Page 33

It’s hard enough being a single mom, but it’s not easy making friends when you’re a decade younger than the other parents. Not to mention how drop-dead gorgeous my sister is. I can hardly blame the regular moms for being jealous.

“Why aren’t you sitting with them? Are they still leaving you out?”

“I thought I was supposed to be the protective big sister?” she asks, then pauses for a moment before releasing a long sigh. “I’ve had a long day, and I don’t have the energy to shift into soccer-mom mode right now,” she explains. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you avoided my question.”

“Because it was so ridiculous, it wasn’t worth a response.” I shake my head and roll my eyes even though she can’t see me. “Of course I’m not going to fuck him again… I’m a married woman, and that was a one-time lapse of judgment…”

Greer lets out a wet, startled sputter, and I envision her Diet Coke spraying from her lips.

“Besides, he’s my boss now,” I continue, not giving her a chance to comment. “What really matters right now is completing this ridiculous program, so I can get back to living my life.”

“Right. Your perfect life and husband, who you love so dearly,” Greer chides.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

I’m about to ask her when I hear Greer suck in a sharp breath. “Shit. Evie just took a ball to the face. I have to go. Text me as soon as you’re settled.” She ends the call before I can respond and the car falls silent.

I glance over at Matilda, who’s buckled into the passenger seat with her nose turned in the air. She’s obviously still upset that I’m taking her away from the kids, not to mention wary of my driving.

“I think what you’re really upset about is missing out on all the table scraps,” I say, trying to cheer her up, but she just huffs and turns to look out the window.

Before I met Matilda, I didn’t think a dog could give someone a cold shoulder, much less that I’d care to be on the receiving end.

But here I am, nonetheless, pleading for her forgiveness.

“How about a compromise? I’ll get you some peanut butter and banana treats next time I’m out. Maybe a new squeaky toy?”

She sneezes and shakes her head.

“I’ll take that as a truce.”

We make our way past downtown, and a storybook neighborhood comes into view.

Unlike the modern suburbs I’m accustomed to, each house is unique, ranging in size, style, and color.

Much like Greer’s neighborhood, basketball hoops and children’s bikes are sprinkled throughout the streets, though the front yards are twice as large as my sister’s, and a mixture of new and old trees line the streets.

I picture the houses decorated for Christmas, the large oak trees wrapped in colorful lights. And children in costumes lining the sidewalks as they go house to house trick-or-treating. The old-fashioned Halloweens I always wished for during my childhood, rather than the long hours of practicing lines for the never-ending auditions.

This is the life I’d imagined for Greer; what I thought I was giving her by taking her place.

Not that there’s anything wrong with her life or her home… The most important thing is that she feels safe.

But it’d be nice for the kids to have friends nearby to play with rather than all the retired neighbors she has now.

I take it all in and nod my head, as if it’s settled. If I wasn’t sure why I needed to finish this program and get back to my real life, then I know now.

If it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to buy my sister one of these houses.

I follow the GPS a little farther until I reach the end of the street, where a towering wrought iron gate stretches across the entrance to an expansive estate.

It’s a beautiful, picturesque sight, and I can’t believe places like this actually exist. It’s definitely not what I was expecting when I decided to stay in West Virginia for the summer, but I’ll take the win. Maybe my luck is starting to change?

I press the call button and give my name to the attendant. A moment later, the gate slowly swings open. I ease my car forward, following the winding brick driveway beneath a canopy of dogwood trees bursting with fragrant white blossoms. As the trees begin to thin, a sprawling Victorian mansion comes into view.

The home is classic in bone and modern in spirit. Thick vines cascade across a wooden pergola over the entryway, lilac blooms heavy between the leaves. The whole scene is devastatingly gorgeous and looks like something straight out of a painting.

Lush landscaping, only achievable with a full-time gardening staff, decorates the home’s exterior, giving it a warm, welcoming feel despite its intimidating stature.