Page 90 of Not Faking it with the Colonel

“No. We’re all here. It’s, um . . . Are things going any better with your job?” Erin stretched for something to ease into conversation about.

“No.” Madison didn’t elaborate.

“Graham got me time in a Black Hawk simulator.”

“Your mother crashed it. She’s not a born pilot.” Graham attempted to lighten the tension.

“It was fun though. I think I should try flying an Apache. Just in the simulator.” She laughed, but Madison only gave a forced smile. “I finished the next two scripts, and I’m going out to California for them to film the pilot episode.”

“That’s exciting.” Madison sounded sincere, but now wasn’t the time to bring up a visit to Texas.

“Graham’s daughter helped me select my dress for the military ball.”

“His daughter? How old is she?”

“Your age.”

Madison sighed and dodged eye contact on the screen as she processed that. “Is going to the ball research?”

“Not entirely. But it could generate some ideas for the couples. There was some major drama at the ball two years ago.”

Graham cleared his throat. “There won’t be a repeat of that this year.”

“When is the ball?”

“In three weeks.”

“I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Send me a picture. Connor and I are going over to some friends, and I need to get some food ready. This was, um . . . Uh, why don’t we try this again in a week or two?”

“I’ll touch base with you later this week.” Erin didn’t want to put it off for two weeks. Madison ended the call before Erin could say more. “Well, that could have gone better.”

“It couldn’t have gone worse.” Graham shook his head.

“Oh, it could have. If you’d been totally naked.”

“Ialmostwas. I thought you were talking to me.”

That he didn’t hear most of Madison’s side of the conversation while she’d had the earbuds in was probably for the best. “If I had a clue you were in the laundry room stripping instead of in the bathroom, I would have warned you. I’m sorry she overreacted. She’s not as accepting of us being in a sexual relationship as your kids.”

“Mine have a pretty healthy outlook on sex since they got an early education—because they walked in on us. More than once. I figured out that’s why Megan now knocks instead of walking into the house.”

“That’s smart on her part, considering . . .”

“Yeah. Have you changed your mind about the shower?”

She thought about it for a few seconds. “Nope. I won’t let Madison steal my joy or make me feel guilty. Let’s get that shower.”

* * *

Sunday afternoon,Erin’s phone rang as she reviewed her latest changes to a scene in the script. This time it was a video call from Piper—not that she expected Madison to call so soon.

“Hey, Mom. Where’s Graham? Getting dressed?” Her daughter could not keep a straight face.

“Ha, ha. He’s out mowing the lawn. I take it you talked to Madison again after yesterday’s video chat with her.”

“Oh, I did. And becauseItold her she should meet him, she tried to blame me for being traumatized by meeting your boyfriend when he was wearing only his underwear. Madison expected him to be some old, bald guy, not some stud.”

“Did you just call my boyfriend a stud?” She agreed but hadn’t expected her twenty-year-old to think so.

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