Sophia’s smile sharpens. “How unexpected. And when did this happen?”
“It’s been on and off,” April supplies, her voice steadier than I expect.
“But now very much on,” I add.
“How romantic.” Sophia doesn’t sound like she believes us.
“It was until you interrupted,” I mutter.
“Well, I’ll let you get back to your date. I’m sure the Corn Husker group will be very interested to hear about this.” She flounces away, already typing on her phone.
“The Corn Husker group?” I ask.
“It’s a private online chat group for Cobbiton residents. Leah is the moderator and tries to keep the gossip in check.”
“Smart.”
April stares at her plate. “But this is going to be all over town by morning.”
“Good.”
“Good?”
“Yeah. Let them talk. Let everyone know you’re my girlfriend.” I catch myself. “Fake girlfriend.”
“Right. Fake.”
But it sounds all wrong.
We finish dinner in relative peace, though I’m hyper-aware of people watching us. When the check comes, I pay despite April’s protest about splitting it.
“It’s a date,” I say. “I’m paying.”
“A fake date,” she whispers.
“Still, it’s a date.”
We then discuss the cost of her airplane ticket to visit my family and I insist she save her money for the Barkery. She only relents when I agree that she can pay me back by supplying the dogs with more treats.
As we’re leaving, I help her with her coat—another thing I sometimes do, but now it feels loaded with meaning. My hands linger on her shoulders perhaps a second too long because she glances back at me, her dimple showing.
However, in the car, April is quiet.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, but that was intense.”
“Is Sophia ever not intense?”
She tilts her head in thought. “Fair point. Do you think people believed us?”
I know she wants to sell this, so she gets the payment from Love at First Wag. She’ll be able to use those funds for the Barkery, but I wish she were asking a different question.
“I think after my declaration, they’d have to be pretty skeptical not to.”
She laughs softly. “True. You went all alpha male territorial for a minute there.”
“Did I?” I hadn’t meant to. But hearing Sophia imply April was my sister, seeing that accusatory, doubting gleam in her eye—something in me snapped. “Sorry if it was too much.”
