Page 50 of Nanny for the Athletes

“Oh. Well if you think it’s dumb…”

I twisted around so I could face Braden. “Thesupervisorwas dumb. The game is a good idea, especially right now. You go first.”

He sat up straighter and squinted in concentration. “Okay, here goes. Three facts, one of which is a lie. I was born on Christmas. I was a Quarterback in college. And I had a pet iguana when I was a teenager.”

“Hmm. That’s easy. I remember reading that your birthday is in December. The part about being a quarterback is a lie. You were a Wide Receiver at UCLA.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Have you been stalking my Wikipedia page?”

“It’s possible that I did some research on you after you first boarded your dogs. I’m right, aren’t I?”

Braden grinned mischievously. “You didn’t read my history thoroughly enough. I was a Quarterback at Fresno State my first two years before transferring to UCLA. Then I was a Wide Receiver there for my final three years.”

“I’m confused. That’s five years total.”

“I was a red-shirt freshman at Fresno State. I didn’t actually play. That allowed me to have an extra year of eligibility.”

“So you were a Quarterback for only one year, and a Wide Receiver for three. Which means that is the lie.”

He wagged a finger in front of my nose. “I didn’t say I wasmostlya Quarterback in college. All I said was that I was one. Which I was. It’s a true fact. You know, the game isn’t fun if you argue.”

Sighing, I said, “Okay, fine! Then what was the lie?”

“I was born on December 26. A dayafterChristmas. A few hours after midnight, actually. My mom claims she tried to keep me in as long as possible so I wouldn’t have to share a birthday with a holiday. Your turn.”

“Okay.” I thought for a few moments. “Every time I’ve gone to a hockey game, I’ve sat in the very front row. My middle name is Taylor. And I’ve never gotten a speeding ticket.”

“Elizabeth Taylor? Like, the famous actress?” Braden shook his head. “I don’t think your mom would name you that. In fact, Iknowyour grandma’s name was Elizabeth. This place is named after her:Lizzy’s Dog Boarding. That means you were named after her, and not an actress. Yeah, that’s definitely the lie.”

“Nope!” I said happily. “It’s the truth. Mom was a huge fan of her movies, so she gave me that middle name. Although yes, I was technically named after my grandma.”

“I know you sat in the front row of the hockey game where you met my sister,” he said, puzzling it out. “And I’m guessing that’s theonlygame you’ve ever been to, which makes that statement true. So… speeding tickets?”

“I’ve gottenonespeeding ticket,” I admitted. “Driving home from a really bad date two years ago. I was going two miles over the speed limit, but the cop still gave me a ticket! Two miles!”

“Surprised you didn’t bat your eyelashes at him,” he said. “You’re definitely hot enough to get out of a ticket, is what I’m saying. Super hot.”

“I get the picture,” I said, shoving him playfully. “Your turn. Wait! No.”

“No?”

“First, tell me the backstory about Claire’s mom. What’s up with that?”

Braden blew air out his nose and sank back into the couch cushion. “It’s a sad story. Her name was Caroline. She popped Logan’s cherry back in college. He had it bad for this girl, and thought she was the one even though they had only been together a few months. Suddenly, without warning, she broke up with him and dropped out of college.”

“Because she was pregnant?”

Braden grimaced. “Logan didn’t know that at the time, but yeah. Fuck, he didn’t know ituntil her funeral last week. That’s when he met Claire.”

“Claire told me that part. How she didn’t even meet her dad until the funeral. That’s so sad.”

“It gets worse,” he warned. “After dropping out of college, Caroline joined a spiritual group that lived on a compound in the middle of nowhere. Basically, a cult full of hippies. They grew all their own food, and lived off the grid. She gave birth to Claire there, and she was raised in that environment.”

A horrific thought came to me. “Wait. Claire’s mom, Caroline. The way she died. She didn’t, like, drink the Kool-Aid or whatever, did she?”

Braden burst out laughing. “You should see the look on your face right now! Nah, she didn’t drink Kool-Aid. None with poison in it, at least. It was just a regular old aneurysm that got her.”

“Oh, thank goodness,” I said. It felt strange being grateful that someoneonlydied from a surprise aneurysm.

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