The Sidelined Wife(26)

He'd had the audacity to call me back and inform me our family's  situation was all my fault and I was turning Cody against him. We had  some choice words before I hung up on him. I was glad the call had come  after the photo shoot, or I would have looked like a splotchy, red,  puffy-eyed mess.

Avery swore in French. I smiled at her. "Someday, you will have to tell me what those words mean and how to say them right."

"I'm happy to teach you some Spanish vulgarity too," Delanie offered.  She'd volunteered in the inner-city schools in Phoenix where they had a  high population of children from Mexico. It was where she met my  brother.

"Perfect, the more the better."

We focused back on the pictures.

"Does my hair look too big? Do you think your friend could make me look twenty and svelte?"

"You look fantastic." Delanie nudged me.

I stared at my unruly curls, done movie-star style thanks to Avery. The denim shirt brought out the blue in my gray eyes.

While we hemmed and hawed over which picture to use, Reed pulled up. I  knew he was coming, and I had been reminding myself not to act any  different around him. I'd told him he better do the same.

He didn't listen. He came sauntering up with five bouquets of flowers.  It looked like a multi-colored rosebush had exploded on him.

I ignored him, but my sisters-in-law didn't.

"Reed," Avery's voice was so cheery, "you're going to make Mom happy."  Avery had always called Ma, Mom. Delanie, I think, tried not to call Ma  anything, except for names in her head.                       
       
           



       

Reed approached while I tried to keep as focused as I could on the screen. I still caught his smirk from the corner of my eye.

"I realized how rude I'd been, only bringing one Decker woman flowers."

"Aren't you the sweetest thing." Avery jumped up to survey the roses.  "James never brings me flowers unless it's my birthday or our  anniversary."

Reed carefully handed her the lavender bouquet out of the mix. That was  so sweet. I had mentioned something to him about my niece Hannah and how  her favorite color was any shade of purple.

"These are gorgeous, thank you." Avery inhaled their scent.

"Delanie?" Reed held out three of the four remaining bouquets; he was  holding back the peach bouquet with baby's breath. They were gorgeous. I  figured he got them for Ma.

Delanie eyed him suspiciously. She was a smart one. Was she on to him?

"Yellow works for me." She went right back to work, laying the roses  next to her where Avery had been sitting. Reed had failed to impress  her. Probably because Peter was always bringing home thoughtful gifts,  whether it was flowers or her favorite candy, sour cherry jelly beans.  Once he even had me help pick out the perfect colored pencils to go with  the adult coloring book he had purchased her.

Reed didn't seem fazed by Delanie's lack of enthusiasm. His sights landed on me instead. "How are you, Sam?"

I gave him my full attention, since ignoring him would have only drawn  the kind of attention I was hoping to avoid. Like the kind he was  bringing.

With a grin wider than Texas, he handed me the beautiful deluxe bouquet of peach roses. "I thought you would like these."

I wanted to shake my head at him or kick his exposed shin.

"Peach roses are your favorite," Avery commented.

"How did you know that?" Delanie interrogated him.

Reed didn't miss a beat. "She mentioned it last week when I gave Mrs. D some."

Those hadn't been as nice as the ones he was handing me.

"Thank you." I swiped them and turned back to the screen. He needed to go.

Unfortunately, he wasn't in a hurry. "What are you ladies doing out here?"

Avery's eyes lit up. "We're helping Sam choose a photo for her blog and  social media sites. Maybe you can help. It would be good to get a male  perspective.

That was a terrible idea. "We can just ask Peter or James later. I'm sure Reed wants to go in and hang out with the guys."

"I'm happy to help." The mischievous boyhood glint was back in his eyes.  He walked behind us and looked over my shoulder, though he would have  gotten a better view closer to Delanie. His cologne wafted in the autumn  breeze, making me catch my breath.

Avery took her seat and laid both her and Delanie's flowers on her lap.  "I love this one best, I think." Avery pointed again to the one of me in  front of the blue door.

