believe in chocolate. Amy, is
there any way you can talk that husband of yours into sending more
of those delicious European chocolates our way?” She glanced at
Tiffany. “They say chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac.”
“ We’re just friends,
Danielle,” Tiffany told her. “And that’s all we’ll ever
be.”
“ Danielle, please leave her
alone,” Amy said.
“ You two are no fun,”
Danielle muttered but didn’t say anything else about
Tyler.
Tiffany lowered her gaze and reread the
letter. It stated everything simple enough, but it still wasn’t
right. She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong. Was it
because she knew they’d be disappointed?
The door opened, and the first customer
of the day entered. Tiffany quickly put her letter away and
indicated that she’d help him, glad for the much needed
distraction.
***
By the time Tyler opened the door to
his office, it was ten minutes past eight. He was late. He couldn’t
remember a time in his life when he’d ever been late. The whole
Thanksgiving weekend had been a disaster, and apparently, it was
taking him some time to get back to normal.
The wedding had gone smoothly enough,
he supposed, though his ears were still ringing from Zoe singing
her and Brad’s special song. As much as her parents wanted to
believe their daughter could do everything, singing definitely
wasn’t one of her talents. He hoped in the future, she’d confine
all singing to the shower. He put his briefcase on the desk and
plopped in his seat. He had to stop putting Zoe down.
Resting his head against the back of
his chair, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind of it all. He
was back home. Things could get back to normal, though he still
felt bad that Tiffany had to deal with the ramifications of his
lie. He’d have to find a way to make it up to her. He wasn’t sure
how yet, but he would.
A knock at the door made him open his
eyes, and he saw Nathan entering his office, holding a small piece
of paper in his hand. “Don’t tell me I’m paying you to sleep on the
job.”
“ I’m not sleeping,” Tyler
assured him as he straightened up.
“ Carmen was going to give
this to you, but I had to bring it myself.”
“ What is it?”
Nathan handed him the paper. “You got a
message from your mother-in-law.”
“ My what?”
“ That’s what I asked. I
thought for sure Carmen got the ‘in-law’ part wrong since you
aren’t married, but she insists that is how the woman referred to
herself. So,” Nathan sat in the chair in front of him and crossed
his legs, “do you want to adjust your tax withholdings because of
your spouse?”
“ I’m not married,” Tyler
said, already knowing this was going to lead to more questions.
Questions he really didn’t want to answer.
“ And yet Mrs. Clark, your
mother-in-law, asked you to call her back.”
“ She’s not my
mother-in-law.” He winced. “Sort of.”
“ I’ve never heard of a
sort-of-mother-in-law before. Either she is or she isn’t your
mother-in-law.”
“ She isn’t. She just thinks
she is.”
“ What?” Nathan asked, giving
him a look that told him he was going to have to explain
everything, even if Nathan had to bug him needlessly about
it.
“ In a moment of frustration,
I blurted out that Tiffany and I were married in front of the
entire family.” Or most of the family, but Nathan didn’t need to be
bothered with the details.
Nathan sat forward in interest. “Why
did you do that?”
“ The family is crazy.” Tyler
thought of how he could best explain it, but since words eluded
him, he decided to show him. He pulled out his smartphone and
pulled up the picture he’d taken. “Here. The first night we got
there, Tiffany’s mother did this to her bedroom.”
Nathan took it and chuckled. “Her poor
mother just wants to see her happy.”
“ She’s a little too
enthusiastic, though.”
“ Maybe, but Tiffany is
thirty-five. I’m sure her mother wants
there any way you can talk that husband of yours into sending more
of those delicious European chocolates our way?” She glanced at
Tiffany. “They say chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac.”
“ We’re just friends,
Danielle,” Tiffany told her. “And that’s all we’ll ever
be.”
“ Danielle, please leave her
alone,” Amy said.
“ You two are no fun,”
Danielle muttered but didn’t say anything else about
Tyler.
Tiffany lowered her gaze and reread the
letter. It stated everything simple enough, but it still wasn’t
right. She couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong. Was it
because she knew they’d be disappointed?
The door opened, and the first customer
of the day entered. Tiffany quickly put her letter away and
indicated that she’d help him, glad for the much needed
distraction.
***
By the time Tyler opened the door to
his office, it was ten minutes past eight. He was late. He couldn’t
remember a time in his life when he’d ever been late. The whole
Thanksgiving weekend had been a disaster, and apparently, it was
taking him some time to get back to normal.
The wedding had gone smoothly enough,
he supposed, though his ears were still ringing from Zoe singing
her and Brad’s special song. As much as her parents wanted to
believe their daughter could do everything, singing definitely
wasn’t one of her talents. He hoped in the future, she’d confine
all singing to the shower. He put his briefcase on the desk and
plopped in his seat. He had to stop putting Zoe down.
Resting his head against the back of
his chair, he closed his eyes and cleared his mind of it all. He
was back home. Things could get back to normal, though he still
felt bad that Tiffany had to deal with the ramifications of his
lie. He’d have to find a way to make it up to her. He wasn’t sure
how yet, but he would.
A knock at the door made him open his
eyes, and he saw Nathan entering his office, holding a small piece
of paper in his hand. “Don’t tell me I’m paying you to sleep on the
job.”
“ I’m not sleeping,” Tyler
assured him as he straightened up.
“ Carmen was going to give
this to you, but I had to bring it myself.”
“ What is it?”
Nathan handed him the paper. “You got a
message from your mother-in-law.”
“ My what?”
“ That’s what I asked. I
thought for sure Carmen got the ‘in-law’ part wrong since you
aren’t married, but she insists that is how the woman referred to
herself. So,” Nathan sat in the chair in front of him and crossed
his legs, “do you want to adjust your tax withholdings because of
your spouse?”
“ I’m not married,” Tyler
said, already knowing this was going to lead to more questions.
Questions he really didn’t want to answer.
“ And yet Mrs. Clark, your
mother-in-law, asked you to call her back.”
“ She’s not my
mother-in-law.” He winced. “Sort of.”
“ I’ve never heard of a
sort-of-mother-in-law before. Either she is or she isn’t your
mother-in-law.”
“ She isn’t. She just thinks
she is.”
“ What?” Nathan asked, giving
him a look that told him he was going to have to explain
everything, even if Nathan had to bug him needlessly about
it.
“ In a moment of frustration,
I blurted out that Tiffany and I were married in front of the
entire family.” Or most of the family, but Nathan didn’t need to be
bothered with the details.
Nathan sat forward in interest. “Why
did you do that?”
“ The family is crazy.” Tyler
thought of how he could best explain it, but since words eluded
him, he decided to show him. He pulled out his smartphone and
pulled up the picture he’d taken. “Here. The first night we got
there, Tiffany’s mother did this to her bedroom.”
Nathan took it and chuckled. “Her poor
mother just wants to see her happy.”
“ She’s a little too
enthusiastic, though.”
“ Maybe, but Tiffany is
thirty-five. I’m sure her mother wants
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