“Well, yeah. I’m not going to let one guy burn out my fire.”
“Exactly,” Corrie says. “Plenty of fish in the sea.”
But the thing is… I don’t want any other fish… I still want Peter.
Marilyn sips her lemonade, one slim leg crossed over the other. She sits up a little straighter. “There’s something I actually needed to talk to you about, Maeve.”
Uh-oh. I know that look and I’m familiar with that tone. She’s about to ask me for a favor.
“The kids are going camping this weekend with Blake,” she goes on, and pauses to take a bite of her cookie.
Ugh… Blake.
Of course the mention of his name brings him instantly to mind. I picture him, naked in bed, that sexy tall blonde draped all over him. Or would he be working? It is Saturday and the shop is busy on weekends. Wait…
“Doesn’t Blake work at his shop on the weekend?”
She shakes her head. “Not always these days. He’s got two young kids who help him out… good kids.”
“Oh…”
“Anyway,” she continues. “Mandy was initially going to go with them, but someone got sick at her work, and she got roped into working a shift today.”
“Uh-huh…” I say, curious and confused.
“I’m busy doing paperwork. I’m really behind on everything and I was hoping to catch up this weekend. And the kids have been looking forward to this trip forever.”
I eye her with suspicion. “I’m still not following, Mare. You’re going to have to draw this out for me.” Admittedly, my brain is a little fuzzy this morning – hangovers will do that to you.
“I need you to tag along. You know how Blake can be sometimes. He’ll let them do whatever they want, eat whatever they want, go to bed with dirty teeth. He’s not going to remind them to put on sunscreen, check for ticks, and he’ll probably let them jump off a cliff or something.”
“No way,” I say without a moment’s hesitation. “Not happening.”
I do see where she’s coming from – Blake can be super irresponsible, and she worries about her kids. But no way.
“C’mon,” she says. “All this business with you and him was ages ago. You’re engaged to another man now. I’m sure you can stand him for two days.”
“I can’t, actually.”
Am I still engaged? That’s a question I hadn’t thought about.
“Pleeeaase,” she begs.
I want to slap her. How dare she put me in this situation. What if I don’t go, and the kids end up with Lyme disease because I wasn’t there to spot the ticks on their little bodies. Marilyn knows me too well – she knows just how to get to me.
My phone pings. It’s a text from Corrie, who is sitting right across me.
Two days with him. Could be awesome for the plan. Snap a few pics of you and him camping together. It’s going to drive Peter wild.
She’s really obsessed with this plan.
I look over at her. A huge grin stretches across her cheeks and she bends her head and taps away on her phone.
Ping.
I’ll come with, so you won’t be alone with him and the kids. I’ll run interference, put him in his place if I need to. I’ve always wanted to go camping!
I smile.
