Page 106 of If I Didn’t Have You

“So, what does this mean?”

“I’m not sure yet. He’s not really in the state of mind, considering what’s happening.”

I understood that.

“Don’t let him back out.”

She sighed heavily, her shoulders sagging with the weight of everything going on. “It was hard enough to convince him to even have a serious conversation with me. But when he finally kissed me…”

Her face flushed as she thought back to that moment. I knew the feeling all too well. At our age, when something like this happened, it was like falling in love all over again. It had been years since romance had truly touched either of us, and now that it was back, trying to hold onto it felt like a monumental task.

One wrong move, and it could all fall apart.

“Okay!” Cassidy called out. “Our book this week…who wants to start?” Then she turned to me. “Clara?”

God, this was embarrassing. “Um…I didn’t have time to read it.”

Again, a round of cheers and catcalls went up, further humiliating me.

“I bet you didn’t!”

I glared at Lila Cross, but there was no heat behind it. I tried to pay attention for the rest of book club, but I was too busy thinking about my own sex life to listen to what happened in a book. I never thought my love life would be more interesting than what was on the page, but now that I had it, reading about it wasn’t nearly as enticing.

By the time we were done, I was ready to get home to Ben, but before I could scramble out the door, I was pulled aside by Lisa Lawson.

“Clara, could I ask a favor of you?”

“Of course.”

She glanced over my shoulder, keeping her voice low. “Could you take care of Ellie? We don’t have the best relationship, and I’m afraid she’s had a bit too much to drink. I don’t think my interference would be accepted.”

I turned, scanning the room until I found her. Stumbling over near the books, she looked like she’d been drinking for half the day instead of the last hour.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you. And please, keep this to yourself.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.”

I skirted around the room, doing my best not to draw attention. Cassidy caught my eye and got everyone’s attention, making an announcement about the next book club.

“Ellie, how about we head out to my house for some coffee?”

She beamed at me, tossing her arm around my shoulder. “Do you have any wine?”

“I think I might,” I smiled, though I didn’t intend on giving her a drop.

We snuck out before anyone could see us, and thankfully, I was parked just outside the bookshop. Once she was tucked in my car, I got out of town and away from prying eyes. The last thing Ellie needed was more gossip spreading about her.

“Are you doing okay over there?”

“Perfect,” she muttered.

Sighing, she rested back against the seat, closing her eyes. I didn’t dare bring her to the house, not when Ben was working with Liam. That meant Bailey’s house was available, but I highly doubted that was the right place to take her, given their history.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure there was any place I could take her on the ranch where she would be comfortable. Then again, we had an empty cabin at the moment. I could bring her there until she cooled down.

I sent a text to Jeff, asking him to leave the key under the mat. With any luck, he’d get there before us and wouldn’t see Ellie in this condition.