“The building and the income from rent is worth millions, yet you let Adrianne distract you from sharing that with me?” I folded the sack and turned toward her.
Evie glanced out at the kids before returning her attention to me. “Yeah, because my marriage is priceless.”
Game over.
“You’re not playing fairly.”
“It’s not a game. It’s my life. The one where I have two young kids, a business, a husband with a connection to the afterlife and a new acquaintance with a terrible reputation for sleeping with anything that moves. Oh! And did I mention my best friends are rich and give me elaborate gifts whether I want them to or not? Wait! One more fun fact—I call my dead mother’s phone just to hear her voice and leave her messages.”
I drew in a long breath through my nose and let it out slowly as my feet took me to my wife. After giving another quick glance to Anya and Franz, she tipped her head back, eyeing me with all five-and-a-half feet one hundred and twenty pounds of attitude, daring me to speak another word on the matter. My guy brain took a three-second time-out to imagine what I might have done to her if we hadn’t had the spawn squad for an audience.
“Graham and Lila invited us to their place in the Hamptons for the Fourth of July. I think we should take the kids and your bikini and go.”
After a few narrow-eyed blinks, her expression relaxed. “Really?” She squeaked with a jolt of excitement.
Lila’s her best friend. Lila’s her best friend.
In spite of my cautious Graham vibes, Lila would always be a part of our life, which meant Graham would be too.
“Really.” I tugged on her braided ponytails, her hair nearly white from the summer’s sun.
Evie threw her arms around my neck. “Roe, you’re the best!”
I liked being the best. Maybe not the best golfer. Maybe not the best bank account balance. Maybe not the best at spewing off baseball stats. But the best husband would do … that and best skier, best lumberjack, best dad, and best lover.
Fuck you, Porter … this woman is mine.
CHAPTER SIX
Evelyn
“Nice life,” I murmured to Lila as the driver pulled into yet another Porter estate—or compound. What did you call it when someone owned half of the Hamptons? Okay, not half, but enough to build a small neighborhood if the houses weren’t all fifteen thousand square feet with pools, tennis courts, and putting greens.
The guys, including Franz, rode in one vehicle while Lila, Anya, and I rode in another vehicle. Four adults, security detail, two kids with car seats, and luggage required a caravan of vehicles and space.
“It’s so insignificant. Isn’t that why Graham is my husband and not yours?” Lila stared straight ahead through black sunglasses covering half of her face.
I chuckled from the backseat with Anya. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“While I was traveling abroad and you and Graham were attached at the hip, eating at expensive restaurants, driving fancy cars, traveling to New York, shopping for designer clothing … remember I said those same two words to you on the phone? You had just returned from New York, and I was in Germany. I said you were living a nice life, and you told me it was so insignificant. Remember? The grass is greener on the other side scenario. You said it was all just things, and they lose their appeal when you have them so readily at your disposal.”
“Coveting is half the fun.” I nodded as Lila glanced over her shoulder at me.
“Yes.” Her lips twisted into a sad smile. “So it’s okay; you can covet my life and I’ll covet yours.”
“My small log cabin and Jeep with a gazillion miles on it?”
“Your kids who think you’re a queen and your husband who kisses your feet.”
The vehicle pulled to a stop. I started to formulate my rebuttal, the simple fact that she could start her own family and that Graham worshipped her too, but I didn’t know if those were still facts or not.
We spilled out of the two vehicles into the warm July sun and salty ocean breeze, sandwiched between acres of private land leading to the water and a twelve-bedroom, fourteen-bathroom mansion, fully staffed, and all ours for the next four days. Everything reeked of privilege. Ronin rushed our two kids into the house for a much-needed potty break, followed by Lila in her skinny denim capris, heels, and a blazer too warm for July.
“Impressed?” Graham slid his aviators down his nose and winked at me as I gawked at my surroundings. He shone in his casual jeans and white polo. The wind made quick work of messing up his hair, which was a better look for him anyway.
“Why? Are you trying to impress me?” I flung my purse over my shoulder and made my way toward the house.