Charlie grins. “But he could be!” And then she turns and runs for the bathroom.
I’m going to have to try and remember to ask Nash about his conversation with her.
Piper makes a pot of coffee and sits on the couch while she’s waiting for it to percolate. “I have some cash from tips last night. How would you feel about walking to the bakery and getting all of us lunch while I go back to bed for an hour?”
“It’s a deal.”
I walk to the bakery with Charlie’s and Piper’s requests. Piper got in extra late last night after doing inventory, and I don’t blame her for wanting to get a little more sleep. And she’s footing the bill for my snacks. Walking to the bakery is the least I can do, and it gives me time to talk to my mom.
I unlock my phone and click on my mom’s name. She answers on the second ring.
“Hello? Magnolia, how are you? Is everything all right?”
I’m not usually the one to call, so no wonder she’s worried. Which also makes me feel like a crappy daughter, because I love my mom, so why don’t I call her more often?
“I have a fake fiancé.”
Something crashes in thebackground of the call, and I wait to see if she dropped her coffee cup or if she fainted. I open the door to Buns & More Bakery.
It smells like heaven in here. They have delicious food, but my cinnamon rolls are better—in my objective opinion. And it makes me think that someday I really could have a bakery of my own. But for now, I’ll just dream of it.
“Did I hear you right? You have a fake fiancé?” Mom demands. Good, she dropped the coffee cup, not herself.
“It’s a little hard to explain.”
“Well, you either explain, or I’ll find someone who can drive your brother to his hockey practices and I’ll show up on your doorstep,” she threatens.
Some people have scary dads who would do anything to protect them. I have a scary dadandmom. She always says that if anyone hurts me, all I need to do is tell her. She looks great in orange.
“Hold on one second. I’m grabbing snacks at the bakery for the girls.”
I slip my phone into my pocket and pick out a couple of muffins and a breakfast sandwich for Piper. I hand over the cash, then walk away with the box of goodies.
I pull out my phone again. “Sorry, had to get us some lunch.”
“Start talking, missy.”
“I met a man at work when that fire alarm went off. He was really sweet. In fact, he made sure I didn’t get left behind when it was time to evacuate.”
“This is a good start…”
“And the next time I saw him, I was talking with him when he got a phone call that his grandpa was about to pass away. I guess he’d been on hospice for a while.”
“Oh,” Mom sighs. “That’s sad circumstances to meet under.”
“Exactly.” I spend the rest of the walk home telling Mom the story of how I became a fiancée for hire.
She’s silent by the time I finish and am back in the apartment.
“Mom, are you still there?”
“I’m here. I’m just trying to decide if I should come over there or not.” She sounds more amused than concerned now.
“Eugene to Bend is more than a two-hour drive, Mom.” I set the box down on the counter, and Charlie emerges from her room, wearing a cozy sweater and yoga pants. She rubs her hands together excitedly at the prospect of muffins.
“Thank you,” she whispers, trying not to interrupt my phone call.
“It’s okay. I’m talking to Mom.”
