Chapter 1

Evelyn Rhodes tossed the headset onto the console just as the director yelled, “Cut.” Another day, another group of young women armed with the knowledge of which men had fathered their children. As she turned to leave the control room, the new intern, Aisha, came barreling through the door.

“Mr. Edmundson wants you to come to his office.”

Evelyn looked through the glass to the stage where everyone was shutting down.

Aisha leaned closer and lowered her voice. “I think he means right now.”

Evelyn nodded. Harry always wanted everything right now. She scanned her memory for a reason he would demand her presence. Not sweeps week. No fights had broken out on-camera recently, so there was no legal action.

“I’m coming,” she said as a means to dismiss Aisha. Before heading upstairs, she stopped by her office for a fresh cup of coffee, even though it was a mistake to drink more at four in the afternoon.

She shook her hair loose from the ponytail she swept it up in for the duration of filming. Then she slipped her blazer back on. Although she and Harry were friendly enough to be on a first-name basis, he was still her boss. She always appeared professional in front of him.

Outside Harry’s office on the eighth floor, his secretary waved her in. Evelyn edged through the door and asked, “Leave it open?”

Whether the door remained open or closed often hinted at the topic of the meeting. Harry always liked the door closed if he was going to yell. Not that the solid wood kept the conversation muffled. Harry had a booming voice that carried everywhere.

“Closed.”

Damn. She gave the door a gentle push and crossed the room. Harry pointed to the chairs in front of his desk without looking up. As she stared at the top of his scalp peeking through snowy white hair, she pondered what might’ve happened that she could be held responsible for. She came up with nothing.

She sipped her coffee and waited. Harry had a great corner office that overlooked the lower half of the Loop. The TV station wasn’t one of the major networks, but as far as a local station went, they did pretty well. She often considered if she would like his job—in this office—but she wasn’t ready to give up her time in the trenches. She liked to be hands-on.

“How are things downstairs?” He made eye contact, a soft smile on his face. He leaned back in his chair and rolled his shirtsleeves to his elbows.

“Good.” She cradled her cup and tried to decipher where he was going.

“I have some news. Well, more like rumors.”

“Whatever it is, I didn’t do it,” she said with a smirk. “Unless it’s good. Then I’ll take credit.”

That drew a laugh from him. “The Women in Media group will announce the nominees for their annual awards soon.”

This wasn’t news to her. Early on in her career, she’d waited for them eagerly, sure she would at least get nominated. More than a decade later, she no longer held out hope.

Harry leaned forward, pressing his forearms on his desk. “I think this is your year.”

“What?”

“Nothing official yet, but I have friends who think you’re getting nominated.”

She smiled and gripped her cup tighter to prevent herself from jumping up and dancing.

“Needless to say, having an award-winning producer on staff would be a boon for the station.”

And it would finally be her chance to pitch the show she’d been thinking about for months, holding out for just the right time. She’d thought sweeps week would be good—at least if they performed well. But this…this was better.

“Don’t go telling anyone yet, but I wanted to give you the heads-up.”

“Thank you.” As long as his intel was good, and really, Harry wouldn’t say anything unless he was sure. “While I’m here, if you have a few more minutes, I have something I’d like to run by you.”

“Shoot.”

“I’ve been thinking about developing a new show. Trent Talks is doing well, and Luke or Tanya could take over producing.”

Harry sat back in his oversize leather chair, propped his elbows on the armrests, and steepled his fingers. At least she had his attention.

“I’d like to do a morning talk show. Something lighter, like feel-good Oprah. I have an acquaintance who would be fabulous. She’s not a journalist, but she’s the kind of person that others open up to.”

“There are already a crap-ton of morning talk shows. How would you stand out?”

“I want it to be Chicago-centric. We have a wealth of brilliant people right here in our city who are fascinating. I’m not saying we would never have outside guests, like celebrities visiting the city for performances and such, but I want to primarily focus on locals. Authors, CEOs, actors, musicians. Give our people a shout-out on TV. Show the world that Chicago is more than rats, guns, and pizza.”

He nodded, his fingers rubbing against his lips, but he said nothing. Evelyn wasn’t giving him a full-blown pitch, but with Harry, it was good to strike whenever given the chance.

“I’ll think about it. Get me some numbers, staffing, and show ideas and we’ll talk again.”

“I’ll have it to you by next week.” She rose. “Thanks for your time.”

“Keep doing what you’re doing. You’re one of our best.”

With another smile and nod, she headed out of his office. She contained her excitement until she got to the elevator. On her way down, she shimmied a little dance and texted Owen to tell him to come over for dinner.

* * *

Owen Hanson took off his helmet and set it on the head of a seven-year-old who looked up at him in awe. His phone buzzed in his pocket, but pulling it out from under his turnout gear was a pain in the ass, so whoever was texting would have to wait.

“Hey, Owen. Can you take a picture of us by the truck?” Sam called as he ran by.

Owen looked down at little Hector, whose head was swallowed by the helmet. He tilted the brim so he could see the boy’s face. “Hold on to that for me, would you?”

Hector smiled and nodded, knocking the brim back down over his eyes.

Owen turned back to the fire truck, where a group of teenage boys were huddled near the door. They were tough kids who would never admit to wanting to hang around the truck, but his firehouse stopped by the youth center a couple of times a year, and they always had a crowd. He took a couple shots with Sam’s phone, one with the boys smiling and one with them all making faces.

Sam raced back for his phone. “Thanks.”

Sandra, the center’s director, came up beside him. “They love this, you know.”

“Yeah. Fire trucks bring out the kid in all of us.”

She shook her head. “It’s more than that. Even though you’ve told them that you’re a firefighter, it doesn’t really click until they see this.” She pointed at the truck and then at him in his gear. “This shows them that a real hero spends time with them. Cares about them.”

His cheeks warmed. He loved his job, but this kind of comment made him uneasy. “I’m not a hero. I just do my job.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. These kids don’t interact with enough positive role models. For weeks after this, they’ll be looking at you with stars in their eyes.”

He did these visits as a way to talk about fire safety and give the older kids a chance to see that they had options for real careers. It was never about painting himself as a hero. But he thought back to his childhood and the field trip to the firehouse that had made him decide his career path. He’d looked at those firefighters as heroes, too. Now he worked with a lot of good men, none of whom considered themselves heroes.

An hour later, he was riding in the jump seat to return to the station. He wasn’t on duty today, so all he had to do was turn in his gear. On the short trip back to the house, he finally pulled out his phone. The text he’d missed was from Evelyn telling him to come over for dinner.

