Page 107 of Fall Fake-Out

Conversation swirls across the crackling flames as everybody relaxes. The smell of wood smoke hangs in the air while sparks float upward toward the dark Vermont sky. Around us, leaves rustle through the trees.

It’s pretty magical.

“Cold?” Wade asks.

“Kind of.”

“You’re shivering.”

Before I can argue, he stands and disappears toward the pile of blankets Mom dragged outside. He comes back with one and drapes it over my legs.

I blink up at him. “Thank you?”

“Is that a question?” He smiles as he sits back down.

I shake my head, glancing back to the fire.

Weird.

A few minutes later, I reach toward the stone ring around the fire where our mugs of hot cider sit. Wade reaches faster, grabbing mine first and handing it to me.

“Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

Weird again.

Not bad weird.

Just different. Like Mayor-Monroe’s-birthday-party weird.

The kind of attentive behavior that feels slightly exaggerated, as if he’s putting on a show. Only, this time, the show isn’t for the town. It’s for my mother.

And I guess that’s exactly what he should be doing.

He’s trying to win over my mom. It’s the purpose of the whole night.

Across the fire, Mom rotates her marshmallow. The thing immediately bursts into flames.

“Darn it.” She pulls the stick back and stares at the charred marshmallow. “I hate the burned ones.

Without hesitation, Wade reaches across the fire and holds out his own perfectly golden-brown one. “You can have mine. I’ll trade you. I don’t mind a crispy one.”

Mom hesitates but eventually takes it. “Thank you.”

“I’m not doing this to get you to like me.”

Dad bursts out laughing. Even my mom’s lips twitch.

“It wouldn’t work anyway,” Landrie says.

“Good,” Wade says. “Because I’d hate for a marshmallow to be the thing that finally wins Barb over. I want it to be my charming personality.” His eyes move to me with no hint of joking behind them. “Or how highly I think of her daughter.”

I stare back at him, desperately trying to figure out if it’s just a line or something he actually means.

“Now that’s what would really work,” my mom says, pulling my attention toward her. “All I care about is Ari’s happiness.”

And everything’s suddenly confirmed.