Page 11

Evie

The first thing Mrs. Izaacs said to me as she welcomed me into her home last night was, “ Where's your hunk?” Since my mind was racing with a million things, none of them good, I couldn't explain to her that Wild wasn't and could never be my hunk. And if Wild hovering all concerned half the night sends the wrong message, there's nothing I can do about it.

A snag in his contract negotiations finally pries Wild from my side, and he leaves, promising to return. He sounds so pained about leaving me and earnest about his quick return that it makes me self-conscious about us.

Mrs. Izaacs clasps her hands together and watches him go with the dreamiest look on her face. "My Tommy used to be that way with me."

“ Oh.” I ’ m afraid I will sound like a broken record if I remind her Wild is just a family friend. Emphasis on the family.

“ And he fixed my screen door. Isn ’ t he sweet?” I get a meaningful, innocent blink of Mrs. Izaacs eyes and a bounce of her curls that says, what are you waiting for?

To make matters worse, Wild returns thirty minutes later with donuts and coffee from my favorite place. He may as well have bought out the whole store. There's enough for the entire neighborhood.

It feels good to return home, but not so good to check my phone. The 'you're a home wrecker like your mother' campaign is in full force. I have messages from former friends from the country club (I don't even have a membership!), Sarah's friends, and even some of Mrs. Langford's acquaintances. There are lots of 'how could you' and 'this is how you repay her' peppered through the texts.

I linger over my coffee, trying to shift my focus to work. My first act of rebellion was choosing to 'nanny,' as Mrs. Langford calls it, with enough disdain to cut a corrupt politician down to size. She had wanted me to study something worthwhile.

I needed the innocence and sweet acceptance of children.

There's a message from Kristyn.

Kristyn: Are you okay? I'm sending warm hugs from your godchild and me. I know you hate hearing this but stop letting that woman threaten you with 'you're like your mother' talk. She should stop projecting her insecurities on you. If anyone is like Shonda, it's her daughter Sarah for cheating with that pig.

Five minutes later.

Kristyn: Call me.

A minute later.

Kristyn: It's no coincidence both their names start with the letter S. Snakes.

Poor innocent snake and everyone with names starting with S. They can't know someone's here butchering their integrity.

Thanks to waking up so early and barely getting any sleep the night before, I have time to return calls from people who care.

I get the over-the-phone equivalent of a warm hug from Carla. She's happy I have Wild to support me. Ro's threatening violence. Sisi wants to know if I've been in touch with Sarah. She wants a one-on-one with my half-sister. For a second, I fear for Sarah's life.

Kristyn is a thousand times more dramatic. "It's like World War Three over here except with ice picks and deadly silences. Charlie is really letting Parker have it."

I'm more worried about Mrs. Langford.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

"Stay where you are. I'm on my way."

"No." I do an experimental leg-spread-sideways crunch in my new leggings. From experience, I know to test out every piece of clothing to avoid disaster. You don't get down and dirty with preschoolers without dire consequences, aka your clothes ripping down the middle like the loudest fart.

"I will be at work," I tell Kristyn.

“ Where's Wild? Thought he would be at your side with a bloody axe."

"He was here throughout yesterday. But I didn't call him. I wouldn ’ t have called him. He found me."

I'm bristling at the idea of being someone in need of protection. I'm a twenty-plus-six-year-old accomplished woman in my own right, thank you very much.I'm no NASA scientist or Wonder Woman freak athlete, but I'm a homeowner with a soon-to-be glorious backyard garden.

I realize that Kristyn has been quiet for about thirty seconds too long. She should be talking a mile a minute. "Kris?"

"You wouldn ’ t have called him? Something happened between you two, didn't it?"

She's my best friend, but I want to do her bodily harm for how freakishly perceptive she is. I clear my throat in an 'it's been a rough day' way. I need every single sympathy point I can dredge up. "You know how I get—"

"Yes, I know how you and Wild get. The man spent his vacation doing physical labor on your house, so something must have happened for you to run not to him but to your neighbor's."

My upper and lower teeth do a resounding click. Kristyn will have to physically pry my mouth apart with a crowbar before I will say a word.

I'm relieved Wild and I have gotten over the whole weird dance after the date with Rob—the end. We're fine. There's no need to revisit it.

"I need to go to work. Bye."

Kristyn ends the call with a loud huff. If she needs more excitement than a whole human growing inside of her, she should meet her husband. I'm focused on getting my life back on the boring track.

