Page 107 of Marrying Off My Husband

“And we’ll hang out all the time. We’ll go to dinner together. We’ll both be so happy!” She raised her fists in the air as she squealed.

“So, you think Theo is the one, huh?”

“I think he just might be, darlin’. And I know you think the same about Eve.”

“Welllll…” I said, hesitance in my voice.

Her eyebrows shot up, her eyes going wide. Confusion and disbelief danced inside of them as her lips formed an O. “What? What happened? Oh, my word. Spencer! What happened?”

“Nothing happened,” I answered. “I just…”

Her mouth never closed, and she fanned herself. “Spencer Whitaker, you told me things were going well. Now, what happened? Did you have fight? Did you disagree about something? You said you kissed her and that went well, right?”

I stopped myself from wincing when she brought up the white lie I’d told. After one of our movie nights, I’d told Louise that we’d kissed and just as she’d said, it was pleasant and not at all the big deal I’d made it.

In reality, we hadn’t kissed at all, and I still panicked about it happening. I’d raced to speak with Eve the following morning before Louise could, informing her of the lie. She agreed to playalong again. So, as far as Louise was concerned, we’d already shared a kiss.

A hand smacked my chest. “Spencer, snap out of it. What happened?”

“Nothing,” I said with a shake of my head. “Nothing happened. I just…”

“Are having second thoughts? What?”

“No. I’m…maybe Eve is having second thoughts.”

Louise shook her head. “I don’t get that impression.”

“Well,” I said with a shrug, “what if she was? I mean, for that matter, what if I was? Would it be that big of a deal if we didn’t work out?”

The sheer look of panic and shock on my current wife’s features suggested it would be. The shrieking “yes” that came from her lips a second later confirmed it. “Spencer, as I live and breathe, you are just determined to kill me.”

“I’m not, Lou. I just…I’m happy things are working out with you and Theo, and I just wanted to make sure it wasn’t a big deal if you found happiness and I didn’t.”

Her features pinched, and her nostrils flared. “You know the answer to that question. And if you are going to break poor Eve’s heart–”

“I’m not,” I said confidently. I couldn’t break someone’s heart who didn’t love me.”

“Then what is all this nonsense talk about things not working out?”

“You know me, Lou,” I said with a shrug, “I’m always preparing for the worst.”

“Well, you don’t need to do that here. You and Eve are perfect for each other. Now, are you ready?”

“I guess I can’t escape it. You know, I don’t like amusement parks. Like at all.”

She rolled her eyes as she slipped her hand into mine and dragged me along. “Come on, Spence, it’ll be fine.”

We met Eve in the foyer. With her hair tugged into a ponytail, she looked beautiful and ready to enjoy the park.

That only made me more nervous. Visions of vomiting all over her when Louise forced me to ride a rollercoaster with her danced in my mind.

My stomach twisted into a knot as I once again entertained the idea of feigning illness.

A horn sounded outside, and Louise bounced with excitement on her designer wedges. “That’s Theo. Let’s go!”

We piled into his luxury SUV with me in the passenger seat and the ladies in the back to make the short drive to the park. After paying admission for myself and Eve, we strolled down the cobblestone path meandering into the heart of the park.

It was a riot of sounds and colors, an assault on the senses that mirrored the chaos brewing within me. Laughter, the click of games, and the sweet smell of caramel popcorn filled the air. But all of it tightened the knot in my stomach.

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