She walks around the counter to yell, “Hi, Juniper!”
“Is that Charlie? Put me on speakerphone,” Mom demands.
I sigh, knowing this isn’t going to end well. Mom loves Piper and Charlie and has practically adopted them. I’m the oldest of five kids…and the only girl. Mom likes to say she’s been horribly outnumbered ever since I moved out.
“Charlie! How are you, sweetie?”
“I’m good! How are you?”
“Magnolia was just telling me about this fake fiancé of hers. Have you met him?”
Trust Mom to get straight to the point.
“Yes! I think you’d like him actually. I met him this morning,” Charlie tells her. “Piper and I have been thinking that Magnolia should just keep him.”
“He’s that good?”
“Oh, yes, we like him. When are you coming over to meet him?”
“He’s not my fiancé!” I shout over the two of them.
They ignore me, and Charlie continues jabbering about Nash’s many great qualities, which she’s somehow figured on in a few short minutes of conversation. Even worse, she’s telling Mom that she would adore him if she could meet him for herself.
“I. Am. Not. Engaged,” I say again loudly.
“Is that any way to treat your fiancé?” a masculine voice says from behind me.
Charlie, Mom, and I go silent at the same time.
Slowly turning around, I face the source of the voice.
Nash is standing directly behind me.
“How did you get in here?” I gasp. “Why are you back? You were just here? I thought you had to be somewhere!”
“Who is it?” Mom asks. “Why isn’t this a FaceTime call?”
Nash glances at the phone on the counter between Charlie and me. “I knocked, but you didn’t hear me. And it’s not like your door locks anyway.”
“Is thathim?” Mom yells. “Show me!”
I reach for my phone to hit End, but Charlie beats me to it and connects a video call.
“Hang it up!” I demand. “Nash doesn’t want to meet my mom.”
Nash is looking back and forth between us, and then a slow grin stretches across his face. “Actually, I do.”
He steps forward quickly and reaches over my shoulder to take the phone from Charlie.
Charlie, the dirty traitor, hands him the phone right away.
Nash turns his back to me, protecting the phone from my grasp. “Hi, I’m Nash. Magnolia’s fiancé.”
Mom eats it up. “It’s great to meet you! I know Magnolia wasn’t going to introduce us.” She calls to me, “Magnolia! He’s so cute!”
I reach around Nash, attempting to take the phone from his grasp and hang up on her. She’s going to embarrass me.
“Mom, it’s not real!”
