The Next Wife Kaira Rouda (book club reads TXT) 📖

The last time we spoke, he’d said, “Behave yourself, Terry Jane. You can’t be so angry, so mean all the time.” I didn’t appreciate George’s tone or the use of my hated real name. But he hung up before I could reply. And we haven’t talked since. And he won’t answer my text messages. As far as I’m concerned, he’s gone.

Good riddance. I check the time. Almost 7:00 p.m., and it’s still a balmy eighty degrees outside. There’s just nothing like Columbus in August. But I can handle the heat and humidity. It’s not that different here from rural Kentucky. I take that back—it’s a world away from Pineville.

It’s so quiet in my house, for once, I almost want to scream. But I don’t. Because I’ve learned to control myself, just like Uncle George says. I’ve learned to be cool.

I check my outfit in the mirror. I look good. And even though I enjoyed my time with hunky Chris, I won’t be jumping into bed with him tonight. No, I need to stay cleaned up until my flight. I slip on my necklace from John. As I put it on, I enjoy the sparkles from the diamonds, the twinkle of the gold chain. I double it so it frames my neck in luxury. My wedding ring glistens in the evening light, too, although I’ve moved it to my other hand. It’s too gorgeous not to wear, but I’m no longer married, so it doesn’t feel right on my left ring finger. I’m rich but available, I’m advertising. I search through my jewelry box, shoving everything expensive into my carry-on bag. Sparkly valuables are the best. Maybe I’ll meet someone on the flight. I’m in first class, so it should be good hunting. I should rephrase that. I’m not a grifter. I’m not really a con artist. Not really.

I promise I’ve always been looking for love.

It just seems to be almost impossible to find.

Maybe I’ve looked in the wrong places. I’m suffocating here, where everyone knows everyone’s business and someone like me sticks out like an exotic flower in a field of dandelions. No, thank you. I’m suited for a big city, bigger than Columbus, and I’ll be there soon.

It’s only a few hours until it’s time to go to the airport. This next chapter of life is going to be so fun. I decide to take one last look at all of my fabulous clothes and purses in my closets. Sonja will box everything and send it all to a storage facility where I can retrieve what I want, whenever I want. Until then, I blow my closet a kiss goodbye and turn out the light.

CHAPTER 63

KATE

I slip the key Ashlyn gave me into the lock and open the door. I hurry inside and disarm the alarm.

“Tish! It’s Kate. I’m here to talk,” I yell up the grand staircase. I know she’s here somewhere. I take a few steps up and call her name again.

“Oh, I see you let yourself in. A charming habit your daughter shares.” Tish stands at the top of the stairs wearing a super-short skirt and the expensive necklace John bought her when they were engaged. She begged for it, Ashlyn had told me, and he was happy to oblige. He was in love, he told me.

“What’s a $30,000 necklace compared to a lifetime of happiness?” he’d asked me when I questioned him at the office.

“Can you just stop flaunting your midlife crisis? It’s pathetic,” I’d said and turned away in disgust.

Tish is looking at me.

“Good evening,” I say.

She says, “I could call the cops on you. Breaking and entering.”

I smile. “You could, but you won’t. You know they’re on my side anyway.”

“So what? You bought a few squad cars. I can still call them.” Tish glares at me.

“I don’t think they’d appreciate the fact that you tried to kill my daughter by flooding her car’s engine.”

Tish laughs. “Not me. She probably was texting while driving again.”

“You murdered my husband.”

“Your ex-husband. And I did not. You’re making up stories. You don’t have any proof.”

“It’s over, Tish. You were never going to win. Not in the long run. Not against me. Did you know this house is in a trust for Ashlyn? John and I did that.”

“Just found out that charming piece of news. You can have the house. It is haunted.” She’s gliding down the stairs toward me. “I need a change. I’ll leave town tonight, for the right price.”

I take a deep breath. I’m not afraid of her. Even if I have allowed her to think I am.

She’s a gold digger. A home-wrecker. And I’m convinced it was premeditated. All of it. She’s resourceful, I suppose.

It was John who wasn’t.

“What do you want?” Tish stands one step above me.

“You will leave my family alone, leave town, and never come back. I’m willing to pay. I just want you gone,” I say. Time to drop a few surprises. “John and I weren’t getting back together. I was just messing with you. I knew you read his texts.”

“What? Yes you were. You wanted what I had.” Tish spits the words out but stops. “You didn’t want him back?”

I shrug. “That’s for me to know. It worked. Your relationship ended as it always was going to. It was a joke from the beginning. Let’s get this deal done, shall we?”

“Fine with me. But it’s going to cost you. Big-time. Do you understand?” Tish wags a finger at me. “Let’s sit in the living room.”

I follow her down the hall, and we sit on opposite ends of an overstuffed white couch. I pull out the documents I brought with me and place them on the glass coffee table.

“I have all the money in the world. I can transfer to your account tonight. I have a contract for us to sign, right here. Unlike the fake will you tried to float, this document is real and binding. One of the stipulations