Page 144 of My Wife
We settle into the embrace and I feel like the past starts to move into the background while the future opens wide and sunny in front of me.
Jessica leans back and frames my jaw with her hands, studying me for a long moment. “You may have been rough and gruff, but I didn’t give up on you. You’re honest and handsome and so, so, wonderful because you made me a cake!”
“I had a little bit of help.”
I slice it and she takes a bite, eyes closed, looking as happy as I’ve ever seen her. “This is amazing. Five stars. I’ll have to give you a sticker.”
“I’d like that and I love your planner, colored pens, and aggressive positivity.”
She playfully knocks into me. I nuzzle her with my nose. The cake plate gets set aside. The ring sparkles on her finger as I press my lips to the top of Jessica’s hand before folding her into me for a kiss.
* * *
The negotiationswith the Coogans are more of a hassle for the attorneys than I anticipated, but I’m now a husband and a dad and it’s my duty, my desire, to fix things.
First, to get the crazy lizard cult lady and her daughter out of our lives. Turns out that Rexlan is the least of our problems. He’s just afraid his mother’s lady lizard squad is going to curse him. I can’t necessarily blame the guy for falling for his assistant. I mean, it happens.
Tonight is the final game for the Stanley and I need to get my head in the zone and get off the phone. Never mind that the lawyer practically charges by the minute, but the conversation about concessions could cause a migraine.
KJ rushes into the room with Ranger and I fight everything in me to give them the one-minute finger. I just need to wrap up the call.
Jessica follows the boys, takes the phone from my hand, and says, “Good morning, Attorney Sarbo. It’s such a pleasure to hear your voice. It’s the sound of confidence, the kind that tells me this man makes things happen, resolves problems, and has the moral fortitude to do the right thing and not bend to the whims of the skink people. Listen, I like lizards as much as the next gal. Truly, I do, but not as much as Sorsha. However, I assure you, there is nothing to worry about. It’s all a big fat ploy. The money people pay to appease her scaly deities is a scam. She’s an extortionist, a criminal. Do you know she doesn’t report the money she collects from her website for taxes? So many people have believed their woes would be cured by using her tinctures and talismans, but the elixirs they’d buy from her storefront were nothing more than vegetable oil mixed with herbs and food dye. Plus, it smells like cat pee. Just saying. Don’t even get me started on the amulets. She has little kids in countries without child labor laws fabricating those.”
Through the phone, I can hear James Sarbo say, “Why didn’t you say so in the first place?”
“That she’s a con artist? I thought it was obvious.” Then Jessica goes quiet. “Though, to be fair, I didn’t realize it at first either and nearly made it to the end of the aisle before finding out that Rexlan cheated, snapping me out of it.”
“We have an even bigger case than I thought. Do you know if Pamberlie was involved?”
“Absolutely, but she didn’t hide that it was all a sham. She made fun of her mother, but definitely enjoys the financial benefits.”
Sounds like they’re on their way to getting that solved. I turn my attention to KJ who sits on the floor in his sneakers while trying to tape a long piece of tinfoil to the bottom.
I sign, “What are you doing, buddy?”
He replies, “Making skates like you.”
Never mind a honeymoon, okay, I would like to visit my grandparents, but that’s mostly because I want them to meet the little dude … and Jessica. This dad thing is pretty cool. I sign, “Do you want to skate with me tomorrow?”
He nods vigorously.
I tell him we’ll get him skates like mine. He waves his arms in the air and then hugs my leg.
Jessica gets off the phone and tilts her head to the side. “What?”
Heat draws along my neck toward my ears. “Nothing.”
“You were staring at me. Do you want to make fun of how I was duped by the skink queen?”
“No, actually, you handled that perfectly, professionally. Sarbo and I were at loggerheads.”
“Oh. Good. I’m looking forward to washing my hands of that mess.”
The kid continues to try to attach the foil to his shoe.
I say, “I have a new skating student during the off-season.”
“Would you object to two students?” Jessica asks.
