Page 73 of Fake It Till You Make It

“No can do.”

“I’m just saying… if he continues with his annoying robocall tactics, I will strangle him with his own baby’s umbilical cord and dump his lifeless body in the hospital morgue,” Vali cackled.

“Aw, block his number. I told my mom to do the same.” Amarie sighed, not a care in the world to consider.

“Excuse me, Madam Butterfly, why do you sound like a breathy video vixen celebrating freaky Friday?”

“Well, it is Thursday. Me and my lady parts are basking in the clean mountain air.” August had abandoned the mountain town but had forgotten to pack the morning humidity in the trunk case.

“Is that why I hear tweety birds singing ‘Rock-In Robin’? You and Eli playing ride-the-pony in the great outdoors?”

“I can affirm there are only stallions on the property.” Amarie squealed, slapping a hand over her mouth before she realized no one could hear or see her. The property was fully secluded by the woodland.

“Mari, you are officially in the bowlegged club.”

“Not just legs. Ankles. Toes. I am remade,” she said in her haughtiest imitation, “like Michelle inBecoming.”

Vali hooted, cackling with laughter. “Eli got you out here talking about his bedroom game like he’s the most powerful man in the world. All I can say is amen.”

“Yes. I screamed that a lot, too.”

“What happens next?”

“Eli wants me to move in—permanently. And… and I want to be with him, Vali.”

“So, what are you saying?” Vali trailed off.

“I think it means… this is my new home.”

“Is that what you want? I mean what about the exam, your career? Eli started as a fake-it-till-you-make-it situation, Mari. The bachelor auction will end, you working with Eli every day at the clinic stops at some point. Will you both feel the same when you’re not in each other’s faces every day?”

Amarie sobered as Vali’s questions confronted old doubts and raised new fears. Ever the optimist, she believed she and Eli would find a way to stay together, even if they worked apart.

“I can see myself planting roots here. I have friends, actual real people who include me in their lives. I love—like my job.” She couldn’t say that she loved Eli, even though her mouth almost revealed the inner workings of her mind. Their relationship was in its infancy. Too much too soon could spell disaster. Confessing her undying love after one week in his bed could be considered premature, reckless, but that didn’t stop her heart from galloping off like the cavalry waving the white flag of complete surrender. She wanted everything with Eli.

“I’m happy for you, I really am, that people include you in their life, but—”

“You’re never quiet. Please don’t be sad, Vali.”

“Silence is not sad. But your life is no less important, girlfriend. If you stay, it means I’ll have to drive five hours to see my best friend and her goats. Are they still alive? I mean, I hear they taste like chicken, a country favorite, with a biscuit, right?”

“Oh dear, I hadn’t considered. Billy, Jean, and Diana have grown so much since your visit. At least a pound. It looks good on them. In pygmy goat terms. That question is at the top of my list for Eli today.”

“Ah, okay,” Vali stammered. “Not that I ever had high hopes for Russell, but you sound sure of your soldier boy.”

“I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life, but I amof Eli. I feel like he makes me better, more centered, and grounded. It’s so foreign to me, but it happened here in Service. I need to explore my feelings for him, and the town.”

“I get it. Maybe it is special to Service, but Mari, you’ve always been grounded and centered. Other people tried to force you to make them your center, that’s why it felt twisted. Now that no one is telling you where you belong, what your worth is, who you have to settle for, you can appreciate the fact that you’ve always had the tools you need to chart your own path.”

Vali was right. She had allowed her parents and Russell and all their expectations to dictate her choices. Now for the first time, she was in charge. More importantly, she had the control and confidence to make her own mistakes separate from their judgment. She’d learned since arriving in Service that she could help others without allowing them to abuse her generosity. She was free to build a future, not free of mistakes but free of self-recrimination and doubt. To need help was not the same as being helpless.

“Where is your soldier boy now?”

“He and his brothers are assembling the last vendor booth for the Founder’s Day Festival on Saturday. He packed up our petting zoo, all five kittens plus Hiccup. I’m in charge of dinner tonight.”

“Nice,” she cooed. “I adore a man who doesn’t mind getting sweaty. Are you still planning to announce the winners of the bachelor auction at the festival?”

“Sure am. Eli’s nervous. All three winning bids are anonymous. He felt more comfortable with only the local ladies bidding. We’ve received a ton more visibility since Kitty Kibbles, that Chicago-based cat food company, the one I told you about, reposted one of our videos on their TikTok page. The possibility of dining with a strange woman off the internet raises his withers.”