Page 70 of Misadventures With My Fake Fiancé

“I like you much more than you think,” she finished, smiling at me.

I couldn't help it. I gave her a quick hug. “Thanks, Mrs. O.”

Mike stood there like a six-foot plus lump.

“Well?” Mrs. O asked him.

Goldie joined us, crossing her arms under her ample bosom. “Yeah, well?”

Mike ran his hand through his hair. “Violet...” he started.

I just shrugged. What was he going to say? Violet, I'm moving to New York. Violet, I can't give you what you need. Violet, you were great. The list was endless.

“Violet is not pregnant and we're not really engaged,” Mike let out in one breath.

Mrs. O looked at Goldie, who frowned. She stomped behind the counter, opened the register, pulled out a bill and gave it to Mrs. O. “Fine. You win.”

Mrs. O beamed.

“What—”

“We know, Mike. We've always known,” Mrs. O said.

What? They'd always known?

“Then why on earth didn't you say so?” Mike growled.

“And ruin all the fun?” Goldie asked with a laugh.

“You knew? All along?” I repeated.

“Of course,” Mrs. O chimed.

“Susan?” Mike asked.

Mrs. O shook her head. “She's crazy. But it got you off your rump, didn't it?”

“You sicced a crazy woman on me so I'd be forced to find someone on my own?” Mike's voice grew deeper, angrier and I swear he grew three inches. His face was becoming mottled, and it was obvious by his clenching fists that he was ready to kill Mrs. O. Good thing she was his mother and the police had taken Laurel's gun. He might have size on her, but she had moves. I'd bet on Mrs. O.

“It worked, didn't it?”

“Too bad I was out of town,” Veronica said as she joined us. The police had left and the store was now quiet. She winked at Mike.

She'd been in on it, too? From where, her road trip across the country? “What would have happened if you'd been in town?” I asked her.

Veronica fiddled with the free condoms in the basket on the counter. “Then I would have told Mike I was with Jack and couldn't fill in for him. I would have directed him to you.”

“It just saved everyone lots of time with the coincidence of you answering the phone,” Goldie added.

Mike looked like he was hit by a two-by-four. “How did you know I'd change our status to engaged?”

Mrs. O shrugged. “I didn't. But it didn't matter. You were already together. And it was fun to watch you squirm.”

“And the baby thing?” I asked.

It was Goldie's turn to shrug. “It was time to up the ante.”

“You weren't mad?” I asked Mrs. O.

---