A Bride After All Read Free Page A

coffee after class was dismissed). “Is that the new way to carry infants? By the ankle?”
    “Susie doesn’t mind,” Claire told her as they fell into step and headed for the front door. “She doesn’t even mind when students smash all her ribs trying to resuscitate her. You will hear the alarm go off if you’re passing by the classroom, though, so don’t let it throw you.”
    “Very little throws me, Claire. Running out of my favorite lipliner. Popping an acrylic nail ten minutes before leaving for some evening event Ted insists we attend. The mere thought of my cosmetic surgeon retiring to Boca. Alarms don’t faze me.”
    Claire laughed, as she knew she was supposed to do. Really, though, she couldn’t help liking Marylou. The woman was rich, pampered and totally upfront about all of it, even poking fun at herself. And she was very sincere about giving of her time and money because she had both, plus a genuine interest in the people around her. What was not to like? Even if she had found herself telling Marylou things—like about her divorce from Steven—when she had always made it a point to keep her private life private.
    Some people just had that knack for getting others to talk about themselves. Marylou Smith-Bitters had it in spades.
    They entered the building together and walked down a hallway crowded with students heading for classrooms.
    “Uh-oh, I seem to have a line at my desk,” Marylou said, sighing. “How about this—Ted is in Palm Springs for some golf outing and I’m alone,with no reason to go home. Are you free to meet me in the cafeteria after class for some caffeine and deadly white sugar?”
    Claire gave a moment’s thought to her small condo and the empty refrigerator in the galley kitchen. “Sure, although I think I’ll stick to my usual caffeine-free soda and a couple slices of pizza. Thanks for asking. See you later.”
    Marylou was looking past her. Busy-busy, that was Marylou. “Good. Great, it’s a date.” She put her hand on Claire’s upper arm and almost pushed her aside. “Excuse me, there’s somebody I want to corral before classes start. See you in the cafeteria.”
    Claire turned around to see Marylou approaching a man she’d seen last week. And last month. And during the spring session. He was the kind of man you didn’t miss, even if you weren’t looking.
    Tall, sandy-haired in that casually mussed style she had always found intriguing—making her palms itch to run her hands through the hair falling onto his forehead and push it back into place while hoping it would fall forward once more so she could do it again.
    He dressed casually, but casual looked good on him. As did his smile, currently aimed at Marylou.
    What didn’t look good on him was the eight-or nine-year-old boy he brought with him every Tuesday and Thursday. She hadn’t seen a wedding ring (because she’d looked), but that didn’t mean anything. Idle curiosity had made her check, nothing more.
    One, she didn’t date. Two, he might be married.Three, men with kids were often looking for a mother for those kids, and she wasn’t interested in being dated for her mommy potential.
    Claire turned and walked toward her classroom, stopping only twice to look back at Marylou and Mr. Casual.
    Not that she was interested.
     
    The food court in the community center was well stocked, but the aroma of pizza was always what got to Claire, so much so that she didn’t even have to place her order anymore. Ruth, the woman who manned the counter, automatically served her two plain slices and fished a bottle of caffeine-free diet soda for her from the cooler.
    Was that good or bad, being so predictable?
    Her purse and briefcase hanging from her shoulder and Susie clasped by the left foot and dangling upside-down, Claire hung onto her tray and stood in the middle of the crowded tables and chairs, looking for Marylou.
    “Claire! Over here!”
    Claire turned toward the sound of Marylou’s voice. Her smile