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She smiled his way. “If this doesn’t work, then the secret is safe with me.”
He glared. “What’s your plan?”
Raine gave it some thought. “Can you track her down, find out what skank bar she’s likely to be in tonight? I’m going to go put myself together.”
“You look fine.” River frowned.
“But do I look pregnant?”
Neither said anything for a moment as they scanned her figure. Finally, Seth answered, “A little. You’ve got a tiny bump that didn’t use to be there.”
“A little isn’t going to cut it. I’ll be back.”
Raine helped herself to the bathroom in her old room. Thankfully, Hammer had left the place intact, despite remodeling so many of the others. She was also grateful that she had left behind a few cosmetics and hair implements to freshen up after working…or playing. Bryn taking her shopping and insisting on buying her a maternity dress earlier today had been serendipitous—or her own brand of thinking ahead.
Thirty minutes later, she stepped back into Hammer’s office. River and Seth both dropped their jaws.
“Do I look pregnant now?” she asked, gazing down at the high-waisted red dress as she smoothed a hand over her belly.
“Yeah,” they both answered.
She tossed her freshly curled hair and lifted her red-painted lips. “Did you find her?”
Seth hesitated, like he’d decided this was a bad idea after all. “What if I said no?”
“I’d look for her myself.”
He groaned. “Why can’t you be less persistent?”
“Because that’s not going to get the job done.” She grabbed his arm. “Let’s go.”
It only took fifteen minutes to reach the happy hour of Marlie’s choice.
Just outside the door, Seth and River planted themselves, looking inside through picture windows. The place didn’t look crowded yet; it was early. People were just getting off work. But she spotted the leggy blonde in a green hooker dress she would probably say matched her eyes, sipping a glass of wine.
“You can keep an eye on things from here, right?” Raine asked.
Seth hedged. “We should go in with you.”
“No. You two would distract her. She’d flirt with you and ignore me. Stay here.”
“I don’t love this.” Seth looked pissed. “But I get your point.”
“If you need an exit strategy, there’s a back door through that employee entrance to the kitchen at the far end of the room,” River pointed out.
Marlie was a skank, not a terrorist. But Raine found the guys amusing. “Got it. I’ll be in and out in five minutes.”
Raine headed for the door, but River pulled her back. “Do you know what you’re going to say?”
“Not exactly, but I have a plan.”
“That’s scary,” Seth muttered.
“I heard that.” She laughed as she walked inside.
“Be careful,” they both murmured.
She nodded. But the minute the door closed behind her, shit got real. Raine dragged in a breath. She had to play this smart and cool. She wasn’t nervous about seeing Marlie. But the stakes were high. This one conversation might determine whether or not her new and growing family stayed together.
Stop psyching yourself out.
Marlie might have more experience with men and life, but under it all, she was motivated by vanity. She was a terrible liar and she was even worse at controlling her emotions. And she’d never see this blindside coming. Raine had no problem exploiting any of that.
Lifting her chin, she headed to the bar with a toss of her hair and a sway of her hips. When she reached the long marble surface, a bartender leaned over as Raine stood on her tiptoes to sit on the stool. Being five feet tall sucked.
“Can I get you something?”
She felt Marlie’s eyes on her and pretended she’d taken no notice of the woman. “Just a club soda with a twist.” She dropped her hand to her belly. “I can’t drink for two, right?”
“Sure thing.” The bartender scurried away.
Then Raine turned and acknowledged Marlie with a roll of her eyes. “Oh, of all people…”
“Why are you here?” The Barbie looked at her as if she were a lower life form, then stared in horror at her belly.
“I’m waiting on some people.”
Marlie tried to frown around her Botox. “You don’t have any friends.”
“Where are yours?” Raine looked around the dim, industrial-chic environment in question.
No one stood near Marlie.
The woman bristled. “I just stopped in for a drink.”
“Alone. Still haven’t found a man who can stand you, huh?”
The bartender set down her soda, and Raine paid the guy, smiling. She tried to ignore her shaking hands.
“I date plenty,” Marlie defended.
Raine cocked her head. “Funny how nobody wants to stay.”
Marlie scowled. “Why am I even talking to you? Go away.”
“I have just as much right to sit here as you do. If you don’t want to deal with me, you go somewhere else.”
“I got here first.”
Raine took a drink and tried not to laugh. “That’s the best you’ve got? Are you five?”
