Page 75 of My Lucky Charm

I gasp and freeze and the words I’m the other woman race through my mind.

I freeze and panic at the same time, muscles tense but unable to move. I try to turn back to the elevator when I hear movement in the kitchen followed by a small voice that says, “Hello?”

I’m still frozen when a little girl with long, sandy-colored hair appears. She’s wearing black leggings under a pink polka-dot dress and a jean jacket, and she has a trail of bracelets up her arm.

I stare at her like she’s a unicorn or an Oompa-Loompa, unable to register her presence here.

“Um . . . hello,” I say after a long, confused moment.

Am I in the right place?

The little girl walks back into the kitchen, then sits at the counter focused on an open iPad.

I look behind me. I look back at her.

She’s still there.

“I’m sorry, but are—”

“I’m Scarlett,” she says without looking up.

This is Scarlett?

“Like the color. Only with two T’s.”

I feel my fingers tighten around the strap of my purse. “Like the color?”

“Yep. It’s my favorite,” she says. “It’s the color of passion and energy and confidence.”

I have to smile. She’s a whole little person. “Ah, that’s a pretty impressive name, Scarlett.”

Her eyes jump up to mine. “My mom named me that.”

And the shoe drops. He doesn’t have a girlfriend. He has a wife.

But, no. Coach Turnrose specifically said Gray isn’t married.

“I’m Eloise.” There’s a pause as I gently sit down on the stool next to her. “So, you’re Scarlett,” I say with a playful lilt.

She glances up at me, smiling, and I note the familiarity of her bright blue eyes. “You’ve heard of me?”

“I have,” I say.

“Huh. Dad usually keeps me a secret.” She returns to her iPad.

I’ll say.

“How old are you?” I ask.

“Almost eleven,” she says.

“And Gray is—?”

“Duh. My dad.”

Gray is twenty-nine, which means—she must see me doing the math because I catch her watching me out of the corner of my eye.

“They had me when they were still in high school.” She widens her eyes and shoots me a knowing look. “I was a mistake.”

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