Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,41

it’s a curse. “You’re the assistant district attorney, you volunteer for Big Brothers and go above and beyond in that regard. You bought us tickets today, bought the snacks. Already have the car for our fundraiser...”

I break eye contact by glancing over at the kids under the guise of making sure they’re still okay, anything to grab every ounce of willpower to say no to this man.

“Reed?” A woman’s voice rings out through the early spring air and everything in me tells me not to turn in her direction, but I do anyway.

Reed’s gaze leaves me for her, but the full wattage smile that’s usually reserved for me doesn’t grace his face.

“Give me a minute.” He gets up, not bothering to wave the woman over, he heads over to her as though willing her not to get any closer.

“I saw those kids and that woman you’re with and thought to myself, that can’t be Reed.” Her giggle is fake and forces the same reaction in me as a fork against a plate does.

“It’s Henry and his friend from school,” he says to her.

I refuse to feel slighted that he didn’t mention me.

“Oh, Henry.” She coos. “Henry!”

I keep my eyes forward, but Henry and Jade look past me to the woman yelling.

“Who’s that?” Jade asks Henry, her gaze not leaving the woman.

Henry doesn’t smile at first, but he raises his hand to waist level like a teenager does to a parent at school.

“Olive,” the boy says.

“Who is she?”

I love Jade’s persistence. She’s going to do my dirty work without even knowing it.

“Reed’s friend. I think they were boyfriend and girlfriend.”

All my muscles grow rigid and my back straightens.

“They dated?” Jade’s face is contorted in complete disgust.

Despite myself, I feel the same as my daughter.

“I saw them kiss a few times.” Henry shakes his head like he’s eating an insect and tastes something foul.

“Ew,” Jade says.

“Come here, Henry, look how big you’ve gotten!” Olive says.

Henry glances their way again but doesn’t go to Olive.

“Henry!” Reed’s tone of voice is that of a fathers who expects his child to do as he’s told.

The impulse to wrap my arms around the little boy and say ‘he’s mine’ is strong. And not just Henry.

“I’ll be back,” he says with the enthusiasm of a child who’s been told to turn off the video game because it’s time to get to school.

Henry mopes past me and Jade comes over to sit next to me on the bench, her feet dangling. The smell of her watermelon shampoo reminds me she’s what’s most important and the fact that she seems a little upset by the present situation tells me she’s invested, and I haven’t even gone on an official date with him yet. In her mind, she’s probably thinking that we’ll all move in together into some happy, cozy home. Such is the mind of a seven-year-old.

“Are you having fun?” I ask her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and laying the side of my head on the top of hers.

“Yeah. The movie was good. I can’t wait to go on the Ferris wheel.”

The Ferris wheel. I almost forgot.

Henry finishes with his hellos and comes back over and sits next to Jade.

“Do you guys want to go on the Ferris wheel?” I ask. “We’ll let Reed finish talking to his friend.”

“Yeah!” they both exclaim at the same time.

“Okay, Henry go whisper to Reed that we’ll meet him over there when he’s done.”

Yes, I’m sending the boy to do my dirty work. Don’t judge.

“I’ll go with you.” Jade stands and the two of them round the bench. I rise and step far enough away to make a quick getaway. After they tell Reed, we can just head in that direction without him having to introduce me.

“Hold up,” Reed says to the kids with his pointer finger raised, when he sees they’re trying to get his attention.

Olive is rambling on about some mutual acquaintances, divorces, and why anyone in this day in age anyone would commit without a prenup.

“I mean, she had to go to Target to buy her panties and bras.” Olive hasn’t taken a breath let alone give anyone else a chance to speak. She looks over at the kids as they wait patiently. “Sorry, kids. This is adult stuff. Give us a minute?”

Her hair is long and blonde. It’s not a natural shade, but she’s spent a fortune to try to make it look that way. Her eyes are light, but I’m not close enough to tell if