“Hey, I know that look. Someone just got a sext from a hottie,” Jamal said beside him.

Owen shook his head. He dismissed most of what came out of Jamal’s mouth because the guy was young. “I’m too old for that shit.”

“Never too old for naked women.”

“I don’t need a picture. I like the live-and-in-person version.” He tucked his phone away. “And that was just Evelyn.”

Jamal groaned. “It’s always just Evelyn. Man, if you ain’t gonna hit that, she should be open market.”

Owen shot him another look. “Evelyn is off-limits.”

“Why? Afraid of a little competition?”

“There is no competition.”

“So you don’t want her, but no one else can have her?”

“Yeah, something like that.” It wasn’t about wanting or not wanting her. He couldn’t have her. Or at least he shouldn’t. But the thought of Evelyn being with a guy he worked with rubbed him wrong. She dated other people, just like he did. But she held a special place in his life. The one person he could count on, no matter what. “I highly doubt you could handle a woman like her anyway.”

Jamal barked out laughter and began listing his various sexual conquests. Owen let him ramble because he knew Jamal didn’t have a chance. It was one of the unwritten rules he had with Evelyn. They didn’t date each other’s colleagues because it would mess with their friendship.

While Jamal talked, Owen pulled his phone back out and asked Evelyn if he should pick up dinner.

Got it covered.

Better make it 8:30 otherwise I’ll be late.

Like every day.

She sent back a middle finger emoji. Her favorite symbol. But she knew he was right. She always said she was going to be home earlier than she was. It was one of the reasons he had a key to her condo. At least a few nights a week, they had dinner together and hung out. He’d gotten tired of sitting in his car waiting on her, so she’d given him a key. Doing that had saved their friendship.

Before he had a chance to put his phone away, Tara texted to see if he was free for dinner. He paused. They’d gone on a couple dates, and he enjoyed her company, but there was nothing special there. Was she worth skipping dinner with Evelyn?

Weighing what his night might look like, he responded that he already had plans.

They pulled into the station, and the guys all hopped out and stowed their gear. After saying goodbye to everyone and thanking the captain for letting him borrow the truck for the youth center, he drove straight to Evelyn’s house. Even though she wouldn’t be home for a couple hours, he’d find something to watch on TV while he waited.

* * *

That night, Evelyn was still riding the high of a possible award nomination. It was silly, especially because the information was based on gossip, but she wanted it. She’d tried to convince herself that awards and recognition like that didn’t matter, but part of her wanted others to know how good she was. She wasn’t just some cute girl who’d slept her way into her position. She’d earned her way there, and the award would prove it.

Owen’s car was already parked in the guest spot for her condo, which was no surprise. He routinely made himself at home in her place. She did the same at his.

Honestly, she preferred his place. He had a small house with a cute yard for his dog, Probie. She loved being greeted by Probie. The huge dog acted like a poodle, always trying to climb on her lap for love. Her condo was nice, but not homey. Even though she’d lived there for the better part of a decade, it was still just a place to live. She’d grown up in a house where something was always falling apart and her mother had never had the time or money to fix it. She’d promised herself that she wouldn’t live like that when she was grown.

Of course, it took until she was grown to understand what home ownership meant. She’d never wanted a house because of the upkeep. Like her single mom, she worked too many hours to devote to things like maintenance, which was why she enjoyed Owen’s place. He took care of everything.

She smiled as she rode the elevator up to her floor. Hell, he took care of everything in her place, too. She never called the building maintenance guy. Owen just fixed things. She sometimes wondered why her mom hadn’t had an Owen in her life. There had been boyfriends here and there, but no one reliable. Evelyn couldn’t even remember any of their names.

As she unlocked the door, she heard the murmur of the TV. Setting her keys on the counter, she listened. Damn. It didn’t sound like sports, which meant Owen was watching a movie. He only watched two kinds of movies—action and old black-and-white ones. She could handle a cheesy action flick, but the old movies always put her to sleep.

She walked to the living room and found Owen asleep on her couch. Sure enough, on the TV was a movie made in the forties. She nudged him with her leg as she sidled past to put the food on the table. “Wake up, Grandpa.”

He stretched, his blue Chicago Fire Department T-shirt riding up. She shouldn’t want to peek at that, but what sane woman could resist? The trail of hair that led into his pants was sexy.

Damn Nina for making her rethink her life. Last summer, when their friend Tess was debating stepping back into the dating pool, Nina had challenged everyone in their support group to actively look for partners for their lives. They had all been divorced for years, and they had come together as friends based on the idea of moving on with their lives after divorce. In their New Beginnings group, both Tess and Trevor had found love after Nina’s prodding.

Evelyn, not so much.

She also hadn’t found herself checking out her best friend until Nina had pointed out that she and Owen should be more than friends.

His biceps flexed as he rubbed his hands over his face. “Huh?”

“Between the old movie and you falling asleep before the sun sets, you’re like a grandpa.” Shoving thoughts of Nina and her silly challenge aside, she plopped next to him.

He pinched her thigh playfully. “I had a long day. Took the truck to the youth center for the kids.”

“Sounds like an excuse to me. I’ve been up since five thirty.”

“Whatever. What’d you get for dinner?” He slid forward and began ripping open bags. “Burgers,” he said almost reverently.

He loved a good burger.

“You spoil me.”

“This is an almost-celebration dinner.”

“A what?”

She accepted the Styrofoam container he handed her. “Harry called me into his office today. It’s not official yet, but he thinks I’m up for an award from Women in Media.”

He squinted at her as he chewed his food. “Is that the one you drag me to every year? I have to wear a tux and fake smile and politely clap the whole time you’re miserable?”

She’d just taken a bite of burger and choked at his description. She shouldn’t laugh, but he was basically right. While she continued to cough into her napkin, Owen got up and got them drinks. After a few sips, she was able to breathe. She wiped her eyes. “It doesn’t make me miserable to be there. I know some of the people nominated. It’s a networking thing. See people and be seen.”

“Sure,” he said completely unconvincingly. “What about all the fake smiling?”

“The whole business is fake.” He hated that part of her job. She wasn’t too fond of it, either, but she did what was necessary. She ate some more of her food.

“If this is your celebration, why are we eating my favorite food?”

“Food isn’t as important to me as it is to you. If I win, I’ll celebrate with champagne. This is big.”

