Page 30 of A Fall to Remember

Sure, great. Let me come up with a plan just so you can take all the credit, Jim.

Shelby swallowed hard, trying to force the lump in her throat away. “Uh-huh. For sure. I’ll get right on that.” She was fairly sure her sarcasm went straight over Jim’s head. She turned to Pete, trying to get a read on him. “I mean, if you’re even considering it? Are you cool with being set up?”

Pete shrugged. “You know what. Yeah, why not? I gave Mom this huge pitch about taking risks and seizing opportunities when they fall into your lap. I guess I should take my own advice. Let’s do it.”

Damn, this had spun out of her control—fast.

“Great. Great. That’s really great.” Shelby couldn’t find another word other than great to toss into the conversation.

“Alright, Pete, it sounds like Shelby and I have double our work cut out for us this weekend. Should we take a few minutes to brainstorm before the costume contest kicks into high gear?” Jim shot her a funny look she couldn’t quite decipher. Was he enjoying watching her squirm? Did he know he had the upper hand?

“Can’t wait,” she lied. What terrible luck. Jim was rapidly getting ahead of her at work, and now she had to set up a guy who she was growing more and more interested in? Sweet. Perfect. What else could go wrong this weekend?

24

PETE

His phone rang again. It was Mom. He hadn’t even had a chance to listen to her voicemail. “Hey, Mom, what’s up?” he asked, stepping away from Shelby and Jim.

“Pete, I’ve been worried sick. I’m so sorry about the video. I never should have told Jim it was okay to post that, and to be completely honest with you, I’m a bit rattled that he did. He made it sound like it was a fun little laugh. Not something that would take the internet by storm and put you smack in the middle of the eye of the hurricane.”

Pete laughed and shook his head. “That’s a lot of metaphors, Mom.”

“No, honey, really. I’m so sorry. I’m horrified. I had to help at the store, but I’m leaving now, and I promise my first task is to find Jim and make this right. I’m going to ask him to take the video down immediately.”

Pete’s gaze drifted to Shelby and Jim, who were deep in planning mode. “Well, I don’t think he’s going to do that since I just agreed to sign on for a dating adventure with Voyager.”

“What?” Mom sounded shocked.

“Yeah.” He could hear the surprise in his own voice. “You know what? You inspired me. I mean, if you can be brave and put yourself out there, I figured I can, too. Why not? It’s an opportunity that a lot of people would beg to be part of, and it fell in my lap. I’m not mad, and I don’t think Jim meant any harm. It’s cool. I’m good. We’re good.”

The line went silent for a minute.

“Mom? Are you still there?”

There was a sigh, a long pause, and then a chuckle. “Yes, I’m here, and well, that’s a relief. I’ve been in full panic mode since I saw the video.”

“Mom, you know I’m an adult, yeah?” Pete teased, hoping that she’d stop beating herself up.

“Yeeeessss.” She stretched out the word. “But it’s impossible not to worry. And this one was on me.”

“Don’t sweat it. I’m excited.” Pete adored his mom, but sometimes it was hard for her to see him as an adult. Maybe that was another reason he’d been hesitant to tell her about his search for his birth father. He needed to do this on his own. For himself. “See you here soon?”

“On my way. Love you.” She hung up.

“Was that your mom?” Jim asked when Pete rejoined their conversation. The muscles in his jaw twitched. “Is she upset?”

“No. I don’t think so. At least not once I told her that I’m game to be your guinea pig for Love Island, or whatever the latest dating show is. Reality TV isn’t my thing.”

“Shocker.” Shelby grinned, tucking her curls behind her ears. “I would have sworn you were glued to the TV for Love Island.”

They spent the next twenty minutes peppering him with questions. Jim took written notes while Shelby typed frantically with her thumbs.

“Okay, I think we have enough to start compiling a plan for Let’s Find Pete a Date,” Shelby said when they finished. “We’ll work on a stronger name for that.”

Jim patted his shoulder. “Thanks for being such a good sport.”

Pete liked Jim. He knew he was probably projecting. It was something he had done since he was a kid, but he wondered if his dad would be like Jim—calm, funny, the kind of guy who genuinely seemed to be looking out for everyone.