Page 118 of Happy Wife

Perry smiles sadly. “Maybe.”

He gives me a hug and tells me to stop by if I’m ever in his neck of the woods. I think we both know that’s as unlikely as him ever returning to Winter Park. I promise to keep in touch, though.

I’ll have to add a friends-made-looking-for-my-husband’s-killer category to my holiday mailing list.

I stand in the doorway until his car is all the way out of the driveway, then close the door and walk into the living room.

A new air settles over the house. It’s quiet and calm, but also empty. I grab the last of my glass of wine and head over to the couch, where I snap on the TV. Lindy Bedford is on the screen talking about a “new person of interest” in the case. I smile to myself and flip over to HGTV, where some pretty female architect is schooling a contractor.

I know tomorrow I will wake up with the same yawning grief, but at least I did what I could to help Will get justice. At least there’s that.

Chapter46

The day of the party

The morning felt like a dream. Blue skies and calm water stretched out in every direction around us as the boat powered across the lake. Will was smiling that crooked smile of his. The one that made me swoon. And even over the roar of the boat engine, I could hear Mia’s soundtrack.

That morning, as we sat down to a breakfast Alma had made for Will—some divine overnight casserole thing—Mia shared the playlist she had made to celebrate his birthday, titled “Pal Turns Old.”

“It’s perfect, Buggy.” He had kissed her forehead, taking the “old” joke in stride. “I love you.”

Mia beamed proudly, satisfied with the reception of her gift.

Will’s forty-sixth birthday party would be later that day, and we all agreed a boat ride would be a nice way to spend the hours between breakfast and the time Mia would have to head back to Constance’s and Will and I would have to start getting dressed.

Even before we could head down to the dock, though, the house was buzzing with activity. Autumn swept into the kitchen around ninea.m.,as we were putting our breakfast dishes away. And Marcus wasn’t far behind her, arriving with enough food tofeed an army and soliciting the help of Autumn’s party crew to unload provisions.

“So, this is the famous Marcus,” Will had said as he shook Marcus’s hand. “Este and Beau are always raving about you. Nora, too, of course.”

Marcus’s usually friendly smile had a bit of an edge to it, and I wondered if he was still mad at me. I gave him a short wave, feeling like I owed him a huge apology and knowing I couldn’t apologize with Will around. “We’re headed out on the boat for a little while. Can you tell Autumn I have my cellphone on me if she needs anything?”

“Yeah,” he said as his jaw tightened in the back of his cheek. “Have fun.”

I could feel the judgment radiating off him.

Not today, Marcus. Today is for celebrating Will and charming the pants off some rich assholes.

We walked down to the dock, climbing aboardDon’t Settle.As soon as we were on the water, Mia synced her playlist to the Bluetooth speakers, and we zipped around as some of Will’s favorite musicians serenaded us. We bounced from R.E.M. to REO Speedwagon before Nick Drake started playing.

Will cut the engine so that Mia could jump in the lake to wakeboard. As Mia was getting ready, I noticed a small box on the captain’s dash next to Will.

“What’s that?”

He looked down at it like he hadn’t seen it before.

“That,” I said, pointing this time.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged with a little smirk. “Open it and find out.”

I frowned at him. “It’syourbirthday, Will. I’m supposed to be the one givingyoupresents.”

He reached for my hand and tugged me into his lap. “I’ve already got what I want.” He pulled me in for a hug and kissed my cheek. Leaning back, he picked up the box and handed it to me. “Open it.”

“Give it to me tomorrow. I feel guilty taking something from you on your day.”

“Nora.” There was that liquid look in his eyes that I loved so much. The one he gave me when he proposed and when he askedme out for the first time. Pleading and hopeful. He could have anything he wanted from me when he looked at me like that. “Please, open it.”

That’s my Will.