He set his burger down. Looking straight into her eyes, he said, “I’m not trying to say that it’s not. I’m proud of you. They’d be stupid to not recognize how good you are at your job.”

He had no idea whether or not she was any good at her job, but his pride was genuine. It was one of the many reasons he was the first person she turned to with good news. He supported her even when he didn’t fully understand. That kind of unconditional love was hard to come by. “And if I win, I’ll have the clout I need to push for creating the new show I’ve been thinking about.”

“Finally tired of ‘Who’s the Baby Daddy’ episodes?”

“I want to do a daytime talk with a local spin.”

He nodded but asked, “What does that mean?”

“It means I’ll have a host—you remember Marilyn? I introduced you at a charity thing last summer—anyway, we’ve talked on occasion. She’d be perfect for the camera, and she has connections all over the city. She can reach anyone.”

“Anyone?”

“If she doesn’t have the connection, she knows someone who does. People like her. She can get them to talk and keep it interesting. I’ve never seen someone work a room like she does. Plus, she’s gorgeous. The audience will eat it up.”

He finished the last of his burger and sipped from the can of pop. “Why don’t you do it?”

She gave him a look like he’d lost his mind. “I’m not a host. I hate being in front of the camera.”

“Why? You’re as gorgeous as Marilyn. And people talk to you all the time.”

“I’m not an on-camera personality. I couldn’t do it. Besides, I’d get fired after I dropped a few F-bombs. That’s a huge no-no on camera.” She ate a few more bites of her burger before handing him the rest.

Of course, he wolfed it down. She couldn’t even be jealous that he ate like that. He worked out all the time to stay in shape for his job. She, on the other hand, only grudgingly walked on the treadmill a few times a week. She’d rather eat only half the burger and not have to work out.

Owen scooped up all of their trash and took it to the kitchen. Evelyn slipped off her shoes and changed the channel before he came back.

“What did Harry say?”

“About what?” she asked absently as she caught the start of the local news. Heatwave at the tail end of summer in the city. Another shoot-out in a Chicago neighborhood. A bystander killed.

Owen muted the TV. “What did Harry say about your show idea? You told him about it, didn’t you?”

She blinked and turned her focus to him. “Kind of. I knew I had to strike while he was having good thoughts about me. So I mentioned it, but I didn’t give him a formal pitch. He told me to run some numbers and he’d take a look.”

Owen snorted.

“What?”

“If you’ve been thinking about it, you already have a pitch and numbers and everything Harry could possibly want. It’s what you do.”

Her skin warmed. Sometimes she forgot how well he knew her. He acted like he didn’t pay attention to things, but he did. “Well, it’s not like I carry the information around with me.”

He shot her a look. “But you have it.”

“Yes. But that’s not the way things work. Especially with Harry. He needs to be eased into it. If I just whipped out a file to give him the full plan, he’d feel blindsided.”

“Instead, you’re going to weasel your way in?”

“Not quite the way I would put it, but yeah.” She settled back into the couch, leaning against him comfortably. “Weaseling. Schmoozing. It’s the glamorous life I lead.”

“I’ll take the danger of a fire over schmoozing any day.” His arm settled around her shoulder. “Mike and Abby are having their end-of-the-season cookout Sunday. You coming?”

“Sure. What should I bring?”

“Something store-bought.”

“I’m not that bad a cook,” she said, giving him a shove.

“Sure.” He paused and then said, “Watch out for Jamal.”

“Why?” She thought about the young firefighter who was always quick with a joke or a boastful story.

“He thinks he has a shot to be with you.”

“Oh, really? And why wouldn’t he?”

He stiffened against her. “Would you want to go out with him?”

Sometimes Owen made it far too easy to fuck with him. “We both know he’s not looking to date me. He is a young, good-looking guy. I bet his stamina is amazing.”

Owen grunted.

“Down, boy. I’m teasing.” She stifled a laugh. She was far past the point of playing with boys. She was old enough to understand the value of a good man. “How did the youth center go today?”

“Good. The usual. Kids love the truck. Little ones like to play with our gear.”

“Everything you do for that center and the kids…it’s cool. You’re a good guy.”

“Not so good that I’m letting you get away with changing the channel.” He snatched the remote and put his movie back on. “Trust me. You’ll like this one.”

She didn’t care about the movie but she couldn’t complain about hanging with her best friend, while stretched out on her couch, watching something he enjoyed. Today had been a good day.

* * *

Owen used his key to let himself into Evelyn’s condo. He didn’t bother ringing first, because he knew she wouldn’t be ready, and making her stop to answer the door would just make them later. When she was his date for an event, he always gave her the wrong time, because she was always late.

But since they were going to Tess’s engagement party, and Tess was a friend to both of them, he couldn’t lie about what time to be ready.

“I’m here,” he called out.

She peeked around the corner that led to her bedroom. “Almost ready,” she said with a wink.

If the shimmery blue strap on her shoulder was any indication, she wasn’t even dressed. He sighed. “Got any beer?”

“In the fridge. But you know there’s an open bar, right?”

“Yeah, but Miles’s family is throwing this party, and there’s no telling what hoity-toity shit they’ll have.” He liked Tess’s boyfriend—fiancé. He was a good guy who treated Tess and her kids well. But he came from money. The kind of money guys like Owen never even considered a possibility in this lifetime.

“They’re rich. That means top-shelf liquor all the way,” she yelled.

Maybe she had a point. He looked in her fridge and saw she only had two bottles. They were his favorite beer, which she kept just for him. He couldn’t remember the last time she had something in the fridge for anyone else.

He grabbed a glass and filled it with water. Leaning against the kitchen counter, he scrolled through his phone.

“Wow. Talk about a GQ moment,” she said.

He looked up from his phone, and like a cartoon character, his tongue almost rolled out of his mouth to drag on the floor.

Their gazes locked and something passed between them. A charged, heated look that told him she sometimes had the same passionate thoughts about them that he had. Then she blinked. Did I imagine the silent conversation?

“New suit?” she asked while fiddling with earrings. Her head tilted to shift her hair out of her way, exposing her long neck.

He nodded, unsure of his ability to form words. He thought he’d seen Evelyn in every kind of dress and suit imaginable. But this dress made her mouth-wateringly beautiful. It was the same shimmery blue of whatever she had on underneath—he had to work to prevent himself from thinking about that—and it hugged every part of her.

“Wow,” he finally blurted.

She smiled and curtsied. “Thank you. That’s the reaction I was going for.”

