TMI by Patty Blount

and again she was to pretend to be Nicole’s kid sister, not her daughter. Bailey froze in place. Should she run down and meet her or stay where she was? Her entire routine was now out of step. Nicole smiled brightly and waved, and Bailey instantly knew her mother planned to introduce her to the latest guy.
    This was serious. Like big. Deal. Serious.
    Okay, I can do this. She shot back her own bright grin and a waved. “How was your trip?” she asked, slipping into a new routine—that of the loving daughter.
    â€œBailey, this is John. John, this is my daughter, Bailey.” Nicole’s smile was pretty realistic, and she even slipped an arm around Bailey’s waist, pulling her close. Bailey only just managed to keep her face from registering shock at this major playbook revision.
    John never got out of the car to meet her. That cost him some points in Bailey’s opinion. He leaned over the floor-mounted shifter and shook her hand. He was hot, she supposed, in that soft corporate way she knew her mother found attractive. He gripped her hand longer than necessary, and his eyes did a careful head-to-toe inspection. One look at the gleam in his dark eyes, and she knew exactly what thoughts were circling his brain.
    Perv.
    She tugged her hand out of his grasp and subtly wiped it down her pants.
    After a moment or two of small talk, John reversed out of the driveway and headed down the street. Nicole stared after the car, her expression unreadable.
    â€œSo?” Bailey dropped the act. “How was it really?”
    Nicole dropped her arm from Bailey’s waist. “I don’t know yet. When he found out I live with my parents, he freaked and actually asked me if I was in debt.” They unlocked the front door, called out greetings to Gramps, and walked into the kitchen. “Then he had the nerve to suggest I was only interested in his money.”
    Maybe it wasn’t the only thing that interested her, but money was a big factor in who Nicole dated, though Bailey knew better than to point that out.
    â€œSo I told him about you. He handled unwed teen mom better than gold digger .” Nicole poured coffee into a cup and sat at the kitchen table. “We have another date lined up.” Nicole saw Bailey’s frown. “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy to not have to pretend to be my sister anymore.”
    â€œMom, do you love this guy even a little?”
    Nicole looked at her over the rim of her coffee cup, her blue eyes serious. “Love?” She laughed once. “Bay, love is—oh, hell. I was in love once. Real, gut-twisting, toe-curling love.” She stared into the bottom of her cup and shook her head. “It wasn’t enough.” When she lifted her eyes, Bailey gasped at the heartbreak in them. “I wasn’t enough.” Nicole blurted in an uncharacteristic moment of total honesty. “John’s good for me, Bailey. As long as we like each other, the rest will come.” Nicole stood, drained her cup, and put it in the sink. “See you later. I need to shower.” She waved and went upstairs.
    Ewwww.
    Bailey washed the cup her mother left in Gran’s sparkling sink, her mouth in a tight line. She hated when Nicole performed her act. This was the guy she hoped to spend her life with! Wasn’t love supposed to be exciting and passionate and romantic and fun? Bailey knew that was her fault. Nicole often told her that most of her boyfriends freaked out and took off as soon as they set eyes on Bailey. They didn’t want a kid any more than Nicole did. A pang of guilt halted Bailey’s thoughts, and she reminded herself that at least Nicole tried. Her dad hadn’t even stuck around long enough for that. He’d bailed the second the stick turned blue…or the plus sign appeared…or whatever the tests did seventeen years ago.
    She set the coffee cup in the dish drain to dry and trudged upstairs to her