Page 31 of The Replacement Fiance

Twenty minutes later, I walk through the front door, muttering a quick hi to everyone gathered in the living room. As I shrug off my coat and hang it behind the door, all I want to do is march up to my room and cry my eyes out. I don't notice the silence until a man I've never met before stands up and clears his throat.

"Hi, Mariah. I made it."

I stare at him. Deep voice. Blond hair, blue eyes, 21st-century Paul Newman. Cooper Reed, my fiancé. The real fake one.

"What... what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to meet your parents. That's what we agreed on, remember?"

"Didn't you get my message?"

He shakes his head. "I lost my phone somewhere around JFK shortly after you and I talked. Lo and behold, it's actually impossible to find a replacement phone around Christmas especially when your wallet's missing, too."

Behind me, on the other side of the front door, Logan stomps his boots on the door mat. "Chad should be here in a few minutes," he says as he steps inside, stopping when he sees Cooper standing by the tree.

"Hey, man, I thought your flight was grounded," he says slowly.

"It was, but I'm here now," Cooper says. "Who are you?"

Seated on the couch, my family stares at us. Emily looks livid with her arms crossed in front of her chest and the rest, except for Harper who's staring up at Cooper with her jaw hanging open, looks bewildered and disappointed.

"You were engaged to two men?" Mom asks. "How can you be engaged to two men, Mariah?"

"Was this the surprise you were talking about?" Emily asks.

"Ménages are in although polygamy isn't. At least, not in California," Brad says, holding a bowl of Cheerios for Jonathan who is sitting on his lap oblivious of what's going on.

"I think my sister has excellent choice in men," Harper says, her gaze never leaving Cooper. I'm glad, for once, she's not filming this. "If she has to pick only one, I'll take whoever she doesn't want."

Emily glares at her. "Harper, this is not the time."

"So what happened?" Logan asks Cooper. "Where've you been? We went to the airport. We waited."

"I lost my phone and my wallet and her information was all in there. Luckily, I had my passport, so I was able to get on the later flights with the voucher they gave me." Cooper turns to look at Harper. "The driver got lost finding this place and so he dropped me off in town."

"That's where I found him, all the way in Nevada City at Thyme & Lavender," Harper says, referring to the souvenir shop the Delphine twins own. "I'd gone to say hi to Blythe and there he was, asking about this place."

"I'll pay you back for your trouble as soon as I get my ID and debit card replaced," Cooper tells her before looking at Logan. "So who are you?"

"Mariah, can you tell us what's going on?" Dad finally asks. "I did not raise my daughter to be engaged to two men."

"No, you didn't, Dad, and I'm sorry," I say. "I'm not engaged, not to any of them. Not to Logan or to Cooper."

"Wait! You got engaged to him, too?" Cooper asks. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You said you couldn't make it," I reply.

"No, I said I'd try my best to get on a plane to be here."

"And I sent you text and voice messages telling you I didn't need you anymore."

"Look, guys, it's my fault," Logan says. "I volunteered to take Cooper's place as her fiancé."

"How can you just volunteer like that?" Emily asks. "Who the hell volunteers to pretend to be someone's fiancé?"

"A friend," Logan replies stiffly.

"He's my mechanic. He and his brother maintain my vans and my SUV," I reply coldly.

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