“Let’s do it in the late afternoon,” Isla says. “Then, you can see the lights on the car when we’re done. And I’d be happy to drive.”
“This is going to be so fun,” Mia says.
But the tree farm might also give her ideas about Isla and me. Mia likes Isla a lot. I don’t want her to get her hopes up. I’m not even sure I should wait till we’re home.
“Hey, cupcake,” I say, after checking to make sure the coast is clear and that Corbin’s well and truly gone.
“Yes, Dad?”
“Can you keep a secret?”
Those are magic words to a kid. “Of course I can.”
I give Isla anow or nevershrug. She nods, as if she understands me immediately.
“We need to tell you something,” I say, then offer a simplified version of events. “You know how my teammates hired Isla as a matchmaker for me?”
“Yes.”
“They want me to have a date for the big team gala, soIsla and I came up with a clever plan. But you can’t tell anyone the details.”
She nods crisply, like a soldier. “I promise.”
“She’s no longer my matchmaker.”
“Your dad fired me,” Isla says, but with a teasing grin.
“He did?” Her jaw drops as she whirls toward me. “Dad, that’s not nice.” Mia latches onto Isla. “Say you didn’t fire her.”
Isla stage-whispers, “He so fired me.”
I heave a sigh. Isla is such a troublemaker. “We agreed she’d stop matchmaking me. And you want to know why, cupcake?”
“Why?” Mia asks, all protective of her new best friend.
“Because,” I say, then lower my voice to a whisper, “we’re going to pretend we’re dating. To fool my teammates.”
“Weird. You two already act like people who like each other.”
I blink, as if I’ve been knocked into the boards. Her assessment is scarily spot on. But I recover quickly. “Sure, she’s cool,” I say.
Isla snort-laughs. “Thanks. You’re swell.”
Mia rolls her eyes. “Well, now you both just sound like you’re faking it.”
Great. Now I’m getting dating advice from my nine-year-old. “I’ll do better. And of course I like Isla,” I say. “We’re friends. We went to the bookstore with her, and we set up her tree.”
“Right,” Mia says, a little wary. “So is it fake?”
I gulp, and now I do feel guilty. I’d thought I was including her in the truth, but I’m not entirely doing that. Wincing, I say, “We’re pretending for my teammates, but yes, cupcake, I do like spending time with Isla.”
There. That’s true.
Mia looks to Isla with question marks in her eyes.
“It’s the same for me,” Isla says, sounding…heartfelt.
My own heart feels a little fizzy over the way Isla’s being straightforward with my kid.
