Mother Fluffer (A Billionaire Bad Boys Bonus Novella)(17)

Uh-oh…

“What?” she questioned. “Stan is…Stan’s missing?”

“Yeah,” he answered with uncertainty in his voice. “I’m so sorry, Georgia. But don’t worry, we’ll find him. Lexi and I are getting ready to head over to Thatch’s house now to help search.”

“No…it’s just…” Georgia stopped, her eyes hardening as she scanned my beautiful face. “Wes, Stan is with me. I took a break from the office to grab some lunch.”

“What?” he questioned in disbelief. “Stan is with you?”

“Yeah. He’s right here. Eating the rest of a chicken salad sandwich as we speak,” she updated through gritted teeth and gestured dramatically for me to stop feeding her horse.

“So, everything is okay?” He let out a huge breath of air. “Wow. That’s a relief. God, I felt real fucking bad that I was going to be the one to break the news to you,” he said, but she didn’t really hear him. She was too busy staring daggers into my soul.

I think it’s safe to say the cat is out of the bag…or the horse is out of the barn?

Sneakers. I didn’t have time to come up with quippy sayings, I had to think quick.

Just play it cool, Cass, and remember, you are the prankster queen of cool.

“Yep,” I chimed in quickly before Georgia could start asking questions. “Everything is great.”

“Cassie?” Wes asked in confusion.

“Hey, Wes,” I greeted. “How’s it hanging?”

“What is going on?” he questioned. “Why are you with Georgia? I thought you were working.”

“Yeah,” Georgia said, and her eyes narrowed. “What is going on, Cassie?”

I shrugged. “Oh, you know, not too much… Just eating lunch with Georgia and Stan the Man.” I tried to play it off, but the steam seeping out of Georgia’s eyes told me I wouldn’t be winning any awards for my performance. Goddamn these pregnancy hormones. They were stealing the brain cells I needed to execute pranks.

Georgia quirked a perfectly plucked brow in my direction. “Why does Thatch think my dog is missing?”

“Hmm.” I feigned confusion. “Maybe I forgot to tell him I took him with me?”

“Cassie,” she spat out in irritation.

Uh-oh, Wheorgie is using the mom tone. This might not end well.

“Yeah?”

“Why didn’t you tell Thatch you took Stan?”

I shrugged again. “I guess it just slipped my mind.”

“It just slipped your mind to tell your husband that you left the house with my giant dog? Did he see you take him?”

“I’m not sure,” I lied. “I was in and out, you know. Plus, I think he was busy with Julia and Ace.”

“Did he even know you were there?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Cass, for the love of God, tell me you’re not using my dog to prank Thatch.”

“Well…I can definitely tell you that if you’re okay with it being a teensy bit of a lie.”

Her jaw dropped open wide enough to catch flies. “Oh my God.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Wes muttered from the phone.

Georgia slapped her hands down onto the table with a thud. “Cassie Kelly! You kidnapped my dog?”

“Geez Louise, Wheorgie, calm down,” I whispered in an attempt to avoid a scene in the restaurant. I mean, the last thing we needed was the cops to be called over a pretend canine kidnapping. Well, borrowing. Because let’s face it, Stan wasn’t locked inside of a padded cell at the moment. No, he was currently finishing the last of my potato chips. The man was living the life right now if you asked me. No babies to worry about. No possessive demon cat following him around everywhere. If anything, I’d done Stan a solid.

“Calm down?” she questioned, and her voice grew louder. “Calm down? Are you out of your mind?”

“Yeah…” Wes chimed in. “I think I’m gonna go now. I literally want no part of this. I’m just glad Stan isn’t actually missing. Take the rest of the day off, Georgia. I’ll see you ladies tonight,” he added and quickly ended the call.

She pointed an accusing finger in my direction. “Cassie, start explaining before I lose my shit.”

“Well… I mean, you’re on the right track with the whole prank idea…”

“Jesus Christ in a cherry tree,” she muttered.

“But,” I continued, “in my defense, he deserved it.”

“Deserved it?” Her eyes looked ten seconds away from shooting laser beams straight into my skull. “He deserved you executing a fake kidnapping…with my dog?”