Page 63 of No Rings Attached
“Are there any details about your relationship we need to know?” Grace asked, her enthusiasm clear by how she bounced around in her seat. “I’ve always loved acting.”
Wyatt mumbled something under his breath likely about the ninth grade play we’d had to endure with Grace as an extra. She wasnota natural on stage.
“We’re trying to stick as closely as we can to the truth,” I said. “We met at work, felt something for each other, and started dating within six weeks of meeting. It’s been a long distance relationship mostly, with a few quick visits in between.”
“Did you come here for the visits?” Dad asked. He was good at parsing out the small details.
“What do you think?” Ellie looked at me.
“I went to you. That way if anyone in town is asked if they’d seen you before it won’t be strange if they say this visit is the first time.”
“Good thinking.” She held up her hand for a high-five.
I smacked it and grinned at her. We had this in the bag.
“When did we first meet you?” Marc asked.
“Maybe we did a face-to-face call online when Drew came to see me for the first time?”
I nodded. “Definitely. I’d have wanted them to meet you as soon as possible since I was so smitten with you, honeybee.”
She laughed. “You’re sweet and as for that nickname … maybe.”
“Ohh, are you two trying to come up with names for each other? We should make a list and vote on it. Or maybe we can even come up with a cool couple’s name.” Grace’s voice sped up the more excited she became.
“No!” Ellie and I both shouted, then started laughing uncontrollably.
“Drellie,” Ellie giggled.
I scrunched up my nose. “Ell-ew.”
Ellie snorted.
“I feel like there’s a story there.” Mom leaned back in her chair, her gaze switching between us with a tiny knowing smile quirking her lips.
Once we finally were able to control ourselves and quieted down, Ellie leaned in and asked, “So what do you all think I should know about Drew?”
I shook my head. “There’s nothing. You know all the important things already.”
“Now, Drew. I think Ellie deserves to know what she’s getting into.” Wyatt grinned at me from across the table. “Every Halloween from ages six to twelve, Drew dressed up as Dad.”
I groaned, already knowing where this was headed.
“Full business suit—jacket too big, tie dragging on the ground because he wouldn’t let anyone help him, briefcase and everything. He’d go trick-or-treating and insist on organizing his candy by type. Color-coded categories, alphabetical order within each section. He wasthatkid.”
Ellie’s laugh burst out, bright and happy. “Please tell me you have pictures. I bet he looked adorable.”
“Oh, we have pictures,” Wyatt assured her.
“I was preparing for inventory management,” I defended weakly.
“You were eight when you made a spreadsheet for your Snickers-to-Reese’s ratio,” Wyatt countered.
“A spreadsheet?” Ellie looked at me, eyebrows raised. “At eight?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “It seemed logical at the time.”
“Oh, me next!” Grace waved her hand around wildly. “When I was five, Drew would play dress-up with me. I’d put every single piece of Mom’s jewelry on him—necklaces, bracelets, rings, the works.
