Page 60 of Happy Wife

But Marcus was a font of information. And there was a light in his kind brown eyes as he described the seasonings he had grown in the garden in his backyard to season the pico de gallo.

“Did you grow up here?” I asked.

He nodded. “Not this side of town, but my folks had a place over near Cady Way.”

“Sure.”

I knew Cady Way was near Winter Park High School—a quaint middle-class neighborhood with rows and rows of ranch-style houses that were built in the 1960s.

He looked up to ask, “What about you?”

I shook my head. “We moved here for my mom’s third husband. I’m from all over, I guess.” I laughed as I looked down at my failed attempt to mince garlic. “Maybe that’s why I neverdeveloped any talent in the kitchen—too much moving around and microwave meals.”

“You should come by the restaurant. Tacos are good, but our menu is better.” He smiled.

I smiled back, innocently, but my engagement ring and wedding band felt a little heavy on my hand. When I noticed myself looking for ways to go back to the kitchen to help Marcus cook, I switched from rosé to water.

It’s fine to think a guy is cute, Nora, but you’re not getting sloppy and flirting. You’re just lonely.

After dinner, I walked myself home. The light in Will’s office was on, but instead of walking by like I usually did, I went straight to bed. It was petty. I know. But I wanted to see if he’d even notice.

After I stared at the ceiling for what felt like an hour waiting for him to come to check on me, I closed my eyes.

He isn’t going to come for me.

Chapter26

Six days after

“You cannot believe the size of this tent we’re pulling off for Sweeney Anderson’s daughter’s wedding. They’re spending a million dollars on flowers alone.”

Autumn has been flitting around my house for the last few hours, rearranging bookshelves and throw pillows. She had shown up with coffee and a few breakfast pastries, wanting to check in onme.

“I am pretty sure that we’ve drained the ocean of caviar.” She stops and looks at me sitting on the couch, the untouched almond croissant in front of me. “Nora, you have to eat. Want me to warm it up?”

I shake my head. “I’m not hungry yet. I’ll eat it. I swear.”

“Should I not be talking about this wedding? Am I being insensitive? We should be talking about you and Will.”

I don’t know what to say to this. Will is all I want to talk about, but I’ve been painted into a corner. Fritz doesn’t want me to go out. Constance thinks I’m some kind of criminal. I haven’t heard from Ardell since he was in my kitchen, and every time I think about the lack of information coming from the police and the investigation into Will’s whereabouts, my entire body starts shaking. Autumn’s mindless prattling about party decorations has been anice reprieve from the anxiety coma my body keeps threatening to throw itself into.

“It’s okay, Autumn. Thank you for checking on me.”

“Where’s Este? She’s always here by now.”

I don’t want to tell Autumn about my fight with Este.

“I’m not sure—she maybe had an appointment this morning, or something,” I lie. “Everyone thought it was better for me to just…lay low.”

You know, since at least half the town thinks I am responsible for Will’s disappearance.

“I’m sorry, Nora.” Autumn comes and joins me on the couch. “I heard you had a run-in with Constance.”

Shit, did Constance launch a newsletter? Maybe it’s just a press kit titled “Nora Is an Evil Wench.”

“It was nothing.”

She just accused me of disappearing Will. No big deal.

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