I get to school at 7:45ish. An unwitting smile tugs on my mouth as I think of my students. I have two classes and sixteen kids in each. Teaching and making them hang on to my every word is an immersive experience. I have to be there one hundred percent. I can't let my mind wander. They won't allow it!

Some days are so smooth they fly by, and some days, I'm lucky if I can get the kids in line. What will today bring?

I don't get to find out.

The director wants me to take a much-needed break. A break! I don't need a break. I'm perfectly fine. The director has been fielding not-so-pretty calls from concerned parents who share country club membership with the Langfords. My job is not in danger, but she thinks a break will do me good.

Good? How is a break going to help me?

There ’ s a luxurious black car in the parking lot. The driver opens the passenger side door. “ Good morning, ma ’ am. Mr. Carrington sent me.”

I ’ m not in the mood to see Wild, so I dismiss the driver.

My legs wobble as I walk back the way I had come. Three bark-laughs tear out of me, drawing the attention of passersby.

I refuse to believe a tweet of screenshots is about to upend my life.

I thought it would blow over.

It's getting blown out of proportion.

I don't want to go home.

I want to confront Sarah, but I have this boiling energy inside me—that will only lead to something undignified, like pulling her hair.

I get a text from Wild. You good?

Ice cream will make everything better.

I move to tuck my phone into my bag when it starts ringing. Wild again. My breath leaves my mouth in a dry, uncomfortable wheeze. "I'm not in the mood," I start.

“ I need you to hear me out. Please, take the car.”

◆◆◆

Wild is waiting by the front door in jeans, barefoot, and a ball cap. “ Hi.”

He takes the ball cap off. “ You are here.”

“ Obviously,” I drawl.

“ Lila, Richard and Kristyn are here. His eyes slide over my face with an intensity that makes my pulse race. “ I need you to listen and keep an open mind, okay?”

I give a slow nod.

Wild's usually empty house—except for pick-up game days—is full. By full, I mean the larger-than-life woman with blue hair streaked with bright pink watching me with interest. And Wild, Kristyn. Richard too. They're all watching me expectantly, and it feels like an intervention.

Kristyn's eyes are misty, like my cat died or something. We're not at a burial. I focus on the blue and pink-haired woman. Lila. I've heard much about her from Wild, but we've never met. I approach her with all the friendliness and warmth I can muster.

"I feel like I've known you forever." Lila clasps my hands and gives me the X-ray-probing stare only grandmothers can get away with. "I think Wild knows you better than he knows how to put a ball in the basket."

"We've known each other a long time."I push past the feeling of being on stage and sweep an unseeing glance around the living room.

My gaze returns to Lila. "You've done a great job with his career."

"You think?"Lila kisses my fingers. "A woman who appreciates good, hard work."

The whorls of blue, white, gold, and stones of her nails match her personality. I've always loved the touch of elegance that artificial nails add, but I've never worn them because of work.

Lila squeezes my hand. "We've been talking about you. And Wild."

The hairs on my nape stand to electrified attention.

"There's a simple solution to this problem."Lila ’ s eyes are kind.

I try dragging my hands out of Lila's, but she holds fast. The stories I've heard about this woman through Wild and Richard make Mrs. Langford feel like the sweet grandmother in Hallmark movies. I stay put.

"You and Wild are going to get fake-engaged. Then you will become the happily engaged woman conversing with her brother-in-law, not a home wrecker."

She stops talking, and everyone looks at me expectantly.

I'm the actress in the middle of a great play who has forgotten her lines. Or who was never given a script at all.

They all exchange quick looks, Richard too. They've now realized I need time to read the script and digest the role to perform.

Kristyn, the real-life Judas, speaks up. "Wild already agreed. And I think it's the best way to stop the fire. Charlie is having dinner with his father and Mrs. Langford right now, and she's really, really furious."

Putting Charlie and Mrs. Langford together in the same sentence is a bad, bad idea.

From hanging out with the oldest staff like Mrs. Rose, who has worked with the Langfords since my father was a boy, I know dear father caused a scandal by getting Charlie's mother with child when he was supposed to be utterly devoted to his new fiancée.

Mrs. Langford tolerates me but hates Charlie almost as much as I love him.

"It's just for six months or more?"Richard's uncertainty rings in the resulting quiet.

“ Dear,” Lila says, “ that tweet makes you look man hungry. We'll fire a tiny tweet of our own in response. Nothing big."

"Maybe a picture of them holding hands? Smiling at each other?"Kristyn suggests.

"A video,"Lila replies with a nod.

Picking out Wild is easy since he towers over everyone. "You agreed to this?"

He nods.

