survive, I needed to play the game. I needed to put on a brave face and work even harder to achieve my dreams.
Because the true and real Victoria was not someone anyone wanted to meet. She was the girl they ran from in elementary school and the one they backstabbed in high school and college.
She was the girl that boys didn’t want to stick around for and the one her parents were never going accept.
She was the girl I’d spent my life hiding, and there was no way I was going to let her out now.
She was buried deep down, and I was going to try with all my might to keep her buried. For good.
She was never going to emerge.
Not if I could help it.
13
Shari
I wanted to linger at Clementine’s studio and brainstorm things we could do to help Victoria, but I needed to get home so I could get ready for my date with Danny.
Butterflies erupted inside of me as I repeated that one word in my mind over and over again.
Date. Date.
I had a date with Danny.
Me. Single mom, divorcée Shari had a date with Magnolia’s most eligible bachelor.
My cheeks flushed as Danny’s face floated into my mind, and despite my efforts, he refused to leave. All I could see were his dark eyes and half smile as I stared at Clementine. She was talking—but I wasn’t registering what she was saying.
“You okay?” Maggie whispered as she leaned closer to me and nudged me with her shoulder.
I startled and glanced in her direction. Her smile was soft as she ran her gaze over me. “Yeah, I’m fine,” I said softly, but a giggle erupted, and I slammed my lips together.
“Did you just giggle?” Maggie asked, this time louder as she moved to face me.
“No.” If I denied it, that meant it didn’t happen, right?
“You totally did. I heard it.”
“Heard what?” Clementine broke away from her conversation with Fiona and moved to stand next to us.
“Nothing.” There was no way I needed Clementine knowing what was happening to me. She would tell Jake, and then either Jake would never let me live it down, or he’d give Danny some strange big-brother lecture.
“It is not nothing. Shari giggled.” Maggie was no help. When I narrowed my eyes in her direction, she just shrugged. “I call it like I see it.”
I sighed as I glanced between Clementine, Fiona, and Maggie.
As much as I wanted Victoria to be here—I suspected that her reaction to Clementine meant something deeper was going on—I was kind of glad she’d stormed off. I was already struggling with telling these women that I was going on a date with Danny—having his older sister here would have only make it that much harder.
“Does it have to do with tonight?” Clementine asked.
I wanted to groan. I’d asked her to babysit. That was my first mistake. But Carol was out of town, and there was no way I wanted to call Danny up and ask him to reschedule because I couldn’t find a babysitter.
I wasn’t ready for him to be that privy to my life.
At least, not yet.
“No,” I lied when I realized that Clementine’s question had piqued everyone’s interest. They were all leaning closer to me as if waiting to hear the answer.
“I think it does.” Maggie glanced between Clem and Fiona. “What do we think? A date?”
“Most definitely a date. Look at how red her ears are getting,” Fiona said as she waved toward my head.
I instantly covered them with my hands. “They are not.”
“And her cheeks. Let’s not forget about her cheeks.”
Now all three women were leaning in closer to me as they inspected my body.
Ready to get the heck out of here, I stepped back and moved to grab my purse, which I’d set on the floor. “If you’re done, I need to get back home—”
“For your date.” Maggie interjected.
I shot her an annoyed look. “No. Unless you call spending time with my kids a date.” I shouldered my purse and headed toward the front door. It felt like miles away with how silent the room was.
“Jake and I will be over at seven to watch your kids for your non-date,” Clementine called after me.
I already had the door open and was stepping outside when I caught what she said. Not wanting another embarrassing reaction to spread so plainly across my face, I waved my hand in her direction and slipped the rest of the way outside.
Now alone, I let out a deep breath and