The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

            “Oh, is everything okay?”

            He looked genuinely concerned, and she was a bit bummed that she’d gotten the ick. Because he was attractive, successful, and friendly—a perfect catch for so many people. He should’ve been the perfect catch for her, but no, he had to care too much about his dogs.

            Which she didn’t even know could happen.

            Was she a monster?

            “Oh, it’s fine, my mother is just—”

            The hostess showed up at the table and said, “Excuse me, are you Hallie Piper?”

            “Yes . . . ?” Hallie glanced at Stephen, then back at the hostess.

            “Your mother called, and she said to tell you that your ‘Auntie Helen is at it again, and you need to meet them in ten minutes if there’s any shot of stopping her from making the hugest mistake of her life.’ ”

            Hallie swallowed. “What?”

            “Is this what your mother was texting you about?” Stephen asked.

            “Huh?” Hallie looked at Stephen.

            “In the bathroom,” Stephen said, as if he was waiting for her to catch up. “You said it was a whole thing . . . ?”

            “Oh.” She blinked and tried thinking through what was happening. She’d made up a lie about texting her mom, but now Jack’s plan was . . . involving her mom . . . ? Hallie nodded and said, “Yeah, this is that. That whole thing. Um, I thought she was over it, but clearly she still thinks my aunt needs help.”

            Hallie rolled her eyes and shook her head as if she found the entire thing exhausting.

            “Do you need to go meet them?” he asked.

            “I probably should,” Hallie said. “I mean, we’re already finished with dinner, so we’re almost done anyway, right?”

            Stephen looked like he was trying to figure out if she was crapping out on the date or if she was legitimately in possession of a wacko aunt and overbearing mother. He nodded. “Yes. Yes, you should totally go.”

            She gathered her purse before they exchanged the little I’ll call you goodbye that almost never resulted in an actual call. She said, “Thank you so much for tonight, Stephen.”

            “Anytime,” he said, and then she waved and was virtually running out the front door.

            She ordered a margarita at the Taco Hut bar, then walked straight out to the back patio. Somehow she just knew Jack would be out there, and she was right. He was leaning back in a chair with a lowball of tequila in his hand, smirking as he watched her approach.

            The way he was looking at her might’ve seemed like something at one time, but now she was convinced Jack was right, that it was just the normal chemistry that existed between two people who’d previously had sex.

            “Well, that was the weirdest escape call in the history of dating,” Hallie said.

            “That’s what makes it genius,” Jack said, kicking out the chair across from him at the table so she could sit on it. “You make it so batshit confusing that the other person has no choice but to say, ‘You should go.’ ”

            “I don’t know if I’d call it genius, but it’s certainly entertaining,” Hallie said as she plopped down in her seat and took a sip of her drink. “I know we just ate, but I kind of want a taco.”

            “Already ordered you one.”

            “You did?”

            “Chicken taco with cheese on the bottom,” he said.

            She almost choked as she laughed and swallowed at the same time. “You remembered!”

            “I mean, what’s the point of cold, hard cheese?”

            It was impossible not to grin at Jack as he sat there being thoughtful, smug, and absolutely adorable. “You’ve never sounded smarter, Marshall.”

            He tipped his glass. “Why, thank you, Piper.”