Page 31 of Clean Out of Luck

I jerk my head to look at Wade. Did I just imagine what Nolan said? But even Wade looks stunned, so I probably heard him correctly.

“Did you just saywife?” I ask him stiffly.

“Yes, I know I should have told you up front, but I thought maybe it would be a better conversation in person.” He rocks back and forth on his heels.

“The conversation about yourwife?” I grit out.

Wade steps closer to me, and I can’t believe he’s here to witness this part of the date. He’s already sufficiently ruined it…but this? This just makesmelook bad. I checked his criminal history, not his marital status.

Nolan shrugs. “We’re separated right now, so you don’t have to worry about cheating or anything. We’re on a break.”

I set the fantasy book back on the table. I’ll have to come back to buy it. Right now, I need to flee the scene before I commit a crime.

“Wait! Don’t you want to talk about it?” Nolan calls after me as I reach the door.

“Nope!” I say as I shove the door open, the bell jingling as I hurry down the sidewalk.

I hear a set of heavy footsteps behind me, and I pick up my pace.

The footsteps match mine.

I glance back and see it’s Wade following me.

“I amnotin the mood.” I grind out the words as I march around the corner. I hurry toward The Serendipity.

Wade simply follows behind and stands on the sidewalk,watching me walk up the stairs and unlock the main front door. I don’t even say goodbye. I hurry downstairs to my apartment and wonder if now is the time to bang my head on the wall.

He did it again. Ruined a perfectly fine date. Witnessed my bad luck in men.

I grab the milk from my fridge, spin around, and slam my hip against the island counter. It’s like somebody stabbed me with a knife. The pain shoots all the way down to my toes. I’m going to need a hip replacement from this.

The milk jug is on the floor, with milk seeping out from the closed lid. I’m amazed it didn’t splatter everywhere.

With a resigned sigh, I pick up the jug and get out the bucket for my mop. As I dejectedly soak up the milk, I wish Wade would step on a LEGO.

Nothing life-changing or harmful. Just something to annoy him as much as he’s annoying me.

Chapter Ten

Wade

“Ouch!”I yelp as I step on a LEGO. The living room is covered in a hazardous maze of toys.

“You need to put the elephant down,” my brother Carson says to his three-year-old, who seems to be debating if he wants to choose violence today.

Three-year-old Oliver throws the rubber elephant hard enough that it bounces off the wood floor and crashes against the wall.

Carson runs a hand over his face, and I can see he’s doing it to hide a smile. “Maybe it’s time for you to hang out with Uncle Wade while I take Mommy on a date.”

My sister-in-law Ashlyn pokes her head around the corner at the mention of a date. Her hair’s piled on top of her head in a messy bun, and she has their six-month-old, Margie, in her arms.

“Did you say date?” she gasps. She practically sprints across the living room, thrusts the baby in my arms, and runs down the hall.

“Wait a second, I don’t remember volunteering to babysit tonight. I came over here to get a good dinner out of thedeal,” I protest as I stare at my niece who looks as surprised as I feel.

Carson just grins at me. “There’s leftover lasagna in the fridge. Oliver loves it.”

“Carson…” I grind out just as Margie grabs my nose and laughs at me. Her two-teeth smile is contagious because soon, I’m grinning back at her and making strange noises I didn’t even know I was capable of, but it’s making her smile, so I’m going to keep doing it.

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