“Well, you know how the Lakota Tribe announced yesterday the casino entrance would be on Highway Five?”
“Uh-huh.”
“She was part of the group that bought Fred Nathan’s farm, which butts up against the reservation. That bitch is going to make a mint using Hank’s money. Why he even agreed to alimony, I’ll never know. The woman blackmailed him with the promise of babies for most of their marriage.”
Beth’s stomach dropped.
Her nonexistent womb clenched. Veterans who lost limbs in war reported feeling their phantom limbs decades after it had been blown to bits. Why shouldn’t she feel the uterus she’d lost after her doctor had found a fibroid tumor four months ago?
For the millionth time, she almost told Claire about the outpatient laser surgery, but couldn’t. Saying it out loud would make it real. And after losing the rest of her family already, Beth couldn’t bear to admit she’d lost the future family she hadn’t realized she wanted until it was too late.
“What? I didn’t know he wanted kids.”
“Oh yeah. Mr. Mom, that’s Hank. But don’t tell my mom. She’s on his case enough as it is.” Claire paused as a trio of women walked by. “When he told me that Amanda even faked a pregnancy to keep him from leaving at the end? What a complete bitch. No wonder he’s dating half the county.”
Beth shoved her secret into a dark room in her mind and added one more line to the seemingly endless list of reasons why Hank wasn’t for her. “Wow.”
Fire practically blazed from the ends of Claire’s red hair. “Exactly.” She pivoted, the look on her face the same as the time she’d talked Beth into climbing the fence around the country club’s pool and going skinny dipping with Mike Hanson and Steve Gerke. “You should date Hank.”
“No.”
“Hear me out. You have the same sense of humor. You’re both smart. You’ve had a crush on him for forever.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t give me that look. Of course I know. And, you two could get married so we’d be sisters!”
Stall, Beth. Stall. “Why is it people who are in a relationship suddenly want everyone to join them?”
“Don’t try to change the subject.”
Chalk one up to the best friend bullshit detector. “I don’t want to date Hank.”
“Why not? Give me one good reason.”
“You know why not.”
“Are you talking about what happened between you two a million years ago? Really? Ancient history. Come up with a better reason or I’m breaking out my matchmaking skills.”
Beth gulped, her brain fizzling under the pressure. She wouldn't risk losing Claire and the whole Layton clan, who'd practically adopted her, if a roll in the hay with Hank turned into heartbreak and ugliness. And if it did work out, she'd be forcing him to give up having kids. She wouldn't accept either option.
She latched on to the only part of the truth she could say out loud. “He’s your brother.”
“So?”
“If things went wrong, and you know it would end badly, it could make things awkward between us.”
Claire snaked an arm around Beth’s much higher waist and gave her a quick hug. “Oh, Beth. There’s not a damn thing in this world that could submarine us.”
“Still…”
“Fine. I’ll keep my big mouth shut,” she huffed. “But if I end up with another bitch for a sister-in-law, I will hold it against you forever.”
Hank couldn't look away from Beth’s glossy, red lips. Even from across the living room, the sight of those full lips touching the rim of her wine glass as she sipped the white liquid had him hooked. He needed to get her alone.
“Dude, I think you're drooling. Not cool.” His youngest brother, Chris, held a small mountain of BBQ chips in one hand and sucked the reddish orange powder off the fingers of his other.
“Thanks, Miss Manners, what would I do without you?”
Chris rolled his eyes. “It's Beth. Claire’d kick your ass.”
“What makes you think she'd need to?”