Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,42

they’re blue or green and she’s dressed more for brunch than a walk along the pier with her expensive handbag resting on her forearm.

“My mom is taking us to the Ferris wheel, so meet us over there once you’re done,” Jade interjects, and I fight the proud smile that wants to reveal itself.

“What?” Reed looks over to the bench and then over to where I’m standing. “Give me one second.” He holds out his arm, waving me over.

Olive is still talking as though no one has said a word and for the first time, I wonder who she’s here with. I look farther down the pier and spot a group of uppity looking people asking passersby to take their picture, which they promptly examine and then ask for it to be reshot.

I glance back at Reed who continues to wave me over. “No,” I mouth at him.

He continues on, insistent that I make my way over. I roll my eyes but do as he asks. I approach, and he draws me into their circle with his hand on my back.

“Olive,” he says. When she doesn’t stop talking, he tries again. “Olive,” he says louder and finally she snaps out of her rambling.

“Oh hi, I’m Olive Ashbury.” She holds out her hand and her gaze flicks to Reed’s arm behind my back. “Are you two?” she motions between us with her outstretched hand.

The kids have left by this point, playing tag around our little huddle, using each one of us as shields.

“Not yet, but I’m working on it.”

I stare over at him in disbelief.

“Oh,” Olive says, surprise in all her features.

“I’m Victoria by the way.” I finally hold out my hand and she extends hers back out for me to shake, handing me the tips of her fingers instead of her entire hand. How very royal of her.

“And you’re that one’s mom?” she asks, pointing to Jade who has a hand on either side of Reed and is ducking and weaving from one side to the next, trying to see where Henry is.

“Yep,” I answer, purposely not using yes. Improper and proud.

“You’re so young,” she comments.

“Well, it was great seeing you, Olive. We have to get going.” Reed claps his hands for the kids’ attention and they stop messing around and walk back up the pier.

“Wait,” I call out and they halt.

“Well, kisses.” She presses her cheek to Reeds and kisses the air on either side. Then does the same to me, pausing for a moment to speak low into my ear. “Good luck with him. I thought I snagged a diamond, but I found out he was a cubic zirconia, if you catch my drift.”

She pulls away from me as though she just said a casual goodbye and we watch her for a moment while she strolls back over to her friends.

“You dated her?” I ask.

“Moment of weakness.” He turns me around by my shoulders. “Ferris wheel!” he yells and points.

The two kids cheer and jump.

Her words haunt me as we make our way over to the ride, because I thought I found a diamond once, too.

Chapter Thirteen

The line to wait to get on the Ferris wheel is painfully slow. I guess everyone in Chicago decided to venture out the moment spring set in, desperate to get out of hibernation after a long winter. Jade and I only experienced a few short months of the blustery cold. I’m not sure she’ll be loving the snow as much next year as she did this year. She might have her roots in Chicago, but she’s a Cali girl at heart.

“Want to talk about Olive?” I ask, happy to steer the conversation clear of me and onto some of the baggage it seems Reed has been hiding.

He stares down at me, the sun lighting one side of his handsome face as it peeks out from behind a cloud. “No.”

The kids are in front of us, debating which Ice Age movie is better, paying us no attention.

I knock him with my shoulder. “You know my dirty past, give me some of yours.”

“I don’t know your past.”

“Sure, you do.” I look over at him like he’s crazy.

He shakes his head, the sun playing peekaboo with his face again. “I know you were married. I know you had Jade. I know you got divorced.”

I shrug. “That’s all there is to know.”

He leans forward, his eyes on the kids the entire time. “Bullshit,” he whispers and the hairs on my arms stand straight up.

“You know Pete. I’m