Fake Marriage Box Set

“Oh,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, where are my manners? I am Sylvia Brown, the court-appointed official, here to do a surprise inspection of your household.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said, clearing my throat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were coming, I would have made sure I wasn’t all sweaty from a run.”

“Not a problem,” she said, closing her car door. “That is why these are a surprise. We want to see you and your family in more natural surroundings. We don’t want you just cooking up a fake family, after all.”

She laughed loudly, and I joined in, not knowing if she was joking or taking a stab because of what Sarah had said about everything. She looked at me with teary eyes and her laughter, short and abrupt, ended quickly, leaving me feeling slightly uncomfortable. I lifted my eyebrows and took a deep breath turning toward the yard.

“Well, what would you like to see first?”

“Since we are outside, you can show me around here first,” she said, nodding her head.

“All right,” I replied. “I bought this house shortly after the divorce was final. It’s nothing massive or luxurious, but it’s perfect for the three of us. Come on; I’ll show you the fenced yard in the back.”

I walked Ms. Brown around to the back and unlatched the gate, happy that I got around to fixing that before she showed up. We walked into the back, and I stood to the side as she wandered around the freshly cut lawn, making note of different things, including where the lawn equipment was stored, if the railings on the porch were stable, and how many square feet there actually was.

“Does Jake play out here a lot?”

“Well, I just got him for the first time last weekend, so he hasn’t had a lot of time here,” I said with a smile. “But I’m hoping come summer I can get him a kiddie pool maybe, and some soccer balls to kick around. This was why I wanted this house to begin with: the backyard for Jake.”

“I see,” she said, making a note. “All right, let’s go on inside and meet the future Mrs. Thompson.”

Chapter Thirty-Two

Quinn

When I woke up, Luke wasn’t in the bed any longer, so I pulled on some yoga pants, a t-shirt, and a long open sweater. I made my way out to the kitchen and started the coffee, looking at the window and watching as Luke passed by, looping around for a morning jog. I was glad he was doing something he liked to do, and it was healthy for him too. I immediately started making breakfast, humming to myself as I prepared the bacon and eggs. As I pulled the toast from the toaster, I heard the front door open and close.

“Breakfast is almost ready,” I hollered out to Luke.

I pulled the toast to the plate and slathered it with butter before cutting it diagonally across and putting it on the plate. I smiled as I worked, knowing Luke would appreciate the effort I put in to make sure he had a good breakfast before heading off to work. I pulled down two mugs and poured us each a cup of coffee, fixing mine just the way I liked it and leaving his black, which is what he preferred. As I stood there leaning against the counter and sipping my brew, I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.

“How was your run?” I looked over and stopped, pulling my sweater closed at the sight of a strange woman walking beside him.

“Quinn, this is Ms. Brown; she is the court-appointed official for our case and will be doing a quick surprise inspection of us,” Luke said, smiling nervously. “Ms. Brown, this is my fiancée, Quinn Mallorie.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, stepping forward and shaking my hand firmly.

“Nice to meet you, too,” I said, clutching my sweater closed. “I’m sorry, if I’d known you were coming, I’d have put on some better clothes.”

“No need to apologize; that is why we call it a surprise inspection,” she smiled. “Like I told your fiancé, we like people to be thrown off guard a bit, not standing and waiting for us like the Cleavers. This is actually a very nice scene to walk into; believe me, I’ve had my share of unexpected surprises just showing up at people’s houses.”

“Oh,” I said, dismally, scrunching my nose. “Well, I’m glad to report you won’t find anything much more interesting than me in my pajamas. That’s about as shocking as we get.”

“That, my dear, is a good thing,” she said, winking at me and walking past into the kitchen.

I glanced over at Luke, who walked up to the breakfast bar and took a seat, winking at me. I could feel my cheeks begin to blush, and I turned back to the official, watching her look around and take notes on her clipboard. I walked over and pulled a mug from the cabinet and held it up.

“Can I offer you some coffee?”

“Oh, no thank you,” she said, with a smile.

I smiled and put the mug back in the cabinet and picked up Luke’s breakfast. I walked around the counter and set the plate down in front of him and slid his coffee across to his spot. He smiled at me and picked up his fork as I leaned over and kissed him on top of the head, trying to ignore the fact that we were being watched. It was a very strange feeling. As I moved to walk away, Luke grabbed my wrist and pulled me back over to him, reaching his head up and giving me a proper kiss. My heart fluttered at the feeling of his lips on mine, and I smiled as he pulled back, looking deep into my eyes. I didn’t know whether that was real or for show, but I liked it.

While Luke sat at the table eating his eggs, I stood beside him sipping my coffee and trying not to stare at Ms. Brown. She was looking around the kitchen and taking notes as she went, her face completely straight with no emotion. When she was done, she walked over to the counter and flipped the sheet on the clipboard.

“Just a few questions here,” she said, with a smile. “How often is Jake here??

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