Page 77 of Maybe We Can Fake It

I laugh a little at that. “There’s nothing wrong with liking someone, you know. What about you? Don’t you think you’ll ever want to date again?”

She scoffs. “Ew. No. I’m done with that nonsense. You can’t trust anyone these days.”

That sounds like a hard way to live, not trusting anyone. Though I can’t judge her for it after what she went through. Not everyone has a Travis in their life, someone they know they can always trust.

“So you’re okay with being alone forever?” Maybe that’s a shitty thing to ask, but I’m honestly wondering. I hate the idea of being alone.

“Why not?” she says, shrugging. “I prefer my own company to most other people’s.”

“Hey!” I feel like I should be offended by that.

She rolls her eyes. “You’re all right, I guess. In small doses.”

That might not sound anything like a compliment, but believe me, coming from her, it’s a big one. I wind up grinning ear to ear.

“Stop that,” she says. Then she turns to fuss with the stack of brochures for the inn, and I assume I can consider this conversation over.

It’stime.Letthegames begin. I am so ready.

I even remembered to put in a pair of contacts this morning, instead of wearing my glasses. Can’t let anything get in the way of a victory. Not even my daughter.

May and I have been jokingly shit-talking each other for the last couple minutes while we’re waiting on the field for things to get started. Although neither of us is particularly good at it.

While the rest of the festival takes place on the green, the games are held on the football field at the high school. It’s just a quick walk from the green to here, and lots of people will wander over at some point to spectate.

Travis looks like he’d rather be getting a lobotomy than be standing here beside me right now. But I have a feeling he’s going to make a pretty excellent partner, whether he likes it or not. He’s good at basically everything. Let’s hope his skills include silly field-day-type games.

Before I can start psyching him up, Mitch strolls over to us with Delilah strutting along in front of him on a leash. “Who’s ready to watch some people fall on their asses?” he asks, much too loudly.

Elise immediately seems concerned, and Travis turns to give me an unamused look. “I willnotbe falling on my ass.”

“Hopefully not,” I tell him. “But there’s no guarantees. The games have a way of making fools out of everyone.”

He looks even more deeply unamused.

“Wait, you’re doin’ this shit?” Mitch says, whipping his head toward Travis. “I wouldn’t think you’d be caught dead here.”

Travis frowns. “I’m...”

“He’s competing with me,” I jump in. “Saving my ass since my own daughter ditched me.”

May rolls her eyes as I lay on the dramatics, trying to take the focus off Travis.

“Okay, makes sense,” Mitch says. Then he looks pointedly at Elise and Grant before adding, “‘Cause, you know, he’s Brenden’sboyfriendand all.”

I barely hold back my groan, internally smacking myself on the forehead. Wish I could smack Mitch.

“Hey, Grandma, are you ready to play?” May asks, smoothly diverting her grandparents’ attention.

Although I don’t think Grant has even heard anything Mitch said, because he hasn’t taken his wary eyes off Delilah. He’s clearly not used to seeing a chicken walking on a leash, but that’s a weekly occurrence in Mayweather.

But anyway, it’s a relief when Roddy Harkins shouts into his megaphone that the games will begin in two minutes and asks all teams to get in place for the first event. I don’t know how the bar owner got this gig, but he’s been the announcer for the May Games ever since I moved to town. Pretty sure he gets a sick pleasure in narrating everyone’s falls and misfortunes.

Grant hugs May and wishes her and Elise good luck, then wishes me and Travis the same. As the four of us go over to take our places, I watch him hastily distance himself from Mitch, which is definitely for the best.

The egg toss is the first event. (I have a sneaking suspicion this is to ensure a bunch of us get messy early on for the amusement of the spectators.) May and I are next to each other in one line,facing Elise and Travis a few feet away in the other line. Travis still looks a bit like he’s being tortured.

“Come on,” I tell him. “We’ve got this!”

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