Delilah Green Doesn't Care(Bright Falls #1)(23)

Hence, her request that Josh have their daughter home by nine o’clock that morning.

But nine o’clock came and went.

Where are you? she’d texted him at 9:01.

On it! he’d texted back, but clearly, he wasn’t on it, because when the clock struck nine forty, Claire had to leave or risk being late, and one of the maids of honor could absolutely not be late to a wedding event in Astrid Parker’s world. Claire drove to Josh’s apartment and banged on the door at nine fifty. No one answered, and she was on the verge of a panic attack, because now she not only envisioned that eye twitch Astrid got whenever she was stressed, but her mom brain ran through a million horrifying scenarios, everything from a car accident to Josh kidnapping their daughter and taking off for Canada.

Where the fuck are you? she’d texted when she parked outside of Vivian’s, her hands shaking and tears swelling into her eyes. Maybe the fuck would get his attention. She hardly ever used the word, reserving it for times like this when she fantasized about hacking off a vital part of Josh’s anatomy.

On our way! he texted back. Claire wanted to wrap that happy exclamation point around his neck. Stopped for donuts! And then he’d had the gall to follow that up with a donut emoji and a green heart.

Now, she stood in the middle of Vivian’s extravagant ballroom, marble under her heels, eyes red and puffy, while Delilah Green captured it all on film.

Or maybe not. She hadn’t actually lifted the camera to her face since she’d spotted Claire, but she was standing awfully close while Claire unraveled, looking ridiculously hot in a black silk tank and sleek cream pants that made her already willowy frame even more elegant.

And those tattoos, Jesus. Claire’s eyes snagged on one in particular, lightning bolts and rain droplets falling from a gray cloud into an ocean-filled cup. A storm in a teacup.

She’d barely noticed any specific designs last night. She’d been too busy trying to act like she wasn’t an exhausted mom of an angsty preteen while she hit on Astrid’s estranged stepsister. And that Delilah had clearly known who she was . . . No, she couldn’t think about that right now. She needed to focus her energies on not committing homicide. She looked away from Delilah just as Vivian’s front door burst open behind her, Josh and Ruby spilling inside and laughing.

“Morning, ladies!” Josh called when he spotted them, pulling his aviator sunglasses down his nose, revealing those twinkling eyes.

Iris growled.

“Joshua,” Astrid said, folding her arms and glaring.

“I hear congrats are in order,” he said, but then he held his hands palms up and moved them up and down like a balance scale. “Or condolences to the groom. Either or.”

“Goodbye, Joshua,” Astrid said.

“What, I’m not invited?” he asked, presenting that panty-dropping grin that had gotten Claire into trouble in the first place.

Astrid said something back, because Astrid could never keep her mouth shut once Josh opened his, but Claire ignored them both. If she talked to Josh right now, she’d claw his face off. She’d learned not to engage with him when she was this mad. She always came out feeling like she was overreacting, like she didn’t know how to relax and whatever Josh had done was actually no big deal.

And lately, nothing pissed her off more.

Claire made her way to her daughter and wrapped her in a hug. “Hi, baby.”

“Hey, Mom.” Ruby was dressed in her usual black jeans and black T-shirt, this one featuring Bush’s album cover for Sixteen Stone.

“Have fun?”

“The funnest. We got donuts, and Dad let me have coffee.”

Claire ignored that last part. “Good, I’m glad. Let’s get changed, okay?” She held out the garment bag and smiled brightly.

Ruby took the bag, but her shoulders slumped. “Do I have to?”

“Honey, we talked about this.”

“I know, but . . . the dress itches. And I hate the color. It’s a little kid’s color.”

“It is not. I wear lavender all the time.”

“Yeah, but you’re my mom.”

She said mom like she might’ve said the word scorpion.

Claire forced a smile and took Ruby by the elbow, walking her over to the hallway that led to the bathrooms. “It’s just for today. I promise.”

“Dad said I didn’t have to wear it.”

Claire gritted her teeth. Kill him. Cook him on a spit. “Dad is not in charge right now. And this is for Aunt Astrid, okay? You love Aunt Astrid.”

“If Aunt Astrid really loved me, she’d let me be myself.”

Claire felt the color drain from her face. She could almost hear exactly how Josh would’ve said those words to Ruby, kindly, gently, like it was the most natural thing in the world to simply do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, consequences and other people be damned.

“Ruby, I . . .”

But she didn’t know what to say to that. Didn’t know how to combat it. All her mom wisdom flew right out of her head, and she felt a weight settle on her shoulders, that heavy feeling of being unable to win.

“Can I see it?”

Claire’s head snapped up to see Delilah Green standing about five feet away, leaning against the hall entryway with her head tilted at Ruby.

“See what?” Claire asked.