“Don’t tell me you let that man control you, cousin,” Dax challenges. I elbow him in the ribs.
Selene slams her hand on the counter. “The only man who ever told me what to do was my father, and I told him to cut that shit out when I was eighteen. I am not the one.” Selene points a finger at Dax.
“You go, girl.” Dax throws a fist bump in the air. “You’re not the one or the two.”
“What are you up to?” I whisper to my husband. He gives me a blank stare.
“I’m just trying to be nice.” He shrugs. “Put our differences behind us.”
I don’t believe him, but Preacher speaks before I can question him.
“So, you’ll come?” He puts his phone in Selene’s hand. “This is the place I rented. It’s nonrefundable.”
I look over his shoulder at his phone.
“Is that a penthouse?” I ask, shocked.
“Just a little something. I wanted to take my sister somewhere nice.”
“Well, I do deserve a vacation.” Selene clears her throat. “Besides, I bought those chaps and three new cowgirl hats.”
“And it’s not like you and Gill are married or anything,” Preacher says.
“Yeah.” Eden agrees with a firm head nod.
“Yeah?” Ripley asks. “Did you just say yeah? Woman, on what planet do you think you were going to take a vacation with another man when we were dating?”
Everyone stops and waits for Eden’s reply.
“You should hear about what happened on their girls’ trips,” Dax says with a laugh. I elbow him hard in the ribs and put my finger to my lips.
“What happened on those trips?” Ripley asks his wife.
“Nothing! We went to see Hamilton.” Eden narrows her eyes at me.
“Not that trip. I’m talking about New Orleans. Ask them,” Dax states.
“If you don’t hush,” I warn my husband.
“You mean tittiegate?” Selene cackles so hard she almost chokes.
“What?” Ripley asks.
“Nothing!” Eden gives me the side eye. "Why did you tell him?"
“We’re gonna talk about tittiegate later.”
“Oh, whatever, Ripley. We were twenty-two.” Eden shrugs at her husband.
“I’m going on all the girls’ trips from now on.”
“Oh, no.” Eden does a bad job at sounding upset. “My favorite person on earth traveling with me, spoiling me, and buying me whatever I want. I would hate that so much.” She gets on her toes and he leans down to kiss her.
“Husbands can’t come,” Selene adds. “At least not until I get one.”
“God bless that man,” Dax grumbles. “That poor idiot.”
“But, to answer your question, honey, I didn’t need to take a vacation with another man. You gave me everything I needed. I don’t think Gill is doing the job for Selene,” Eden says.
