Free Caught by You by Jennifer Bernard Page A

times a week, and set the next hearing for late June.
    Bonita shot to her feet. “June twenty-­sixth is our wedding date.”
    â€œYes, the court is aware. You are not required to attend the hearing, of course, if it poses an inconvenience. The presence of your representative is enough.”
    â€œNo, no, that’s not what I meant. I meant . . .” She sat down abruptly, tugged by her lawyer. Donna knew what she meant. She wanted the hearing to happen after the wedding. Once they were married, Bonita and Harvey would be a picture-­perfect ­couple. A family court wet dream.
    Afterward, in the courthouse hallway, Donna stopped at the water fountain for a drink. As she straightened up, she jerked in surprise; Bonita stood over her, looking down her nose from what seemed like several feet. “Nice try, Donna MacIntyre. I see what you’re up to with the new look. But you’re not fooling anyone.”
    â€œI’m not trying to fool anyone. I just want my kid.”
    â€œYou’ve lived in Kilby all your life, do you think anyone’s going to forget who you really are?” Bonita radiated complete confidence, as if everything she said was automatically true, just because she said it.
    Donna gripped the edge of the water fountain. She’d never felt so short before. “You don’t know me.”
    â€œSure I do. You’re a party whore and always will be.” One slim eyebrow went up, while her disdainful gaze skimmed down Donna’s outfit. “And I’m pretty sure I saw that suit on the five-­dollar rack at the church bazaar.”
    Donna’s hackles rose, all her good intentions flying out the window. “Well, there’s nothing wrong with repurposing someone else’s secondhand goods, is there?”
    The jab hit home with unfortunate timing; Harvey was just strolling to Bonita’s side.
    â€œHey,” he protested, as Bonita went white.
    â€œDo you see what she’s like?” Bonita murmured to Harvey, resting her forehead against his shoulder. “She’s a bad influence on Zack, honey bear. She’s too impulsive, too mouthy. This is why we can’t agree to joint custody.”
    Donna clenched her fists, cursing herself for rising to Bonita’s bait. “I apologize,” she made herself say. “I didn’t mean any offense.”
    â€œYou have to think before you just blurt things out,” Harvey told her in a patronizing tone that made her want to scream. “We have to set a good example for Zack.”
    â€œSo true,” Donna managed, her voice cracking. How had she let Bonita outmaneuver her like that? “That’s exactly what I’m trying to do.”
    â€œWell, I’ll be watching like a hawk. And so will my family.” Bonita tilted her sleek head and pinned Donna with a pointed look. “We still talk about that night in the Roadhouse last year. The Wades have long memories.”
    Apparently everyone in Kilby still talked about that brawl. For cripes’ sake, she’d been standing up for a friend! “This isn’t the Wades’ business. The ruling is up to Judge Quinn.”
    â€œAnd you think that’s going to win him over?” Bonita gestured at the Texas A&M pin on her collar. “Like you ever cared about football before. Weren’t you hanging out with that Catfish player last year? That’s what I heard.”
    â€œI wasn’t ‘hanging out’ with a Catfish player. You really shouldn’t listen to gossip, Bonita.” Lifting her head, Donna brushed past her. “It’s bad for your immortal soul.”
    All things considered, Donna knew without a doubt that seeing Mike again would be criminally stupid. So when he called the next day, as she was painting her toenails a shade of puce that would have made the old Donna ill, she told him flat-­out that she couldn’t be seen in public with him.
    â€œNo