Page 54 of Betting on the Bad Boy

“Carnal Knowledgemade it to the New York Times bestseller list!” Steph shrieked.

I held the phone away from my ear for a moment before Steph’s voice could pierce my eardrum. The guy on my left shifted in his seat, scowling at me, and the woman on my right looked over. I put my free hand around my mouth as I spoke into the phone in an attempt to establish some privacy. “What?”

“You debuted at number ninety-eight. That’s awesome, Faith! Traffic to your website is way up. You’re going to need to make some social media posts later on today. Let’s keep this momentum going.”

“That’s great, Steph. I’ll log on as soon as I get to my mom’s.” My other books had sold fairly well, but I’d never made a list before. Part of me wanted to throw my arms in the air and shout out my accomplishment. The rest of me wanted to crouch down under the cushion of my chair and hide. A bestseller? Continuing to fly under the radar just got a tiny bit harder.

Other passengers in the rows ahead of me started to stand and grab their luggage.

“I’ve got to go. I’m about to get off the plane.”

“Okay. Have a great holiday. I’ll keep my eye on the list and let you know if you move up.”

“Sounds good, thanks.”

We disconnected, and the guy on my left finally stood up. I grabbed my bag and coat and followed the long line of passengers to the front of the plane.

As the escalator carried me down toward baggage claim, I scanned the crowd for my mother. She stood right outside the sliding glass doors, waving her arms, a big goofy smile plastered across her face. Clem paced a few feet behind her, cell phone glued to his ear.

I whooshed through the exit and let my mother envelop me in a hug. I drew in a deep breath. Donna Karan’s Cashmere Mist and Mentos—the smell of home.

“Let me take a look at you,” my mother said, stepping back and holding me at arm’s length. “Have you been eating okay? You look thinner than the last time I saw you.”

I laughed. “Three meals a day. I’m fine.”

Clem hung up the phone and put an arm around my shoulder, giving me a half hug. “Welcome home, Faith.”

“Thanks, I’ve been looking forward to it.” Home? My mother and Clem had moved again since I’d visited over the summer, and I hadn’t even seen the new house. I supposed home was where the heart was... and that meant with my mom.

“Let’s get your bags.” Clem took off toward the baggage claim. Mom and I followed, linked arm in arm.

I pointed out my rolling bag, and Clem grabbed it off the belt. “Is this all?”

“Yep, that’s it,” I replied.

“Oh, honey, where’s your hang-up bag?” Mom asked.

“Mom, I’m only here for a week. What else do I need besides jeans?”

Clem gave my mother a pointed look. “Hon, didn’t you tell her?”

She busied herself with her leather gloves. “Well, I guess I just didn’t get around to it.”

“What? What are you guys keeping from me?” I asked.

“We’re going to a little party tonight,” Mom said.

“A little party?” Clem put a hand to his chest. “Claire dear, it’s black tie.”

I waved my hands in front of me. “Uh no, I’ll just order takeout and stay in. You two have fun.”

“Oh, sweetheart, I knew you’d say that. That’s why I didn’t tell you about it,” Mom said. “I have three dresses on hold for you at the boutique. I thought we could drop Clem off at home and head over for you to try them on.”

“Aw, Mom, I don’t want to go to some fancy party tonight.” I felt like a four-year-old who’d been told she had to stop making mud pies and put on a dress.

She tucked her arm into mine and whispered into my ear. “It’s important to Clem. Can you please do this for me?”

I sighed. “You could have told me about it, Mom.”