Best Fake Day Read Free

on to love,” she muttered.
    “Not when it causes pain. You cut it loose,” he said bluntly. Not that he had any experience of love of course. “You always were a dreamer, Izzy.”
    She lifted her head again, determination back in her eyes. “Dad wants to come home. He’s anxious to know when the work will be finished so he can come back. It’s up to me to make it happen.”
    He sighed. “Look around you. This is a huge task.”
    “I know that. I paid for the electricians but I can’t afford any more trades at the moment until I earn some more money.”
    “You can’t do this alone. And why the hell isn’t Ellie helping?”
    “Ellie has her own problems to deal with. The whole world seems to know about those.” She sighed. “Besides she has helped,” she added with her tone defensive. “She recently paid off the money we owed for Dad’s care and the next two months fees. That’s a huge help. I don’t know how we’d have managed otherwise.”
    Interesting , he thought, rubbing his fingers over his jaw as he pondered his next actions. The chair scraped loudly on the bare floor making her flinch as he pushed himself back and rose to his feet. “I’ll make some coffee,” he said, watching her mouth open about to protest and instead turning into a weak nod of agreement. He wasn’t surprised, she looked exhausted.
    He turned to the sink and filled the kettle before flipping the switch on and locating two mugs from the exact same place they’d always been kept in. He placed them on the counter before he spoke. “When did you last see Ellie?” he asked with a calmness he had to will.
    His shoulders tensed as he waited for her response. “Ah...it was three days ago. She made a quick visit. Is this the part where you tell me she’s in lots of trouble?” she asked anxiously. He was quite sure from her responses today that Izzy was completely in the dark about her sister’s plans.
    “Not exactly,” he said, grateful that he had his back to her as he spooned sugar into their mugs. And he didn’t even take sugar. “Do you know where she is?”
    “Wait.”
    He didn’t turn but he sensed tension soar through her body.
    “You’re asking me ? From what Ellie tells me she sees more of you than she does me and Dad. What’s going on? Is she...is she using again?”
    He spun on his heel then. “It’s not that.” Thankfully Ellie’s drug exploration had been brief. The unfortunate loss of her career had been a wake-up call.
    Izzy’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, thank God. Then what?”
    “I need to know where she is, Izzy.”
    “And I need to know why,” she responded equally as forcefully as he had. “When did you last hear from her?”
    He leaned against the back of a chair, gripping the wood until it dug into the heel of his hands. “Two weeks ago.”
    “I don’t hear from her for months usually, so how the hell is that a problem?”
    He paused to take a deep breath. “We’re getting married.”
    Izzy gave a humorless laugh as she squeezed her eyes tightly closed. “Oh God, I’m much more tired than I thought. For a minute there I thought you said you were getting married.” Her shoulders began to shake then as a giggle burst from her lips.
    Jack clenched his jaw. “You heard right.”
    She was silenced for a moment as she peered up at him through widened eyes. Her mouthed twitched at the corners before laughter broke free in earnest.
    “It’s no joke. We’re getting married in two weeks.” Or so he hoped anyway. If not...
    The laughter continued. “But you...and Ellie... Married?” she managed to choke out.
    Jack fought back his impatience as her body shook with unsuppressed humor. At his expense.
    “You didn’t get her pregnant, did you?” she asked.
    “God no,” he ground out. “Let’s just say she got us into a sticky situation and the only way out is to get married.”
    Her hand pressed to her chest as though she were struggling for control. “You don’t mean a marriage of