I need the remote. I need to hit the replay button because there is no way this is real. "Are you crazy?"

Wild clears his throat. "This is the only way I can help—"

"Idon't need your help. I don't need your protection."

"Now, now,"Lila says. "It's not just for your benefit. You'll be helping him, too. Coach Billy won't entertain contract talks unless this kid suddenly appears with a wife and five kids.”

I shoot Wild a look. Really?

He nods.

Does it make me feel better to hear that? Probably. Just the tiniest bit. Because I'm not considering this bizarre arrangement.

"You're all crazy."

Lila claps her hands like I've agreed to everything. "Sometimes you need crazy to deal with crazy. Sarah and Parker just did a crazy."

"And we have to respond with crazy? With a fake engagement?"

"We're not responding in kind. We wouldn’t be having this meeting if I wanted to respond in kind."Lila's eyes spit venom. "And let's just say by the time I'm done, the Langfords will know why I'm the best in my field."

"Mrs. Langford isn't going to like it,"Kristyn reminds me.

She's the devil whispering in my ear, but unfortunately, she's right.

A fake fiancé.

No way. I watch dramas, I know all the tropes, and I know how our story will end."People will find out, and there will be repercussions."

"That's the easy part,"Lila says with a terrifying Cheshire smile.

Kristyn nods.

And Richard.

Nothing makes sense.

"Have you checked through your Instagram feeds, yours and Wilder ’ s?"Lila asks sweetly like I'm a horse she's trying not to spook.

I'm not just spooked. I'm alarmed and bucking wildly. "Maybe?"

"You two post each other all the time. There's a charming picture of you two at that gala. Trust me, I'm the expert. They will buy it."

Is that supposed to be good news? "We didn't even go together."

"There are pictures. Good pictures of both of you together,"Lila says.“You can do this.”

"Mrs. Langford is all about appearances,"Kristyn says. "She's scary and difficult to fool."

Kristyn looks at me with regret. "And Evie is terrified of her."

Betrayed, I glare at my best friend. She sounds like a whistle-blower—my whistle-blower.

"We can fool her. Easily."An unholy gleam crawls into Lila ’ s eyes.

It sends a shiver down my spine. I brace myself for her next words.

"They just need to practice,"she says. “ To be convincing.”

Kristyn murmurs an 'oh.'She's going to catch flies with her open mouth.

Since Richard only cares about the Wild side of the story, he says, "And Billy, you've also got that crazy old man to convince."

"We can start small,"Lila muses. "Let's start with handholding."

I look around the crazy room for a lick of sense, and there's none. Kristyn has the grace to look a little alarmed.

"Erm,"my best friend starts, trying unsuccessfully to control Lila. "Maybe not all the way to hand-holding—"

“ They are adults."Lila taps a finger against her mouth. “ A kiss will be better, I think.”

I need a sinkhole to swallow me up. Or a pit. Somebody, please start digging.

Lila jumps to her feet and drags Wild forward. He looks just as shell-shocked as I am.

"Pinkies!"Kristyn shouts. "Let's start with pinkies!"

Lila looks disgusted by the idea. "Finnnee. We'll manage."

She props Wild next to me like he's a mannequin. After getting his arms straight at his sides, she points a finger at his face. The long, artificial nail is a deadly weapon. "If we pull this off, my name will go down in the history books. I'm old. I have more money than I know what to do with. I want to make history. We're going to shake the league. Don't disappoint me."

Then she waves her hand like an orchestra conductor. "Begin!"

I can only gape at their expectant faces. But I know they are right. A fake engagement is the perfect way to allay Mrs. Langford's fears.

A callused finger, Wild's finger, trails across the back of my hand. I jump.

“ I'm sorry.” He mouths.

My eyes go wide with the awful realization. He's going to go through with this. He wants us to 'perform'for them.

Holding pinkies shouldn't be a big deal. Wild has touched me many times over the years. Even recently, too. A hand on my elbow, a tap on my shoulder. Casual touches.

But this is different.

Maybe because we have an audience, eyes are watching avidly, waiting to grade us. Literally.

Wild looms at my side. I've known him since forever. But was he always so tall? So overwhelming?

The backs of our fingers brush. My breath snags in my throat. Is it my imagination, or is everyone leaning forward in their seats?

We are about to hold pinkies, not break out in a dance.

"If you're not going to do it today, we can return tomorrow."Lila reaches for her handbag. "How will you convince that kid Billy if you can't convince me?"

Wild turns his head. Our eyes collide. The intensity of his stare knocks the breath out of me. Slow and smooth, he slides his pinky around mine.