Page 197 of Unhinged

“Whoa. That’s a lot of adverbs. I won’t break it.”

“How did you finally figure it out? I know Simone had it bad for you.”

I laugh like she told me I won the lottery. “What? How’d you know? Simone had told me she wanted Tesco.”

Val smiles with a gleam in her eyes. “Nope. For one, her aura around you went nuts and did nothing around Ricky. Another tipoff was she watched every move you made with a lovesick smile and a dazzled look in her eyes.”

“What the…? She told you that? So you knew her going after Tesco was fake too?”

“I did, but it bothered her to keep up the act with you. I urged her to ask you out, but she worried because she was in love with you, and she feared you’d reject her.”

Amos says, “I also knew how Simone felt. It’s not because she disclosed it to me but because she talked about you all the time but nothing regarding Ricky.”

“Damn. How am I the last to know?”

She shrugs but gives me a knowing look. Of course. Hadley. “Amos said he brought her here, but it didn’t go well at first. You and Simone always teased each other. That was part of your courtship, really.”

“Say what?”

Val nods as she puts her hands on the back of a dining chair. “You really didn’t pay attention. But she was only here less than a week when things changed. You offered to help her with her last name? Rod, that is so sweet.”

I glance at Amos, irritated. He left nothing out when he reported back to Val. “Yeah, but I didn’t want to annul our marriage because I love her. She feels the same. So here we are.”

“It tickles me you married Simone. I hope you have a long and happy marriage.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“It shocked Hadley. You’re her brother-in-law. That’s so funny!”

Amos laughs. “I sure never saw that coming.”

I say, “She told me.”

“I’m so glad you’ve spoken to her. She was sad for a long time. She treasures your friendship.”

“I know.”

“I want to take you and Simone out to dinner with Amos to celebrate tonight. Let’s make plans when she’s home. I’m here until tomorrow.”

“Well, Simone and I work at the bar tonight. Right, boss?”

Amos says, “You both can work after dinner.”

“Awesome.”

Her smile falls. “I’m sorry to hear about Birdy. I didn’t think Shasta would sink so low, to be honest. I want to believe in the best of people, but…”

“I want to strangle her, Val. Not only did she disrupt my life and my finances, but she also made me want to love Birdy. Simone loves her, and now she’s gone from our lives. I was going back to Richmond to set something up with visitation. But I confronted her about Birdy getting tested for CF, and she confessed. It hurts, but the pain Shasta has inflicted on my wife is unforgivable.”

“Oh. I had a fish dream.”

Amos screws up his face. “What does that mean?”

Val says, “I thought I told you about my fish dreams? Whenever I dream about fish swimming, it means someone I know is pregnant.”

I frown. “It’s not me.”

She laughs but then drops her voice. “It’s Shasta.”

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