Page 37 of Fake-Off with Fate
She shrugs. “I don’t know what any of this means. A big part of downtown was his, as well. There are now a bunch of businesses that could be in real trouble.”
“I’ll see if Dale and Troy Hart can come too.” It looks like the future of the Ice Breakers could be in real jeopardy, and that’s honestly the last thing I need.
“Thank you,” Ashlyn says.
“What does your dad say about all this?” I ask her. It suddenly occurs to me that I seem super involved for someone who doesn’t even live here.
“My dad?”
“Yes.” I smile. “You might know him as the mayor?”
Ashlyn looks from left to right. Then she stares right at me. “I’ve agreed to be your fake girlfriend, right?”
“Right …”
“So, if I tell you something, you have to keep it to yourself.”
I have no idea what she’s going to say, but a burst of anxiety hits me square in the chest. “Of course.”
She moves closer before whispering, “My dad is out of town with my mom.”
“And?” I’m not sure why that’s such a big secret. People do go away.
She leans even closer. “My parents’ marriage is on the rocks and the only way I could get my dad to agree to try to fix it was to promise I wouldn’t tell anyone he’s gone. If he found out what was happening, he’d come right home. Then my parents’ marriage would end.”
“He’d pick the town over your mom?”
“He thinks he’s the supreme ruler of Maple Falls,” she says. “I had to take his phone so he would concentrate on my mother and not spend the entire time calling people here.”
“And no one can know he’s not in Maple Falls?” My brain races at the thought of the kind of deception Ashlyn is perpetrating.
“I thought that was kind of silly at first too, but now that the town is in real trouble, it wouldn’t look good if people knew the mayor wasn’t coming to the rescue. Better they think he’s hard at work trying to solve the situation.”
“So, you’re doing your dad’s job and when anyone asks for him you’re pretending he’s off playing superhero somewhere else? What will they think when he’s not at the meeting tomorrow night?”
She shrugs. “I haven’t had time to think about that yet, but I’ll come up with something.”
“Wow, okay. Can I tell Dale and Troy?”
She shakes her head. “Don’t tell anyone. Marcy Fontaine is the only other person who knows.”
“Who’s she?” I ask.
“She’s Maple Falls’ accountant.”
This is starting to feel like some kind of crazy slapstick comedy.The mayor’s daughter, an accountant, and a hockey player come together to save a small town in Washington from the evil antagonist who is trying to ruin them.Talk about unrealistic.“How about if we find a place here to have lunch?” I suggest. “Or if you prefer, we could go into town.”
She stands up excitedly. “Let’s stay here. Not only is the farmers’ market a big part of our town’s culture, but they have apretzel booth that makes the most amazing sandwiches you’ll ever eat. Oh, and my mom has been telling me about a girl named Neesha who sells, and I quote, ‘the best cupcakes in the world.’ I could sure go for one of those.”
“That sounds great,” I tell her as my stomach rumbles in anticipation.
Ashlyn leads the way, and we walk through the various stands selling their early fall goods. There are lots of pumpkins, winter squash, and root vegetables galore. As we pass a booth with floral bouquets, I stop and buy the biggest one they have. The blooms are vibrant orange, red, and yellow.
After paying for the arrangement, I hand it to Ashlyn. “Thank you for agreeing to help me.”
She glances behind me as she takes the bouquet. Then she steps closer to me and whispers, “Emily is watching us, and she has her phone pointed in our direction.”
“Looks like she’ll get a nice picture of me giving my girlfriend flowers, then.” I’m having such a good time, I don’t even mind.
