Page 87 of The Purest Fake

“She sounds like a saint,” Scarlett says, winking. “And, yes, for those wondering, Cooper and I are a couple. How do you think I got him on my show?” she jokes.

“Scarlett really is a saint for putting up with me the other night.”

“Aww, you weren’t bad. In your shoes, I’d have reacted much worse.”

“Getting injured sucks,” Jesse says.

“Unfortunately, it goes with the territory—no reward comes without risk,” Wyatt adds.

The rest of the podcast passes too quickly, and I’m sad to see it end. Scarlett removes her headphones and stands. “That was awesome. You guys did great.”

I rise to my feet. “That was fun.”

Wyatt pushes up from the chair. “Thanks for having us.”

Scarlett moves around to join us on the other side of her desk. “Are you kidding? I’m so glad you had time to fit me in.”

Wyatt steps in, hugging her. “We’ll always make time for you, kiddo.”

When they part, Jesse gets up, moving over for his turn to embrace her.

What the hell is going on here? Why did Wyatt call her kiddo?

CHAPTER 24

SCARLETT

Inotice the questioning glint in Cooper’s eyes as he watches me say my goodbyes to Wyatt and Jesse. And then they turn to him, each shaking hands once more.

“We’ll be back in town in the spring for an event if you’d like to come,” Jesse says.

“Absolutely, that would be amazing,” Cooper agrees.

Once they’re gone, he turns to me. “Why do I get the feeling you’ve known them for a long time?”

I laugh. “Because I have. Wyatt is a second cousin of mine.”

“For real?”

“Yep.”

“Is he the reason you became such a big wrestling fan?”

“Mhmm. It’s pretty cool watching a family member on TV every week.”

“I bet. Well, I can’t believe I got to meet them,” I say, drawing her into my arms. “This was the best surprise ever.”

“I was hoping you’d think so. I figured with you on a forced break, it was the perfect opportunity to set this up with them since they’re in town for an event.”

He tilts his head down, claiming my lips with his. My mouth eagerly parts, allowing his tongue to slip inside. A throat clears behind us.

“Sorry, Tommy,” I say sheepishly, stepping out of Cooper’s arms. I grab my bag from the floor and place my headphones inside. “Let’s get out of here, Coop.”

“Sounds good to me.” He follows me out the door and down the hallway to the main entrance. The sun is still out when we step outside and the temperature is cooler than average for this time of year. In my jeans and sweater, I’m perfectly comfortable.

“What are your plans now?” he asks.

I tug my keys from the front pocket of my bag. “I don’t have any. I was going home to do some laundry.”

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