that I’m madly in love
with you. They know me better than that. They’ll see right through it and
worry.”
“So
what do you propose, short of telling them the truth?”
“That
we met, we both see advantages to being married right now, but that it’s not a
real marriage. I want to leave Jen out of it.”
“And
that won’t worry them?” he asked disbelievingly.
“It
might. But less so than me covering for Jen, who seems to have disappeared off
the face of the earth with $300,000 of your dollars, and some guy that nobody
has met.”
“Are
you worried about her?” he asked quietly, realizing that while Emma was angry
at her sister, she was still likely to be concerned if she didn't hear from her
at some point.
“I
am,” she admitted. “I’m sure she’s fine - she’s probably just in hiding for a
while longer, until she’s sure that you’ve found another solution to your
problem. But I’d like to at least hear from her. Just to know that she’s OK.”
“Why
did Jen take the money?” Mason asked shrewdly. “Did she need it?”
Emma
shook her head. “I have no idea. But if she needed money, she could have at
least asked me, even if I didn’t have $300,000 to give. So I’m not sure what
all of this was about. Maybe she just got caught up in the idea of marriage.
Maybe she liked you. Maybe she wanted more than you could give her. I don't
know.”
“Do
you want me to try to find her?” Mason offered.
Emma
looked over Mason's shoulder to some point on the other side of the room. “I
don’t honestly know,” she said quietly. “Part of me screams yes, but another
part says that she’s fine. It’s not like she disappeared without warning. I
knew she was going.”
He
nodded. “So we’ll leave it for a while. If you don’t hear from her in a few
days or weeks, I’ll hire someone to find her. OK?”
Emma
smiled slightly. “Yes. Thanks, Mason.”
“Do
you want to introduce me to your family at some point?”
“Yeah.
Probably. But let me tell them about you first. Gran might have heart
palpitations when I tell her that I married a guy she never had a chance to
interrogate, so I want to prepare her. And that’s best done after she’s had a
few drinks,” Emma added.
“Interrogation?
What kind of interrogation?”
“Mostly
whether you know how to make a good martini,” Emma admitted. “But then she’ll
want to know what you do for a living, whether you plan to give her
great-grandchildren, how you feel about Chaos. My family loves Chaos. He gets
more spoiled when he spends time with my father than he does when I am feeling
guilty and lavishing him with treats.”
“I
don’t like dogs,” Mason reminded her.
Emma
rolled her eyes. “I know. And it’s one of those things that makes me question
your humanity, to be honest.”
He
sighed. “I might as well get this over with. When do you want me to meet the
dog? Tonight?”
“Not
tonight. I’m leaving early tomorrow for San Diego, so I’m taking him over to my
parents’ house tonight. I'm back on Thursday next week. I’ll pick up Chaos on
Friday when I join my parents for dinner. I’ll tell them about you then. So
maybe Saturday next weekend?”
“To
meet your dog or your parents? Which should I dread more, by the way?”
“They
all need to approve of you. But Mom and Dad will approve if Chaos approves, so
that's the big hurdle.”
“So
why do you call him Chaos?”
“Do
you really need to ask?”
“Please
tell me that my home will be safe.”
“I’ll
help you dog-proof it before we move Chaos in.”
“Please
tell me that I won’t completely alienate my neighbors.”
“Can’t
promise you that. But any that you alienate with a dog are neighbors you
probably shouldn’t be hanging out with anyway.”
He
just looked at her. “I don’t exactly ‘hang out’ with my neighbors.”
She
smiled. “I’m not surprised. Your neighborhood doesn’t strike me as the kind of
place that has block parties. Do you
with you. They know me better than that. They’ll see right through it and
worry.”
“So
what do you propose, short of telling them the truth?”
“That
we met, we both see advantages to being married right now, but that it’s not a
real marriage. I want to leave Jen out of it.”
“And
that won’t worry them?” he asked disbelievingly.
“It
might. But less so than me covering for Jen, who seems to have disappeared off
the face of the earth with $300,000 of your dollars, and some guy that nobody
has met.”
“Are
you worried about her?” he asked quietly, realizing that while Emma was angry
at her sister, she was still likely to be concerned if she didn't hear from her
at some point.
“I
am,” she admitted. “I’m sure she’s fine - she’s probably just in hiding for a
while longer, until she’s sure that you’ve found another solution to your
problem. But I’d like to at least hear from her. Just to know that she’s OK.”
“Why
did Jen take the money?” Mason asked shrewdly. “Did she need it?”
Emma
shook her head. “I have no idea. But if she needed money, she could have at
least asked me, even if I didn’t have $300,000 to give. So I’m not sure what
all of this was about. Maybe she just got caught up in the idea of marriage.
Maybe she liked you. Maybe she wanted more than you could give her. I don't
know.”
“Do
you want me to try to find her?” Mason offered.
Emma
looked over Mason's shoulder to some point on the other side of the room. “I
don’t honestly know,” she said quietly. “Part of me screams yes, but another
part says that she’s fine. It’s not like she disappeared without warning. I
knew she was going.”
He
nodded. “So we’ll leave it for a while. If you don’t hear from her in a few
days or weeks, I’ll hire someone to find her. OK?”
Emma
smiled slightly. “Yes. Thanks, Mason.”
“Do
you want to introduce me to your family at some point?”
“Yeah.
Probably. But let me tell them about you first. Gran might have heart
palpitations when I tell her that I married a guy she never had a chance to
interrogate, so I want to prepare her. And that’s best done after she’s had a
few drinks,” Emma added.
“Interrogation?
What kind of interrogation?”
“Mostly
whether you know how to make a good martini,” Emma admitted. “But then she’ll
want to know what you do for a living, whether you plan to give her
great-grandchildren, how you feel about Chaos. My family loves Chaos. He gets
more spoiled when he spends time with my father than he does when I am feeling
guilty and lavishing him with treats.”
“I
don’t like dogs,” Mason reminded her.
Emma
rolled her eyes. “I know. And it’s one of those things that makes me question
your humanity, to be honest.”
He
sighed. “I might as well get this over with. When do you want me to meet the
dog? Tonight?”
“Not
tonight. I’m leaving early tomorrow for San Diego, so I’m taking him over to my
parents’ house tonight. I'm back on Thursday next week. I’ll pick up Chaos on
Friday when I join my parents for dinner. I’ll tell them about you then. So
maybe Saturday next weekend?”
“To
meet your dog or your parents? Which should I dread more, by the way?”
“They
all need to approve of you. But Mom and Dad will approve if Chaos approves, so
that's the big hurdle.”
“So
why do you call him Chaos?”
“Do
you really need to ask?”
“Please
tell me that my home will be safe.”
“I’ll
help you dog-proof it before we move Chaos in.”
“Please
tell me that I won’t completely alienate my neighbors.”
“Can’t
promise you that. But any that you alienate with a dog are neighbors you
probably shouldn’t be hanging out with anyway.”
He
just looked at her. “I don’t exactly ‘hang out’ with my neighbors.”
She
smiled. “I’m not surprised. Your neighborhood doesn’t strike me as the kind of
place that has block parties. Do you
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