His heart rate kicked up. She wanted him to have that reaction? He swallowed hard. “You’re even more stunning than usual.”

She stepped closer and patted his chest. “You’re looking pretty good yourself. What made you break down and finally get a new suit?”

“I got tired of you telling me I was being cheap by not buying one.”

“I don’t think I ever called you cheap. But you did wear that suit for a decade.”

“It fit.”

She sighed in a way that said he was hopeless.

“Ready to go?”

“Yep.” She held up her purse and turned to leave.

His eyes trailed from the sexy heels that made her nearly his height, up over bare legs to the curve of her ass. That’s when he saw that the back of her dress didn’t exist. An expanse of bare skin for anyone to see. He continued to talk to distract himself. “I still can’t believe Tess asked Miles to marry her.”

Evelyn looked over her shoulder. “Why?”

“Didn’t it bother Miles?”

She turned completely around. “Is this some macho guy thing? It’s the man’s job to propose?”

Heat crawled up his neck. Evelyn had a habit of calling him out for being a Neanderthal. He didn’t think he was acting like a caveman; he was just old-fashioned. “I’m traditional.”

She tilted her head and studied him. “Even now, after everything with Stacy? You already did the whole down-on-one-knee, big wedding thing.”

“What does she have to do with anything?”

“I’ve never heard you talk about marriage. Hell, I never thought you’d trust another woman enough to want to tie yourself to her.”

He shrugged. “I didn’t say I was looking to get married again, just that if I did, I would want to pop the question.”

He considered admitting that she was the only woman he’d trusted in a long time, but then again, they were friends. They weren’t sleeping together, so she couldn’t cheat on him. But marriage? Could he open himself up for that again?

They walked out to the hallway, and Evelyn locked up. Another thought occurred to him because of her questioning.

“You think you’ll remarry?” he asked. It wasn’t something that he’d really considered with them. Even as their friends were falling in love and starting new lives, he thought he and Evelyn would always have each other. But if she got married…

“I don’t know. I’m not actively looking, if that’s what you’re wondering.” She pressed the elevator button. “But there’s part of me that misses having someone to come home to.”

The elevator doors swooshed open. She took his arm and leaned close. “And regular sex. I miss regular sex,” she said in a low voice.

He jabbed the button for the lobby. Evelyn talking about sex shouldn’t have his dick perking up. He knew that, but his dick obviously didn’t. He cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure you could get laid whenever you want.”

She laid her head on his shoulder with a sigh. “A random hookup isn’t the same.”

Her body pressed against him made him think about getting laid. Her soft curves lined up along his body, and he briefly imagined her lying beneath him.

Of course she was right. She wasn’t talking about getting off. That was easy to find, but the connection with someone who mattered was something they both missed. They had that connection with each other, albeit not quite the same.

On the way to the party, Evelyn chatted about work. Then they talked about his brother’s wedding, which was coming up in a little over a month.

“Did you schedule your vacation days?” he asked.

“Yes. Did you?”

“I put in the request the minute my brother gave me dates. You never need to check up on me.”

“Yeah, yeah…you always have your shit together.”

He pulled into the hotel’s circular drive to the valet stand.

“Ooo…I feel special. You’re using the valet instead of making me hike from a parking garage.”

He pointed at the heels she wore. “I doubt you could hike anywhere in those.”

The valet opened her door, and she stepped out. After he accepted the ticket and joined her, she turned a leg out, flashing more skin than he wanted anyone to see.

“Don’t you like them?”

“They look phenomenal, and they do amazing things for your legs, but they’re not made for hiking. And I’m not about to carry you.” He made the joke to prevent himself from thinking about exactly how good her legs looked and what the heels did for her ass. He checked the urge to reach out and grab a handful. Over the years he’d learned restraint.

She took his arm again. “Whatever happened to chivalry?”

“It died with the invention of the internet and Tinder.”

“And dick pics,” she added with a laugh. She patted his biceps. “There are a few chivalrous guys left, though.”

He led her through the lobby and to the elevators. Tess and Miles had chosen to have the party at the rooftop restaurant of the hotel where they’d first met, which was also where Tess had proposed. Owen felt out of place surrounded by so many people with huge bank accounts. They wore suits that cost as much as one of his paychecks. The jewelry hanging on the women sparkled enough to blind him.

But for his friends, he’d suck it up and try to have a good time. As a waiter walked by with a tray of champagne glasses, he snagged one for Evelyn and handed it to her. “I’ll be back in a minute. I’m going to see what’s available at the bar.”

“Stay out of trouble. I’ll find Nina and Trevor.”

━━━━༻❁༺━━━━

Chapter 2

Evelyn sipped her champagne as she watched Owen walk toward the bar. Something was different about him tonight—other than the new suit. If she didn’t know better, she’d think a woman had dressed him. The suit fit his body perfectly. Although he would never spend money on custom-made, he’d done well with that purchase.

One of the things she loved about Owen was his view on money. He liked to be comfortable but wouldn’t spend frivolously. In his mind, he saw no reason to spend an extra three hundred on a suit when that same three hundred could buy new equipment for the youth center. Regardless of what he said, he was a good guy—chivalrous to the core.

Turning away, she went to find their friends from the New Beginnings group. No dinner tonight, only appetizers and drinks, but the appetizers looked downright amazing. She could make a meal of them. She took a stuffed mushroom off a tray and popped it in her mouth. She surveyed the area, taking in the guests. Tess had a small family, but it looked like Miles’s mother had invited every who’s who in the city.

She found Nina, Trevor, and Callie at a high-top table. It was a four-seater, but they could drag a chair over for Owen. “Hey,” she said, setting her glass on the table. She walked around and gave Nina and Trevor hugs. She waved at Callie. Although she liked Trevor’s girlfriend, they weren’t hug-level friends. At least not yet. “No Gabe tonight?”

Trevor said, “He’s on his way.”

Evelyn looked to the bar to keep an eye out for Owen. When she caught his eye, she waved.

“Did you come with someone?” Callie asked.

She nodded. “Owen.”

“Owen? Like Owen, Owen?”

Nina leaned on the table as Owen joined them. “Of course our Owen. As always.”

“Not—” Evelyn started to argue, but then she realized that Nina was right. They were always each other’s plus-one. They never considered coming with anyone else. At least she never thought about it. Does Owen?

“Our Owen, what?” he asked, setting a glass of beer next to her arm.

“Callie asked who my date was.”

