Page 89 of The Fiancé Hoax

This was the worst possible timing with the custody trial two weeks away. How could I tell Cooper when he had so much to worry about already?

If only Lauren was around. I suddenly felt so alone, and I missed my mother more than ever.

I shook my head, trying to push all the uncertainty and fear out of my mind.

As I walked, I noticed it was starting to get dark. Suddenly, I realized I was late getting to Cooper's house.

We had planned to discuss the appearance of the PI. Now Cooper would probably think I was flaking out on him. Or worse, he would be worried about me. And I had left my phone back at Moonstone, so I couldn’t let him know I’d be late.

I turned around and headed toward the store. It took me a while to walk back, and then I had to go inside and grab my purse and laptop. My phone was dead, so I couldn’t text him. By the time I was in my car and driving toward his house, it was almost the girls’ bedtime.

He would be worried, or angry, or both. But if I told him why I was so late, that would be one more thing for him to worry about. And not just a minor worry, either. This was a bombshell.

I would have to wait a few days to tell him this news. I just hoped he would be able to understand when I did.

22

COOPER

The girls were almost as worried about Felicity as I was.

As I got them ready for bed and read their bedtime story, they kept asking where she was and if she was coming back. All I could say was that she was busy with work and she would be home soon.

But after I closed their door and headed downstairs, my mind got carried away.

I texted her yet again, but there was no response.

Damn it. What kind of game was she playing?

She knew how tense I was with the custody trial and this sleazeball following us. And now, he had likely gotten photographic evidence that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring. No doubt Gen's attorney would use it to argue that the engagement was a big ploy to keep custody of my children.

I’d been upset with Felicity on the phone earlier. But I knew taking her ring off at work had been an honest mistake. It was a mistake that could cost us dearly, but she couldn’t put her life on hold for me.

Once the initial shock had worn off, my anger had, too.

I was disappointed and worried out of my mind about the court case, but I wasn't planning to yell at her tonight. What was done was done. Now we just had to focus on damage control.

If only she would come home.

Where the hell was she? The past few weeks, she had arrived home a little later from her store than usual, but she rarely missed dinner with me and the girls. And if she did, she always called to let me know.

She'd never been home this late.

Why the hell wasn't she answering her phone?

I paced back and forth through the living room, glancing out the dark windows and hoping to see her headlights.

What if she had been in an accident? What if she was lying on the side of the road?

If she wasn't home in the next five minutes, I would start making calls. Police, hospitals, whatever it took. It wasn’t like her to disappear without a word.

Despite my initial impression of her as flighty and a little reckless, I had come to know Felicity for the responsible, mature person she was. She'd never go MIA like this. Especially when she knew what we were facing with the custody trial.

Headlights turned into the front driveway, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

I opened the front door and went out to greet her as she emerged from her car.

“Are you okay? I was worried sick about you, Felicity.” I took her laptop bag from her shoulder, and we walked inside the house together.