Page 48 of Perfectly Grumpy

“A family,” Lauren says, scooping Annie into her lap. “Especially when yours is taken away.” The puppy immediately settles against her, head tucked under Lauren’s chin like she’s found her place.

“I was also hoping Annie might be a convenient excuse for you to get away,” I say. “I knew this reunion was going to be hard, so I tried to think of a way to make it easier. Any time you need to escape your family, you can just take her outside.”

Lauren’s frustration disappears. “Thank you. That was…thoughtful.”

I’m about to say something else when Granny sweeps over to our table with two plates of food. “Lauren, you didn’t tell me you were hiding this hunk. No wonder you were trying to get out of here earlier. But now that he’s here, you’ll have a reason to stay.”

“Well, actually…”

“One more thing,” Granny interrupts before Lauren can finish. “There’s something I need to discuss with you about the donation to the shelter. I forgot to mention the conditions your mother set up for the foundation.”

Lauren tenses slightly beside me. “What conditions?”

“Well,” Granny says. “Rose was very specific. The person who selects each year’s charity must remain present for the entire reunion week and stay on the lodge grounds. Something about ‘fully honoring the commitment.’ Only then will the money be donated to the beneficiary.”

“Granny,” Lauren says, choosing her words carefully, “I don’t know if I can stay with Patty.”

“The conditions don’t saywhereyou have to stay. Only that you need to stay on the property. And if you can’t fulfill the conditions, we’ll have to choose someone else.” Granny glances at Annie, then strokes her head. “Such a shame, though—your mother was so adamant there was a reason it should be you. Are you sure there isn’t some way you can stay all week?”

Lauren looks down at Annie, then at me. She twists her ring, caught between the pull of multiple obligations—to her mother’smemory, to the shelter, to this puppy who’s staring up at her with complete trust.

“Hey, it’s okay,” I reassure her. “The shelter will figure things out. Your mom would understand if it’s too much for you. The only person setting those expectations…isyou.”

Lauren looks at Annie again and bites her lip before something shifts—a resolve that wasn’t there before.

“I’ll stay,” she says quickly.

“Are you sure?” I say. “You don’t have to do this, Lauren.”

“I want to,” she says firmly. Then she picks up Annie and holds her close, scratching behind her ears. “We’re all staying.” She glances at the puppy, her voice dropping. “We girls have to stick together, don’t we?”

“Then it’s settled!” Granny says, beaming. “Welcome to the reunion, Tate.”

EIGHTEEN

lauren

Did I just sign Tate up for my family reunion?I think I did.

But in my defense, I’m fairly certain Tate is okay with it—after all, he’s the one who showed up here, ready to save me from Bart’s humiliation campaign.

And he brought Annie, whose presence feels like a tiny patch of sunlight in the shadow of Mom’s absence. I’m willing to doanythingthis week to make sure Annie isn’t taken to another shelter. I know James has a strict no-euthanasia policy, but not all shelters operate that way. If it takes an Oscar-worthy performance to secure that donation check and save the shelter, then that’s what I’ll deliver. I’d fake a proposal if necessary. All for Annie.

Which means I need to sell this fake girlfriend thing with everything I’ve got.

We’re still in the dining room where my sister has managed to clean up the aftermath of the Camden and Kaylie Tornado Team when I realize I haven’t prepared Tate for any of this—my family’s intense nature, what I expect from a boyfriend, and how this week of Olympic bedlam will actually unfold.

I leave Tate deep in conversation with Granny while I beeline over to my sister. “Can you keep Annie for an hour?” I hand off the dog before mysister answers.

“Wait—where are you going?” she asks, suddenly concerned that I might be leaving again.

“Grocery store.” I check my watch. “Text me if Annie has an accident while I’m gone.”

My sister rolls her eyes. “I have two kids; I can deal with a puppy. Oh, by the way, could you pick up a few things for the reunion?” She hands me a list written on a purple sticky note before I head out the door.

Harold’s Market won’t be busy this late, which means I can give Tate a crash course on my family and how to behave as my new boyfriend. I grab his arm and pull Tate toward the door. “Sorry, Granny, but we need to go.”

“Oh, really?” she says, getting a gleam in her eye. “Well, don’t let me keep you two lovebirds apart.”

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