Ladies' Night Andrews, Kay (great novels .txt) 📖

“Does this mean he didn’t take you to lunch to get back with you?” Dumb question, Grace thought.

“He says they’re getting married!” Ashleigh screeched. “As soon as our divorce is final. He only took me to lunch because he said he wanted to tell me himself, before one of the girls in the office spilled the beans. Do you believe that?”

Ashleigh was crying again, her wails so loud that Grace had to hold the phone a couple inches from her ear.

“That bitch!” Ashleigh said. “She’s five months pregnant. That explains why she looked so fat when I saw her leaving his office last week. And it’s a boy! Boyce is ecstatic. It was all he could talk about, the bastard. I wanted to slug him—I was so upset.”

“I’m so sorry,” Grace said.

“She’s the one who’s going to be sorry,” Ashleigh said. “I’m not gonna let that bitch ruin my life.”

“Ashleigh!” Grace said. “Get a grip. If she’s pregnant and Boyce intends to marry her, there’s nothing you can do.”

“That’s what you think. There’s plenty I can do. And I will.”

“Leave it alone, Ashleigh,” Grace warned. “Do not do anything you’ll regret. I know you’re upset right now, but it’s probably for the best.”

“You don’t know a damned thing, Grace,” Ashleigh said, her voice suddenly harsh. “Just because you walked away from your marriage doesn’t mean I’m ready to walk away from mine. I should have known better than to expect you to understand what I’m going through. I have no intention of letting that little home wrecker steal my husband.”

Grace felt a chill go down her spine.

“Ashleigh, where are you right now?” she asked quietly. “I don’t think you should be alone. Let’s talk this through. I’ve been there, too, remember.”

“Thanks anyway, but I’m not really in the mood for a chat right now,” Ashleigh said.

“You’re coming to the Sandbox tonight, right?”

“What’s the point?” Ashleigh asked. “I told you last week I wasn’t coming back to group sessions.”

“Didn’t you see the news the other night?” Grace asked. “Stackpole’s wife caught him with another woman and raised a ruckus in a restaurant in Sarasota.”

“Was the other woman Paula?” Ashleigh asked.

“No, that’s what makes it all so deliciously sleazy. He was with a twenty-three-year-old woman who is one of the bailiffs in his courtroom. Highly unethical, of course.”

“Does Paula know?” Ashleigh asked.

“Yup,” Grace said. “I had a long talk with her this morning. I think she’s this close to helping us file a formal complaint against Stackpole with the Judicial Qualifications Committee.”

“And why would she do that?” Ashleigh asked.

“I think she knows he’s been using her by referring all these divorcing women to her for therapy group and then forcing her to pay him kickbacks.”

“Hah! Can you prove it?”

“Not yet,” Grace admitted. “Just come hang out with us tonight at the Sandbox. I’ll tell you the whole story then.”

“I don’t care about any of that,” Ashleigh said abruptly. “That’s somebody else’s problem. Look, Grace, I gotta go now.”

“Go where?” Grace asked. “Ashleigh, where are you? Are you at home? Is there somebody you could call to come over and stay with you for a while?”

“I’m in the car,” Ashleigh said. “I’ve been driving around for hours. And I don’t need a babysitter. I just wanted to talk to somebody. But I’ve made up my mind what I need to do.”

“Ashleigh?”

The line went dead.

Grace cursed and tapped the redial button.

The phone rang twice.

“Leave me alone, Grace,” Ashleigh said. “This is between me and her.”

“Her?”

“You know exactly who I mean. Suchita. I’m gonna take care of business. Do what I should have done months ago, before things got out of hand.”

“Ashleigh, stay away from that girl. You’re angry and upset, but stalking her is not the answer. You’ll only get yourself in more trouble.”

“I don’t care,” Ashleigh insisted. “I don’t care about anything. Except Boyce. He’s all I have. He’s the only thing in this world I give a damn about.”

“Come on,” Grace said. “That’s not really true. You have family; you have friends…”

“What friends? You mean all those losers in group? Get real. None of y’all give a damn about me.”

“We do,” Grace said. “We all care about you. I care. You must know that, or you wouldn’t have called me.”

Silence.

“Ashleigh? Are you still there?”

“I’m here,” Ashleigh said. She was crying again. “That’s sweet, Grace. Really sweet. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to call you a loser. You’re not like the others.”

“You’re upset,” Grace said soothingly. She was looking out the window again, wondering what time it was.

“You said you’re in the car. Where are you? Do you want to meet? We could get a cup of coffee and talk.”

“I’m … oh, hell. I’ve just been driving around. I guess I’m at Bradenton Beach. But I don’t want any coffee. A drink, maybe. Yeah, another margarita.”

“Another? You’ve already had a margarita, and you’re driving?”

“Just a couple. But they were little ones, and mostly ice. If you’re gonna lecture me about drinking and driving, I’ll hang up right now.”

“No lecture,” Grace said quickly. “Look, why don’t you pull into the next gas station you see and call me back. I’m not far away at all. I’ll come and meet you. How does that sound?”

“If you want to,” Ashleigh said. “But I’m warning you. It won’t change my mind.”

“Call me right back,” Grace said. “I’ll meet you, wherever you are.”

*   *   *

She left Sweetie napping in the condo and called Wyatt on the fly.

“Grace, hi,” he said, sounding out of breath. “I know I’m late, but I had to go through the drive-through at Wendy’s to get dinner for Bo. I’ll only be another thirty minutes. Promise.”

“Actually, that’ll be fine,” Grace said. “Ashleigh just called me. Today was the day her ex invited her to go to lunch. But instead of asking her to come back to him, he announced that his girlfriend is five months pregnant, and he’s going to marry her as soon as their divorce is final.”

“Oh, wow,” Wyatt