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The Truth

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I go back to sipping the last of my

wine, prepping for the next round of
light banter and sibling shots, but
Ace suddenly seems nervous. He
lowers his voice so Harper can’t hear
as he asks, “Are you sure you don’t
mind covering for me this weekend?
It’s a big ask, I know.”
“Well, if you really want to trust your
successful and somewhat bougie
doggie daycare business, with a long
list of clients who schedule time for
their pampered pooches to come
play, to my hands, who am I to
disagree?” I ask, feigning concern for
my own abilities. Honestly, I am a
little nervous. I don’t usually spend a
lot of time with dogs, besides Kevin,
and I don’t want to fuck this up for
Ace. But then again, the only way I’d
fuck up is by over spoiling the dogs.
He presses his lips together, seeming
on the verge of changing his mind,
and I rush to reassure him.
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“Ace, you’re going out of town for

two days, and I only have to cover
Saturday for like seven hours. I think
I’ll manage. It’s not like you’re
leaving me with children to be
responsible for.”
Ace looks stricken. “These are
children! Of the four-legged variety,
but to their owners, these are their
babies.”
I lift a wry brow, glancing down at
Kevin who is treated like a baby in
Ace’s hands. “I know, Ace. We’ve
covered this. If I can handle you,
supervise the staff at my job—hell,
considering I’ve managed to keep
Elle out of jail her entire life—I think
I can manage a few hours of cuddles
and playing fetch.”
We both know the biggie of those
accomplishments is keeping my BFF,
Elle, safe and sound. She was always
a bit of a wild child, though I admit I
was a big reason for that. We played
at daring each other to do crazy
things for years and mostly managed
to avoid trouble. Of the legal variety,
at least.
She’s settled down quite a bit now
that she’s married and a mother.
And living in London, on the other
side of the world from me.
I miss her, of course, but one
advantage of her lifestyle now is that
she’s able to fly ‘home’ at least three
or four times a year, and we always
have at least one girls’ day reserved
for her visits. Plus, we Zoom
frequently.
Ace seems placated, but I’m sure
he’ll have a list of doggie clients,
their human parents, and their
favorite toys and treats prepared for
me. I don’t blame him. I’d do the
same thing if he were showing up at
my job. I guess the detail-oriented,
control freak, hard-ass gene runs
through both of us.
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I smile, knowing I’ve reassured him

for now. I want him to be able to
enjoy himself. He and Harper both
deserve it. “I think the real question
is, are you ready for this weekend?”
Ace’s head whips around so fast, I’m
afraid he’ll end up in a neck brace.
But he doesn’t seem to feel any pain
when his eyes land on Harper, who’s
humming to herself as she does the
dishes. He smiles dreamily, his voice
dropping. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
I gawk, trying my best to not spoil
things for him. Publicly, it’s just a
weekend away for the two of them.
A rare event, to be sure, but I didn’t
realize that the true reason is a
surprise. “She doesn’t know, does
she?” I whisper, my eyes wide.
He shakes his head. “I only told you
because I needed someone to hold
down the fort. She has no idea, and
I want to keep it that way.” He
pinches my lips together to keep me
from saying anything else that might
tip Harper off.
Elle will always be my best friend, no
matter how many miles or time
zones separate us. But I like Harper
a lot and enjoy spending time with
her. Mostly, I love the way she
makes my brother so happy,
especially after She-Who-Will-Not-
Be-Named nearly destroyed him. I
can’t wait for Harper to be his bride
and my sister-in-law.
“Have you talked to Mom and Dad?”
Ace nods. “Yeah, Harper’s too. They
all gave their blessing, and Harper’s
mom is super excited. I just hope
she can keep quiet for a few more
days.”
I don’t know Harper’s parents, but
our parents are not easily won over.
They are hard-working people
who’ve earned everything they’ve
ever received, and though their
hearts are big and filled with
kindness, they’re protective of Ace
and me.
But anyone can see that Harper is
perfect for Ace, so I’m not surprised
they’re on board with Ace’s plan.
“Look, you know how I feel. I’m so
happy for you,” I tell him earnestly.
“As for Harper, I guess if she’s
decided you’re good enough, I’ll
support her idiocy,” I tease with a
sad shake of my head.