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“She’s having an affair with Steve Tucker and she’s pregnant. Doesn’t know if it’s his or her husband’s.”
My jaw drops. “Nancy Claiborne? The pearl-clutcher?” She balked at the erotic romance book Sam and I were discussing at mom group one day, officially dubbing herself the “pearl-clutcher” to Sam and me henceforth.
“One and the same. Can you even imagine her sexy times with her own husband, let alone with Tucker?”
I giggle, finally letting that interview roll off me as I shift my focus elsewhere. “To be a fly on the wall. How does something like that even start? Who approaches who in that situation?”
“I can just see Tucker in that sweater vest walking up to ol’ Nance and offering to maim her on the slide at the park.”
“Maim?” I ask, a look of horror crossing my face. “Do you mean…” I shrug, censoring my words the same way she is.
“Sex,” she whispers. “Not actual maiming.”
“Either way, I literally will never look at the slide at the park the same way ever again for the rest of my life,” I mutter, pulling a face at her.
Debbie comes by with everyone’s drinks, and as the boys start sipping their Sprite and Sam sips her wine, she glances toward the door.
“Oh shit. Speak of the devil.”
I follow her gaze, and I spot Jack Dalton as he talks to the hostess to find a table. With him are the general manager, the offensive coordinator, the defensive coordinator…and the new head coach.
“Shit,” I whisper. My head whips back to hers immediately as my eyes widen. “What are they doing here?”
“Um, they work across the street, my dear. Today was the first press conference for the new HC. This place is known for having the best wings in town and they pour a nice, tall glass of wine. That’s sort of a dumb question, don’t you think?”
“Shut up,” I hiss at her, and I refuse to turn my head even though I feel eyes on me.
I glance over at Jonah, expecting him to be engrossed in his video, but instead he’s staring at the men who just walked in.
“That’s Jack Dalton,” he breathes, clearly in awe seeing one of his heroes in the flesh. Again. They’ve actually met on a few different occasions given both my position and my father’s history with the league. Cade, however, hasn’t had the chance just yet and I know, I just know, I’m not escaping this place without making the introductions.
“Mom, you have to introduce Cade!” he says.
“And Cade’s mother,” Sam interjects as she pokes me in the ribs, and I bat her hand away.
“Let’s just let them enjoy their meal,” I suggest, still not turning to look at the men who just walked in.
I watch my son, though, and I see his eyes growing wider, which means they’re walking in this direction.
“Hi!” Jonah says, and I feel a presence stop at the head of our table.
I force my head over to Jack, ignoring the rest of the men with him.
“Jonah, so great to see you again,” Jack says to him, and Jonah is positively glowing that the JD5 remembers who he is. “And Jolene, always a pleasure, though I feel like we’ve spent most of the day together.”
I laugh a high-pitched laugh that sounds wholly unnatural and a little feral, and Sam is patiently waiting for her introduction.
“This is my friend Sam and her son Cade,” I say to Jack, still carefully keeping my gaze on his face even though it takes literally every ounce of my own self-control not to glance over at Lincoln.
I feel his eyes on me. I feel him willing me to look at him.
I won’t. I can’t.
I can nearly smell him from here, a comforting wood and spicy bergamot cologne that always smelled so fresh and invigorating to me, and it dredges up too many memories.
Way too many.
“Everyone, you know Jolene. This is her son Jonah and their friends, Sam and Cade,” Jack says, and there we have it.
