Mom's gaze went to Drew next. "And Drew, it's so nice to see you again. I'd come give you a hug, but I'm still covered in flour." She lifted her white-dusted hands to show them. "We're a little slow at getting the pizzas in the oven, but lunch should be ready in about twenty minutes. Just make yourself at home."
I dashed to the kitchen, glad for the escape from Drew and the answers I'd have to give him.
I managed to stay busy in the kitchen clear until lunch was ready, just overhearing snippets of Dad and Cason's conversation with Drew. Thankfully, they didn’t seem to be mentioning my name. Was it possible Drew hadn't thought anything of Tayden's innocent assumptions?
Yeah, probably not.
I needed to come up with a good reason for lying to him for the past two weeks.
Once lunch was on the table, Drew sat in the guest-of-honor seat next to Mom. And I purposely sat on the opposite end of the table so he couldn't whisper questions in my ear. I also made sure to keep my left hand in my lap.
Earlier, I’d gone back and forth over whether to wear my fake wedding ring today but had decided against it since my family surely would have asked questions—Lana, for instance, noticed everything. And I knew that if Drew had connected any dots between what Tayden had said, he'd probably be looking at my hand for confirmation as well.
"We're so glad you could come, Drew," Mom said after everyone had settled in. "It's been way too long since you've been over here."
Drew scooted his chair closer to the table. "Yeah, it's been a crazy few years for me."
"I can imagine. Gallivanting around the old neighborhood isn't very convenient when you're building a huge business and flying around the world hoping to find love."
Everyone chuckled.
"And how did that go?" Dad asked, looking over the rim of his glasses as he grabbed a piece of barbecue chicken pizza from the middle of the table. "I assume you're engaged. At least that's how I'm told these shows work."
"That's certainly what the producers hope for," Drew said, giving nothing away.
Mom poked her salad with her fork. "What kind of answer is that? Can't you give us a little information on how everything turned out? We're practically family, you know. Just one little hint?"
"Mom!" I interrupted. "You already know he can't tell you. Don't pull thepractically familycard."
Mom grinned, showing her teeth. "I'm joking. Don't get yourself all worked up."
Drew cleared his throat. "Kate's right that I can't tell you exactly how the show ended, but I can say it was a great experience and I learned a lot."
Everyone continued to catch up for the next twenty minutes or so and I noticed Drew watching my hand as I ate.
He was looking for my ring.