“I actually clean all the time,” I muttered. “I’m just not very good about putting things away.”
“Lizzy can help me.”
“She just had a baby!”
“Then I’ll recruit Bailey. Oh, she’s pregnant! Did she tell you?”
Joy inflated my lungs at the same time that crushing disappointment smothered it. “No, I’ve been on the run.”
“Well, the whole town is talking about it. Don’t worry. They’re still properly excited about your wedding.”
“Fantastic,” I said drolly. “We need them to be excited about a fake wedding.”
“An improper wedding,” Dad cut in.
“I don’t suppose Rob knows what he’s going to do out here.”
“What?” I asked, completely confused.
“Well, you said he was in security. There’s not much need for that out here. Everyone already has security.”
In the form of guns, but I didn’t bother explaining that wasn’t exactly what he did.
“I don’t know. He’s some computer expert.”
“Perfect! I’ll talk to Maverick. He was just telling me they kept having to call someone in from the city to fix their computer issues.”
I couldn’t wait to tell Rob that my mother had found him a job fixing computers in a small town, and he would no longer have to live the exciting life he had now.
He’d be thrilled.
“Mom, how about we hold off on all of this until I actually get out of this alive.”
“You’d be alive if your brothers were with you,” Dad grumbled.
“Again, Dad, you don’t even get along with Michael.”
“Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be better at this.”
I was getting a migraine discussing this with them. “I have to go. Just promise that you won’t do anything until I call you and let you know I’m okay.”
“Of course, dear,” Mom said placatingly, which I knew was a lie. “I’ll just put this on hold for a few days.”
“You’re doing it all anyway, aren’t you?”
“These things take time, honey. I can’t just wait for you to tell me you’re going to be okay.”
“Well, at least you have faith I’ll return home in one piece.”
“That’s the spirit. Call me with his mother’s number. Love you!”
I barely got out an I love you before she hung up the phone. She was probably already on the phone with the bakery to order the wedding cake.
“I really hope she orders chocolate.”
23
ROB