Page 27 of Fake Engaged to the Enemy

“Thank you.” Catherine’s smile never faltered. “It smells divine in here. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help with the cooking, George.”

“Is Lynn feeling better?” I ask.

Once Mom started to complain about Catherine not cooking for our meal, I’d said Lynn wasn’t feeling well. I’d texted Catherine to let her in on the plan.

“Yes, thank you. It’s the heat,” she adds. “I made her some snow cones, and that seemed to help.”

I see Mom’s opinion of her shift at once. There’s just so much obvious affection Catherine has when talking about Lynn.

The dinner goes wonderfully. Catherine is bright, interested, and completely charms my parents. By the time I bring out dessert, Mom is telling her how much they look forward to having her join in with our Christmas plans.

“It’s just so wonderful that you’ll be in Sandburrow,” she continues. “You’ll be able to check in on Lynn so much more.”

“Actually, George and I are looking into having two homes,” Catherine answers. “One here and an apartment in the city. I’ll still have my work to do, after all. But that’s still something we’re working out, isn’t it?”

She reaches across the table and takes my hand, giving me a stunning smile.

My parents give each other side-eyes. As my mom opens her mouth, Catherine lets out a soft gasp.

“Oh! I nearly forgot.” She leaps up and rushes to her purse. “You both like that country singer Tria Sherwood, right?”

“We do,” Dad says with a confused nod.

Catherine waltzes back over and slides two tickets across the table. “I have a couple of tickets for her show up in the city. Would you like them?”

Mom and Dad both look like they’d died and gone to heaven.

“Now where did you get these?” Mom exclaims. “It must have cost you a fortune!”

Catherine laughs. “Not at all. It’s one of the perks of my business. My client, Crimson, is actually Tria’s cousin’s grandson. I’ve had these tickets kicking around for a couple months now. I have a hotel booked for three days that I already switched over to your names.”

“Now that is just too much,” Mom says as her hands curl around the tickets.

“I’m not going to use it and it’s too late to get a refund,” Catherine says. “Honestly. It’ll just go to waste if you don’t accept it.”

Mom and Dad both look like kids at Christmas. I think Dad is about to burst into tears.

“You are a real angel, aren’t you?” he says to Catherine. “It’s so nice to see that you take after your grandmother.”

Catherine’s smile freezes.

Unlike your mother.

The words Dad doesn’t say hang in the air.

“It’s going to be great for you two to get out of town,” I say quickly, jumping to my feet. I start collecting the dirty dishes.

“It will indeed,” Mom agrees. “You know, we haven’t gone anywhere for ages! This is just the sweetest thing, Catherine.”

Catherine gets up to help me. “It’s no trouble at all. Honestly. Don’t think anything of it.”

“Yessiree, you’re the spitting image of Lynn,” Dad says.

I quickly interject. “Speaking of Lynn, you probably need to get home to her, don’t you?”

Catherine shoots me a grateful look. “I should at least give her a call. Grandma isn’t as young as she once was, after all.”

“Oh, yes! You can’t leave Lynn on her own for too long if she’s feeling poorly.” Mom tuts as she starts to gather up the dishes, taking them out of my hand. “Georgie, why don’t you walk Cat to her car? Your father and I will clean up here.”

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