Page 80 of Marrying Off My Husband

“And I think you’re avoiding another date with Eve. Did something happen between you two in Savannah?”

“What? No!” I said, my voice incredulous.

She crossed her arms, squinting at me. “Why are you acting like I’m accusing you of cheating on me? Iwantyou to cheat on me, Spencer.”

“I’m not. I’m…nothing happened. Eve and I were completely focused on saving you from the monster-in-law.”

“I appreciate that. But maybe you two bonded a little over that?”

I licked my lips as I searched for words to both confirm and disavow that statement but found none.

A grin crossed her features. “You did, didn’t you? Awww, Spencer! That’s wonderful. See? I knew this would work out. Now, all you need to do is get that pesky little first kiss out of the way. And once you do that, you’ll see exactly how magical this relationship will be for you.”

I shifted on my feet again, my heart pinching at the words. It wasn’t magical, it was contrived. A kiss wouldn’t change that. I had set myself up for failure from the first date. Although, I wasn’t surprised. I wasn’t cut out for this sort of thing.

“Come on, Spence. I know it’s a little scary.” Louise’s features pulled into an excited grin. “But that’s what makes it thrilling, right?”

I offered a weak chuckle.

“Now,” she said with a pat of my hand, “get back in there and make another date with Eve, and then set me up on my next one. Okay?”

My heart sank as I realized I couldn’t argue with her. If I wanted Louise to be happy, I had to keep trying. “All right.”

“Good, now…go ahead in and talk to Eve. Oh, wait, I want to talk to her first. And last.”

“Right,” I said as I motioned for her to precede me. “After you.”

We wandered back into the living room, finding Eve gazing out at the ocean.

“Sorry about that, darlin’,” she said as she grabbed Eve by the hands. “I just…Spencer was nervous about us stepping out given all the press.”

“Oh, I understand. He’s probably right, we should–”

“Keep going with our plan,” Louise said. “Which means I need a second date, and I understand you two have been working on this together. And…you need a fourth date. So, I’m going to haul some of my loot upstairs while you two talk, and then we’re going to finish our girls’ evening.”

Eve opened her mouth, looking like she was about to protest when Louise pinched her cheeks and grinned at her. “Have fun, sugar. I won’t be long, so get to it.”

With a wide smile, she hurried from the room, leaving us alone.

I offered Eve a nervous grin as I rubbed the back of my neck. “Hi.”

“Rough night, huh?” she said with a chuckle.

“Yeah, although it doesn’t seem to have phased Louise.” I glanced after her as shopping bags rustled in the foyer.

“No, not really. I guess she is really hoping to move forward after what happened in Savannah.” Her features suddenly shifted, and she raised her gaze to mine. “Oh, not that she’s wanting to get away from you.”

“It’s fine,” I said with a fleeting smile. “Lou and I are…just friends. And will only ever be that. We’re not suited at all.”

She shifted her weight as her arms wrapped around her midriff. “Well, what I mean is I’m sure she’s not in a hurry to get away from you.”

“Oh, right. Well, probably just in a hurry to get on with her life. As you can see, she’s…a little starved for happiness.”

Eve nodded. “Yes, she…she was very concerned that she’d lose me as a friend. And I couldn’t help but feel like this is all a product of the way her mother treated her.”

I shuffled a little closer, flicking my gaze out over the water. “It is. She…went through it with Constance. This latest stunt is just one in a long string of horrors that Louise has endured at her hands.”

“What a shame. She’s such a wonderful person. She cares so deeply for everyone around her, but her mother treats her so terribly.”

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