Page 38 of Third Wheel

“So, why are you dicing the zucchini?” he asked, leaning his hip against the counter as he watched her. Since he was done breading the chicken and had just popped it in the oven, there wasn’t much else for him to do but wait.

“Well, I don’t really love vegetables that much, so I try to sneak extra ones into everything I eat. I don’t notice diced zucchini and shredded carrots when I simmer them in chili or spaghetti sauce for long enough that they go soft.” She smiled sheepishly, glancing at him before she started on another stack of zucchini slices. “I know it’s weird.”

“Hey, whatever works. It’s good that you’ve figured out ways to get more of what you need. So, broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans are all okay on their own?” Those were all vegetables she’d made for dinners last week, and now he made a little mental note in his head.

“Yeah. I actually like carrots and zucchini on their own, too, but I’m not a huge fan of salad. I eat it, but…”

“But just the lettuce and carrots. No peppers, celery, tomatoes, or radish.” That was something else he’d noted last week. She’d made them a salad, but hers had been in a separate bowl that she’d put to the side ahead of time.

“Yeah.” She shrugged, still sheepish. “So this is how I sneak extra veggies into my diet because sometimes I don’t eat what I should at breakfast or lunch.”

“Smart.” He didn’t get a chance to say anything else—or ask anything else—because the front door opened, and Zach was finally there. “Hey honey, you’re home… a little later than expected.” He said it teasingly because it wasn’t a big deal; sometimes, Zach’s work ran long.

Today, though, Zach didn’t smile the way he normally did. Instead, he ducked his head.

“Yeah, I had to run by my parents after work to pick up something my mom got me.” He lifted a plastic store bag in his hand. “She wanted to chat for a bit. Sorry.”

“No problem.” Kincaid studied him. Yeah, Zach hadn’t told his parents, and he was feeling the guilt of having seen them again but not telling them. Kincaid wasn’t sure what to do. Onone hand, he really didn’t want to live his entire life in the closet. On the other, he didn’t feel right pushing Zach before he was ready.

What he did know was that he didn’t want to fight about it again right now. Zach had told his sister. Yeah, it had been several months since then, but that had been a big step. He just had to hope that Zach would take the next big step sometime this year.

How long would he be willing to wait? He didn’t know. But now that Zach had told at least one family member and had promised to talk to his parents—eventually—that was enough for now.

“Whatever you’re making smells good.” Zach smiled as he put down his bag and came over to look at what Amy was doing at the counter. Kincaid stifled his laughter as Zach realized what was happening, his expression going from interested to horrified.

“Um… Amy? Are you… dicing those zucchini? Like that?” Zach asked, his voice strained like he was in pain. It was starting to physically pain Kincaid to keep his laughter inside. Zach was trying so hard not to sound judgmental, but it was clearly difficult for him.

“Yes.” She didn’t bother to look up, just moved the little pieces she’d finished to the side, then grabbed the next pile of slices.

“You know there’s an easier way, right?” The strain in Zach’s voice was much more intense now, and Kincaid practically choked on holding back his laughter.

Leaning back against the counter, he moved his hand up to cover his mouth. Not that Zach was paying attention to him. The other man was too distressed by the atrocity of Amy’s dicing technique—or lack thereof.

“If you cut it in long slices and then?—”

“This is easier for me.” Amy cut him off.

Zach’s nostrils flared as he clamped his mouth shut, taking in a deep breath. Then he forced a smile onto his face, which also looked painful.

“Okay, great. Well… I’m gonna go change into something more comfortable.”

“You do that.” As Zach moved away from the counter, Amy peeked over at Kincaid, and when she saw him looking at her, she winked.

He doubled over laughing, no longer able to hold it back, even if Zach could hear him.

Amy

Sitting down to dinner with Zach and Kincaid was really nice. They were both appreciative of what she made. Then again, Jeremy had been, too, in the beginning. But Zach was also appreciative to Kincaid, and they’d been living together for a while, so apparently, that appreciation didn’t disappear for everyone. Jeremy had stopped appreciating and started expecting her to make meals for him as soon as they’d moved in together.

Which had made sense at the time, since he hadn’t been much of a cook. He’d also always had trouble remembering what she would and wouldn’t eat. So it had been easier to just make dinner for both of them. That way, he was happy, if not appreciative, and she got to eat things she liked.

Which was why it had been a little surprising to realize that after one week, Kincaid had already noticed and remembered what vegetables she’d made. She hadn’t expected him to. Why would she, when she and Jeremy had been together for yearsand yet the one time she’d asked him to make dinner in the past year—because she’d been sick—he’d made peppers and onions as the side? She didn’t eat either and never had. Sure, she’d made them for him sometimes because she knew he liked them, but somehow, it had escaped him that she’d never eaten them.

The more she remembered about their relationship, the more she contrasted it to just living with Kincaid and Zach, who weren’t even romantically interested in her, and the angrier she got at Jeremy… and at herself for putting up with him.

“How was being back at work?” Zach asked as he finished telling them about the swim trunks his mother had bought for him. And how adorable was that, that his mother still did that? Especially for someone like Zach, who, unlike Jeremy, was incredibly independent.

“It was okay.” She smiled, though it felt more like a grimace. “I think today was probably the hardest. By tomorrow, hopefully, my canceled wedding will be old news. Everyone was very sympathetic. I did run out during the afternoon to go to the doctor, though… for a test.” She made a face. “Our receptionist asked if I had gotten tested, and I realized it hadn’t even occurred to me.”

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