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“Nice to meet you, Callie.” John turns to me. “I like this new ‘idea.’” He makes air quotes, and I’m even more lost. “Best way to combat Elizabeth’s allegation that you’re a single dad who works too much is being in a relationship where there’s ample care for Scout.”

I stammer to correct his mistaken impression, but I’m still at a loss for words. He looks Callie over again, eyes fixing on her lips, and he indicates his own upper lip. “You’ve got a little…”

Callie’s eyes narrow and she takes a small mirror from her purse. Her eyes go wide when she sees the ring of blue.

“Oh, crap. I need to get that off before I see the judge.”

John nods and puts a hand on her forearm. “I can point you to the restroom inside. Just to the left after the security screening area. But trust me, the mediator will be more interested in your relationship with Luke than the blue pen that bled on your lips.”

“It was a Slurpee,” she explains, not correcting his assumption about her relationship to me. Maybe she didn’t even understand what he was blathering about.

John keeps nodding and staring at Callie. It’s starting to annoy me. I feel protective because I sort of brought her into my mess, and no one should have been stared at like an object.

Instinctively, I grab her hand and move her far enough away from John that his hand drops from her arm. She looks down at where our hands are clasped and back up at me. Even with that blue ring around her mouth, she’s beautiful in an unfussy, classic way. Full lips, bright eyes, round cheeks. And her blond waves keep catching the sunlight like lightning bugs.

“I’m gonna…” Callie points at the courthouse and her lips before walking away.

“I just…I was…” I stammer, trying to explain the favor I asked Callie to do, but unable to explain why she kissed me.

John puts up his hands. “It’s all good, Luke. I’m not mad that you didn’t tell me until now. I can work with this, even at a moment’s notice. That’s my lawyer superpower.” He looks delighted. “So this changes everything. We can go in now and explain that you’re in a stable relationship. Can she handle childcare, do school pickups? Make sure Scout gets to doctor appointments? Once we show you’re handling work and family, with an emphasis on family, Elizabeth won’t have nearly as strong of a case.”

The blood drains from my face as the pieces fall into place. John’s mistaken assumption about Callie. The possibility of a lifeline. A solution to the one-way trail of my own mistakes that could jeopardize custody of my son.

I don’t hate the idea of torpedoing Elizabeth’s expensive lawyer’s strategy. But with an outright lie?

I shake my head and start to set John straight.

“Yes. She’s my girlfriend. It’s serious. I’m in a stable, serious relationship, so it’s a nonissue that I’m an overworked single dad. Because I’m not. Obviously.” I sound like I’ve memorized lines even though I’m making shit up faster than I can keep track of what’s coming out of my mouth. “Can it help me keep custody of Scout?”

He nods and smiles like I’ve made his lawyerly day.

“Actually, yes,” he says. “It changes everything.”

CHAPTER 3

Callie

“Wait, we’re what? I’m your what?” I need him to say it again so I’m sure I heard him correctly.

“Girlfriend.” He says it a little louder this time, looking at the ground. “And if we’re getting technical, my fiancée.” His face turns pink, and he looks equally shocked, which would be charming if not for the unhinged sentence he just said.

“Is this what happens in a small town when you spontaneously kiss a guy? Because in LA, the move would barely register.”

“It was a desperate move. I’m sorry,” he offers.

“You’re sorry? I don’t think sorry is even a thing right now. Is this what you told that confused man with the comb-over, that I’m your fiancée?”

He nods, holding a hand against his forehead as though he has a headache. “Jesus, what the hell was I thinking?”

“You’d know better than me,” I say, following his gaze up to the clear blue sky, wondering if there’s an answer up there. All I see is a crop-dusting plane, which reminds me of why my sisters and I decided to renovate our dilapidated ranch and spend more time up here. We loved the clear skies, the farmland, and the potential to build a real family retreat. But that was before today, when I entered an alternate universe.

“I’m still waiting,” I remind him.

“There’s no excuse. I’m sorry. I guess it was temporary insanity.”

“That’s the only explanation you have?”

“My ex makes me feral, and not in the spicy-romance-novel kind of way.”