Dead Woman Crossing J.R. Adler (early reader chapter books txt) 📖

“Of course he did.” Emily rolled her eyes. “Maybe that’s why Wyatt’s been spending so much time there. Thinking it’ll turn him into a real man or something,” she said with a laugh. She covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my. I don’t know what’s gotten into me. That was so mean.”

“Nothing wrong with venting.”

“You’re right about that. He’s been coming home so late too. Far after closing time. Smelling like booze. Just drinking his troubles away, while I’m here in this big, dumb house raising our kids and holding the pieces of our life together.” She blew out her cheeks after her rant and filled them back up with a gulp of wine.

Spending lots of time at The Trophy Room. Coming home late. Later than bar close. Kimberley started piecing everything Emily had said together. She was on red alert.

Kimberley refilled their glasses again. “Has this been going on for a while?”

“Kinda.” Emily hiccupped. “Oh, excuse me,” she said with a giggle.

“Will he get home late tonight even with David with him?”

“I’m sure he’ll stay there even after my dad leaves. He’ll come clabbering to bed around three or four in the morning just like last night.” She took another drink of her wine.

“He got home after three a.m. this morning?”

“Oh yeah. He thinks he’s being discreet. But he’s as quiet as a buffalo.”

Wyatt had been acting strange since she arrived. She knew something was off. He had money problems. His marriage was falling apart. His business was failing.

“Did Wyatt know Hannah too?” Kimberley asked. She feared it was too forward, that Emily would realize what she was getting at.

“From high school. They ran in different crowds though. Wyatt was popular, all-star quarterback, and Hannah was more of a loner.” She shrugged her shoulders and took another gulp of wine. “Enough about Wyatt and me.” She flicked her hand. “Tell me about you.”

Kimberley filled her mouth with food to delay having to talk about herself. She chewed methodically. She didn’t really like talking about herself. Her life at home had been her deep, dark secret growing up. She had learned to never go into detail about herself, to never tell the truth about what happened behind their closed doors. But she wasn’t a little girl anymore. There wasn’t a monster sleeping two rooms away. She’d have to learn to open up if she was ever going to make friends and make a better life for Jessica.

“There’s not a lot to tell, I guess. You know we came from New York City. My life has been all work up until sixteen months ago, when it became all Jessica and also all work.” Kimberley shrugged her shoulders. She purposefully left out any mention of Aaron. Thinking or talking about him always put her in a foul mood, so it was best to be avoided.

“There’s got to be more than that. Tell me what you like to do for fun.” Emily smiled.

“I like to run, but most people don’t find that fun. Hallmark and Lifetime movies are my guilty pleasure, but I’ll deny it if you tell anyone.” Kimberley laughed.

“Well, I’ll be.” Emily slapped her knee. “I would not have expected that. You seem more like a History Channel buff or maybe something serious like The Sopranos or The Wire.” Emily raised an eyebrow.

“Nope, I like my entertainment to be predictable, maybe because my line of work has never been. I also want it to do go down like a piece of pizza, extra cheesy. If I know what the ending is going to be in the first few minutes, I’m hooked.”

Emily let out a big grin. “You are something else, Kimberley,” she said in the most endearing way, lifting her glass to her lips for another sip.

Kimberley smiled back. It felt good to open up, even if it was about something as trivial as to what she liked to watch on television. It wasn’t much, but it was something to Kimberley. A small door slightly ajar.

“This was so fun,” Emily said as she walked Kimberley to the front door. There was a lightness in her voice, and she swayed a little as she walked.

They were both rather drunk after consuming three bottles of wine with dinner.

“It was. We should do it again sometime.” Kimberley pushed open the screen door and tripped out onto the porch into the warm Oklahoma air.

“Definitely,” Emily said with a smile. “Go ahead and send the boys back over. I’m hoping they go straight to bed. I’m too drunk to parent.” She laughed.

This was clearly out of the norm for Emily, to let loose and it was a breath of fresh air to see.

“I’ll send them back in twenty minutes to give you a little time to yourself.”

“You’re a lifesaver. Thank you!” Emily held out her arms and hugged Kimberley.

She was stiff for a mere second, but then loosened up, hugging her back.

“Good night. Thanks for dinner and of course the wine.” She took a step back and headed down the stairs of the front porch.

“Anytime,” Emily said with a wave.

Kimberley turned the corner, heading down the stone path to the cottage. She had thoroughly enjoyed the evening with Emily, but there was still something lingering, something she couldn’t get her mind off of… Wyatt.

20

The pounding in her head woke Kimberley before the alarm on her phone did. She pressed her hand against her temple, trying to push away the throbbing, but it didn’t help at all. Wine headaches were the worst headaches. She swallowed a couple of times, trying to bring some moisture back into her parched mouth; another failed attempt. Swinging her legs out of bed, she got up, rubbed at her eyes and made her way out of the bedroom, down the hall, but stopped in the living room as Nicole and Jessica were sitting on the floor between the coffee table and the television playing with a dozen random colorful toys. Jessica kept sticking them in her