Those Sweet Words (Misfit Inn 2)

“We create a backstory.” He pulled her back to the sofa to sit, keeping her hands in his. “You came to Ireland to visit Kennedy two years ago. We met then and have been carrying on a long-distance relationship ever since.”

She frowned at him. “You thought of that awfully fast.”

He stroked a finger along her cheek. “I was thinking it was a shame we didn’t meet when you came over on that trip. And that a week or two wouldn’t have been enough. I still don’t think it’s enough. So, yes, I’ll do this. I’ll stay.”

Pru wanted so desperately to believe him. He meant it—or thought he did, at least. But how long would that last? How long before he grew to resent her and the situation she’d inadvertently trapped him in? Faced with the alternative of losing Ari, she was too terrified not to go through with this lunatic scheme. But she couldn’t help but feel that the end result of the whole thing would be either disaster or heartbreak or both.

“Then I guess we have a lot of details to figure out.”

“We’ll get through this,” he promised.

She could only pray that he was right.

“What will you tell your sisters?”

At the thought of having to tell them anything—truth or lie—Pru wanted to curl up into a ball. “I have no idea. Kennedy will know the backstory is bullshit, as I was with her the whole time on that trip. Maggie will disapprove of this whole thing, whether she gets the truth or the lie. And Athena is the loose cannon.”

“We’ve got most of a week to figure out what to say to Kennedy.”

“We’ll need some story in place before then. Logan will probably keep quiet because I asked him to, but I don’t know who this Coogan woman may know locally. Once anybody catches wind of it, the whole town will know by nightfall. We’ve got to be ready to answer questions when they come.”

“And we will be.”

As the whole thing rolled through her mind again, Pru zeroed in on a detail she hadn’t processed at the time. “Why did my child say that you’d ‘finally’ asked me? What have you been saying to her?”

“Nothing. She knows I like you and that it’s definitely not the sister or friend vibe I feel for Kennedy. It seemed pointless to deny the truth when she brought it up. But I swear the conversation didn’t go any further.”

Pru didn’t know if that made her feel better or worse. But it highlighted another prospective pitfall of this plan. “Ari has a sweet, romantic heart. She was highly entertained by Kennedy and Xander getting back together, and with their wedding and all, I’m sure she’s imagining everybody paired off with somebody. She likes you. She lights up around you.”

“Likewise. She’s a great kid.” He meant it. She’d seen the genuine pleasure he took in hanging out with her.

“She is. But if we do this, I think we have to tell her the truth. The alternative is her getting comfortable with the idea of you being around permanently, of you being her father. She’s had far too much disappointment and lost far too many people she cared about to put her through that again when you go.” Pru closed her eyes. “I can’t believe I’m about to ask her to lie about this.”

Mom of the year, here I come.

“I’m on board with the plan.” Ari popped in from the hallway.

Pru just sighed. Of course, she’d probably heard everything. “What did we say about eavesdropping?”

“I couldn’t just bust up in the middle of all that. You needed to finish that conversation.”

Pru opened her mouth, closed it again. No sense in chastising her right now. Better to talk directly about the situation they found themselves in. “Do you understand what’s going on?”

“New social worker disapproves of you having an adult relationship, so Flynn tried to cover, and it’s easier to go with it than try to explain the lie.”

Flynn made a sort of choking cough that might have been comical under other circumstances. “That’s a remarkably succinct description.”

Ari flopped into a chair, draping her legs over the arm. “Really, it feels a bit like living in a soap opera.”

“This is a lot more serious than a soap opera,” Pru said. “I’d never agree to something like this under normal circumstances. But these aren’t normal circumstances. That woman can take you away from me if she deems me unfit.”

“Not gonna happen,” Flynn insisted. “You’re an amazing mother, and it won’t take her long to figure that out.”

Ari pointed at him. “And that is why everybody will believe he’s the real deal. Also, he’s not wrong. You’re an awesome mom. You being human doesn’t change that.”

Emotion welled in the back of Pru’s throat. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.”

Ari swung around in the chair, propping her elbows on her knees and her chin in her hands. “Now, tell me the proposal story. You’ll need a good one.”