Delanie's vote was for the crossroads sign one.

I had no vote, except to be done.

Reed studied each picture carefully, asking Delanie to go back and forth  a few times. "Wait. Go back to the one of her on the steps in front of  the old church."

Delanie enlarged the picture in front of the old church house on Main  Street. I was leaning forward with my arms resting on my legs, hands  clasped together. I wore a hint of a smile.

"That's it," Delanie said. "It speaks to your vulnerability and strength. It's perfect."

"Yes," Avery agreed.

Both women turned back toward Reed. "Good eye," they echoed each other.

No one asked my opinion. But if I had to choose one, I guess it would  work. I stared at the woman in the photo. She looked more confident than  I felt.

Delanie stood up with her tablet. "I'm going to call Roger and let him know which one to touch up."

"Lots of touch-up," I called after her.

"I better go get these in water." Avery started toward the door with both bouquets.

I stood up. "I better do the same."

Reed met me around the porch swing. "Sam, do you think I could talk to  you for a minute about the pancake breakfast the team is doing on  Saturday?"

Avery didn't seem to find that out of the ordinary and left me there  with him. I hadn't even volunteered to help with that particular  fundraiser. And after the way I had been treated on Friday night, I  wasn't sure I was going to go. My contribution for the season would be  to sell tickets at the school and donate money.

But it was good Avery left; with only the two of us, I was able to let loose on him.

"What are you thinking, bringing everyone flowers?"

"I knew you had been a little down, so I thought flowers might cheer you  up. But I didn't think you would appreciate it if I singled you out."                       
       
           



       

"You shouldn't be giving me flowers at all."

"I disagree. By the way, you looked gorgeous in those pictures. Do you think I could get a copy of a few?"

I wasn't sure if he was teasing or not. I sighed.

He smirked.

"We better go in."

"Not yet. I didn't ask you about the pancake breakfast. You don't want to make me a liar, do you?"

My look said he was pressing his luck.

He pressed it further by getting as close as he could, with only flowers  between us. I was starting to see the man in him. He wore stubble well.  And his eyes? Beautiful.

I took a small step back, not sure how to feel. Or perhaps I didn't want to feel at all.

His grin said he knew he was getting to me.

"Ask your question," I said, a little breathless.

"The restaurant wants to know if we want to use real butter or margarine. What do you think?"

"I think you need better excuses."

"Hey, that was good for on the fly."

"If you say so. Tell the restaurant you want the real deal. Butter."

He inched forward. "How do I get the real deal with you?"

That was a question I didn't have an answer for.





Chapter Twenty-Three


While Cody was finishing up homework Sunday night after returning from  my parents', I went online. I hadn't logged in since Friday  night-technically, the wee hours of Saturday morning. Honestly,  commenting and posting could be a full-time job. My Saturday had been  too busy attending my nephews' track meet and the photo shoot to even  think about getting online. I'd also wanted to do something fun with  Cody yesterday, so we headed to an indoor go-kart track for an evening  of fun.

The new status quo when I got online was a barrage of emails, comments,  shares, and likes. I already had twenty-five thousand people like my  Facebook page. It kind of blew my mind. Though, just like in my real  world, not everyone online liked me, but the majority of followers and  comments were nothing but nice. Several people, mostly women, shared  their own stories about how divorce changed their social circles. They  even linked helpful articles, like "Coping with Divorce," "Life After  Divorce," "How to Deal with the Loneliness." I bookmarked each one of  those links. I needed all the help I could get.

One woman, who professed to be a psychologist, commented that it was  common for friends that my husband and I had had as a couple to be  awkward around only me. She recommended that I move on and find new  friends. She said women may resent or fear me now that I'm single. That  made me feel so much better, because it wasn't bad enough that my  husband left me for a younger woman. Though the jerk still claimed it  was me that left him. For a doctor, he was an idiot. Avery taught me a  new word for him, le salaud. I was going to love learning French.