Page 16 of Piece Of Me

“You pinched her,” Donna repeated, eyes wide.

“I sure did,” Presley replied, face lighting up with a smile. “I pinched her and grabbed her ear like she was a naughty three-year-old. Told her if she ever touched my husband again, I would tell everyone her front teeth were fake and that they had a habit of falling out on occasion. Which I know because I saw it first-hand once when she was tucking into a burrito after a night out at the Sundowner.”

“You don’t say,” Donna murmured. “Did she move?”

“Why she moved so fast she left one of her white espadrilles behind, which I tucked into my bag. It was fun watching her wobble out of church, avoiding everyone because they all wanted to know why she only had one shoe.”

“Fake teeth?” Lacey said, her expression comical.

“As fake as her boobs,” Presley looked horrified. “Not that there’s anything wrong with fake boobs. I know at least three ladies who have them and they’re lovely.”

“Who’s got fake boobs?” Lacey asked, though Presley ignored the question.

“What’s Angel up to these days?” Scarlett wasn’t sure why she cared, and wished she hadn’t asked. The Angel she remembered was a beautiful girl, with long dark hair like silk and big brown eyes. She’d been popular, had been voted most likely to win a beauty pageant or marry a millionaire. Or something like that.

“She’s one of them influencers. You know, the girls that post videos of themselves.” Lacey scooped an apple for herself. “She makes a lot of money from what I hear.”

“She also works for Taz Pullman,” Donna added, tossing her core into a bag. “Her videos are all related to the animals they rescue.”

“I heard she has a thing for him,” Lacey said. “Taz.”

“That’s because she broke up with her last boyfriend just after she started working for him,” Donna said.

“That’s my point.” Lacey sighed and sat back. “She left poor Shane in the dust, though who can blame her? Taz Pullman is so fine, I think he’d be my hall pass.”

“Hall pass?” Presley looked puzzled.

“The one man you can fu—” At Presley’s horrified look, Lacey paused. “The one man you can have relations with and suffer no consequence. A one-time thing. A hall pass.”

“I would never,” Presley replied, indignant.

“You wouldn’t,” Donna said with a giggle. “But we would.” She turned to Scarlett. “What about you? Have you met him?”

Scarlett considered blowing off the question but found herself answering. “A couple of times. He’s pals with Millie and Cal.”

“And?” Lacey asked. “Hall pass?”

“I’m not in a relationship,” she answered lightly. “I don’t need a hall pass.”

“There’s no chance for you and Hank’s father?” Presley asked.

The same old bitterness and hurt punched her in the gut like always, and Scarlett wasn’t sure she would be able to keep it from her voice as she answered, “Nope. He left me somewhere between Ireland and Spain. The last time I tried to get a hold of him, his number was no longer in service, and all his social media had been scrubbed.” She looked down at her boy, asleep and blissfully unaware of the circumstance of his birth. “I don’t even know if his last name is real, because I’ve searched and searched and can’t find him.” She glanced up at the women. “Apparently, he was already married. It was one of two things he forgot to mention.”

“What was the other one?” Lacey asked, watching her closely.

“He couldn’t last longer than ten minutes.”

“What man can?” Donna said laughing.

“I bet Taz Pullman can go all night,” Lacey replied, turning to Scarlett. “You should come out with us to the Sundowner on Friday night. We all get sitters. Our husbands have their Friday night ball game and eventually join us.”

“I don’t know,” Scarlett replied, mulling over the idea.

“Does Hank take a bottle?”

She nodded. “I pump and he’s good with it.”

“Can you get a sitter?” Lacey wasn’t giving up.

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