Page 82 of The Fiancé Hoax

“Felicity, if this guy finds out that we faked our engagement, it's all over. I'll lose the custody case.” I drove a hand through my hair. “I'll lose the girls.”

“Don't worry,” she assured me, looking me in the eyes. “He won't find anything. I'll make sure my Is are dotted and my Ts are crossed.”

The tension in my shoulders loosened a bit. “Okay. Thanks. That’s all I want.”

“Of course.”

I nodded. “I'll let you get back to work.”

She gave me a smile, then returned to the garment she was pinning. She was working around the clock now, and I hoped that she wasn't pushing herself too hard.

Downstairs in my study, I paced back and forth. My nerves were on edge. Finally, I poured myself a whiskey and sat at my desk, staring into the amber liquid.

It was just the type of thing my dad would have done. When the going got tough, he withdrew and poured himself a drink.

I never wanted to turn into my father. He’d always been quick to anger, then he’d go off alone and drink.

But dammit, what other option did I have? I couldn’t face the prospect of losing any of them. Not my daughters, and not Felicity.

All I could do was focus on the burn of the whiskey going down.

* * *

The next evening, I got home from work to Eva and Lily greeting me at the garage entrance.

“You have to be quiet, Daddy,” Eva said.

“Felicity's sleeping on the couch,” Lily said.

“We should let her sleep,” Eva said. “She came home sooo tired from work.”

“Like a zombie!”

“Okay,” I said, setting my briefcase on the kitchen island.

Inga and Monica appeared in the kitchen, having finished their duties. After making sure I didn't need anything else, they both left for the day.

I walked into the living room to find Felicity asleep on the sofa, her brown hair splayed out around her. A blanket had been draped over her body.

She looked so beautiful lying there, and something turned over in my chest.

But I didn't have time to pay much attention to it, so I returned to the kitchen where the girls were coloring at the table.

“We put the blanket on her,” Lily said.

“That was nice of you, girls.” I washed my hands at the sink.

I opened the refrigerator to pull out the chopped chicken and vegetables Monica had prepared. “Can you girls set the table? Everything but the plates for now.”

“Okay,” Lily said. She joined me at the kitchen sink, and Eva followed.

“We have to wash our hands first, Lily,” Eva instructed.

As the girls stood on the stool in front of the sink to wash their hands, I started to sauté some onions and garlic. After a couple of minutes, I added marinated chicken strips.

“What did Felicity say when she got home?”

“Nothing. She just passed out on the couch,” Eva said. She pantomimed the scene, pretending to collapse onto the sofa.

---