Page 9 of Fall Fake-Out

“The mayor?!” I gape back at my mother.

“I’ve heard he’s dating again.”

“He’s, like, fifty!” I cover my face with my hands in absolute disbelief that one of the first conversations since moving home is about me finding a husband.

“I mean, I think he’s too old for you, but we’re also desperate, so I wasn’t going to rule him out.”

My hands drop, and I glare at my mom. “Gee, thanks.”

I’m twenty-seven. How are we desperate?

“Sorry.” Her eyes go sincere. “We’re not desperate. We’re just not ruling anything out.”

“Mom…”—Landrie shakes her head—“Mayor Monroe is Juliet’s dad. You can’t set Ari up with my friend’s father. That’s gross.”

“Fine, then. We’ll move on. There’s Wade.” My mom glances at Gina, who shrugs as if she knows her son is a lost cause when it comes to any type of serious relationship. I may not have lived here for nine years, but even I know that Wade isn’t a reliable suitor.

Mom sighs. “And then we’re down to the Ws. Bennett Walker.”

This makes Landrie perk up. “We could be sisters-in-law!”

“We don’t need to be sisters-in-law. We’re already sisters. And besides, isn’t Ben Walker already married to Maven Price?”

“That was years ago,” Landrie said. “They got a divorce. I think he still hankers for her, but you can change his mind.”

“No, thank you.”

Landrie shrugs. “His little brother, Luke Walker?”

“He’s younger than me. By years.”

“Fine.” My mom closes the packet like it’s hopeless. Like I’m hopeless. “We’ll have to look outside Autumn Ridge. Burlington, perhaps.”

This is a nightmare that isn’t going to go away. By tomorrow, my mom will have Burlington’s community phone directory. I can feel it.

“Okay”—Gina sits back—“what do you think of those adjustments? The dress is more fitted through the bodice now.”

“It’s perfect.” Landrie looks over everything. “Before, it wasn’t accentuating my waist as much as it could have, you know?”

And just like always, the attention moves back to my perfect sister.

But this time, I’m grateful for it.

Wade

I kiss my mom on the cheek when I walk in the house. “Something smells good.”

“It’s homemade cheddar mac and cheese.”

“Mm, mm.” I reach into the pot, grab one hot noodle, and bring it to my mouth.

“Wade Stevenson, get your hand out of my dinner!” My mom hits my wrist with her wooden spoon. “You weren’t raised in a barn.”

I smile at her as I back away from the stove.

“Your mother said you hired that Langford girl.” My father sits at the kitchen table with the local newspaper spread out in front of him.

“That Langford girl?” My brows lower. “She has a name, you know.”