He smiles, shaking his head. “She’s going to think it’s Christmas morning.”
“Exactly,” I say, letting myself relax a little as I slide the book onto the stack. Juniper beams at me, grabbing one pile of books, and Mia hands me another. “Thank you,” I say quietly, smiling at them both. “Of course. I’ll be back. I need books, too.”
“You’re doing the Lord’s work,” Mia says with a wide grin. “We’ll be restocking for you!”
“I aim to serve,” I reply, with a mock salute.
The drive to Carly’s house is quiet. I worry she might not like me. What if she thinks I’m a weirdo trying to bag her son for some weirdo reason? Well. That last part is true. Kinda.
When we pull up, my nerves spike. The house is modest and neat, curtains drawn, porch swept. It looks loved and cozy. It’s a little pink bungalow with a eucalyptus wreath on the door. I love it.
As we approach the house, my stomach tightens and my heart races. I didn’t realize how much this visit would unnerve me. I’m used to commanding board rooms, but this feels so outside my wheelhouse. I don’t want to disappoint Cal.
Carly answers the door before Cal can knock. She’s younger than I expected. Softer. Her smile is wide, nervous, and warm all at once.
“Hi,” she says, looking timidly at me.
“Mom, this is Silvie. We have some news,” Cal says.
I barely get out a hello before she pulls me into a hug. A real one. And I realize I’ve never been hugged like this by my own mother.Birdie, yes. But not my own mother. My nervousness about meeting Cal’s mother fades instantly, and I like her.
“So nice to meet one of Cal’s friends. I’m a hugger. And it’s just so nice to meet you. Let me help,” she says as she picks up a bag, and her eyes grow wide when she sees all the books. “What is all this?”
Cal brings in a few bags of groceries he’d had tucked in a cooler in his back seat. I helped Carly unpack all the books on her dining room table.
“Just a few books we thought you’d like,” I say with a smile. “I’m a big reader, too. I mean, I was. I want to get back into it, though. Maybe we could read some together and talk about them. Like a book club?” I say sheepishly.
We spread them all out and looked through them. I noticed Cal watching us from the kitchen, pretending to stay busy as he put away groceries. He’s meticulous and careful about his task. My heart squeezes because I’m moved with how much love he puts into something as simple as putting the groceries into cabinets.
Carly’s hands hover over the books and then over her mouth like she can’t believe it.
“For me?” she keeps saying. “All of these are for me?”
Cal watches her like she’s his favorite person in the whole world, and that’s when I truly know he’s a good man through and through. He loves his mom. He brings her books. He takes care of her.
And you get to marry him…
A thrill shoots through me and I quickly squash it. As much as I want to romanticize what we’ve agreed to, it’s nothing more than just that. An agreement. A contract. A marriage on paper.
“Come sit, kids,” Carly says, gesturing to the living room. “I have cookies.”
Who says no to cookies? Not this girl.
After we sit, cookies in hand, Cal and I explain our crazy plan. To Carly’s credit, she doesn’t freak out or tell me to get out. If anything, she seems amused and entertained by the whole thing.
She just laughs when we finish. “It’s like a romcom.”
I smirk and look over at Cal. That’s what Wilby said. He grins and shakes his head, too.
“Fake or not,” Carly says gently, “welcome to the family.”
There’s nothing real about this marriage, aside from what the lawwill see, but my heart still trips over itself to be included in their family. Carly is the sweetest. And Cal…
He’s just about perfect.
Later, when we step back outside, I can’t stop smiling.
“She’s younger than I thought,” I say quietly.
