Sabrina laughed. “They do, don’t they?” She turned and glanced over her shoulder. “The wives or hopeful wives on the other side.”
I followed her gaze with my own before turning back to the grill.
“Don’t worry about Rachel and the others,” Sabrina said, surprising me. “In this life, the wives tend to be, um, how should I say it?”
“Cliquey as all hell?” I asked with a lifted brow.
She let out a laugh. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Not my problem.”
It wasn’t like I was going to be around for much longer anyway. I didn’t see the need to try and get the other women to like me. But I did like Sabrina. She seemed nice and was a lot warmer than the other women who wanted to know the story behind Ace and me.
“Plus, Rachel and Tricia are cousins, so…” She paused when I gave her a funny look. “Anyway, I think they’re about to start the tug-of-war. You should come play.”
I waved my hand in the air. “I don’t think so.” I pointed to the floral print, sleeveless summer dress I opted to wear for the day. “Grass stains don’t go with the look.”
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
I watched as she headed off in the direction where a couple of the Airmen laid out a long rope. Sabrina waved her son, James, over, and I looked over to the last place that I’d seen Aiden.
He was no longer over by the slide.
I scoured the crowd, noting the various groups of women and men mingling about. Children ran in different directions. Some still had kites while others played with balls in their hands, while a few of the younger kids had balloons. Thank goodness for the trees and the pavilion, blocking out some of the sun’s rays.
Aiden was amongst a crowd of three other boys. From my vantage point, it looked like he was having a good time, so I opted to let him be. Hopefully, when this was all over with Ace and me, and we were settled in our permanent home, somewhere, he’d have time to make real friends at his school.
I ignored the ache in my chest at the reminder that that would mean Ace and I were legally divorced. Officially not a couple any longer, although we hadn’t been a real couple in years.
I swung my attention in the opposite direction to Ace with the same group, talking and laughing. There was an ease about him as he stood with one hand in his jeans’ pocket, the other cupping a red Solo cup. His smile was genuine, but it wasn’t unguarded like the smiles he used to give me back when we were the real thing.
God, I miss his smiles.
They always had a way of putting me at ease. And I could’ve used the comfort at the moment.
“You two seem distant,” a female voice came up behind me, breaking into my thoughts.
The roll of my eyes was automatic as I instantly recognized Tricia’s voice.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
Her expression was none too friendly. “You and your…husband,” she sneered. “You two have barely spoken since I got here.” She eyed me over the rim of her plastic cup as she took a sip of whatever she was drinking.
“Do you make it a point to track the conversations of every couple you come across, or just me and my husband?”
Tricia’s face scowled at the last two words of my question. “Since when is Ace your husband? He wasn’t married last week.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Are you sure about that?”
Her face reddened, and I was sure it wasn’t from the summer heat. “He wasn’t married when we slept together.”
I almost dropped the plate in my hand. Unwittingly, I took a step back as if she’d pushed me. The ache in my belly worsened when a triumphant smile broke through her lips.
But I wouldn’t let her get the best of my emotions.
I hadn’t seen Ace in sixteen years. He was an attractive and successful man. Of course he hadn’t remained single all this time.
Nor had I. The difference was, none of the men I dated were rubbing our relationship in his face at the moment.
