Free Wrapped in You by Kate Perry Page B

and two women walked in. One was a tall redhead in a splash of color, the other was Eve, smiling brightly as she headed to the bar where Trudy was sitting.
    “Sorry we’re late,” Eve said, giving her a quick squeeze. “I had a customer who wouldn’t leave. I hope you don’t mind that I brought a friend. This is Freya. Freya, Trudy is on vacation and has a boss who’s insane.”
    “Ouch.” Wincing, Freya gave her a hug, too. “My last boss was insane, too.”
    “What did you do about it?” Trudy asked, curious, as the women settled themselves on the stools next to her.
    “I made a voodoo doll of him and poked pins at it every chance I got.”
    Eve shook her head. “No, you didn’t.”
    “Eve did, too,” Freya said without missing a beat.
    “I should have.” Eve tucked her hair behind her ear as she faced Trudy. “My father was our boss.”
    Freya gestured to the bartender to get his attention. “That was the only reason that kept me from taking a hit out on him.”
    “Freya and I have been friends a long time,” Eve explained.
    “It’s nice having someone who shares your history,” the redhead said.
    She wouldn’t know. In school she’d been different, so the other girls kept their distance. And then she’d started working with Jon. He was the closest thing she had to a girlfriend. Cool or pathetic? It seemed a toss-up, depending on the time of day.
    They ordered drinks, and when they arrived they clinked their glasses together before Freya leaned on her elbow and said, “So what makes your boss insane?”
    “He forced me to go on holiday,” Trudy said bitterly.
    “And he gave her a list of things to do, to have fun,” Eve added as she sipped her drink.
    “In exchange, he’s going to make me a partner in his business.”
    “What does he do?”
    “We’re a private investigation firm. I do all the electronic legwork.”
    Freya nodded. “And how would being a partner be different in what you do?”
    “I’d”—Trudy frowned—”well, it wouldn’t be different, but I’d have more autonomy.”
    “So he micromanages you?” she asked sympathetically.
    “No, he leaves me mostly alone, but I’d have a stake in the business.”
    Freya pursed her lips. “That’s semantics, right? Because it doesn’t appear much different than what you do now.”
    Eve hummed and then diplomatically said, “If this is what you want to do for the rest of your life, then I can see how it’d be important to get a stake now.”
    The rest of her life. Trudy stirred her drink. She hadn’t thought that far ahead.
    Freya turned to Eve. “Isn’t Gwen’s guy a detective, too?”
    “Yes. I was going to arrange a get together so they could meet.” Eve looked back and forth between them. “How is Wednesday night for you guys?”
    “Sounds great to me. We’ll leave the kids with Anna,” Freya said enthusiastically. She faced Trudy. “Anna is my younger sister. I raised her, so I feel justified in making her babysit. My children are angels though.”
    Eve laughed. “Her children are adorable, which makes up for the fact that they’re hellions.”
    “Did I tell you that Greg taught Mae to sing “Baby’s Got Back?” Hearing her little voice say ‘I like big butts and I cannot lie!’ is the best thing ever.” She turned to Trudy again. “Our daughter is two, and our son is four months old. He’s going to be a player like his daddy. He’s already flirting with all the ladies.”
    Trudy nodded, surprised by the strange longing she felt in her chest. She wasn’t sure what she was longing for: wanting in on the easy camaraderie Eve and Freya shared or having the love and satisfaction Freya had with her family. Maybe both.
    Which was odd. She’d never wanted any of it. What was happening to her?
    Eve’s eyes widened, her gaze going beyond Trudy’s shoulder. “Oh my.”
    As Trudy and Freya turned to see what they were looking at, from right behind her, a man’s voice said, “Hey, little girl,