Page 110 of First Date: Divorce
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“You think Pauline knows what we’ve been doing?”K.D.asked, nestled against his shoulder on the wide seat of the leather couch in his office.
They hadn’t even tried to make it upstairs.
There’d been a few moments when he hated that teddy.But now that it was out of the way, flung across a side table, he felt a nostalgic fondness for it.
“Yeah, Pauline knows.I guarantee it.She probably knew before you finished buying that teddy.She’s spooky about things like that.And she will use it to blackmail you for the rest of your life.”
“Pauline won’t blackmail me.She only blackmails you.But what is she going to think?”
“That I’m one lucky guy.And she’ll kill me if I blow this.But I’m going to push it anyway.”
“Eric—”
“No, I’m not stupid enough to propose.Not yet.But I’m telling you right now, I kept the rings from the Schmidts.”
She kissed him.
EPILOGUE
Ellyn found a quiet spot for a moment amid the happy crowd in the Far Hills Ranch main house.
By leaning against the side of the fridge near the corner to the back hall she didn’t even have to move every two seconds for fridge-openers.
“Sorry, excuse me.Champagne coming through.”Rebecca came around the edge of the open fridge door.She held out one champagne flute to Ellyn and kept a second for herself.“Yours is nonalcoholic.Mine isn’t.I spotted you over here in the corner.Lurking.”
Ellyn took the glass.“Not lurking.Looking.It’s fun to see all the happiness.”
“Including the happiness that stumbled out of here a bit ago.”Rebecca raised her glass with a grin.“To Eric and K.D., and a successful endeavor of the Wyoming Marriage Association.”
“The what?”asked a woman’s voice in the split second before Hannah Randall came around the corner from the back hall.
Rebecca sucked in a dismayed breath and shot Ellyn an apologetic look.
“It’s okay, Rebecca.Haven’t you met Hannah?Her husband’s Dax Randall.They ranch north of Bardville.”She added significantly, “Good friends with Jessa and Cully.Also Cambria and Bodie.”
“Oh.”Rebecca gave the other woman an appraising look.
Hannah chuckled.“Why do I feel like I’m being judged for admission to a secret club.”
“Because you are,” Ellyn said calmly.Even before Hannah’s brows reached their apex, she added, “This is Rebecca, she’s married to Luke Chandler.”
“Oh, hello.I’ve heard about you, of course.It’s a pleasure to meet you at last.Heard about you from Jessa and Cambria, but also from Dax and Will and some of the hands.Will — he’s my son, well officially my stepson, but he’s my son.Anyway, he said your house is the favorite stopping place for guys rolling through the area.”
Rebecca groaned.“Tell me about it.I only wish they’d roll through a little more and stay put a little less.Sorry, I know that sounds ungracious…”
“Not at all.”Ellyn turned to Hannah.“Trouble is some unattached guys around here are used to piling in on Luke.”
Hannah looked at Rebecca.“You’ve asked Luke to tell them to change their ways?”
“Well…”
“Luke would.In a heartbeat.He’s ready for more privacy, too.She won’t let him,” Ellyn said.“Rebecca’s too soft-hearted.”
“They’re lonely.And they’re such nice guys.”Rebecca tipped her head toward the door.“Just like Eric.”
Hannah chuckled.“Well, if he was one of your problems, I’d say problem solved.”
