“That’s exactly what I told her.” He dried off the skillet and flipped the dishtowel over one shoulder.

“Why does it feel like there’s a but coming?” she asked.

Unease creeped up his spine, the itchy kind that usually made an appearance about five minutes after he did something like explain how multi-leashes worked to a dog walker or offered advice to a couple arguing on the A Train. That oh-shit feeling, though, couldn’t be right. Not this time. He’d only been looking out for Chelle and her future, not butting in where he wasn’t wanted.

“The but is that now she’s pissed I shared the book with Macon,” he said. “She doesn’t want to publish them.”

“How could you have known—” Bristol stopped mid-sentence, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh. “She told you that, but you ignored her because you thought you knew better.”

“I told Macon to read Chelle’s book because it’s that good.” He started pacing from one end of the massive granite island in the middle of the kitchen to the other, needing some way—any way—to shake off the uncomfortable feeling that he’d screwed himself out of any chance he had to make his fake marriage a real one. “She just can’t see it. I was helping her.”

Just like he helped his family. He was always the one with the answers. Always the one who knew what to do next. Always the one who took care of everything. If he wasn’t that, then who in the hell was he?

Bristol shot him an are-you-completely-oblivious-to-your-own-bad-ideas glare. “You know there is a big, thick line dotted with red flags between being helpful and taking over, between showing someone another perspective and insisting your way is the one way, between giving insight and mansplaining someone’s life to them.”

“You’re wrong.” She had to be. There was no way that he would have ruined everything by being right.

“I guess congratulations are in order, then,” she said, sounding anything but congratulatory. “With this development, looks like you just might win that stupid Last Man Standing bet of yours, then.” She paused, taking a sip of coffee as she watched him over the rim of her mug. “It’s too bad, though. I really thought you two had something.”