Page 15 of Fake It With Me

Lydia

5 Years Later

“Mommy?”

“Yes, baby?” I say, glancing into the rearview mirror. I’ve just picked up Cleo from dance class and she’s in the back seat; her little brother, Dane, is back there in his car seat, too.

“Can I have a boy as a best friend?”

I smile. “Of course you can.”

“Okay. Good. Because I have one.”

“You do, huh?” I say.

“But I’m not going to marry him,” she says, raising her voice. “We’re not like you and Daddy.”

I laugh. “Okay, baby. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Five minutes later, I pull up to the house. I get the baby out of the car seat while Cleo does pirouettes up our driveway. When we walk into the house, I’m busy thinking about what I can throw together for dinner before Hunter gets home. Between kid stuff and working on my latest romance novel, it’s been a long day and I haven’t had a chance to think about dinner yet at all.

To my surprise, though, Hunter is already there when I walk in—and so is my mom.

“What are you two doing here?” I say, kissing Hunter hello and giving my mom a hug.

“You’re officially relieved from kid duty,” says Hunter. “You and I are going out on a date.”

“Aw, babe,” I say.

I go upstairs to change into something less mom-like and more date-like, brush my hair out and put on a little makeup, then go back downstairs. Hunter grins and whistles at me when he sees me and I give him a playful swat on the shoulder.

“Mommy! You look so pretty!” says Cleo, running over to hug my leg.

“Thanks, baby,” I say. “Are you going to be good for Grandma?”

“Of course,” says Cleo, rolling her eyes at me. “I’m always good.”

Then Hunter and I are out the door, his hand on the small of my back as we walk to the car. And I don’t know why, but as we start to drive away, I think back to that day when Hunter picked me up for my sister’s wedding. So much has changed since then—saying our own vows, having two kids, buying a house—but some things, like our friendship, has stayed exactly the same, in the best of ways.

And as I’m thinking back to that day, something else occurs to me, too.

“You know,” I say, turning to Hunter, “I still owe you for being my fake boyfriend.”

He laughs and gives me a look. “Pretty sure you made it up to me already.”

“What? How?”

“Uh, by marrying me? By having my babies?”

I tsk my tongue. “Guess you have a point.”

“Not that I’d turn down anything from you,” he says, reaching over to squeeze my leg.

“What are you suggesting, mister?”

“Not suggesting anything, missy. Just sayin’.”

I take his hand into mine and squeeze. I fantasize, briefly, about all the things we’re going to do to each other when we get home tonight.

I can’t wait.

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