Page 158 of Fall Fake-Out

“Absolutely.”

She shakes her head, laughing. “We’ll agree to disagree on that one.”

I smile because she has no idea.

I’ve been falling for her since before either of us knew what to call it.

Ari

I NEVER would’ve pictured myself as the type of twenty-seven-year-old who would attend Bingo night—let alone Bingo night hosted by the Ednas.

Wade casually mentioned it over lunch. “You’ve never been?”

I shook my head.

He looked genuinely horrified. “Miss Langford, you have not lived until you’ve gone to monthly Bingo night in Autumn Ridge.”

So here I am.

Sitting in the church activity center beneath fluorescent lights, with a paper bingo card in front of me and a handful of candy corn serving as markers because apparently that’s how they do things here.

Round tables fill the room. Someone brought pumpkin bars. The entire event feels very small-town.

Which, strangely enough, I don't mind anymore.

The caller spins the cage.

“C…” Linda Tolman squints dramatically at the little wooden ball. “...eleven.”

Everyone around the room starts dabbing their cards.

I glance at mine. “I don't have it.”

Wade glances at my card. “You’ve got C-twelve.”

“That doesn’t help me here.”

Across the room, Edna G. notices.

She elbows Edna B.

Edna B. immediately abandons her bingo card and marches toward us.

“I think congratulations are finally in order.”

Wade looks up innocently. “For what?”

“For me,” she says proudly.

“Oh?” My brows lift. “Did you get bingo?”

She waves me off and then points between us. “You know whose idea this was.”

Wade blinks. “Ours?”

She points to herself with far too much confidence. “Mine.”

Suddenly, Edna G. is beside us, gasping dramatically. “Excuse me? I’ve been setting these two up since the moment Ari arrived back in town.”