I walked slowly back to my house. I wasn’t in a hurry, and I liked being surrounded by the beautiful landscape. It was like being inside of a painting. I went out back. There was a shed back there, and when I peeked into the windows, I could see ATVs in there. Jimmy must go off-roading.
"Who are you?"
I spun around.
Warm Wisconsin Welcome
Amelia
There was a six-foot-tall blonde supermodel behind me. She had blue eyes just a little lighter than Jimmy's. She had cheekbones to die for, the kind that I had to pretend to have with makeup. Despite wearing a practical coat, she still had the kind of look that you saw on the cover of magazines. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley from Transformers wished that she looked this good. She was like Rosie’s taller sister.
"I could ask you the same. Who are you?"
She looked me up and down. She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “I don't have to explain myself to you. You're the intruder."
I snorted. "Hardly. I live here." I straightened up. I hadn’t been very happy about being here, but now that someone else was questioning my right to be here, my hackles were getting up.
"You live here? What, are you the new maid or something? I didn't know they needed more help."
I crossed my arms. "I am not the maid." My voice was very quiet and carefully stripped of any emotion. "And I have never met you before."
"I live a quarter mile down the road." She pointed in the opposite direction of the farm house. "And I don't believe you. The only person who lives in this house is Jimmy Fox."
"That's my husband."
She looked like I had smacked her in the face with a frying pan. A big one. “Your husband?"
I enjoyed her discomfort, maybe more than I should have. Jimmy and I didn't have a perfect marriage, but I liked claiming him in front of this chick.
"Yeah. I'm pregnant."
Her eyes zoomed in on my stomach. "You're pregnant?"
I touched the tiny swell of my belly under my coat. "Yes."
"How do I know that you're not lying? You could just be a fat thief."
I held up my hand. I did not have gloves. She could see the fat rock sitting on it. It was too big, really, but I was definitely enjoying the way that the sunlight was glinting off of it. She looked like she had seen a headless, bloody ghost.
"I'm wearing Jimmy's coat. I live in his house. I'm married to him. I am carrying his child. Now who are you?"
"I am Mary Jo." She crossed her arms. "I had no idea that he got married. I've been friends with Jimmy since we were in preschool."
I relaxed a little bit. Just a childhood friend and neighbor. “Don’t feel bad. His mom didn't come to the wedding," I admitted.
Her eyes lit up. "Oh?" I wondered if I should have said that. She was too happy right now. Too late.
"Yeah. It was sort of a spontaneous thing. All my friends came. My dad was there. But I don't think that Jimmy really brought too many people."
Now interest was definitely sparking in her eyes. "How interesting." She closed her eyes. "I mean, that's a shame. I would have loved to go to your wedding." I could hear the clear lie in her voice, as clear as the skin on her flawless face. She looked like she never had a pimple in her entire life.
"Uh huh. So, if you don't mind, you can go home to your house a quarter mile up the road..." I hinted.
She shook her head. “But I came to talk to Jimmy. We are having a fundraiser at church, and I wanted him to help me run the table."
"I'll pass on the message. Mary Jo wants him to come help with the fundraising table. Gotcha. Why didn't you call before you came?"
"Jimmy and I don't have the kind of relationship where I need to call before I come over. He's always happy to see me."