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

Janie asks, gulping down the remnants of her Bloody Mary and running her fingers through my curls.
    ‘I guess I had a trim a couple of weeks ago.’ I sip my coffee and squint my eyes at her suspiciously. ‘Why?’
    ‘It looks… good.’ Motioning for the waiter to bring her another cocktail, Janie sits back in her seat and applies yet another layer of lipstick. ‘Makes your face look thinner.’
    ‘Thanks... I think.’
    In the many years that Oliver and I have been together, that is probably the first compliment my mother-in-law has ever given me. Glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I can’t help but think she’s up to something. For someone who usually growls and snarls their way through the day, Janie seems particularly merry considering that she is minus her husband.
    ‘I bet Dad was pretty beat up about not coming up here?’ Oliver throws down his napkin, indicating that he is finished with his meal.
    ‘Rollercoasters aren’t really his thing.’ Brushing off his question, Janie thanks the waitress as another glass is put down on the table in front of her. ‘Do you guys not want a proper drink?’
    ‘It’s 9am and besides, I’m driving!’ Oliver laughs and shakes his head at his audacious mother.
    ‘Clara?’ Turning her focus to me, she adjusts her blonde beehive and points to the cocktail menu.
    ‘I don’t think alcohol and theme parks really mix...’
    Scrunching up her nose, she twirls her straw around the glass and looks down at my stomach. ‘You haven’t got another bun in the oven, have ya?’
    ‘Mom!’ Oliver yells, dropping a handful of notes down and motioning for her to drink up.
    ‘Is that a yes?’ Obviously not wanting to drop the subject so easily, she prods at my stomach and winks. ‘Hey, Noah. Do you want a little brother or sister?’
    ‘ No! ’ Noah and I yell in unison.
    Laughing like a wild hyena, she throws her head back and gulps down her drink.
    ‘I’m kidding, let’s go.’
     
     
     

 
     
     
    If you don’t have anything nice to say,
    you must be my mother-in-law.

Chapter 7
     
     
    The journey to the theme park is somewhat uneventful. Between Janie showing off the results of her recent face lift and Oliver reeling off what rollercoasters we are going to hit up first, I don’t really manage to get a word in. Taking the opportunity to soak up my surroundings, I watch the world whizz past the windows and get lost in the blurred array of colours. Happily playing with his dinosaur, Noah doesn’t make a sound for the entire drive.
    ‘Alright!’ Oliver cheers as he pulls on the handbrake. ‘Who’s ready to have some fun?’
    Clutching a map of the theme park to his chest, his eyes glint as he looks out at the rollercoaster in the distance. Something tells me that it’s not going to be Noah who gets the most out of today. Shaking my head at him, we pile out of the car and load up Noah’s pram with all the essentials. This must be the biggest car park that I have ever seen. How they expect you to remember where you have parked, I have no idea.
    ‘OK, so we are in Parking Zone 14.’ Oliver declares, strapping Noah into his pram and heading for the entrance.
    As we join the hordes of other revellers, I reach into the pram for the sun lotion and quickly apply a thick layer to Noah’s face. After covering both myself and Oliver, I attempt to pass the cream to Janie.
    ‘Get that thing away from me!’ Looking at the bottle as though it is crawling with spiders, she shudders and totters on ahead.
    To be honest, her already walnut skin is probably damaged beyond repair anyway. The many years of soaking up the rays have resulted in Janie having skin like a brown leather shammy, not that she seems to mind. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that she’s rather proud of her radioactive skin colour.
    Waiting for Oliver to pay for our tickets, I hang back with Janie as a flurry of screaming children brush past our legs. Their excited squeals are