That Man of Mine (Whispering Bay Romance 3)

“Yeah, but there’s no scandal here. No cheating, no prostitutes, no tampering with public funds. We’re just a regular couple who happen to be separated.”

“A regular couple?” Mimi heard someone say. It was Betty Jean Collins, a member of the Gray Flamingos, as well as the receptionist for The Whispering Bay Gazette, the newspaper Mimi’s sister-in-law Allie and local resident Roger Van Cleave had recently resurrected back to life.

“Oh, hi, Betty Jean. Yep, Zeke and I are just a regular couple.”

“You’re t

he closest thing this town has to Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. What I want to know is, who’s the Angelina Jolie in this story?”

“There is no Angelina Jolie.”

“There’s always an Angelina Jolie. Especially when there’s a good looking man involved. And honey, your man is just about the best looking thing this town has ever seen.”

Mimi didn’t know whether to laugh or cringe. After eighteen years of marriage, she’d gotten used to other women telling her how attractive they found her husband. Normally, she’d laugh it off, especially since this was Betty Jean and she was old enough to be Zeke’s grandmother. Unfortunately, today she wasn’t in a laughing mood.

“I promise you, there’s no Angelina Jolie.”

Betty Jean gave her a hard stare. “So the rumors about Cindy aren’t true?”

“Cindy? You mean, Cindy who works at the police department?”

“Special friendships among co-workers are the number one cause of divorce. I read that in Redbook.” Betty Jean frowned. “Or one of those lady magazines.”

Special friendships, huh? Not that Cindy wasn’t attractive, but the thought of her and Zeke…well, it was just too ridiculous to give any serious attention. But that didn’t mean people weren’t still saying it.

“First of all, we’re not getting a divorce. And secondly, what kind of rumors have you heard?” Mimi asked cautiously.

The older woman waved a negligent hand through the air. “The usual. That they’re doing the hanky-panky.”

Mimi blinked. “Hanky panky?” She hadn’t heard that term since the second grade.

“You know,” Betty Jean clarified, not bothering to lower her voice. “The horizontal mamba. Stuffin’ the muffin. Slytherin’ her Hufflepuff. Good lord, woman! How much more explicit do I need to be?”

Slytherin’ her Hufflepuff?

This time, Mimi did laugh. “Thanks for the heads up, but I feel extremely confident that Zeke and Cindy have nothing more than a strictly professional relationship.”

“They say the wife is always the last to know.” She pressed a hand against Mimi’s forearm. “You just keep telling yourself whatever you need to get through this thing. Just wanted you to know that the Gray Flamingos aren’t taking sides. Well, maybe a few of us are. Even though that man of yours is one long delicious drink of water, I’m definitely on Team Mimi.”

Team Mimi?

“Gee, thanks,” Mimi muttered.

“Got to go!” Betty Jean said. She took off with more energy than you’d expect from a seventy-something-year-old woman.

“Good grief,” Mimi said turning back to Frida. “I’m almost afraid to say it, but I think gossip agrees with Betty Jean.”

“Like I said, this is a small town and like it or not, you and Zeke are now a power couple. Expect a lot more of this until you two get back together.”

“Right.” Until they got back together.

“So, are you here for lunch?” Frida asked.

Mimi nodded. “I’m meeting Allie to discuss wedding plans.”

“Looks like she’s here.” Frida pointed out the tall, leggy brunette walking through the door.

Allie scurried over to Mimi and gave her a swift hug. “Oh my God, I just got an earful from Betty Jean in the parking lot.” She gave Mimi a thorough inspection. “Are you all right?”