Page 28 of Fall Fake-Out

“Old habits die hard, ma’am.” As he takes his seat, his eyes naturally roam back to me.

“Archer, this is my other daughter, Ari. I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about her before. She just moved here from Florida. Completely alone. All by herself.” I roll my lips, trying to gather patience. “She teaches English at the high school.”

“Nice to meet you.” He nods a few times then turns his attention back to my mom. “So I’ve never held a reception at my stables before, but if the weather holds, I think it will be really nice. The fall leaves should be beautiful that week.”

Ah, that’s how she lured Archer here. He thinks this is a wedding venue discussion for Landrie.

“Yes, I do believe the stables will be perfect.” My mom’s smile falls, not in a believable way. “Oh, no!” Suddenly, she’s fumbling with her purse and keys. “I just remembered I left the oven on. I need to go home immediately and turn it off.” She stands abruptly. “You two should stay and get to know each other better. Don’t mind me.” And without another word, she’s gone in the most obvious way ever.

Archer’s brows knit in justified confusion.

“She wanted to set us up on a blind date,” I offer.

This new info causes his eyes to grow wide with panic. “You and me?”

“Yeah, sorry. I didn’t know until I arrived or else I would’ve stopped her.”

“Oh.” He sits back in his chair, stunned.

My expression goes solemn. “Sorry I’m not better looking.”

“No!” He straightens. “You’re very beautiful. I just… I don’t really have time for dating right now.”

“I was totally joking.” Laughter spills out. “Just trying to make a horribly awkward situation even more awkward. It’s a habit of mine.”

His chest falls with relief. “You had me going there for a second.”

“You’re in luck. I’m not interested in dating anyone right now either, but my mom has other ideas, and clearly, she doesn’t know how to stay out of my life.”

“It’s fine. If I still lived in Texas, my mom would be the same way with me.”

“Why do they always use the oven being left on as an excuse to leave? I don’t get it. If you slow cook ribs or roast, doesn’t the oven get left on for hours with no problem?”

“Good point. That does seem to be a popular excuse to ditch and run.”

“Well, consider it your excuse to leave right now. I’m sure you have something better to do than to get sucked into one of Barb Langford’s dating schemes.”

Archer rubs the stubble on his chin. “I do have a booking at the stables, but I can hang around here for a bit if you’re hungry.”

“Nope, I’m good.” I stand, extending out my hand. “Archer Kade, it was nice to officially meet you. Thank you for being such a gentleman about my crazy mom.”

He shakes my hand as he stands. “It wasn’t a problem at all.”

We both leave the cafe, walking in opposite directions. Just before I get to my car parked in front of Beet and Barrel, my mom jumps from her hiding place behind a planter.

“What happened? Things were going so well. You were both smiling, and then you just stood up to leave.”

I glance at the cafe window. “You were spying on us?!”

Oh, good heavens! This woman is next-level insane.

“I might’ve been spying. I told you how much I love romance. It shouldn’t be that big of a shock that I hung around to see you fall in love. But you didn’t even give it a chance.” She’s angry with me. I can tell by the little vein that pops up on her forehead. That vein was a constant when I was a child. “Ari, I can’t help you if you’re not willing to help yourself.”

Great, I’m the daughter that needs help. I bet Landrie has never required this kind of hands-on attention from my mother.

“Mom.” I keep my voice calm but confident. “I appreciate you caring about my happiness and my future, but I need you to stop meddling in my love life. You have to stop trying to introduce me to every available man, and especially stop setting me up on dates with them. I don’t like it. I’ll figure out my dating life on my own when I’m ready. Okay?”

Her chest lifts with a deep breath as my words sink in.