“But you’re not…” Callie pointed back and forth between them.

“No,” they answered simultaneously.

They must’ve spoken too loudly or something, because Callie dropped it. Nina, however, gave them both the stink eye. Ever since issuing her challenge, Nina had been hounding Evelyn and Owen. She had told them to shit or get off the pot. As if something was supposed to happen between them. But that look they’d shared earlier in her kitchen had her thinking…

Owen must’ve noticed Nina’s meddling glare, too, because he said, “Want to dance?”

“Sure.” Evelyn took his hand, and he led her to the dance floor.

A slow song was playing, which was probably the only reason he’d asked. He didn’t normally dance.

He put an arm around her waist, his palm was warm against the bare skin of her back. His other hand held hers. As they began to sway, she tried to ignore the caress of his fingers, so she asked, “Do you ever think about bringing someone else as your plus one?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Who else would I have a better time with besides my best friend?”

She brought her chin close to his shoulder. Their bodies brushed with each shift. “I don’t know. Maybe someone you’ll get lucky with?”

He chuckled, and she felt the vibrations through her entire body. That kind of laugh coming from any other guy would have her thinking about getting naked. It was bad enough that it sent a tingle through her.

“Hey, I’m open to all possibilities.” His low voice caused another rush of warmth.

His comment caused a hitch in her step. She had no idea if he was still joking. For the next verse of the song, she stayed silent and remembered how good it had been the one time they’d thrown all reason aside and slept with each other. They had met in the divorce support group almost a year before Trevor, Tess, and Gabe joined. Nina had come along even later.

That early on, she and Owen had been raw and hurting, but the chemistry had been there.

They’d gone out for drinks after a meeting and had ended up at her place. It had been the first time for both of them post-divorce. As much as it had simply been a stepping stone toward healing, it had been one of the hottest nights of her life.

She had come from a divorce feeling undesirable and worthless. She couldn’t do something as basic as keep a man. Worse, as soon as the ink dried on the papers, her ex had found someone new. Evelyn had still been reeling from the collapse of a relationship she’d believed would last forever.

That night, Owen had managed to be rough yet tender as he’d explored her body. They’d fucked all night—from being buzzed straight through sobriety, as if chasing out the bad memories that divorce had created.

Finally, she swallowed. “I thought we agreed that wasn’t a smart move.”

The song ended, but they continued to move. “That was before—”

His response was cut off by Miles calling for attention at the front of the room. Owen stepped back but didn’t let go of her hand. Her heart raced. She wanted to yank him away from the crowd and ask what he was about to say, but Miles was toasting Tess.

While they listened to speeches about the happy couple, Evelyn considered the possibilities of what Owen hadn’t said. Ultimately, she decided not to ask him. They’d been right all those years ago. They’d helped each other heal. Owen had been her best friend, her rock, ever since. Whenever she doubted herself, he was there to shore her up. When he believed there was something fundamentally wrong with him, she pointed out how great he was. Changing their relationship would mean changing his role in her life, and she couldn’t imagine losing that.

What they had was special. No way was she willing to risk it for some phenomenal sex.

* * *

Evelyn had just stepped out of the shower and was rushing through her room to find something to wear when her phone rang.

“I’ll be there in thirty.”

Shit Shit! “I’ll meet you there.”

Owen’s sigh was heavy. “How long?”

“What do you mean?”

“How long until you’re ready?”

“Not sure. Just go ahead. I’ll be right behind you.”

“I can come and wait for you.”

Owen detested being late. She didn’t want to ruin his afternoon by making him late. He’d never say it, but he’d be a total grump. She knew better than to try to convince him that arriving at any time other than when the party started was no big deal.

“You hate waiting for me.”

“Yet I do it all the time.”

“I’ll meet you at Mike and Abby’s. I’ll be there soon.” She shimmied into her shorts with her phone in the crook of her neck. “I’m getting dressed now. I already have the dessert I’m bringing.”

Another sigh. She could almost hear the thoughts being weighed back and forth—show up late with her or on time alone.

“Last time you were on your own to meet me, you almost missed the whole thing.”

“That was different.” She’d been caught up at work and lost track of time. She chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Go. I’ll see you soon.”

He didn’t respond.

“I promise,” she said.

“Okay. See you there.”

She tossed her phone on the bed and finished getting ready. Knowing Owen would drive her home, she took a ride-share. She tipped the driver and scooped up the two trays of desserts (store-bought) she was bringing as her contribution to the potluck meal.

A bright yellow sign hung on the front door telling guests to come around back. She loved coming to parties like this with Owen. His circle of friends accepted her without thought of what she could do for them. Throughout her marriage to Donald, every event had been a networking opportunity. People wanted to get close to her because she could take them to Donald, and her husband never entered into a relationship unless he could get something from it. But with Owen, she never had to perform. She was free to be herself.

Around here, she was simply Owen’s friend. She reached over the gate to flip the lever. As soon as the gate swung open, the full force of party noises hit her. Music blared from speakers near the patio door. A small kiddie pool in the corner of the yard held a few young children who were squealing and splashing.

She rounded the corner of the house to look for Owen. She was comforted by all of the familiar faces she saw. Some people offered a smile and nod of acknowledgment, others a wave. Then there was Abby, who rushed at her and squeezed her in a tight hug.

“It’s about time you got here.”

“I’m not that late.”

“No, but Owen has been staring at the gate waiting for you, like a puppy waiting for someone to come home.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes. Owen was not dying to see her. Abby had a flair for the dramatic. “Here.” She thrust the desserts at the woman.

Abby took the trays and threaded her other arm through Evelyn’s. “You’re not getting away that easily. I haven’t seen you in forever. Why don’t you come around more often?”

“I show up whenever Owen tells me there’s a party.”

“You don’t need Owen’s invitation. You can join us whenever you want. We have book club once a month.”

“I don’t have that much spare time for reading.”

Abby laughed. “We call it book club. We buy the book and sometimes we might read part of it. Mostly, we sit around, drink wine, and gossip.”

The drinking wine part sounded good. And really, she should put in the effort to make more friends. She had Tess and Nina, but other than that, she didn’t have many female friends. Most of the people she worked with were men, except for some of the interns. Her world lacked connections with women.

“Who’s in the book club?” Abby led her to a long table already weighed down with food. “Other firefighter wives.”

And there was the rub. “I’m not a firefighter wife.”

