I was carrying the candles out to the patio when my text alert sounded.
Sarah: Does your phone not work anymore?
Sarah:I talked to Momma. I know you’re alive and well and nannying for two kids with a single mom.
Jace: Then you know I’ve been busy working
After placing the candles on the table, I frowned at where I’d put the spoons next to the plates. Did they belong next to the knife? Or was it the fork? Grabbing a spoon, I switched it with a fork, then switched them back immediately because that didn’t look right, either. Scowling, I backed away from the table.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Polly, about how she lied to me about what she was listening to last week. Watching her lie poorly was admittedly a little cute, which was interesting because I saw her lie to her father not too long ago without so much as a flutter. This week, I’d seen her reading or listening to her earbuds on occasion, but she’d abruptly change the subject as soon as I came into the room. If Polly couldn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth about what she liked to read, could we really last?
Worse, the guilt that accompanied snooping through her e-reader like the world’s weirdest cat burglar, was heavy in my mind.
Another text alert sounded.
Sarah: He lives! Two weeks now and it’s been crickets.
Jace: Was there a question in there?
Sarah: Who are these kids? Who is this single mom you’re working for? Why were you keeping it a secret?
I typed out three different responses to my sister before deleting them one by one. I was driving myself stupid. I should really ask Sarah what to do even though she’d be insufferable about it. My sister had the irritating habit of always being right.
Jace:I need some advice
My phone rang almost instantly.
“What happened?” Sarah whispered urgently, her breath coming out in little huffs like she was walking.
I sat down in a kitchen chair, leaning my elbows on my knees. “I’m seeing someone?—”
“Yes, Mr. Gardner.” Sarah’s assertive voice sounded far away. “I’ll have a copy of those court documents faxed over to you right away.” Another ten seconds passed before she came back on. “If anyone asks, your name is Jeremy, and you work for the public works department in Evanston. You have five minutes. Go.”
“I’m seeing a woman, and I need to tell her something that I’ve done. It’s nothing illegal, but I broke her trust. But if I tell her, I could lose her. Should I tell her? I don’t want any lies between us.”
“What did you do?” Sarah whispered.
I swallowed thickly. “I, uh, don’t want to say.”
“I can’t give you advice if you don’t tell me.”
“I’ve been reading her books.”
“Ok . . .” Sarah sounded confused.
I pushed off my elbows and sat back against the chair, running a hand through my hair. “I’ve been snooping through her e-reader without her knowing so I can read the same books she’s reading.”
“Why wouldn’t you just ask what’s she reading?” Sarah asked, incredulity thick in her voice.
“I get the feeling she wants to keep it private.”
“What kind of books are they, like pirate romance or something?” Sarah chuckled.
I remained quiet.
“Wait.Arethey pirate romances?”
Knowing I was going to regret this, I took a deep breath in, closing my eyes and said, “Not exactly. At least there haven’t been any pirates in the books I’ve read.”
