Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,43

sure you probably knew all the reasons we should’ve never gotten married before I stepped foot in that church.” I keep my voice low, so Jade won’t overhear.

The sun hides behind another cloud and it not only brings a chill to the air, but to Reed’s face.

He says nothing.

“I’ll take your silence as a yes.”

Not really into finding out exactly how much he knows, I focus my attention back on the kids, pointing and talking about how much we’re going to see. Reed stays behind us, lost in his own thoughts, not living in the moment like he usually is.

An eternity later our turn arrives, and we step into the Ferris wheel car. I drag Jade to my side by her sleeve and wrap my arm around her.

“I was going to sit with Henry,” she whines.

“This way you can both see out the same window.” She stares at Henry across from her and they smile at each other like I’m a genius.

I point out landmark buildings for them and they ask questions like how many people live in Chicago, what happens when you live above the clouds. It’s then I realize that in all the sightseeing we’ve done, I’ve never taken Jade to the Sears Tower.

Yeah, yeah, Willis Tower now, but never to a true Chicagoan.

“Can we go today?” Her eyes light up.

“Next weekend.” Her lips dip and she glances at Henry, the two of them sharing a look like parents are lame.

Reed’s busy on his phone, not even enjoying the ride or taking in the sights. Whatever, he’s not spoiling my day with Jade.

“It’s open, we can shoot over there after this,” Reed says without glancing up from his phone. I guess that’s what he was checking on his phone. Yet another way to hold me hostage.

“Yay!” Jade high fives Henry.

“Then you’ll miss all those other rides.” I point to the swing ride and few others down below us.

“They’ll be time after,” Reed says innocently. Too innocently.

I glare over at a smiling Reed again.

The kids swap seats with us, so they can see the lake and the boats. We talk about the lighthouse and what a lighthouse keeper does. I have to Google a few facts because I’m not the encyclopedia they believe me to be.

Finally, our time comes to a close and the ride stops so we climb out.

“The swings!” Henry says.

I hand them each their tickets and they run over to the ride. Stepping forward to join them in the waiting area, Reed tugs on the sleeve of my jacket.

“Hold up.”

I slow my walk.

“I’m sorry. It’s just...you’re right.” He runs his hand across the back of his neck, looking everywhere but at me.

My stomach bottoms out. What must he think of me?

“I figured.”

“I’m not proud of the fact I knew Pete wasn’t the man for you, but it’s not what you think.”

With my attention fixated on Jade and Henry, I stop at a stand to buy some water. “What is it then?”

Images of a naked stripper laying across a table and Pete plowing into her in the middle of his bachelor party come to my imagination. The embarrassment and shame of being cheated on might be the worst thing to come out of my divorce.

“I never saw him cheat,” Reed says emphatically.

I roll my eyes.

“Swear.” He pulls out his pinky finger.

My eyebrows shoot up. “I do the pinky swear thing with Jade, Reed. I’ll believe you if you say so. Not like it really matters anyway.”

The lie is that it does matter to me for some reason.

Seeming appeased, he hands a twenty over to the cashier and stuffs his hands in his pockets.

“I’ll get it,” I say, grabbing my wallet out of my purse.

“I already did.” He smiles that panty melting one that ignites every nerve in my body.

“So, you never saw him, but…”

He pushes the change into his pocket and we walk forward, I unscrew the cap to the water and down a sip.

“There was a night I had to tell him not to put me in a bad position.”

“He was flirting?” I guess.

I’m not surprised by it. I saw Pete flirt with my own eyes more than once. You’d think he thought I was blind.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it was anything more. They could have just been talking.”

“Pete interested in a woman’s thoughts on things?” I widen my eyes and a smile tips his lips. “Not likely.”

“You’ve got me there.” He pauses, and we watch the kids get on their swings, the attendant double