Page 34 of Spicy Nick

“Well, y’see?—”

Scout gasps in outrage. Splaying her hand over her abdomen she demands, “You think I look pregnant? Is that why you were asking about my weight before?”

“What? Oh, hell. No!” And now I’m using my pointer finger, too; wagging it in her face. “Stop! Nuh-uh. Do not go there. That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Really? Because it sounds like that’s what you’re saying.”

“No! That’s not what this is about. Don’t you dare try and make this about weight. You’re being ridiculous.”

Eyes narrowed; she glares at me. “Then what the heck is it? Where else would you get an idea like that from? Did you just pull it out of thin air?”

I got it from you, is the easiest answer—and probably the worst that I could come up with. So instead, I throw my cousin under that bus…underabus. I’mnotequating my wife to a— You know what? Never mind.

“It’s Lucy’s fault! Blame her. She started it.”

“Oh, sure,” Scout leans back against the pillows, arms crossed over her chest. “And where didsheget the idea from? Given that I hadn’t even seen her in weeks!”

“Well, I’ve seen her! I saw her just the other night, in fact.”

“Exactly. And…?”

“Look, it was a pretty good guess, if you want my opinion. There was a lot of circumstantial evidence.”

“Like what?”

“Like the fact that you’ve been so tired lately; way more so than usual. I mean, you fell asleep on the plane home, for fucks sake! And that’s…what? Not even an hour!”

“I know that, but…”

“You used to do the same thing when you were pregnant with Cole.”

Her gaze softens. A small smile curves her lips. “I remember. And you were always very sweet about covering for me.”

“And you…” I take a deep breath. She’s calming down, but this is dangerous territory. “Look. You have to admit that, these past two days, you’ve been a little more emotional than usual.”

Scout’s lips purse. “I suppose I have. It’s been a very emotional time for me.”

“I know.” For both of us, I nearly add, but I’m notthatbig a fool.

“That still doesn’t explain how Lucy came up with the idea.”

“I was worried,” I explain. “I couldn’t shake the feeling that you were keeping something from me.”

“Well, I was! Just not…that.”

“And when I mentioned it to Lucy, she said that the last secret she remembered you keeping was that we were expecting Cole.”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t a secret fromyou!”

“Yes, thank you! That’s what I said. But you know Lucy.”

“I do,” she agrees, then her mouth drops open. “Omigod.That’swhy she was acting so weird last night with the wine, and the lemonade…”

“Was that what that was?”

“Oh, count on it!”

“All right, well…”

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