Page 55 of The Homewrecker's Fate

My daughter couldn’t answer me. It didn’t matter, I still talked to her enough that people probably thought I was nuts. We were on our way to surprise Brax with lunch at work. Dates were sort of hit or miss lately, considering I kept nodding off at the worst possible times, so I wanted to make it up to the man while I was wide awake for once. Truthfully, I worried that maybe he would get tired of my pregnancy-induced narcolepsy and leave me for a woman who could stay awake longer than it took to eat a whole meal after working all day.

I took the basket full of goodies out of my car and waddled into the building where Braxton’s office was located. When I found the right one, I was greeted by a beautiful blonde woman who had the biggest damn rock I’d ever seen sitting on her ring finger.

“Wow, that is one hell of a ring,” I said in lieu of a greeting.

She tittered before offering me a bright smile. “What can I do for you today?”

“I’m here to see Braxton Halford.” I held the basket up in front of my belly. “I brought lunch.”

“Oh!” She popped the word out in surprise. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

“Hi, I’m Aviva Acker, Brax’s girlfriend.”

The woman’s eyes widened as she glanced from my face down to the belly that resided behind my basket and back up to meet my eyes again.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Halford left word that he wouldn’t be in today. He said he had something planned with a special lady,” she explained. My heart dropped. It bypassed my stomach where both the good and bad butterflies sometimes resided and hit the floor with a splat instead.

“Um, okay,” I managed to get out.

“Ma’am, do you need a seat? Water? I’m sorry, I don’t think it’s whatever you’re thinking. Maybe he’s just out with his friend, Mel. You know Melanie, don’t you?” She seemed skeptical of that, as if she was trying to clue me into something that might be going on with them.

“I do know Mel. I’ll check in with her, thanks.”

I walked out of the building without looking back and pulled my phone from my pocket. Mel picked up on the first ring.

“Tell me you’re not in labor!” Mel shouted into the phone.

“No. Tell me you’re with Brax,” I demanded in an equally shouty voice.

“No, I’m at home stuffing my face with cookies. Isn’t Brax at work?”

“I’m at his office. The secretary told me he called out to spend time with his special lady friend today. Then she insinuated that it probably meant he was with you.”

“Oh, that stupid Trollip wouldn’t know the broad side of a barn if her face hit it going seventy miles per hour.”

“That was descriptive,” I muttered as I turned my phone to stare at the call information. Maybe I woke up in a different dimension this morning or something.

“Is she still wearing that stupid rock?” Mel asked.

“If you mean the giant ice rink on her ring finger, then yes.”

Mel laughed. “It’s not real.” I could almost hear her eyes rolling as she said that. “Ginger likes to pretend she has some billionaire fiancé, but I saw her out with the balding, 30-something tax attorney who probably makes less money a year than she does.”

I chuckled at that. “As wonderful as it is to get all the dirt on what’s her name, especially since she insinuated you were Brax’s special lady, it still doesn’t change the fact that he’s out with another woman. Is his mom in town?”

“No, she lives in Paris.”

“France?” I asked.

Mel chuckled again. “No, sorry, you didn’t let me finish. His mom moved to Paris, Texas so she could tell everyone she lived in Paris.” Mel full out laughed then. “That woman is a nut. Actually, she’s a cracked nut and there are parts missing. I love her to death. When you meet her, I’m sure you’ll love her, too. There’s just a whole lot of character to get to know, if you catch my drift.”

“Okay. I think I’m just going to head back home. I have all this food in a basket that I brought to surprise Brax with, but he’s not here.”

“Do you want me to try to call him?”

“No. I’ll just…” I took a wrong step and nearly fumbled my phone and the basket full of food. “Dammit!” I yelled.

“Avi, are you okay?”

---