Page 26 of Roundabout

“I have to use the toilet.” Nora sneers in my direction, then Marshall’s.

On her way to the bathroom, she pulls out another cigarette, her lighter already tucked between her thumb and palm.

I wait until the door closes behind her to let my shoulders droop completely. I want to hate her so bad, but I can’t. Not wholly. I have to love at least some part of her, the part that made my girls, because that’ll always be there.

“She knows it’s illegal to smoke indoors in Washington, right?”

“She knows,” I tell Marshall. “She just doesn’t give a shit.”

“I hope she doesn’t set off the smoke detectors.” He runs a hand through his graying hair, reminding me of his son when he’s nervous. “I think it’d be best for everybody if you went ahead without her. You know, go get the girls by yourself.”

His statement lingers in the air until I send it away with a headshake. It’d be easier for Nora, and it’d be easier for me, but it wouldn’t be easier for Brittni and Makya. Not in the long run. I need them to understand that they were not given up, they were chosen by somebody else—somebody who wanted them infinitely more.

“Not for everybody.” I turn for the entrance. “I’ll wait for her outside.”

They’re getting their goodbye.

My first step outside my eyes shut against the overhead sunshine. A crisp draft blows past, tickling my lashes on my cheeks, and I lift my chin in the air, inhaling the distinctly autumn scents of bonfires and hay bales and falling leaves.

The sound of screeching tires has me cracking my eyes open sooner than I was hoping.

Bentlee?

Bentlee parks her lifted Toyota Tundra in the middle of the small parking lot, then she opens the driver’s door. Hopping out, she comes around the tall front end, wearing a pair of tight jeans and hoodie with a vest over it. She’s also holding a grocery bag of some sort. Whatever’s in it, isn’t big. It might even be empty.

“I can’t believe we beat them,” she says.

“Umm.”

Behind Bentlee’s truck, Paige’s Suburban flies into the lot, too. She’s out and meeting us in front of their vehicles before I can even register what’s happening.

Bentlee smiles triumphantly over at her, bragging, “We beat the boys.”

“Of course we did.” Paige snorts, joking, “They’re getting lazy in their old age.”

“Hey! I’m older than all of you.”

“Cougar.” Paige winks at Bentlee, making her blush. For pants, she’s still in scrubs, but has a tee on that says Wife. Mom. Biker. Did she leave from work?

“What are you two doing here?”

“You know how you asked me to take Coty and Jace home from the Fall Fest?”

I nod. I didn’t give Paige a reason and she didn’t ask for one. We all keep spare car seats and boosters in our vehicles in case something comes up. And like I told Coty, something did.

Bentlee says, “Rebel told me why. You ran into the girls?”

“Yeah, they were there that night. That doesn’t explain how you found me here though.”

Bentlee points at Paige, who grimaces as she says, “Ty.”

My shoulders bunch near my ears all over again.

“Tysen knows I’m here?”

“My brother knows you left the shop this morning with no timeline for returning. It was a dead giveaway.”

“Not really. I could’ve been going anywhere.”