His Best Friend's Wife (Bachelor Best Friends 2)

“Well?” Lucy asked grumpily from the doorway. “Are you going to have breakfast or are you going to let this oatmeal harden to concrete?”

“I’m coming.”

Lucy glared at the phone in Renae’s hand. “Is he coming over? Because if he is, I can go over to Daisy and Maxine’s for the afternoon, I guess. Just hope I don’t fall in the snow on my way over.”

Still clutching the phone, Renae planted her fists on her hips. “You would really leave if Evan comes over?”

“If he comes, I assume you would all be just as happy if I’m not here,” Lucy replied with an affecting little catch.

“That’s ridiculous. The children and I are never happier when you’re not here.”

Lucy’s lip quivered. “I saw how their faces lit up when you said who was on the phone. I told you they would get too attached to him if you kept bringing him around. If he’s here, they wouldn’t even notice that I’m gone.”

“Lucy, this is not a competition.”

“Fine. If you’d rather have him here than me, I won’t stand in your way.”

Renae studied her mother-in-law in sudden realization. “You’re trying to make me choose between him and you.”

Lucy twisted the hem of her baggy sweater between her hands. “I’m not trying to make you do anything, Renae. You make your own choices.”

“Yes. I do. Or I should. Instead, I’ve been driving myself crazy trying to do what everyone else wants me to do, to be what everyone else needs me to be. But maybe it’s time I figure out what I want.”

And the first thing she wanted, she realized abruptly, was to know what Evan had meant by that cryptic remark he’d muttered.

“I have to go out for a little while,” she said, moving toward the doorway to fetch a coat and gloves. “I won’t be long.”

“You’re going out? In this snow? Renae, that’s crazy.”

“I’ve driven on snow before. I’ll be fine.”

“But—”

“Tell the kids I’ll be back in about an hour and a half to make that snowman with them. They can play video games until I get back.”

“This is insane. You’re going to crash your car.”

“I’ll be back in an hour and a half,” she repeated. “Tell the kids.”

Lucy was still protesting when Renae left the room.

Chapter Twelve

It took her forty minutes to make the usually ten-minute drive from her house to Evan’s apartment. It would have taken even longer had it not been a little later than rush hour, and had she been driving in the other direction. Traffic in the westbound lanes into the city seemed to be at a standstill; she could only hope it had cleared some by the time she returned from this impulsive and probably ill-advised outing.

It occurred to her only when she parked in his snow-covered lot that she hoped he hadn’t left his apartment since he’d called her. She was relieved to see his truck in its usual parking spot.

The snow was falling harder when she climbed out of her car. She’d neglected to bring a hat, so she turned up her coat collar and huddled into it as she trudged across the lot, her boots sinking into the untouched snow. Some children from the apartment complex played in the usually green compound behind the apartments and ripped up and down the now-buried walkway that ran along the river. Adult supervisors followed more sedately behind or brushed snow off the benches along the river walk to sit and watch. Renae heard the children squealing and laughing as they threw sloppy snowballs and inexpertly gathered snow for snowmen.

Her face felt half-frozen, her hair was damp and her teeth were chattering from both cold and nerves when Evan opened his door to her with a scowl. “What the hell are you doing here? You drove in this? After we talked about how dangerous it was?”

She shivered. “We need to talk.”

He drew her inside. She’d stomped most of the snow off her boots downstairs, but she was afraid she was tracking in moisture anyway. Evan didn’t seem to care. He disappeared for a few moments to return with a large bath towel that he draped over her when she stripped off her coat and gloves.

“You’re cold,” he fretted. “Come over by the fire.”

Drying her hair, she made an impatient gesture with her free hand. “I’ll be out in the snow with the kids later anyway.”