My favorite “Baby Mine” cover is by Alison Krauss, and it makes me think of my mother. I vividly remember her singing it to me while I was throwing a tantrum in the middle of the shopping center. Instead of yelling, she started singing, and it’d immediately grabbed my attention. Her voice was so soothing and calming, it snapped me out of my meltdown. I was four or five years old then. Even as a teen, she’d hum the melody whenever I had a bad day at school or was upset about something. There are dozens of other songs I loved too, but this one was always my favorite and still is.
I can’t wait to share it with my baby.
“You okay?” Sophie asks me an hour later when we meet up at a little cafe down the block.
“Yeah, actually. Just feeling a little tired, I guess,” I lie, looking at the menu, unsure what to share about this weekend. Some details I want to keep to myself—hidden in my heart.
After we order, they look at me. “Well?” Maddie finally asks. “Give us the scoop. You haven’t told us anything except that you arrived and weren’t kicked out on your asses.”
Shrugging, I casually say, “They bought it. In fact, they really love Hunter.” It’s the understatement of the year.
Sophie exhales a relieved breath, placing a hand over her heart. “Thank God. I was dying.”
“Of course they did,” Maddie says, playing with the straw in her drink. “What’s not to love, amiright?”
Sophie gives her a side-eye of disapproval.
“Because of his charming personality,” Maddie tries and deflects. “Plus, he’s a project manager, right? So he’s a people person and used to seducing them with his good looks and piercing eyes. Hell, I get pregnant every time I see him.”
I glare at her. “Anyway…”
Sophie chuckles. “So Mom and Dad really liked him, huh?” she asks.
“Yep,” I confirm. “Said they were really happy for me—us—and could see how much we loved each other.”
They both go silent.
“We were acting,” I emphasize before they get any ideas. Before my heart gets any ideas.
Sophie and Maddie glance at each other, and I roll my eyes.
I tell them about the Fourth of July events, how Hunter blended in with everyone, made them believe we were a real couple, and how smoothly it all went. In fact, it not only looked real, it felt real too, but I don’t disclose that part.
“Was the kissing an act too?” Sophie asks me, concern written all over her face.
“You kissed? Like a lot?” Maddie leans closer.
“Well, we had to look convincing as newlyweds,” I remind them. “We practiced a couple of times beforehand so it wasn’t awkward or anything.”
“So like sweet pecks or full-on make-out sessions?” Maddie taunts me by waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
I roll my eyes, lowering my face to hide the blush on my cheeks. Hunter’s kisses are what wet dreams are made of. Thankfully, our lunch arrives, interrupting our conversation. I immediately dig in, needing to fill my stomach before the guilt eats me alive.
“So why don’t you two tell me what you did while I was gone?” I ask. “Fill me in.”
“I nearly murdered my roommates over drinking all the milk and not buying more,” Sophie says with a groan. “I really need to get the hell out of there.”
Maddie and I both give her a look of sadness. “We’ll come up with a game plan,” I tell her. “Have you tried looking in the roommates wanted ads?”
“I just can’t afford to move right now, but as soon as I get the chance, I’m out of there,” Sophie admits, and I understand that more than she knows. I know she has student loans, her car payment, rent, and other bills to pay, which doesn’t leave her a lot of extra to save for situations like this.
Maddie changes the subject. “Oh, so Mason, Liam, and I went to watch Sophie play in the park before the fireworks.”
“Oh right! That was nice they went.” I look at Sophie, wondering if there’s more to the story.
“Mason was intrigued by your strings, that’s for sure,” Maddie taunts around a mouthful of food, then swallows.
“Shut up, Mads,” Sophie hisses, her cheeks turning pink.
“He was. You’re a badass with that violin. Looking all serious up there, and then you start playing, and your whole face lights up. Mason was…entranced, to say the least.” She slowly enunciates her last word, smirking at Sophie, teasing her. What cracks me up the most is they’re so busy giving each other shit about Mason and Liam, they nearly forget about me and Hunter.
“He couldn’t take his eyes off you,” Maddie continues.
“Must’ve been too entranced to actually hold a conversation with me then.” Sophie’s tone makes me snort, and I shake my head.
“Well, the only time he looked away was to dodge all the chicks parading around him,” Maddie explains. “I had to shoo them off more than once. Actually, now that I think about it, he used me as a buffer to ignore them. He put his arm around my shoulders, and I wrapped my arm around his waist as we walked around. No wonder he was being so…friendly. Asshole was using me.”