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“No, that awful sister of mine has him thinking the only family that cares about him is her. She's pointed out you and I are too busy to help out a poor, disabled man. She's using your career against me.”

“My career?” I scoffed. “Wait. Auntie Jemine is using my job to force herself into the whole inheritance? That's shady as hell.”

“Yes! It is! I'm so glad you're agreeing to help.”

A hot flash of warning made my neck go tight. “You called me to ask for a favor.”

“Saving your mother isn't a favor. It's your obligation as my daughter! Or are you as awful as my sister, wishing that I'd just fade away?”

“No. Mom.” I pinched the bridge of my nose and groaned. “How do you want me to help with this?”

“You need to get married.”

And there it was.

“Excuse me?” I asked, laughing loudly, nervously. I cupped a hand around my mouth so no one outside my office would hear. “What would getting married do?”

“It would show your Pappy that you're serious about family! Not just ours, but starting your own. And marriage means babies, which means needing your dear old mother around to help care for a child while you keep working that busy job you adore. I can't provide childcare to my new grand-baby without that inheritance, your Pappy will realize that. Don't be so closed off to the idea.”

At first I couldn't respond. Then I started sputtering. “Marriage! Babies! Mom, what! That's... what! Are you serious? This is how you want me to help?”

“It'd be good for everyone.”

“How is it good for me?”

“A man would make you happy in a way your job can't, Maya. Are you seeing anybody right now?”

Conner's face flashed through my head. “It's complicated.”

“So that's a no. I'll ask around for you.”

“Mom!”

“Or you can see if Ben is single?”

White hot rage made me blind. Suddenly, what Ben had said earlier made sense. “Holy shit,” I hissed. “You were talking to him about this before you even brought it up to me, weren't you?”

“And what if I was? I ran into him at the grocery store by accident, he noticed I was frazzled, one thing led to another... don't get so sensitive over this, Maya.”

“You can't try to arrange a marriage for me behind my back!”

“Well what's the issue? You dated him a long time, was he so bad that you'd never consider a future with him?”

“Never,” I seethed. “Not in a million years.”

“Any of your employees single, or is that an HR lawsuit waiting to happen? Ask Aubrey, she has to know someone who's looking for a wife.”

“Your plan is crazy.”

Her gasp was sharp in my ear. “Never, ever call me crazy! Jemine does it all the time and I hate it. No, my own daughter should never, ever—”

“Okay! God, Mom.” I ruffled my hair, scowling. “I want to help. I really do. But this is... hard to swallow.”

“You can't back out now. If you don't show up with a man at your side this Saturday, I'm doomed.”

“What's happening Saturday?”

“It's your Pappy's birthday,” she groused. A hard knot formed in my guts. She was right, I was detached from my family and what they were all doing. I loved my grandfather, forgetting his birthday was shameful.