Abby set the desserts down and turned to face her. “First, there are no requirements for joining. Second, you’re the closest thing Owen has ever had to a wife. I mean, since his divorce, anyway. Does the man even date? He’s never brought anyone around except you.”

“Well, we do tend to be each other’s plus-one wherever we go.” We’re safe for each other. No worries about friends forming attachments with people who might not stick around.

“Think about it. I’ll get your email from Owen and send you info.”

“Sounds good.” But Evelyn doubted she would join. Too many assumptions would be made if she showed up. As much as she loved Owen, she wasn’t part of his work family.

Abby yelled across the yard at one of the kids, so Evelyn took that as her cue to grab something to eat while she was standing there. Considering Abby had told her Owen had been waiting for her, it was odd that she still didn’t see him. She picked up a brownie that looked deliciously homemade and took a bite.

Oh, yeah, homemade.

She glanced around the yard again and her eyes landed on Owen. He was with a couple of guys she didn’t know well. He smiled at her and lifted his arm as if to look at an imaginary watch. She winked and took another bite of brownie. She turned to grab a napkin and came face-to-face with Jamal.

“Hey, Evelyn. Long time no see.” He leaned in and gave her a hug.

“How are you, Jamal?”

“Good. I told Owen he should invite you out more often.”

What was with these people? It seemed like with every event, more of them made similar comments. “I see Owen all the time.”

“But he doesn’t bring you around us.”

“Well, if it’s a firefighter thing, I don’t really belong.”

“Come on, now. You’re one of us.” He put an arm around her shoulder and turned her back to face the yard. “Look around. Everyone knows you.”

For the first time, she really paid attention. She did know these people. And they knew her. Was it enough for them to know her? Did that make her fit in? Belong?

“Hey, didn’t I tell you Evelyn was off-limits?” Owen said from her other side.

“We’re all innocent here,” Jamal said with a smirk. “Unless Evelyn doesn’t want to stay innocent.”

She barked out a laugh. “My innocence left the building a long time ago.”

Jamal dropped his arm. “Who’s up for a game of cornhole?”

“Maybe a little later,” she said. As Jamal walked away, she nudged Owen. “That wasn’t nice. He wasn’t hitting on me.”

Owen raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, at the end there, he was. But that was just for your benefit. Before that, he was being friendly.”

“Uh-huh.”

“What do you care, anyway?”

“It would complicate my life, and I prefer things simple.”

She didn’t have a comeback for that. It would complicate his life. But she wasn’t attracted to Jamal. She was over young guys.

“What were you guys looking at, anyway?”

“Jamal was pointing out that I belong here, I guess. And for the first time, I realized that coming here is kind of like hanging out with family. Without the stress.”

One of the many things that drew her to Owen was his sense of family. He had his own family and his work family, and he had quickly brought her into all of it. It had been him who suggested coffee after the divorce support group. He made friends with Trevor and then Tess and so on. The group had grown because of him. She’d simply enjoyed the result.

“You are family.” He said it matter-of-factly. As if there were no question.

“The other guys bring wives and girlfriends. I’m neither.”

“You’re better. You’re my best friend. Now let’s go show Jamal how the game is played.” He took her hand and led her across the yard.

* * *

Monday morning, Owen walked into Sunny’s Diner to meet his friends. Trevor and Tess sat at the table, already drinking coffee. Owen nodded at the waitress as he made his way over.

“Hey,” he said as he sat.

Trevor looked over. “I have some stuff for you. For the center. Evan’s clearing out the storage shed. There’s lumber and leftover materials if you want it. I figured you could do some kind of project with the kids.”

“Cool. I’ll swing by after my next shift and pick it up.”

Tess leaned forward as the waitress filled his cup. He turned over the one next to his because he saw Nina crossing the parking lot.

“Where’s Evelyn?”

“She had to go in to work early. Today’s the day they announce the nominations for the Women in Media Awards. Her boss thinks she’s getting nominated this year.”

Tess’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s awesome. When will she know?”

He shrugged. Although Evelyn had called him this morning and chatted nervously on her way to work, she hadn’t said when the call was happening.

“When will who know what?” Nina asked as she took a seat across from him.

Tess said, “Evelyn is up for some TV award. She finds out if she’s been nominated today.”

“Why didn’t she say anything?”

“She told Owen,” Tess pointed out.

Nina rolled her eyes. “She tells Owen everything. Why didn’t she tell us?”

“I don’t know.” He drank from his cup. “Maybe because every year she hopes to be nominated, and it doesn’t happen. It would drive her crazy to have everyone feel sorry for her.”

“Makes sense,” Trevor said.

They fell into a brief silence until Nina spoke again. “The party was awesome, Tess. I couldn’t have organized it better myself.”

“Thanks. I would’ve had you do it, but Miles’s mom has her own people. That family has people for everything. It’s a little overwhelming.”

Trevor chuckled. “Since the engagement party was so over-the-top, what are you going to do for the wedding?”

Tess shrugged.

“Speaking of weddings,” Nina interjected, “what’s happening with you and Callie? Any wedding bells?”

Trevor choked on his coffee. When he finished sputtering, he said, “We’re taking our time.”

“I was just thinking that you and Tess might get a twofer.”

“Like the Prescotts would ever let that happen,” Owen said. “If you’re smart, you’ll do what my brother is doing. A destination wedding in Vegas. It’s just close family and a few friends.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Tess said. “I wouldn’t have to meet hundreds of people who don’t matter. Or be afraid to wipe my mouth on a napkin that looks like it cost more than my dress.”

“Miles doesn’t strike me as a guy who wants all that crap,” Trevor offered.

Tess sighed and shook her head. “It’s not Miles. It’s his mom. He’s the baby of the family, and this is his first marriage. It might be different if this were his second wedding, but not now.”

“Good luck with that,” Nina said. Turning back to Owen, she said, “You and Evelyn were mighty close at the engagement party.” She waved a hand. “I mean more than usual.”

“Like you were so quick to point out to Callie, we’re always each other’s date. We were having a good time.”

“Mmm-hmm.” She raised an eyebrow and gave him the once-over. “When was the last time you went on a real date?”

The change in subject caught him off guard. “Why?”

“Because it’s been more than a year since we made a pact to get out there and date and look for real relationships. I see no movement on your end. Other than the dance you do with Evelyn.”

“There was no pact. You just yelled at us. I never agreed to anything. I like my life just fine. I have everything I need.” For the most part, it was true. Each branch of his life felt right. He loved his job. Working with the kids at the center gave him additional purpose. If he was horny, he knew women he could call. Every now and then, though, it seemed like something was missing. In those moments, he called Evelyn.

