Page 50 of Marriage (Red, White &) Blues

“Woman, we’ve been missing you like crazy around here.” Then, like a good businessman, but more likely a good friend, he turned to my husband and held his hand out. “I’m Stanton McCain, but my friends call me ‘Ant.’ Welcome to our home.”

Blake shook Ant’s hand. “Blake Parker. Gloria’s husband.” And the smile he gave when he said that—I melted. Internally, of course, but still!

“Come on in,” Ant said, moving out of the way for us to enter, but he swooped me into a big bear hug before I got past him.

“Is that Gloria?” Pen shouted from somewhere in the house.

“Babe, get out here,” Ant called back and I watched my beautiful friend run from the kitchen in a full-on sprint, hurling her body at me, with both Ant and I as casualties as she crashed into us because he still held onto me, hugging the both of us with everything she had in her.

“I’ve missed you so stinking much,” she said and I swore she sounded close to tears.

“Missed you, too, girl,” I said back, “but I’m finding it hard to breathe here.” I broke from the huddle to reach my hand out behind me grabbing Blake’s, and dragging him forward. I wanted to introduce her tomyhusband.

“Sorry,” she replied. “You’ve been away forever. Friday nights aren’t the same without you.”

“Come on, babe, you promised no guilt trips tonight,” Ant playfully admonished his wife and she crossed her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Fun sucker,” she challenged him.

“Is that a euphemism?” he countered raising an eyebrow and I snorted as he pulled her into his arms to hold her from behind. I couldn’t help it. Reason #5,465 why I loved these two so much.

“Pen, this is the man who loved me enough to marry me. Blake Parker.”

Pen smiled up at my husband with actual tears falling this time. “You don’t know how glad I am to meet you,” she said. “There’s no one in the world like Gloria and since you were not only smart enough to see that, but to put a ring on her and lock her shit down, I already know you have to be pretty damn amazing.”

Blake cocked his head, as if deciding how to respond, then he broke out that dimpled smile saying, “It’s Glory who’s amazing. I’m just the lucky jerk she lets hang around.”

“That was the answer my wife was waiting for,” Ant said. “Welcome to the family. You’re stuck with us now. Beer?”

“Love one. It’s notrefinedenough for the campaign trail,” Blake said, enunciatingrefinedin his snooty voice, the one he used for his impression of his mother. “I don’t know where that even comes from. I haven’t seen one man at a rally who didn’t look like he drank more Michelob than fish drink water—and that’s not a judgment. Just a reality.”

The four of us made our way out of the foyer and into the kitchen to get those beers. Blake set the box of pastries down on the granite countertop next to an empty platter that if I had to guess had been left there for my homemade baked goods.Oops! My bad. I pled thesexth—that being a beautiful little amendment in the friendship code that stated that if you were busy getting booty, you in no way had to fulfill your duty. Okay, so maybe I just made that up to make myself feel better. ButBlakeandsexandwithholding orgasms!

Great, now I had to get the image of Blake, sex and orgasms out of my head. Good thing my friends were so hospitable, doing their utmost to make my husband feel welcome. They showed him around their incredible chef’s kitchen because the both of them loved to cook. Though, I think Ant started cooking to spend more time with Penelope way back when he’d still been expected to marry Gretchen. He definitely got the good wife. It was safe to say that I wasn’t the biggest Gretchen fan—but neither was Pen.

“My father keeps after me to run for any seat I can get my hands on,” Ant replied, uncapping the brown bottle for Blake and handing it over before uncapping one for himself. “I’doffer you one, too, Glor, but Pen made a pitcher of her frozen mudslides. They’re in the freezer outside.”

“Beer or frozen mudslide….” I pretend to contemplate them both. “It’s such a hard decision.”

“You’re not going to run, are you?” Blake asked Ant.

He shook his head. “No plans to. But that doesn’t stop my dad from trying.”

We started to move through the kitchen out to the back patio.

“But that’s because you’re an only child, right?” Blake asked. “My dad was at your wedding.”

“Right, he was. The parents decided on the guest list.”

“It was the same way for my brother,” Blake answered. “I’m lucky, being the spare in the family. Brock is the progeny and Jupiter is the only girl. I pretty much get to live my life so long as I keep it on the down low and don’t embarrass the family.”

“Gloria!” Sierra shouted and ran to us, a very welcome interruption to our group and the conversation not because I wasn’t interested, but hugging her took precedence over anything else. Then, she turned her head in slow motion to look at Blake, and gasped, gawking, almost starstruck. “Oh, my god, please don’t take this the wrong way, but you are ridiculously handsome. Like I thought you were handsome on TV, but in person—whoa!”

If you asked me, “whoa” was a bit of an understatement, but then again, I’d fallen hopelessly in love with the man, traded vows and gotalphaed on the regular. I was probably a bit biased.

Blake laughed. “How does one take that the wrong way?”

She shrugged. “I mean, I’m not hitting on you or anything. It’s simply a fact.”

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