Read Online Some Women by Emily Liebert - Free Book Online Page A

to get to the bottom of Fern’s apparent change of heart.
    â€œI wish I did.” He laughed. “Is it so wrong that I want to be able to take my wife on vacation once in a while?”
    â€œWife?” Piper grinned. They’d discussed the prospect of getting married on a number of occasions. Of getting married
one day
.
    Sure there’d been a period in Piper’s life when daydreaming about her wedding had been a preferred pastime. She’d never been one of those women who desired something over-the-top, with three hundred people she didn’t know and a dress so heavy she could barely walk. Instead, she’d pictured a beach setting. Bare feet. A garland of daisies and baby’s breath fashioned into a white halo around her head. Her groom in khaki pants and an untucked white linen shirt.
    Her groom
. In her reveries, his face had always been Max’s. Even after he’d left. Because nobody ran out on their girlfriend and child forever. Right?
    â€œWishful thinking, I suppose.” He pulled her onto his lap.
    â€œIs that so?” She curled her arm around his neck.
    â€œIf I have anything to say on the matter.”
    Of course it had crossed her mind that he would propose eventually. To be honest, though, she hadn’t given a whole lot of thought as to when that would be. Had he looked at rings? Would he ask her father’s permission? Suddenly her heart was stampeding in her chest.
    â€œWell, let’s just hope Fern comes around by then.”
    â€œShe will.” Todd nodded confidently.
    â€œHow can you be so sure?” How could he always be so sure about everything? Piper could spend forty minutes vacillating on what to order for dinner. But if you asked Todd, he could answer without a moment’s hesitation. Chinese. Pizza. Sushi.
    â€œBecause I know her. And I also know that this is a completely normal reaction to having your mother’s boyfriend move into your home, when it’s been just the two of you for as long as you can remember.”
    â€œIt sounds funny when you call yourself my boyfriend. I feel like I should be wearing your class ring or your letterman jacket. You know, the ones with the white leather sleeves. God, those were cool.”
    â€œYou may be in luck. I think my mother still has mine from varsity baseball.”
    â€œNo!”
    â€œYup. Have you ever known my mother to throw anything out?”
    â€œIs that why you love me so much, because I’m a pack rat like she is?”
    â€œI believe the politically correct term is
hoarder
. But that is definitely not why I love you so much. Although I do love you a hell of a lot.” He pressed his lips to hers, kissing her eagerly this time, as their mouths opened and tongues entwined. “What do you say we take this up to the bedroom?”
    â€œI say, ‘Yes, please,’” she panted as he stood up and hoisted her into his arms.
    â€œAnd I say, ‘That makes you one very smart lady.’”
    As he carried her up the stairs and down the dimly lit hallway, neither of them noticed the crack in Fern’s door and the silhouette of her body, cloaked in the shadows, up long past her bedtime.

Six
    â€œThat was brutal.” At the end of class, Annabel stretched her aching arms through the sleeves of her camel-colored shearling coat—the one Henry had bought her for her thirty-fifth birthday. Another gift from her husband.
Her
.
Husband
. She hadn’t allowed herself to contemplate not being able to call him that anymore, even though the divorce proceedings had commenced just days earlier.
    Had Henry already stopped calling her his wife? Annabel hadn’t bothered to ask. Whenever they spoke, which was still once or twice a day, there was always so much to go over. What time he’d be picking the kids up for dinner—for now they’d agreed that twice a week seemed fair. Plus every other weekend he’d take them to visit his