“I call bullshit.”

“Yeah?” he countered. “Where’s your serious relationship?”

“I’m working on it. I’ve been trying a lot of new experiences to put myself out there to meet people. You’re not doing anything. You find some random woman to bang, and then you hang out with Evelyn.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“What are you going to do when she finds someone else? Someone who will do everything you do, plus give her screaming good orgasms?”

His immediate reaction was to put his back up and declare that Evelyn wouldn’t do that. She couldn’t replace him. But the look on Nina’s face told him the truth.

“She wants someone in her life.” Nina’s voice softened. “A partner in everything. You have to know that.”

He swallowed nothing in an attempt to clear his throat. He didn’t want things to change, but the thought of not having Evelyn in his life was painful.

Nina reached across the table and laid her hand over his. “If you don’t make a move, you will lose her. Not completely. She’ll still be there, just like we are. But it won’t be the same, because she’ll have what Tess and Miles do and what Trevor and Callie do. A life away from us and Sunny’s Diner. That guy will be her first call when she has news about an award.” She squeezed his fingers. “The look on your face says that you don’t want that to happen.”

What move am I supposed to make?

Trevor cleared his throat. “Leave him alone, Nina. You made your point.” He made eye contact with Owen. “She doesn’t know everything. Evelyn is happy. You’re one of the most important people in her life. I can’t imagine that ever changing.”

“Yeah,” Tess chimed in. “I mean, look how she remained friends with Donald all this time. She’s moved on, but he’s still part of her life.”

Owen’s stomach flipped. He did not want to be in the same category as Evelyn’s ex. Sure, she was friends with Donald, but it wasn’t on the same level as what Owen shared with her.

He looked at Nina again. “Message received.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Hell if I know.” That was the God’s honest truth. He stood and tossed money on the table. “I’ll talk to you guys later. Don’t call Evelyn about the nomination. Wait till she says something, okay?”

“Sure,” Tess said. She touched his arm as he walked by. “It’ll be fine. Don’t let Nina scare you.”

He nodded and headed out. He had a lot of thoughts to sort, so going for a run with Probie sounded like the best idea all morning.

* * *

Evelyn paced in Harry’s office. Her coffee sloshed in her cup as she turned to walk the length again. “What time did you say they were making calls?”

“Soon,” he answered without looking up from his computer.

Why call? It was an antiquated system. A mass email would be so much faster. She had a show to run. Anything would be better than standing in Harry’s office. Waiting. It wasn’t like they would call if she was being passed up again. How long was she supposed to wait?

Harry’s phone rang, and she jumped. Turning to watch him as he answered, a boulder settled in her stomach. Then his face brightened. “Excellent. I’ll let her know. Thank you.”

He hung up and said, “I told you this was your year. You’ve got the nomination.”

She almost dropped her coffee. Had she heard him right? “You said I got it?”

“Yeah. You’re up for best producer. Your school shooting episode from last year.”

Her heart stopped. Why couldn’t one decent thing happen to her? She hated that episode. Dragging kids in to the studio to tell their story of watching their friends die while having gun-toting lobbyists talk about the right to bear arms had made her ill. Yeah, it had been their highest-rated episode ever, but she had despised every minute of it.

Harry stood in front of her. “What’s wrong? You look like you’re gonna be sick. This is great news. It’s what you’ve always wanted.”

“Yeah. I know.” She inhaled deeply, shoving all unpleasant thoughts aside. I did produce a kick-ass show. “You’re right. It’s excellent news.”

“Well deserved.”

“Thanks.” She gulped her now-lukewarm coffee. “Have you thought about my proposal for the new show? Now that I’ve got the nomination, pitching it to the network should be easier.”

“I’ve looked it over. We’ll see.”

She hated when he offered that response. The lack of commitment drove her crazy.

“You know…” he started.

She set her cup down and waited.

“The anniversary of that episode is coming up.”

No, she hadn’t realized that. Mostly because she tried to block that entire situation from her memory.

“We should do a follow-up episode for the anniversary of the school shooting. Take it on location. Go to the school, see the kids, how they’re doing a year later.”

The coffee swirled in her stomach like acid, eating away at her. Rather than telling Harry to fuck off, she said, “I’ll check the schedule, but for now, I have today’s show to produce.” Then she picked up her coffee cup and left his office.

For the rest of the day, Evelyn went through the motions of being a producer. She was on autopilot, telling cameras to shift, giving advice to Trent. Luckily, this episode was a follow-up. The guests had appeared at least once before for paternity testing and the people they thought were the fathers were not, in fact, the fathers. So now they were bringing in the next round of possible daddies.

Security was always on standby in case things got out of hand, but these guests leaned toward the weepy, not explosive. Although the men did jump around a bit in denial, no fights had to be broken up.

All of this allowed Evelyn to turn ideas over in her head. She’d thought having the nomination would be enough for Harry to at least run her idea up the ladder. Instead, he wanted more of that gut-wrenching stuff.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket with a text.

Are we celebrating or commiserating tonight?

She wasn’t sure how to answer Owen.

A little of both?

Huh?

I’ll explain later.

Come to my house. I’ll cook.

Evelyn immediately felt better. Owen didn’t always cook, but when he did, it was yummy comfort food. Nothing fancy or elaborate for him. Chili, spaghetti, pot roast—things he’d learned to cook while at the firehouse.

As they moved to commercial break, Evelyn suddenly wondered if Owen ever cooked for anyone else. She’d mentioned to him a number of times what a turn-on it was for women to have a man cook for them. Did he add that to his repertoire for getting a woman in bed? Not that he needed help. Even if he weren’t a good-looking guy, he had the whole firefighter-hero thing going for him.

Back from break, Evelyn watched the scene play out in front of her as Tiffany found out that she’d brought in the wrong man again and still didn’t know who the father of her baby was. The dramatics unfolded on stage, and it had zero effect on Evelyn. She just didn’t care.

Maybe doing a follow-up on the school shooting would be a good thing. At least she’d feel something.

* * *

Owen stirred pasta sauce on the stove as jazz played in the background. His run with Probie had soothed his nagging thoughts from earlier. Evelyn’s cryptic response left him wondering what happened with the nomination. Why would she need to both celebrate and commiserate?

