Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 86632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86632 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 433(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
The only problem was, Evelyn and Brystol were also best friends as well. Which made it uncomfortable when we all hung out together…since Brystol hated my guts for some unknown reason.
I picked up my phone and read the text.
Denny: Are you free to come over for dinner tonight?
Me: I am. Just need to see if Cindy has any plans.
Cindy was a woman I’d been seeing off and on for the last couple of months. She was sweet, but I didn’t see a future with her, which I’d been open and honest about. Luckily, she felt the same way, so we were just having fun dating.
Denny: Actually, would you mind if it was just you?
Frowning, I stared at my phone. A sinking feeling of dread washed through me as a million things raced through my mind. Why would Denny and Evelyn want to speak to me alone? My thoughts drifted to Hope and Liam Turner. Hope was battling cancer, and I couldn’t help but wonder if something equally as devastating might be wrong with either Denny or Evelyn.
Me: Is everyone okay?
Denny: Yeah, we’re fine. We just need to talk to you about something important.
Me: I’ll be there. What time?
Denny: Seven sound okay?
Me: See you then.
I set my phone back down, gave the toy shop one more look, started my car, and drove away. Of course, as I passed the shop, that asshole guy Denny had introduced Brystol to walked into the store.
“Roger Lodger. What in the hell kind of name is that? His parents must have wanted a girl.”
I turned down Walnut Street and out toward the lake without looking at the toy store again. James was also on patrol today, and I knew he was taking the other side of town. A quick drive around the lake would do me good. I rolled the windows down and turned up my radio, pushing all thoughts of Brystol out of my head.
Before I could even get to the front door, Denny opened it. He had a beer in his hand and a smile on his face.
“Well, hell, I like this kind of greeting.” I laughed as I took the offered beer.
“Thanks for coming over tonight,” Denny said, patting me on the back. “Evelyn is in the kitchen.”
I followed him through the house and into the kitchen, where I instantly stopped when I saw Brystol standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot. She glanced over her shoulder and frowned when she saw me.
I winked, and she rolled her eyes and turned back to the pot. I walked to the island and set my beer down. “Wasn’t expecting you here tonight, Brystol.”
“I would say it’s a pleasure to see you, but I’d be lying.”
Laughing, I shook my head and slid onto a barstool. “Need me to do anything?”
“Nothing at all,” Evelyn stated, as she pulled garlic bread out of the oven. “I hope you don’t mind we’re having spaghetti. Of course, we’re using Brystol’s homemade sauce she made last spring.”
I wasn’t about to admit I loved Brystol’s pasta sauce, so I kept my mouth shut.
“How about you help me set the table?” Denny said, handing me the plates. “We’re eating in the dining room.”
Taking them from him, I replied, “Sure thing.”
I glanced around and tried not to let nerves get the best of me. Denny and Evelyn both seemed way too happy to be delivering bad news, but with just me and Brystol here, whatever they wanted to talk about must be important.
Back in the kitchen, Evelyn was just pouring the noodles into a bowl next to the cut garlic bread.
“Come make a plate!” she said, a broad smile on her face.
Brystol avoided looking at me at all costs, which wasn’t anything new. We’d had dinner with Denny and Evelyn plenty of times and managed not to kill each other, but something about tonight felt different…and I had a feeling I was the only one in the dark.
Once we were all seated, Evelyn poured wine into everyone’s glasses. It was her favorite wine, too, I noted.
“Are we celebrating something?” I asked, picking up the wine and taking a small sip.
Denny and Evelyn exchanged looks, then both of them glanced at Brystol.
Holy shit. What if this has to do with Brystol and that jerk she’s dating? No, no way. They’ve only been dating a couple of months.
“Why do I have a feeling I’m missing something?” I asked, glancing around the table.
Brystol cleared her throat, reached for her wine, and almost downed the entire glass.
Evelyn spoke first. “A few months back, Denny and I asked Brystol to do something for us.”
I looked at Brystol, but she focused on her spaghetti, spinning her fork in the noodles.
“Okay,” I said. “What was it?”
Denny set his fork down. “As you both know, Evelyn and I have been trying to have a baby, with no luck. We finally learned several months back that Evelyn can’t carry a child. She can get pregnant, but her body keeps rejecting the baby. We’ve had six miscarriages.”