I pushed him away.
He looked a little hurt.
I kissed him quickly.
“I’ll walk you around on a leash and let you fuck me later, but first,” I said, “I think I solved a big piece of the mystery.” I clapped my hands. “She’s not pregnant!”
“What? Who?” he demanded.
“Oakley. She was drunk earlier. You see?” I said. “She’s been faking it. She has a fake belly. She’s been faking pregnancy symptoms. That search on her laptop she did was probably looking for recipes she could make that would convince everyone she was nauseous and had morning sickness.”
Marius was giving me a wary look.
I poked his broad chest. “You don’t believe me. You think I’m crazy.”
“It just seems really like a trashy soap opera plot or something. No one fakes a pregnancy. That’s insane.”
“Yes, but money and love make people crazy. I’m going to prove it.”
I tappedmy fingers on the armrest as we drove back to the first cabin.
Out in the snow on the stoop, I waited impatiently for Marius to look up the code to the door on the app.
It still worked.
“Come on, universe, I need evidence,” I muttered.
Marius stood in the middle of the room while I ran around.
“Ah-ha! An empty bottle of wine in the trash can and two glasses in the sink, one with cherry-red lipstick. Oakley is lying! She’s not pregnant.”
22
MARIUS
“Iknow,” I said to Grayson as I walked to Girl Meets Fig to meet up with Zoe and Emmie after hurrying to finish the work I’d been neglecting. “I owe you those markups. But it’s fucking insane here.” I lowered my voice. The town had ears, and they loved to gossip. “There is a list of murder suspects as long as my arm, and everyone seems to be sleeping with everyone, and get this—one lady is faking a pregnancy.”
On the other end of the line, there was a pause then a sigh. “I just think—Lexi, dammit.”
Grayson’s girlfriend came on the phone.
“What the frickety freak, Marius. That is crazy! I’m making popcorn right now. We want updates. All the updates.”
“I want him to finish reviewing that contract—”
Lexi cut Grayson off. “Someone isfaking a pregnancywith a fake belly and everything. Grayson, dude, you have got to live a little. This is gold! Small-town drama is the best drama. Maybe we’ll get interviewed for the Netflix true crime special! Carry on, Marius!” Lexi chirped at me. “And give Moosey a kissy from me!”
The cat on my shoulder meowed at Lexi’s voice.
Shaking my head, I stepped into Girl Meets Fig.
It was too early for the dinner rush, and Zoe and Emmie were sitting at one of the many free tables, heads together. The restaurant’s decor was so different from when I used to work there back in high school. Less swamp witch meets HGTV and more upscale casual.
I was grateful for the change.
Though being with Emmie had taken the edge off of being in a small town, all the bad memories were bubbling up despite my best efforts.
Emmie looked up at me, eyes bright. Her lip caught in her teeth, like she was wondering if I was going to try to keep her a secret. As if I wasn’t going to kiss her in front of everyone.
