Page 12 of Marrying Off My Husband

She refused to face me, indicating that my answer hadn’t satisfied her. Was she hoping I would tell her I didn’t want to get divorced?

It didn’t matter to me, but I didn’t want to doom her to a loveless marriage, and we were too far apart in personality to fit.

“Lou, hey,” I said, twisting her around to face me. “Whatever you need, we’ll deal with it, okay?”

She sniffled, bobbing her head and offering me a sad smile. “Thanks, Spence.”

“Of course.” I smiled down at her, wiping away a tear that had fallen onto her cheek with my thumb. “So, I take it that’s what ruined your shopping excursion?”

She sniffled again, pulling away from me as she crossed to my computer chair and dropped into it. “Yes. But I had already been in a mood, so it only soured me more.”

“Already in a mood? Premonition of the call or something else?”

She rose, her mood seeming to lift a little for some unknown reason. “Why don’t I tell you over a Bloody Mary poolside?”

I winced a little, staring longingly at my now-dark computer monitor. “Oh, but…”

“Spencer, please tell me you aren’t going to sit here from now until dinner time working?”

I shoved my hands into my pockets with a shrug. “Well, I wanted to get some coding done–”

“You had all morning, Spence.”

“I know but I…got distracted.”

She arched an eyebrow. “By what?”

I wasn’t about to admit I’d been on a dating app. I licked my lips before I lifted my chin. “I was…working on that little project I told you about this morning.”

Her eyebrows arched as she stared at me. “Oh, were you now. Well, this sounds like I definitely need a drink and to hear more.”

I swallowed hard as she looped her arm through mine and dragged me out of the room. As we wandered through the house down toward the kitchen, I convinced myself to stand firm. I wasn’t going to let her talk me out of this.

If she wanted to force me into a string of bad dates with tarantula-wranglers and psychotic artists, then I’d threaten the same.

One way or another, I’d put a stop to the forced socialization.

I settled on the bar stool as Louise flitted around the kitchen making the Bloody Marys. As she poured them into glasses, she shot me a coy glance over her shoulder.

I grimaced, a shiver snaking down my spine. In light of the phone call and summons from her mother, she was still in a decent mood. Why?

For a second, I wondered if my plan may backfire. What if she actually enjoyed going on these dates I planned on setting up?

I shrugged it off as Louise stuck a stalk of celery into each drink. If she did like it, maybe I’d succeed in helping her find a real marriage. I could live with that.

She thrust the drink toward me. I accepted it, following her to the infinity pool outside and easing myself into a lounge chair.

Louise slid on her massive sunglasses as she crossed her ankles and sipped her drink. “All right, sugar, tell me all about your little plan.”

I slid my eyes sideways to her, squinting against the bright sun as I shielded my eyes. “Well, uh, I started to make a list of traits for your new mate, along with some of your own traits that I think are important.”

Her eyebrows raised about her sunglasses as she twisted to face me. “Oh? And what have you come up with?”

I shifted my weight, trying to decide what she was after. Did she want to tear apart my efforts? “Uhh, well…”

“Well, come on, Spence, I’m waiting with bated breath here.”

“I think you need someone who will love every bit of your vivacious personality,” I started.

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