Read Online Clara in America (Clara Andrews Series - Book 7) by Lacey London - Free Book Online Page B

Noah, who has replaced his tears with cries of joy.
    Deciding to make a swift exit and escape into the gift shop, I take the pram by the handles and attempt to squeeze through the crowd. Just as I am pushing my way inside, I feel a tiny tap on my shoulder.
    ‘Excuse me, ma’am?’
    Spinning around to see an elderly gentleman who is inanely grinning from ear to ear, I return his smile and shield my eyes from the sunshine.
    ‘You dropped these…’
    Looking down at his open palm, my jaw drops to the floor as I realise that he is holding out a giant pack of strawberry flavoured condoms. My cheeks burn like hot lava as I snatch the box out of his hands and throw it under the pram. Not daring to look him in the eye for fear of dying of embarrassment, I turn on my heels and scurry inside. Thankfully Noah is too busy devouring his ice-cream to notice the X-rated package that is now hiding beneath his nappy bag. What the hell is Janie doing with a jumbo pack of prophylactics? She is most certainly past childbearing age and her husband is over a thousand miles away in Texas! Feeling rather nauseated at the thought of my mother-in-law doing anything that could cause a need for condoms, I strategically stand beneath the air conditioning and wait for my face to return to its normal shade.
    Once confident that I’m not going to spontaneously combust, I slip the offending box into Janie’s handbag and make my way back to the bench. In a stroke of luck, anyone who witnessed my handbag incident seems to have disappeared and in their place are a bunch of new faces. A cart whizzes past on the tracks overhead, causing the waiting crowd to erupt into cheers. Suddenly remembering that I promised to take photos, I grab my camera and snap away idly. Just as I’m about to slip my camera back into my bag, a second cart fires along. Oh, maybe they’re on that one? Quickly getting a picture of that one too, I perch on the bench and keep my eyes fixed on the exit. They are so high up that they won’t be able to tell either way, hopefully.
    A moment later I spot Janie’s familiar beehive bobbing around in the crowd and raise my hand in acknowledgement. Her tattooed on eyebrows are arched higher than ever as she holds onto Oliver’s arm for dear life. It looks like someone isn’t so brave after all. Oliver on the other hand is beaming from ear to ear, his curls blown back from being thrown around like a ragdoll.
    ‘Did you get a picture?’ He asks, reaching out for the camera.
    ‘Mmm hmm…’ Handing it over, I point to the tiny specs in the corner of the screen. ‘There you are.’
    Taking off his sunglasses, he squints at the camera unconvinced before breaking into laughter. ‘It was awesome! Mom nearly passed out!’
    ‘I most certainly did not!’ Janie fires back, seeming a little unsteady on her feet. ‘Is there anywhere to get a drink around here?’
    ‘Need a little something to settle your nerves?’ Oliver teases, strategically placing himself out of Janie’s reach.
    Hitting him on the arm, I hand him Noah’s pram before pulling Janie to one side.
    ‘Here’s your handbag. I borrowed some money to buy Noah an ice-cream, I hope you don’t mind.’ Watching her reaction, I hand over the fluffy bag and wait for a response.
    ‘Not at all.’ Slipping the handbag onto her shoulder, she drops down the straps on her swimsuit and carries on walking.
    Not being able to bring myself to mention the Hefner worthy stash of condoms, I chew the inside of my cheek and follow her lead. Just when I thought that nothing Janie did could surprise me, she goes and does something like this. Not that she intended for me to go rifling through her handbag and discovering her berry flavoured birth control, obviously.
    Narrowly avoiding a sundae disaster, I take the remnants of Noah’s ice-cream and dispose of it in a nearby bin. I am now left with one very sticky, but very happy baby. Result. Sticking my tongue out at him, I rest my arms on the