She pats my shoulder. “I’m glad you think so. We’ll try our best not to scare you away.”
She turns and walks away, and Miles looks me up and down. Something in his eyes softens.
“Thank you for being so kind to my family.”
I nod. “Are you nervous about when they find out the truth?”
He takes a step closer, and my whole body stands at attention.
He looks down at me and says, “Who says they ever need to know the truth?”
Something tightens in my chest at those words. Like maybe I’m hopeful that our marriage could be real. Which is just ridiculous. It’s just Miles being Miles and flirting and having fun. It’s not like he actually wants this to be real. He’s just making conversation.
I clear my throat and try to laugh. It sounds like a squeaky mouse.
Miles takes a step back and quirks his lips up on one side. “Let’s go eat dinner. It’s Ainsley’s night to cook, which means we’re probably having hot dogs.”
“Did we bring things to cook with?” I ask in a panic. We packed the food, but I don’t remember throwing any pans or utensils in the boxes we brought. I was so focused on making sure I had enough warm clothing that I didn’t even bother to think about what we were supposed to cook the food with while we slept in the wilderness.
“Mom always brings all the cooking utensils, so she brought everything we’ll need.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” I sigh.
“Ready to face the wolves?” He bumps his shoulder against mine.
“After you, Bambi.”
THIRTY-THREE
Lucy
Unfortunately, I freeze as I stare at the two picnic tables pushed together and the people starting to gather around them.
Family dinner. Two ominous words.
Anytime I’ve gone to family dinners with other dates, I’ve been grilled and asked about my family, my upbringing, my hopes and dreams, and I think even my bank account number. I have never enjoyed the grilling process.
I know it’s just a thing that families do when they want to get to know someone who’s spending a lot of time with their son. But it’s not like I’ve ever had a lot of great things to say about my family. I’ve always fallen back on talking about Willa. And I guess that’s what I’ll do tonight.
I’m sure there are going to be about one hundred million more questions because not only am I showing up as Miles’s date, but I’m showing up as his wife. This family deserves to ask a hundred questions. I just hope I can answer some of them.
“I got you a plate already!” Ainsley shouts at me as I come closer. “I had to hurry and save you one of those rolls that Mom made because they’re too good. And if Ben gets there before the rest of us, they’ll be gone.”
I walk over to her. She hands me a plate with one roll on it. I glance at her plate—she has two.
“Are we sure he’s the problem?” I ask her.
“Half the problem,” she says, pointing over my shoulder at Miles. “He’s the other problem. And I’m just greedy.”
Miles and Ben, his cousin—thank goodness for those late-night family tree lessons, are in the line that’s forming at the side table set up that connects to a picnic table.
This is not what I pictured with camping. I imagined sad little hot dogs and bone-dry granola bars.
This is practically a seven-course meal. There’s some kind of barbecued meat, rolls, a corn dish, a salad, and two big platters of fruit. Then, at the end, there are some huge chocolate brownies.
They are not roughing it with their camping experience.
“Miles said you would cook hot dogs,” I tell Ainsley.
