitchen. “Do you need me to arrange movers or do you have that covered?”

“I’ll take care of it,” Dad said. “Are you sure about this? Do you need to talk to your girlfriend first?”

“Girlfriend?” Ethan asked.

Dad smiled again. “I had the pleasure of meeting Shepherd’s girlfriend, Everly, last night. I wish you could have been there, Ethan. She’s lovely. I bet she keeps you on your toes, eh, son?”

I avoided Ethan’s gaze. “Yes, she does. And I’m sure she won’t mind.”

“I think she’ll get along well with Svetlana.” Dad winked at Ethan. “I met the most extraordinary woman recently. I’ve been seeing a lot of her.”

“That’s what Shep told me,” Ethan said, shooting me another don’t you dare say anything look. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

“We’ll all have dinner soon,” Dad said. “You can bring Grant, and Shepherd will bring Everly.”

Oh my god. I had to get out of here. “Now that we have things worked out, I have work to do. You two stay as long as you want.”

I left them sitting at the table and went back to my office, closing the door with a soft click.

What a nightmare. I opened my laptop and did a search on prostate cancer. Spent some time getting caught up on the disease and the latest treatments. I’d find out who his doctor was to ensure he was in fact getting the best care. Maybe go with him to his next appointment so I could get more information on his specific case. I needed to be sure he didn’t need a second opinion. Prostate cancer wasn’t usually deadly, but I didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

Leaning back in my chair, I rubbed my chin. It was disconcerting to hear my dad was ill, but at least his prognosis was good.

But there was still the problem of him moving in. Without Svetlana complicating matters, that would have been a minor inconvenience. However, she was complicating matters. I could simply choose to spend as much time away as possible while Dad was living here. But I didn’t like the idea of Svetlana having unfettered access to my home. Which meant she and I would be here together, under the same roof.

She was going to realize rather quickly that I wasn’t dating Everly.

Unless… I tipped my fingertips together beneath my chin. Unless I continued the ruse that I was dating Everly. Could I somehow make that work?

I ran a multi-billion-dollar corporation. I made complicated business deals every day. I was sure I could come to an arrangement with my assistant. It was only for a few months.