Page 102 of Four Steps to the Perfect Fake Date

Boulders lodged themselves in Daphne’s throat, making it impossible to voice a reply. How could she fight for a man who didn’t want her? What was there to fight for? She nodded at the woman in the doorway, then waved her goodbye and headed back to her car.

Chapter 41

It was an overcast, chilly day in mid-April, one of many when the spring sunshine struggled to break through the clouds. Calvin woke up and got dressed as usual. Went to work. Found out what, if any, shenanigans had happened overnight on the island. Days just like that had begun to blend into each other, an endless stream of monotony, work, and rain.

Around ten o’clock that morning, Shirley knocked on his office door. Glancing up from the report Teri had put together about the Romano’s break-in, Calvin arched his brows at the other woman.

“You got time to come to the kitchen for ten minutes?”

He closed the folder with the report and nodded. “Sure,” he said, not really wanting to leave his desk. Teri had found a witness who’d told her that the renovation at Romano’s had partially been funded by a local government grant for the expansion of tourism on the island. A grant that had been approved and disbursed by Archie Yarrow Jr.’s office. The former mayor had admitted it on tape, and now they had concrete evidence to prove the embezzlement.

With his romance with Daphne dead in the water, the only thing Calvin had to cling to was the hope that everything that happened would be worth it in the end. And that would mean beady-eyed Archie getting exactly what he deserved.

But Shirley held the door open for him and smiled, and Calvin knew part of his job was keeping this department together. He’d grown fond of Shirley and Hank and Teri and all the other people who madethis place function. The thought of staying and putting his name on the ballot for the election in the fall was more attractive than it had been when he’d first arrived.

And then there was Ceecee. His mother. The more weekends he spent with his sister, the more he saw the way his mother cared. An old, deep wound had begun to knit itself shut, and despite his best intentions, Calvin found himself growing roots here.

“Chuck and Iris called this morning,” Shirley told him. “No shotguns today, thankfully,” she added with a grin.

“Alpacas jumping fences again?”

“Chuck has accused Iris of deliberately spreading acorns along her property line. Poisonous to alpacas, apparently. Can you believe it? This is the milkweed incident all over again, with the Davises and Jason Brownlow.” She clicked her tongue. “Iris denied it, of course. I had half a mind to send Ellie Davis over there to remind them what happened last time someone tried this.”

Grunting, Calvin tried and failed not to let the mention of Ellie send his thoughts careening toward Daphne. Now wasn’t the time to start wallowing.

They made it to the kitchen, where all the deputies and staff on duty began to sing the “Happy Birthday” song. Calvin tripped over his feet and caught himself on the wall, stopping short as Shirley presented him with an oversize card, signed by every one of his coworkers.

On the table was a store-bought sheet cake with the wordsHappy Birthday, Sheriff Flintwritten in cursive. He blinked at all of them as the song came to a close, throat tighter than it should have been. No one had wished him a happy birthday in years. Up until this moment, he’d forgotten it was his birthday at all.

“Thank you,” he told them, trying to hide the emotion in his voice.

“We just wanted to let you know we appreciate all the work you’ve done since you got here,” Shirley told him, smiling. “Now. Who wants cake?”

Calvin ate a slice and enjoyed a few minutes’ break with his colleagues. The cake was a touch too sweet for his taste, but he still couldn’t fault it. Someone—multiple someones—had come together to mark the day as something special, and that felt good. It made those roots a little thicker. Made him feel a little less alone.

The work cake probably softened him up for the phone call he received from his mother that afternoon.

“Happy birthday, Calvin,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. “How’s your day been?”

“Good,” he replied, and it wasn’t exactly a lie. There was still an echoing emptiness in the pit of his heart, but he didn’t feel quite as hollow. Loneliness still nipped at his heels, and he didn’t have much in the way of deep friendships, but someone had remembered him. Someone had thought of him.

“I know you’re busy at work,” Eileen said more tentatively, “but Ceecee was wondering ...” She let out a breath that sounded half-embarrassed and half-frustrated. “Iwas wondering if you were free for dinner tonight. Ceecee made you a card.”

“Oh,” Calvin said.

“Listen, you don’t have to stay for dinner. Just come by and let Ceecee wish you a happy birthday, or maybe we can come to your place—”

“No, dinner sounds good,” Calvin heard himself say, shocking himself in the process. “I can come to your place.”

His mother sounded equally as surprised, but there was excitement in her voice too. “Really?” she asked. “Oh, good! Six o’clock? Six thirty?”

“Six thirty will be fine,” he said.

“We’re doing a barbecue. Burgers. Nothing fancy. Just wanted to have a meal together.”

“That’s fine, Mom,” he said.

“Oh,” she sighed. “Good. All right, I know you’re at work. I’ll let you go.” Emotion rang in her voice, and Calvin himself wasn’t quite immune when he bid his mother goodbye.

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