Page 71 of Bound

Smitty shrugs. “The team will buy more.”

“Umm,” I mutter.

“Smitty’s met Gran before,” Claire tells me with a small smile. “Or they’ve engaged in verbal shenanigans before.”

I look back to the pair, listen to the banter—or threats of dabber abuse—continuing, but not for long because Claire’s nudging me into a seat and giving me a Cliff’s Notes version of the rules and how to properly use the dabber and what the hell a Four Stamps game is—which is the second game (apparently there’s more than one type of bingo and more than one game?) we’re playing tonight.

“Wait, wait!” Smitty booms halfway through. “Those two are sharing state secrets over there. No cheating.” He narrows his eyes at my woman, earning a glare from me. “Tell me everything you told him.”

Claire sighs and shakes her head. “I was just explaining the rules.”

He makes a Matrix-style come-on-then hand gesture.

Another sigh, but she gives him the rundown—and I don’t miss that the guys snap on their game faces and prepare for battle too.

Raph practices proper dabbing procedure.

Marcel flips through the pages of his bingo card—a misnomer I think because there are six cards on every sheet in the stack.

Smitty focuses, beyond serious as he absorbs every word of Claire’s instructions.

Walker gets his space ready, perfectly laying everything out.

And I’m…I’m watching Claire talk and get everyone comfortable, effortlessly knowing what they need without being pushy (though she seems to ride that line a little with her grandmother, something I get, but something I know she struggles to reel in).

“She’s great, isn’t she?”

I turn to see another older woman, this one with carefully coiffed hair, her mouth curved into a gentle smile. One look and I know instantly who this is.

“June,” I say, extending my hand. “I’m Jackson.”

“Oh, I know,” she replies, shaking my hand with a firm confidence that belies her size.

“How?”

She winks. “Gran”—a nod at the woman, who’s holding court amongst the hockey players now that Claire’s finished with instructions (aside from Cas who, as always, has several tactical follow up questions)—“gave me the scoop. Tall, dark, and handsome who looks at her granddaughter just right? Easy pickings.” A beat. “How did you know I was me amongst all these other senior citizens?”

I grin, flick my gaze down to her sweater, which is covered in corgis—a breed she’s apparently obsessed with.

“Damn,” she says lightly. “I outed myself, huh?”

“Sorry to say it, but yes.”

Someone calls her name, and she sighs. “Duty calls and as much as I’d love to keep chatting, I need to be ready for anything.”

“For cake throws and dabber revolts?”

Her mouth curves. “Exactly.” She touches my shoulder, leans in. “Keep looking at her right, yeah?”

Then she’s gone.

“Oh,” I hear from next to me, turning to see that Claire is done talking with Cas.

“What?”

“I wanted to catch up with Junie before she gets too busy.” She makes a face as she clocks exactly what I have. “Too late, apparently.”

I take her hand, lean in and press a kiss to her temple. “You were wrong.”

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