Page 26 of Double Bucked

“What about you, Claire?” Mary-Kate asks.

“What about me?”

“Are you and James thinking about children?”

I turn to James and call out, “James, what do we think about children?”

James takes out his earbud. “They’re wonderful. Especially when you can hand them back to their owners.”

Violet touches the back of my hand to comfort me. “He’ll change his mind when you’re married.”

I can’t help the grin that tickles my lips. “I certainly hope not.”

My gaze fixes on the nape of James’s neck. I want to draw my fingers through that fine, dark hair.

I don’t want kids, but…I do want this man to bury himself inside me, fist his fingers through my hair, and…

I shift in my seat. I’m leaving a puddle in my underwear at the thought.

“Excuse me,” I say and drop my napkin on the table. I make my way to the restroom. My feet know the way, even if I haven’t been here in years—around the corner, through the narrow hall, to the door marked “Mares.”

As I’m entering, someone is exiting. She wears a large, floppy-rimmed hat and chunky, square sunglasses rimmed with neon green.

“Bonnie?” I ask.

She slides her glasses off her nose to look at me. “Claire?”

I’m flooded with a sudden rush of joy for seeing this woman. Bonnie and I weren’t closer than any of the other women—but right now, she’s not sitting at that Kafka-ian nightmare of a table where I feel like I’m on trial for some imaginary crime, and that fact alone is enough to make me pull her into a hug.

Her pregnant belly nudges between us. I soften my hold.

“I’m sorry about your father,” she says breathlessly.

“Don’t be. He was an ass.” Oh. Okay. That champagne tongue is really kicking in. I back up and rest my hands on her shoulders. “How are you?”

Her face pinches. “I’m a Belleflower Queen. As of last year.”

I squeeze her shoulders. “That’s huge. Congratulations.”

Somewhere inside of me, a little blonde girl is screaming with envy.

Stop, Claire. Just stop it.

“It’s quite the honor.” Her voice is strangely hollow when she says it, though.

I point to the table. “We’re all sitting over there if you want to join us.”

Bonnie tucks her chin. Her straight, dark hair falls around her face. Immediately, she shoves her glasses back on, as though she’s in witness protection. “I can’t. I’m only here to sign Hank up for the polo match this weekend. We’re married.” She flicks the back of her hand dismissively to show a blocky diamond ring. “He loves polo. He’s quite good.”

The hand holding up her ring trembles lightly. “Are you okay?” I ask her.

“Please don’t tell them you saw me.”

“Sure, why?—?”

“Got to go.” She gives me a quick kiss on the side of my face and then hurries off, her flats shuffling as she goes.

How bizarre.

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