Page 32 of The Fiancé Hoax

Cooper glanced at me, then down at the girls. “Hey.” He leaned back to look at Lily. “Who says we can’t still go to the arcade?”

Lily blinked, pushing the hair out of her face.

“You’ll take us?” Eva looked hopeful.

“Of course,” Cooper said. “And maybe Felicity would like to go, too?”

Eva and Lily both looked at me, their blue eyes big and innocent.

“Oh, thank you, but I don’t want to intrude,” I said.

“It’s no intrusion,” Cooper said.

“Please?” Eva asked.

Lily looked at me hopefully.

“Okay.” I grinned. “I’d love to.”

9

COOPER

After several hours at the arcade, the girls were half asleep. Including Felicity.

I parked in the garage and we entered the house through the kitchen. I carried a drowsy Lily in one arm and the large teddy bear Eva had won in the other. Eva and Felicity followed me, yawning as they walked.

“Do you need help getting the girls upstairs?” Felicity asked sleepily.

“No, I got it.” I laughed. “You’re dead on your feet anyway.”

She steadied herself on the counter. “I had no idea how much energy you need to keep up with little girls.”

“Especially these two.”

Felicity smiled at Eva, whose eyelids were so droopy she could barely keep them up. Eva and Lily had begged to eat dinner at the arcade. We had cheeseburgers, and after we ate, the excitement of the day caught up with them.

“I think I’ll go rest on the couch for a minute,” Felicity said.

“Good idea. Come on, Eva.”

Upstairs, I helped the girls get ready for bed. Lily woke up enough to change into her pajamas and brush her teeth beside her sister.

“Okay, girls, let’s get you tucked in. You’ve got school tomorrow, remember?”

“Will Felicity be here tomorrow?” Lily asked.

“Yes,” I said. “She has to go to work like I do, but you’ll see her in the evening.”

“Can Felicity read to us tonight?” Eva propped her teddy bear on her nightstand before she climbed into bed.

“Maybe another time,” I said. “She’s pretty tired. And she’s getting used to being here.”

“I’m glad she’s here,” Lily said. She snuggled with her new stuffed animal in her own bed. She had won a stuffed rabbit with her tickets—and some help from Felicity and me.

I smiled. “Me, too. Ready for your story?”

“Yes,” they said in unison.