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KAT
Daily Happenings
It seems, folks, that Katerina Cooper doesn’t mind our grumpy sheriff and, in fact, has agreed to marry him. Although we haven’t seen them out and about together, they’ve apparently been getting cozy behind closed doors. We don’t have a date yet, but as soon as we do, you’ll all be the first to know. If you see them, make sure to congratulate them.
“IT SEEMS CONGRATULATIONS ARE are in order,” Mindy said. She set her phone down on the table and picked up her coffee mug.
I’d been on edge since the gala two days ago. I wanted to keep our fake engagement a secret, but I’d forgotten that nothing was a secret in a small town. Even though the gala had been in another city over an hour away.
I would have thought that the Harvest Festival, which was held the same weekend, would have kept everyone busy and distracted. Who had outed us anyway? Only members of our families had been at the gala. No one else from town. Peter was supposed to attend, but Jack had been sick, and Kate wanted to stay with him. Which meant Peter had stayed too.
I set Ava in her bouncy seat and picked up Adaline for her feeding. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Mindy lifted a brow and took a sip of her coffee, then set it back on the table. “Tell me right now.”
“Tell you what?” I asked. Again, playing dumb.
“Either you’ve been dating Sid behind my back or you’re lying. Which is it?”
I took my time getting a bib and burp cloth so I could gather my thoughts. When I turned back around to hand Addy to Mindy, she stared me down.
“I’ve been dating him behind everyone’s back,” I blurted, surprised that the lie flew out instead of the truth. I crumpled into the seat across from Mindy. Her eyes widened in surprise. “It happened so fast. He asked me out one night after family dinner, and things progressed from there.”
“When did he ask you to marry him?” Mindy asked. “I didn’t know Sid was in a serious relationship. In fact, when did you start dating? Because he went on a date in the city right before the girls were born. Frank had to pick him up because it went bad. Sid’s on a dating app.”
Her eyes widened.
“Didn’t you have to drive him there the next day to retrieve his truck?” Her eyes narrowed into slits. It felt like they were slicing into my skin and trying to peer beneath to get to the truth. Damn, she was ferocious.
Shit. I didn’t know how to explain that one. Sid and I should have thought this through better since it wasn’t a secret that Sid had been going on dates from a dating app. Frank had set it up, and the guys had a field day with Sid’s bad dating luck.
“It’s a cover. It never goes past a first date.”
Mindy didn’t seem convinced. “Why?”
That was an excellent question, and I would have had an answer if I were telling the truth. I was beginning to feel stuck in the tangled web I was weaving, and I didn’t have Sid here to help me. Under the table, I pulled my phone out and typed an SOS to him. I needed help and fast.
Before I could answer, the back door opened, and Frank stormed in. “I swear, if one more kid asks me why they can’t ride on day one, I’m going to lose it.”
I snickered, and Mindy rolled her eyes. A few seconds later, a grin spread across her face and my stomach sank. “Please don’t,” I mouthed, but I should have known better.
“Frank, did you know Sid and Kat are engaged?”
He spit out his water, spraying the kitchen. “What?” he shouted.
Mindy’s grin widened. “Yeah. I read it in the ‘Daily Happenings’ today.”
“What the hell? Why didn’t he tell me?” Frank asked. “I didn’t think he was serious with anyone. Especially after what happened before.”
“What happened before?” I asked.
Frank’s eyes popped open. “Nothing.”
I frowned. “Then why did you say that?”
“It’s nothing,” Mindy said.
“What do you guys know?” I asked, leaning forward on the table.
