Mister Fake Fiance

“I want to make sure you and David are both happy. I was so surprised when I heard about the engagement. David isn’t an easy boss from what I understand, and I thought you’d want to strangle him rather than marry him, you know?”

“I’m not that bad.” Mom doesn’t usually think this, except when I had Jan as my assistant because she thought I needed to go easier on my cousin. She’s undoubtedly put Erin under the same umbrella.

Erin looks surprised. “Why would I? David demands the best from everyone, and that isn’t something to be upset about.”

“Yeah, Mom.” I cut her off before she can ask more embarrassing questions. “If I were the type to settle, I wouldn’t have asked Erin to marry me. Now, why don’t you stop prying and get ready for tea and tennis?” Mom plays every Friday morning.

“I can’t. Jade quit the club, and I haven’t found a new partner yet.”

“What? Why?” I ask, stunned. Mrs. Morris has been a member since before my family moved to Virginia.

“Oh, she says she’s too old to continue playing ‘something as exhausting as tennis’ anymore.” Mom sounds totally skeptical.

And I agree. Mrs. Morris has always been quite active.

Dad snorts. “Everyone knows she can’t afford it now.”

“Can’t afford it? That’s news.” The Morrises might not be as rich as my family, but they do well enough.

Mom takes one look at my face and smiles ruefully. “We were all shocked. Greg’s latest investments went bad, and things are…rather tense, shall we say. It’s never good to fight over money, although it can be a huge stress factor.”

“It’s probably not Mr. Morris’s fault,” I say.

Dad grunts, sprinkling more powdered sugar on his berries. “They aren’t blaming him. They’re blaming Shelly.”

Erin tenses a bit. I put a hand on her arm, hoping the physical contact will soothe her. Now I wish I’d never brought up the tennis.

Mom adds, “She’s the one who said certain pharmaceutical firms were good and insisted the family put in a huge portion of their money. Apparently, she had a ‘connection.’ You know…” She lowers her voice. “Inside information.” She clears her throat. “But I think she’s been trying to fix it.”

So that’s why Shelly showed up in L.A. It had nothing to do with her realizing she should’ve never left me the way she did. I was supposed to be the solution to her family’s money problems!

“Well, she’s young and pretty. She can find herself a rich husband somewhere,” Dad says. He puts another forkful of berries into his mouth. They’re covered with so much powdered sugar that it looks like he’s feeding himself cocaine.

Mom looks torn between Dad’s honesty and the need to defend her friend’s child. “You’re such a cynic, dear,” she says finally. “Shelly’s a smart girl. A Harvard graduate.”

Erin’s chewing more slowly, her eyes downcast. Great. I should’ve never brought up the damned tennis. It would’ve been better to have Mom grill us about our wedding plans.

Dad snorts. “A diploma is just a piece of paper until you use what you learned to make something of yourself. I’ve never understood people who make snap judgments about someone over where they matriculated from.”

God, they’re making everything worse by going on and on. “So,” I say, giving my mother a meaningful look. “If you’re not going to play tennis, how are you going to fill your Friday mornings?”

“Oh, I’ll find someone to volley with,” Mom says, eyeing Erin. Guess she finally realized that my ex’s family trouble isn’t something Erin really wants to hear about. And I’ll bet she knows Erin didn’t go to college. Much as I love her, Mom’s nosy. There’s no way she hasn’t taken a look at Erin’s HR files, even if it is against the rules. “Anyway, there’s a family dinner tonight. Everyone’s dying to meet you, Erin—or see you again, depending. And you can have whatever room you want upstairs except for the master bedroom, of course.”

Erin finally looks up with a small, but unconvincing smile. “Thank you.”

“Do you need anything? Eddie and I are hitting the market to grab some stuff we forgot for tonight,” Mom says.

“I’m fine,” Erin says.

“We’re good,” I say. “I’ll get us settled in while you’re gone.”

Chapter Forty-Three

Erin

After the French toast and bacon, David carries our suitcases up the stairs. His parents’ home is huge and beautiful. There’s lots of wood, tile and color, and a gorgeous garden. But it isn’t a giant mansion like I imagined. It’s a home more fit for an upper-middle-class family than a billionaire family.

Regardless, I feel slightly unsettled, especially after the gossip about David’s ex. It isn’t because I think David’s mom wants