In preparation, he planned a nice bottle of wine to celebrate and strawberry cheesecake with fresh whipped cream for dessert to commiserate. The spaghetti dinner would work for either a happy occasion or disappointment. As the water boiled, he added the pasta and then cut into the crusty bread to add butter and garlic before toasting it.

Just as he slid the garlic bread into the oven, Probie started dancing around, so he knew Evelyn was coming up the stairs. Although she had a key, he’d left the door unlocked for her. She pushed it open, which was Probie’s invitation to rush through the house to get to her. The dog was still growing into his huge paws, so as he neared her and attempted to stop, he kind of skidded until he smacked into her legs.

“Hey, boy,” she said in soothing tones as she bent to pet him. She rubbed her hands all over his sides and played with his ears.

Owen shook his head. She was going to have dog hair all over her expensive clothes. “Probie. Come on. Let’s go out.”

At the word “out,” Probie scrambled back to Owen. Evelyn stood.

“I still think it’s a crime you named that beautiful dog Probie. After a year, it’s no longer probationary.”

He turned to let the dog out the back door. “I told you when you gave him to me that it was permanent probation.”

She’d gotten him the dog for his birthday last year, once he’d finished working on his house. She’d said the house needed a dog to make it feel like a home. He was convinced that she wanted a dog but didn’t have the time to care for one. His house was the best of both worlds.

She followed him into the kitchen. “You’d no more get rid of that dog than you’d get rid of me.”

He stirred the sauce again. “Probie fits him. He keeps screwing up and has a lot to learn. But no, I won’t be getting rid of him.” Or you.

She leaned over his shoulder and inhaled. “Mmm… pasta.”

While she sniffed dinner, the scent of her perfume surrounded him, and her hair tickled his neck. She smelled better than anything he could put on a plate. So much for his head being clear. Nina’s words dogged him.

Then Evelyn went to the sink and washed her hands, leaving him with nothing but the aroma of oregano and garlic.

“What can I help with?”

“Nothing. Pour yourself some wine and tell me what happened with the nomination.”

She poured a full glass while he maneuvered around the kitchen, draining the pasta and pulling the bread from the oven. Leaning against the table, she watched him prepare their plates.

“Are you going to keep me in suspense or what?”

“I got the nomination.”

He set two full plates on the kitchen table and accepted the glass of wine she handed him. Clinking his glass against hers, he said, “Congrats?”

She smiled and sipped. “It’s a good thing.”

“But?”

“The nomination is for the episode I did on the school shooting last year.”

“Damn.” What do I say to that? His heart hurt for her. Evelyn’s being upset over the nomination now made sense.

“Let’s eat. This smells delicious.”

They sat at the table and started eating.

“Your boss has to be thrilled with your nomination, right? I mean, it all looks good for them.”

She lifted a shoulder and spun pasta on her fork. “Of course.”

“Then why the long face?”

“Because right after we found out what the nomination was for, I asked Harry about my pitch for the new show, but he deflected. Then he reminded me that it’s almost the anniversary of the shooting. As if I wanted or needed the reminder. He wants me to do a follow-up episode. Go to the school, visit with the kids. See how they’re doing a year later.”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah.” She stabbed at her noodles.

They ate in silence. Owen wished he could say something to cheer her up, but when she’d come up with the idea for that episode, they’d fought a lot. He’d thought it was a bad idea. It was one thing to drag adults and their tragedy in front of an audience, but he firmly believed kids should be off-limits. And when it was over, he couldn’t even say I told you so to her because the whole experience had torn her up.

After a while, he asked, “You’re not going to do it, are you?”

She set her fork down and drained her glass of wine. “I don’t have much of a choice.”

“You always have a choice.” He shoved some more pasta in his mouth, then reminded her, “You were miserable while working on that episode.”

“I know.”

“And it’s not fair to the kids. To dredge up all that crap. What if they’ve started to get their lives back? They’re going to remember the anniversary. They don’t need someone shoving a camera in their faces and asking them about their dead friends.” He thought of the few kids at the center who had been directly affected by the shooting. It had had a ripple effect, and all the other kids at the center had come in afraid and worried about when it would happen at their school.

Not if, but when.

“How can I say no if that’s what they want? I can’t just walk away from my career. I’ve worked really hard to get where I am.”

He stood and put his plate in the sink. “You’ve already walked away. Ever since that episode, you’ve done almost nothing but who’s-the-baby’s-daddy shows. You stick to that because it’s easy and predictable. It doesn’t hit you emotionally.”

“Easy and predictable aren’t bad. Look at you,” she said with a half-assed smile.

She always did her best to lighten the mood when things got rough, even if she wasn’t feeling it. He didn’t respond. The last thing he needed was Evelyn pointing out how boring he was.

“I’m kidding. Mostly.” She kicked her smile up a notch.

Narrowing his eyes, he said, “I’m not always predictable.” Am I?

She winked but didn’t respond to his comment. “Going after that story was hard. But I ultimately have to do what my boss says.”

“Your boss is a vulture.” He took her plate and refilled her glass.

“It’s the nature of the business.”

“There’s cheesecake in the fridge for dessert.”

“Now who’s spoiling whom? Cheesecake beats cheeseburgers any day.” Her phone rang. Pulling it out, she said, “It’s Donald. I’ll be right back.”

“Speaking of vultures,” he said as she pressed the button to accept the call. She shot him a dirty look and walked toward the living room. Owen filled the sink to wash dishes. While he couldn’t hear what Evelyn was saying to Donald, her voice changed when she talked to him. It was higher-pitched or too cheerful or something. It grated on his nerves.

He couldn’t understand why she let the man stay in her life. For as long as he’d known Evelyn, she’d said that Donald hadn’t done anything horrible in their marriage. He hadn’t abused her or cheated on her. Their relationship had simply fizzled out. Owen never bought it. He thought they’d continued to sleep together when Donald was in Chicago. Then, within six months of the divorce, Donald had remarried.

The one night he and Evelyn had slept together had been on the heels of her getting the news that Donald had proposed to another woman.

And in the years since, Donald had blown into and out of her life, often after he went through a divorce or breakup. Owen never asked for particulars on the nature of their relationship, because he didn’t like Donald. He didn’t like who Evelyn was when Donald was around. While she shared that she’d spent time with her ex, Owen never asked if they’d slept together. He didn’t want to know then, but now he was curious.

Instead of eavesdropping on her conversation, he turned up the jazz on his radio and washed dishes.

━━━━༻❁༺━━━━

Soapy

Richard Bacula

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