“Uh huh. Who’s the lucky guy?”
Katie didn’t answer as Ridley pushed past her. She picked up the lipstick on the table. Katie almost laughed when Ri turned it over to see the color. There was no reasoning with her friend when she was on the scent of something juicy. She noticed things such as whether you were planning to wear red lipstick or not.
“You know how I’m supposed to be helping Bennett with his social skills?”
“Yeah. How’s that going, by the way?”
“Good. Tonight we’re going out to dinner so he can get more comfortable being around people and having a good time. I’ve never met anyone who finds relaxation so difficult. It’s like his brain never stops working.”
Ridley’s eyes narrowed as she took in the destruction of the room and then swung back over to the makeup on the table.
“So, it’s not a date?”
“No. It’s a work thing. Maybe I went a little overboard but it’s just because I’m excited to actually have somewhere to go for once. It’s not like I get out much. It’s really no big deal.”
“Hmm. Are you sure about that?”
Katie gulped. “Of course I am. Besides, I’m pretty sure Bennett already has his eye on someone.”
“Whoa, what? I’ve never heard that! Who is it?” Ri put one hand on her belly in surprise.
Katie turned away and started cleaning up the desk. Oops. Bennett obviously didn’t want it to be common knowledge that he liked his friend Olivia or Ri would have heard about it from Jackson. He was such a private person and he would hate to be the subject of gossip.
“Never mind. I probably got it wrong. I just figured he had a girlfriend since … Well, what Alexander guy isn’t drowning in women, right?”
Ri hummed in agreement. “That’s the truth.”
Something about the face she made struck Katie as more than just general agreement. Ri chewed on her bottom lip the way she always did when she was upset.
“Not that you have to worry about that sort of thing. Jackson is so devoted to you.” Katie watched her friend’s face closely as she spoke.
There, what was that? Her friend flinched like she’d been hit. What was that about? Jackson and Ridley were one of those couples that everyone else pointed to as an example of the perfect relationship.
Ri shrugged. “He’s a man, too. We all have to worry about it.”
“Hey, what’s going on with you? I’ve never seen you like this.” Katie led Ri over to the chair in front of her vanity since it had the sturdiest seat.
This was the kind of conversation she needed to be sitting down for.
“It’s so stupid. I know it is. But I found this business card in Jackson’s pocket with a woman’s phone number on it and I can’t stop thinking about it.” Ridley rolled her eyes. “I knew it was a bad idea to look in his coat but it was sticking out of the pocket. What was I supposed to do?”
Katie swallowed against the sinking feeling she had listening to Ri blaming herself. It all felt so familiar, the excuses you made for the man you loved, the tendency to blame yourself for the whole situation, the despair. She’d spent years feeling like that before she had the courage to confront Don and she hadn’t been heavily pregnant at the time.
“Ri, you don’t have to justify anything to me. I would have looked, too.”
All of sudden Ri gasped. “Oh Katie, I’m so sorry. I forget sometimes that you’ve gone through this.”
“It’s okay. I’m way over him. Plus, this doesn’t mean that Jackson is doing the same thing that Don was. You guys are in a completely different situation. My ex-husband never looked at me the way Jackson looks at you. Maybe there’s an explanation for this?”
Ridley forced a smile. “I’m sure there is. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me lately. Hormones, I guess.”
“Well, feel free to vent. I’ve certainly done it to you enough times.”
Ri glanced over at the closet again. “Have you decided what to wear yet?”
Katie took that as a hint th
at she was done talking about this. Not that she didn’t understand. When you were in the middle of a rough patch with your spouse, sometimes talking about it didn’t help much. Sometimes what you needed was a distraction.