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“Especially from her husband,” she says, and I immediately think of her and Carter. Every fucking time I see them together, he’s touching her in some way. Could she be sleeping with him? I don’t like the thought of that at all. Not one fucking bit. “Anyway, I think baking would be an ideal career choice because I really want to be a mother.”
“You’d be good at that, too,” I tell her. Those babies better be mine.
“Thank you. Are we going inside?”
“Yeah. Let me get your door.”
“I got it,” she says, opening her door and hopping down.
This is going to be harder than I thought.
I’m sitting in my office at the church when my office door bursts open. I look up, thinking it’s either Kelly or Lavinia, even though she’s never been here. Fuck, I suppress a groan when I realize who it is.
“Mom. Did I miss your call? I wasn’t expecting you,” I say, immediately annoyed. Kelly did not have time to prepare for this business.
“We didn’t call. Betty Picard called me.” Ugh. Mrs. Picard is the main town gossip. I can only imagine what she told her.
“Did she now?”
“You got married? To a fat Amish girl?”
“Watch it, Mom. She’s amazing. You’ll see.”
“Alton. Haven’t I taught you anything? Fat? Please tell me she was exaggerating as she usually does.”
“Drop it. It doesn’t matter. She’s my wife.”
“Ugh, God, that means she’s fat. You must introduce me to her. Your father went on to your house. I assume the guest room is available?” Shit.
“Of course. You better be nice to her Mom, or I swear to everything holy…”
“When am I ever not nice?” she asks, smiling like she actually believes that shit.
“Mom, seriously,” I warn.
“Fine, let's go. I’m exhausted. We just got in from Fiji.”
I finish up what I’m doing and pray for the strength to get through this visit. I also pray Lavinia and Kelly make it through unscathed. Though I already know they won’t.
Chapter Four
Lavinia
The doorbell rings, and I go to answer it. Alton is preparing this week's sermon at the church, and Kelly is at a friend's house.
“Can I help you?” I ask, thinking the man looks vaguely familiar, but I don’t know him.
“Is Alton or Kelly here?” the man asks.
“No, not right now. Who can I say was calling?”
“I’m Logan Reed, their daddy.”
“Oh, goodness. Come in out of the heat. I’m Lavinia Reed, your daughter-in-law,” I say, holding the door open for him.
“Thank you kindly.”
“Kelly said you were in Fiji. You must be exhausted,” I say. “Come through to the kitchen, and let me fix you something to eat, and I’ll clean up the guest room for you and Mrs. Reed.”
“Call me Logan, Lavinia. I could use something to eat. Please tell me it isn’t fruit.”
“Oh, no. I was making pork chops for dinner. I have enough Kelly and Alton like my leftovers.”
“Well, that's fortuitous.”
“Have a seat. We have beer, wine, pop, and water.”
“A beer,” he says, and I go to the fridge and grab him one.
“Here you go. I have some pastries or a fresh loaf of bread that could tide you over until supper is ready,” I say, thinking that pastries and beer are a heck of a combo, but I’ve eaten some shady stuff in my day, so I’m not judging.
“Perfect. So how did you come to be Alton’s wife?”
“Mayor Hollow reinstated the mail order bride ad.”
“Ah. That explains it,” he says, and my hackles raise.
“What do you mean?” I ask as innocently as I can manage.
“You ain’t Alton’s type. Don’t get me wrong, darlin’, you’re good for my boy, but I don’t think he’d pick you.”
“I think you’re right about that,” I busy myself checking the oven and resetting the timer on my phone.
“You made this?” he asks, his mouth full. Which, for some reason, endears him to me.
“I did.”
“Damn girl, this is fucking delicious.”
“Thank you.”
“Seriously, it tastes like what love feels like.” That makes me giggle. “Thank you, that’s what I go for, but you’re the first person to describe it like that.”
“How do others describe it?”
“Magic.”
“That’d work too. Let me get another one of these, and don’t you go telling my wife I had more than one,” he says, chuckling.
“Your secret is safe with me. If you’ll excuse me, I'll just see to the guest room. I’ll be right back. Kelly and Alton should be home any minute.”
I flee down the hallway, stopping at the linen closet, and grab a fresh set of sheets and a clean comforter. I can smell his cologne in the guest room but ignore it. I gather up all of his dirty clothes and strip the bed. Everything goes in a pile, and I remake the bed. I go around the room and gather Alton’s phone charger, glasses and other odds and ends. I toss the empty water bottles into the trash can in order to recycle them later. Then I notice his pile of books on the nightstand. Forced by the Alien, The Prisoner, & Bad Preacher… The paperback versions of some of the books that are on my Kindle. I read these last week. Why does he have them? Confusion rolls through me, but I can’t think about it now. He’s going to have to sleep in the master bedroom with me. I put his things in the bedroom on the side of the bed closest to the door, then go back for the garbage and dirty clothes. I stop in the laundry room and start a load of the sheets and pillowcases. I've just shut the lid to the washer when my timer goes off. I open the laundry room door and find Alton standing there.
