Page 75 of The Next Wife

“Mrs.Nelson. Good evening.” He’s yelling and points to my noise-canceling headphones.

I yank them off. “Good evening, Officer.”

“Ma’am, your music. We’ve had several complaints.” He’s opening his little citation pad and begins to write.

Who cares? “As I told you, I can’t control the house. It’s haunted. I’m moving. Tell them all I’m moving. Gone tonight for good. That’s going to make all of us really happy.”

“You know what, ma’am. You’re right. I’ll let them know. Have a great evening.” He is laughing as he walks down my front path.

I hate them all. I walk back inside and just like that, the music stops. I know something else will happen soon, but for now, I enjoy the silence.

I walk out to the garage, and I find a picnic basket. We only used it once, but it’s so cute, I should have used it more. The basket is woven, with a red-checkered lining and a small wooden cheese board. The board has a message stamped on it:BRIEHAPPY.

The message warms my heart as I carry everything inside. I’ll make a proper cocktail party for me and Kate. We deserve it after all we’ve been through. I start whistling and preparing for Kate’s arrival. This is the sophisticated way to handle our disagreements. We will come to an understanding. We had better. I make two different batches of margaritas. One in a glass pitcher I’ll leave in the kitchen. This one isto celebrate if we strike a deal. I tuck the thermos with the special batch inside the picnic basket and take it to the garage.

This is the batch to serve if we don’t. I pile freshly rinsed cherries in a crystal bowl and carry them to the living room. I fluff the couch pillows, and as I do, I dream about Paris. I’ve always wanted to visit. I thought it would be with John, he promised me we would go see the City of Light.

But like a lot of his promises, it was just another illusion.

CHAPTER 58

KATE

In the dressing room, my pulse is racing as I slip off the formal gown they had me wear for the photo shoot.

I’m not sure if it’s brilliant, or stupid, or both, but I am going to see Tish tonight. I know Bob wouldn’t approve, but someone has to get control of the situation. Despite the fact she knows we can prove the will is fake, and we will reinstate his real one, the problem remains: she is still around. I realize for my life to get back to some semblance of normal, she can’t be here.

I need to be the one to deal with this once and for all.

I walk out of the dressing room with a smile and hand the gown to Nathan, the shoot director.

“I wish I could keep this,” I say.

“Don’t they all.”

Ashlyn rolls her eyes. “It’s a little fairy tale for you, Mom.”

“I can still believe in happily ever after,” I say. My phone rings as we walk out into the late afternoon sunshine.

“Mrs.Nelson. It’s Chief Briggs. Do you have a minute?”

I stop walking and put the phone on speaker so Ashlyn can hear.

“Do you have the report?”

“We do, someone poured water in Ashlyn’s gas tank,” he says.

“Like a water bottle?” I ask.

“No, much more than that. Like someone turned on a garden hose full blast,” he says. “So much water. Whoever did it wanted to fry the electrical circuit, and they succeeded. She could have been killed if she was on a highway.”

Ashlyn gasps. “I can’t believe her. She’s out of control.”

“Who?” Briggs asks.

I raise my finger to my lips and mute my phone. “I think we should handle Tish ourselves, Ashlyn. It’s the only way. I’m meeting her tonight.”

“Mom, that’s too dangerous,” Ashlyn says.

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