Free Nearlyweds by Beth Kendrick

arched one eyebrow.
    “No.” Casey gasped. “What happened?”
    Erin cleared her throat to indicate that these subjectsshould not be discussed in front of outsiders like me. “We’ll talk. Want to go grab dinner?”
    Casey shook her head. “Can’t. Nick had to order a pizza last night.”
    “So?”
    “So I want to make him a real meal to make up for it tonight. We had this stupid argument…” She trailed off, staring at me.
    “What?” I stared back. “You might as well go ahead and talk. So what if you had some little spat with your husband? At least he’s not making you get rid of your dog.”
    Casey brightened. “True.” She turned back to Erin. “Well, we had this ridiculous fight because he replaced our shower faucet handle with a pipe wrench—don’t ask—and I ended up going to the movies by myself while he had to order a pizza. So I’m whipping up a culinary feast to patch things up. Rosemary potatoes, free-range chicken, the whole shebang.”
    “You are so June Cleaver,” Erin teased. “You’re the only person I know who actually mills her own guest soaps.”
    “I just like to keep a clean house,” Casey said.
    “It’s a sickness, I tell you.” Erin laughed. “Drop by the office—I’ll slip you some meds. The good stuff.”
    “Promises, promises.” Casey waved her off as the phone next to the register rang.
    As Casey tucked the receiver between her shoulder and ear, Erin started patting the dog again. This time, she actuallybothered to make eye contact with me. “I’ll ask around the office, see if anyone’s looking for a dog. What’s his name?”
    “No name yet,” I admitted.
    “What should we name you?” Erin asked the dog, flapping his ears. “What’s a good name for a big, black dog? Hmm. Voodoo? No, too scary. Enzo? No, too sophisticated.”
    “What about Cash?” I surprised myself by speaking up. “Like Johnny Cash. Wasn’t he supposed to be the man in black?”
    Erin looked up, surprised.
    “Yes, I know who the man in black is. You don’t have to be so shocked. I have three years of college, believe it or not. I’m not an idiot.”
    “I never said you were.”
    “But you think it,” I challenged. “You and Casey both do. You think anyone who married a man twice her age and looks the way I look has to be a dumbass.”
    Erin smirked. “Who ‘looks the way you look’? And what way is that, exactly?”
    “Like trophy wife material.” There was no point denying the truth.
    For a second, I thought she’d go back to pretending I didn’t exist, but she threw back her head and laughed. “A trophy wife with a smart mouth.”
    “Yeah, well, I’m not as ditzy as I look. That’s what my mom always says.”
    “Nice mom!”
    I sighed. “She means it as a compliment. I think.”
    “She should have coffee with my mother-in-law. They’d have a lot to talk about.”
    Our little meet-and-greet was interrupted as Casey’s voice got sharper and louder. “Nick, I said I was sorry about last night…and then I told you about…well, I wish you wouldn’t do that—I’ve already bought all the ingredients and defrosted the chicken.”
    “Uh-oh,” Erin whispered. “He’s doing it again.”
    “Who’s doing what?” I whispered back.
    “Her husband. The man can’t commit to anything. Not law school, not an apartment lease, nothing. He goes through about five cell phone providers a year.”
    “He managed to get married,” I pointed out. “’Til death do them part.”
    Erin looked like she had a lot to say but wasn’t going to say it.
    “…well, if that’s what you really want.” Casey glowered as she wrapped up her phone conversation with Mr. Commitment. “Do what you want. I’m not your warden…uh-huh…uh-huh…no, whatever. I’m not mad. Nope. Promise. I’m not mad. See you later. Kiss, kiss.”
    She slammed down the receiver with a force that startled the dog. “Son of a bitch! I’m going to kill him!”
    Erin winced. “Trouble on the