Read Online KING: Las Vegas Bad Boys by Frankie Love - Free Book Online Page A

events. He asked if I wanted to go. Not like as his date,” I clarify, “but as his friend.” I wave my hand in the air, hoping it sounds plausible.
    She tilts her head to the side, trying to absorb the information.
    “It’s just for one week,” I explain. “But he leaves tomorrow.”
    “And is your boss okay with you going?
    “Ace is fine with it,” I say, embellishing. “What do you think?”
    “I think it seems a little too good to be true. But you’ve wanted to go there your whole life, Claire.” Mom pats my hand, knowing that so much of my life didn’t turn out how I hoped. “Sophia will be fine with me. You deserve to have fun. To smile. I miss that.”
    Just then Sophia walks in, dressed for the day, with a hairbrush and hair tie in hand. “Was I right?” she asks, a bright smile crossing her dimpled cheek. “Donuts?”
    “You betcha.” I kiss the top of her head as I help her onto the stool beside me. She reaches in and finds her favorite pink frosting and sprinkled cake confection.
    She starts eating, licking her fingers with each bite.
    “So you’d be leaving tomorrow?” Mom asks discreetly, turning to get Sophia a glass of orange juice.
    After she hands it to her, I pivot Sophia on the stool and start dividing her hair for a side-part fishtail braid. I’ve perfected the look, which is both adorable and functional. Sophia detests hair in her face when she plays at recess.
    “Yeah, I’m not sure what time yet. Does leaving,” I point to Sophia’s head, “make me an awful person?”
    “You’re not an awful person, Mama,” Sophia says with her mouth full of donut.
    “No, your Mama is a perfect person. And she deserves to be happy. To smile. And she gets to go on a vacation with her friend.”
    I breathe a huge sigh of relief at her words. My mom is able to make me leaving as un-dramatic as possible, and I appreciate it. I was about to make it this huge ordeal that neither of us would recover from.
    “Mama doesn’t have friends,” Sophia says, laughing. “She just has us.”
    I finish the braid and pat the top of her head, trying to not let her words hit me too hard in the chest. Mom watches me sadly, probably able to use X-ray vision to see the lump that seems to have formed in my throat, the tears insisting on springing to my eyes. She’s mentioned plenty of times that I’m too protective, too private. That I need to bring my friends around and let them into my life.
    The thing is, if I let people in, they might hurt me. And I don’t want that, I don’t think I can even handle that. Not after everything with Sophia’s dad.
    So I keep people at arm’s length. That way no one can hurt Sophia or me.
    But it seems that if I’m going to do this job, Landon and I might end up getting a lot more personal than I’m used to.
    The paycheck would make it worth it. And still, I can get personal without telling him about my daughter.
    “Well,” I tell Sophia. “I think I do have a new friend. And Gram is right, I’m going on a trip with him.”
    “Good,” Sophia says, patting my arm. “Mrs. Nightingale says having friends help us share and practice being nice, and makes our lives better.”
    “Sounds like your teacher is pretty smart,” my mom says. “And it looks like your mom’s trip will help her learn all sorts of things.”
    Looking at the clock on the microwave, I realize it’s time to go. My mom hands me the already assembled school snack. I get the backpack. Sophia finds her windbreaker. All three of us head for the door.
    We are a unit, a family that works together, seamlessly. My life wouldn’t work without the two of them, and I think that us being here has kept my mom happy since my dad died.
    Sophia runs out the door, and I pause before following.
    “You’ll be okay for a week with Sophia?” I ask.
    “Honey, I think you need to remember what it means to have a friend.”
    “Landon isn’t a friend-friend. He just needs my help.”
    “Call it what you