Page 31 of Not How I Saw That Going

I remember dumping her, but the mischief in her eyes tells me she remembers something much different.

“I’m…not looking for a relationship right now.” I continue skirting her advances until I’ve barricaded her on one side of the coffee table.

“Who said anything about a relationship?” She runs her teeth along her bottom lip and finally stops chasing me. She plops down on the sofa, all prim and proper, one second before my mother comes out with the tea.

I don’t want tea, but I take it anyway, downing most of the glass in one gulp and set it on the table. There. I’ve stayed long enough.

I’m about to say goodbye when Mom clears her throat.

“So, I was just telling Sophie how well the business is doing.” Mom gives me a pointed look.

If she wants me to participate in the conversation, she chose the wrong topic. I don’t want any part of a business that is in the habit of taking land and houses from the poor and turning them into sky rises for the elite.

I frown at the ice in my cup. “How would I know?” If she thinks Sophie can persuade me to take over the business, she’s dead wrong.

My mother’s laugh is forced. “Well, we can talk more about the business’s success later.” She shoots me a look that doesn’t feel as sweet as the tone of her voice. “But we were discussing the annual charity gala coming up and Sophie,” mom looks pointedly between the two of us, “doesn’t have a date yet.”

Ah. There it is. The reason I’ve been summoned to the shark-infested waters.

“I’m just waiting for the right man to ask me.” Sophie bats her eyelashes at me. What is she trying to do? Win a blinking contest?

I raise my glass to her. “Well, don’t limit your options.”

My mom shoots me a deadly glare, but I don’t care. I won’t be attending the gala. They claim it’s for charity, but the real reason my parents throw the most ostentatious gala of the year is to remind people of their social standing. It’s a charade for the rich and famous of Phoenix, and my parents have to come out on top every year. The last thing I want to do is take Sophie to an event I don’t want any part of.

“Ward,” my mother says, a smile on her face, but her eyes are trying to tell me something I don’t care to interpret. “You’re not seriously going to skip it again this year, are you?”

That wasseriouslythe plan. I haven’t attended since I graduated.

“I remember how much fun we used to have at that gala when we were younger.” Sophie smiles while innocently stirring the ice in her tea.

During the gala our junior year, she stole a bottle of whiskey and convinced a kid three years younger than us to drink half of it. The kid puked all over his parents’ brand-new Mercedes and was shipped off to boarding school two days later. Her idea of “fun” was far different from mine.

“Being with you was always the best part of the night,” Sophie continues, batting her eyes again. Maybe she can’t keep them open with those ridiculously long fake eyelashes.

I clamp my mouth shut. That was never the best part of the night for her or for me. She loved to cause trouble and leave me to fix it.

My phone rings before I can think of an appropriate answer to her inappropriate comments. I won’t go back to that time with her, not even in my memories.

I look at my phone. It’s the station. “Oh thank goodness.” I jump to my feet. “I mean, I have to go. Duty calls. It was…” I pause.What’s the word I’m looking for?“…uncanny, seeing you again.” I nod at the women and run back through the house, the fastest way to my truck.

On second thought, maybe the chief was right: there can be silver linings around disasters.

Eleven

Lyndi

IregreteverydecisionI’ve ever made.

Why did I think Crew would be good while I cleaned the fire station tonight? I thought I could handle both cleaning and mothering. I can’t even do that at home.

“Crew! Stop it,” I shout.

“But I like the fire trucks.”

I pull him away from the ladder he’s attached himself to on the back of the truck. “Me too, but I’d rather not pay for one.” I set him on the ground ten feet away. I’ll never finish paying off that debt.

“Oh. don’t worry. He can’t break it.” Chief Barns chuckles and gives Crew a high five.