Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,33

“Why don’t you want to go on a date? The divorce was final two years ago.”

“It’s not the time for all that, Mom. Besides, he’s a lawyer.”

She cringes.

“Second of all, he was the best man at my wedding.” I say it in a voice that implies you’d be crazy not to understand the obvious problem with that.

“It seems to me Pete kept his friends like he did his wife—not happy and not close. You haven’t seen him since what, after Jade was born?”

“Once we left Chicago, I never saw him again. I’m not sure about Pete. It’s not like I was in the know about everything he did while we were married.” My mom nods in understanding while I walk over to the sink and rinse off my plate.

Her hand runs up and down my arm. “Give it another shot. One date isn’t going to hurt anyone. Not every guy out there is a Pete.”

“Says the woman who has been alone since Dad left, what? Nine years ago?”

“It was different with me. You’re young and...” she glances to the archway into the family room. “You have Jade. Pete’s as good of a dad as he was a husband—lousy. You should’ve seen Jade’s eyes when she was talking about Reed. She said he went into the play area and chased them around?”

I giggle thinking about it. “Until the teenage manager kicked him out.”

“See.” She points to my face.

“What?” I straighten my lips.

“You might be able to control those lips, but your eyes are transparent. Always were. And there’s life coming back into them.” She pats my shoulder. “Just think about it, Dove.”

She tries to soften me by using the nickname she used to call me when I was Jade’s age. I place my plate and silverware in the dishwasher, grab my wine glass and head to the family room.

I sit down and Jade slides over on the couch to join me. I snuggle her into me as she laughs at the gameshow on TV.

Just as I’m finally relaxing, my phone dings from my coat pocket. Jade jumps up and races over to the hook where it hangs.

“No, Jade.” I’m not dealing with anything tonight.

“It might be Daddy,” she exclaims, not listening to me. She digs into my pocket, pulls out my cell phone and her lips dip down for a second.

Of course, it’s not him. There’s probably a big case or a tight, twenty-something pussy that needs his attention.

“It’s Reed,” she says, her eyes scanning the text message.

“Jade, give it to me.” I reach forward, able to pull her back by the sleeve of her jammies. She falls into my lap and I grab the phone out of her grasp. “You’re not allowed to read my texts.”

She giggles and squirms until she’s sitting next to me. Leaning over the side of the couch, she tries to whisper to my mom. “He got tickets to a movie.”

“Oh really?” my mom asks, and I don’t dignify either one of them with an annoyed look.

Reed: I mistakenly bought 4 tickets instead of 2 for the Imax this Saturday.

Me: Sucks to be you.

Reed: Henry misses Jade.

Me: He’ll see her tomorrow.

Reed: I miss you?

Reed: Too soon?

Reed: Yeah, too soon. Thought so.

Me: You saw me two days ago.

Reed: Come on. Are you really going to make me beg here?

Me: We went over this on Monday.

Reed: I’m not asking for a date. It’s a playdate for the kids. Yoga pants optional.

I laugh and glance up to see Jade and my mom staring at me.

“Are we going?” Jade asks, trying to peek over my shoulder.

“I have school work.”

My phone buzzes in my hand and I look down again.

Reed: We don’t have to sit next to each other.

Reed: I’ll let you pay.

Me: In that case...

“Please, Mom,” Jade begs next to me.

“One movie isn’t going to hurt,” my mom says while Jade looks on, pleading with her hands in a prayer pose in front of her.

Reed: I guess I’ll find someone else. Maybe Darcie’s available.

Me: Not going to work.

Reed: It was worth a try though.

Me: You’re very persistent.

Reed: My persistence got you to work on time with the best platter of danishes in the city.

He has a point but giving me a ride to work and going on a date with him are two different things.

Me: Fine. We’ll go. As a PLAYDATE. And only if I pay for lunch.

Reed: You sure you aren’t the lawyer?

The reminder of him being a lawyer makes my stomach clench.

Me: We’ll meet you at Navy Pier.

Reed: