Her Collateral Bride: A Lesbian Age Gap Romance

purpose, and it was working.

Claire went to the fridge and gathered the ingredients.

Packaged ham, because that would do in a pinch, and it was

the good, expensive kind of ham. Green and yellow peppers.

Firm tomatoes. An onion from the vegetable drawer. The

block of aged cheddar cheese. She set everything back down

on the island and Jenny was there with a jar of corn salsa in

hand.

“This is the best. A good side.”

“If you’re going to smother it with salsa, I won’t bother

making it taste good.”

Jenny grinned. “As if you could stop yourself. I’m sorry.

I’m a salsa and hot sauce person.” She pulled another bottle

from behind her back. Claire made a noise.

“You’re going to ruin it with that.”

“I know. That’s why I kept it hidden from you.”

“Well, this isn’t five-star dining, so eat it however you want.

I won’t command otherwise.”

Jenny let Claire get busy, pulling out a frying pan and firing

it up, chopping up vegetables and cheese and meat. She

dragged out a chair from behind the island and sat down to

watch. Claire’s hands were thoroughly busy when Jenny said

the magical words.

“She seems sad.”

The knife stilled on the cutting board, the pepper pieces half

diced. She didn’t look up. She refused to look up. “Sad how?”

“She just seems…I don’t know. That’s what Snake said.

She’s staying with her grandma and grandpa. She did go

home, and she talked with her dad, but then she left for her

grandparents’ place and she hasn’t gone back.”