Free If the Ring Fits by Cindy Kirk Page A

thought of only being his best friend and nothing more. Which didn’t make sense. They were best friends. Through the years she’d been able to count on that one constant.
    “Please come with me,” he said, offering her a smile that made her heart flip-flop.
    The thought of the night she faced if she decided to turn down his offer and stay home gave her pause. She’d get to make dinner, clean up and watch the most recent Transformer movie…again. After that, baths and bedtime before collapsing exhausted into bed, then getting up tomorrow and doing it all over again.
    “You said you owed me,” he reminded her.
    Though he wasn’t playing fair, she did owe him. He’d brought her son safely back to her. And really, what was the big deal? What would it hurt to spend a night enjoying good food and adult conversation?
    She sighed. “Pick me up at six.”
     
    The ballroom of the Spring Gulch Country Club reminded Mary Karen of a beautiful garden party. Huge urns of flowers surrounded the shiny, wooden dance floor. Crystal goblets and sterling silver flat-ware gleamed in the candlelight. Most of those in attendance, men in tuxedoes and women in gorgeous cocktaildresses, were people Mary Karen had known her entire life.
    Knowing the event would be dressy she’d chosen a black silky jersey dress with a long luxe tie. She hoped the one bare shoulder and long tie would draw attention upward, away from her rapidly growing baby bump.
    Mary Karen didn’t mind if people thought she’d gained a little weight. She just didn’t want them knowing she was pregnant. Not yet.
    July had tactfully asserted she needed to face facts. Mary Karen smiled at the thought. Every day her changing body brought her pregnancy up close and personal. Still, she hoped to get through the emotional roller coaster of this first trimester before dealing with everyone’s disappointment when they learned how stupid she’d been…again. “You okay?”
    Mary Karen shifted her gaze to Travis, surprised at the concern in his eyes.
    “I’m not going to throw up all over your new Italian loafers, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Mary Karen forced a chuckle.
    “That’s a relief.” He shot her a wink and set a reassuring hand on the small of her back as they crossed the room.
    A group of young doctors that Travis often partied with stood by the bar, laughing uproariously. He didn’t spare them a second glance. “What sounds better to you? Dancing or mingling?”
    A cocktail hour and dancing always preceded the dinner and awards. Though Mary Karen normally loved to talk, tonight she preferred to surrender her worries and sway in time to big band music.
    Of course, she began to regret her choice the secondher “husband” pressed her tightly against his tuxedo-clad body. They’d danced together many times but she couldn’t remember him ever holding her so closely before. She fought against the emotions and the desire the nearness engendered. Travis hadn’t held her this tightly since they’d made love their wedding night in Vegas.
    The woodsy scent of his cologne teased her nostrils. Unlike the smells which sent her stomach reeling, this scent tantalized and beckoned her closer. Mary Karen laid her head against his broad chest and let the music seep into her soul. They danced silently for several minutes. “You smell wonderful.”
    “It’s the cologne you gave me for my birthday.” Travis pressed her more firmly against him. “Every time I wear it I think of you.”
    The popular scent had been an impulsive purchase at the big box store out on the highway. The college student clerk had told her that “girls love this scent on their guys.” When Mary Karen had heard that she’d smiled, wondering which of Travis’s many girlfriends would reap the benefits of her gift.
    “Why did you invite me to come with you, Trav?” She kept her tone low, her words soft and for his ears only.
    “You’re my wife,” he said, executing a series of