Page 10 of Maybe We Can Fake It

“It sounds like you’re doing a great job,” Elise says, and I breathe a sigh of relief, even though I have no idea if she really means that. “You’ve taken on so much, gaining ownership. I imagine the place keeps you constantly busy.”

“Yeah, it’s a lot,” I admit. “But I love my job, and I’m good at it.” Hopefully that doesn’t sound too defensive.

“I know you are, dear.”

Was that patronizing?

I take off my glasses for something to fidget with while I wait for whatever she’s going to say next. It feels like there’s abutcoming.

“But I hope you still have enough time for May.”

There it is.

“Of course I do.” With one finger, I spin my glasses in half-circles on top of my desk. Maybe this is why I’ve scratched so many pairs over the years, but this conversation is filling me with a jittery, frantic energy. “She comes first. Always.”

Elise hums in what sounds like agreement. But then—“You do a good job for a single parent. I only wish sometimes that May could have more than one parental figure in her life. She deserves that.”

I accidentally fling my glasses off the desk, and they slide along the floor until they hit the wall. “I—I know,” I manage to croak through my sudden panic. “She deserves everything.”

And her grandparents don’t think I can give her everything. They don’t think I’m enough. This wasn’t a call to check if I was failing at running the inn. It was to check if I was failing as a parent.

“It’s just, with losing her mom...” Elise trails off sadly. “I only wish...”

“I’m seeing someone!” I blurt out, my mouth moving faster than my brain. “It’s pretty serious. We practically live together.”

Holy hell, stop talking.

Elise lets out a delighted, “Oh!” and I cringe. “That’s wonderful! I can’t wait to meet him.”

“I’m sure you will next time you visit.”

Or not.Because either she’ll have forgotten I mentioned a boyfriend by whenever it is that she and Grant deign to come here, or we’ll have conveniently just broken up.What a shame.

“This is perfect,” she says. “Because I was actually calling to let you know Grant was able to move some work obligations around, so we’re coming to see you in three days.”

“Uh...”

“Sorry for the short notice,” she goes on. “We didn’t think we could swing it at first, but then everything sort of fell into place all at once. Isn’t that great?”

Great isn’t the word I’d use for it. There are many, many other adjectives I’d choose before that one, in fact. My mind rapidly cycles through them, with a couple of colorful cuss words thrown in too for good measure.

Besides the fact that their visits tend to put me a bit on edge, this is such a bad time with everything going on at the inn. I’m already on edge! Anymoreon edge, and I will go flying off the edge and crash to the floor.

Like my glasses.Crap, where did they go?

“Brenden?”

“Oh yeah, sounds great!” I lie, lie, lie. “May will be thrilled to see you.”

That last part, at least, is true.

“I can’t wait to see her,” Elise says. “And to meet this man of yours.”

Oh. Shit.

Fucking shit on a cracker.

“He uh…” I start, but then I struggle to find a plausible excuse for why my imaginary boyfriend won’t be able to meet them. He died? No, that doesn’t make sense.Oh!He’ll be out of town. That’s a good one. “He’ll be—”

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