Page 30

Miles: Mine is in Belmont.

Me: Does your dad live there too?

We hadn’t gotten to the specifics of family at all, and I’m more than curious.

Seconds tick by and I worry that I’ve said something wrong.

Miles: He passed away about three years ago. Heart attack.

And now I’m sorry we’re doing this over text. I type out a message and then click the delete button a bunch of times.

This needs a phone call.

I press the dial tone and several rings pass before I hear his voice come on the line.

“Sorry, are you busy?”

Noise in the background tells me he is, but a few seconds later, it’s silent.

“Just got out of a work meeting.”

I have no idea if his days are busy, and if he can even talk. Then again, why would he want to chat away with his fake girlfriend? Probably to get more information to solidify our story. That’s what my brain can come up with on short notice.

“I just wanted to call and say I’m sorry about your dad. I probably should’ve waited to ask you in person.”

“No, you’re fine,” he says, his voice just a hint deeper, almost sounding like he’s getting choked up.

I blow out a breath, doing what I do best in awkward situations. Talk.

“My dad died too, when I was almost in high school. He had a lot of health problems, but cancer ended up taking him.”

“Was that hard?” Miles asks. “I mean, for you and your brother?”

“My mom had a hard time for a while, but my brother helped take care of her and work at our grandfather’s company. I ended up being the go-to babysitter for my younger sisters.”

“You have more siblings?” His surprise makes me laugh.

“Three younger sisters. We lived with one and a half bathrooms, so there was always drama at our house. But I loved it.”

Several seconds of quiet hit me and I pull the phone back to check that the line hasn’t been disconnected.

“I always wanted siblings. My dad said it was hard enough for my mom to take time off work to have me.”

“Did they work together?”

“Yes, my dad had the idea and started it before they married, but she took it and ran with it, making it into the company it is today.”

Corporate mother. I’d have to keep that in mind when we meet. That helps the image Oliver gave me when he talked about Miles still working under “Mama Clark.”

“Sounds like she’s put a lot of work into it,” I say.

“She’s great at business,” he says. “There are times when I wish she could leave work at the office though. You know, so we could act like mother and son when I’m home.”

The longing in his voice has me wondering what it would’ve been like to grow up as an only child. Some of my best memories come from the experiences of dealing with and loving siblings. I would’ve had to move home for the last semester of college if Landon hadn’t come to live with me.

“We have a monthly game night if you want to join. I mean, then you’ll realize having siblings can be trouble.” We’re fake dating and here I am inviting him to family functions.

My family would love him,but I don’t need to get ahead of myself. The poor guy will probably be grateful to be rid of me by the end of this.