The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda (speld decodable readers txt) 📕

ran me over and messed with my car. She practically admitted it. She knew it was an electrical failure.”

“She said that? My god, we should call Bob.”

“It’s not proof. She’s careful, devious,” she says, and her head drops with the words. “I don’t think Dad realized what he got himself into. And then it was too late.”

Ashlyn finishes her granola, and I take the bowl from her.

“Do you need anything else for school?”

“I’m good. I’m almost finished packing. I hate to leave you alone to deal with all of this.”

“I’ll be fine. Go back to school, to all your friends. Remember all the good times with your dad before she showed up.” I’ll be able to focus on things here better once she’s safely back at school. I have an idea. “Ash, take the plane back to school. The pilots would love to see you, and then I’ll know you’re safely moved in. Please, I insist.” I walk to the sink, stroke her long blonde hair.

Ashlyn reaches for her phone. “Are you kidding? I’d love to. Thank you. You’re still planning on coming down for parents’ weekend? It’s in two weeks.”

I smile. “Of course. It’s already on the calendar. Can’t wait.”

“Mom?” She reaches into her bag beside the bed and pulls out a key.

“What’s that?”

“The key to Dad’s house. It works. I used it today. And the alarm code is still the same as ours. I just thought, if things get worse, you might need it. All of Dad’s stuff is still there. All the things he cared about.” Ashlyn places the key in my hand.

I am beyond pleased on so many levels. “Thanks, honey. This could come in handy. I’ll do my best to save what I can for you. I know it’s what your dad would have wanted.”

She shrugs. “He would have wanted to be alive, to be here, right now.”

True. But you can’t always get what you want. John learned that the hard way.

CHAPTER 48

TISH

I had the world’s worst night’s sleep. The nightmare of John’s death haunts me every night. I cannot get his face out of my mind, the frozen expression of terror when I had to ID his corpse at the hospital.

Daylight helps. It is now 7:00 a.m., and I’m getting ready for work. It’s a big day. I wouldn’t miss it for anything. Who needs sleep? Clearly, not me.

I look at my reflection and note the dark circles under my eyes, the unruly hair, and the pasty skin. I don’t look right. I don’t look rested, but it’s more than that. I look a little crazy. Ha. That’s not good. I’ll need to get to work on this before heading to the office. At EventCo, I only have a little bit of time to make some changes. To assert myself. I read it online. New CEOs are judged right away. If I don’t make a good impression, they’ll eat me alive.

Maybe I’ll start offering free lunch to all the employees. They’d like that. Queen Tish, that’s who I am. Let them eat cake for lunch, every day.

I’m glad I see Ashlyn clearly now. I thought she was a bitch, but now I know for sure. Who needs her? I don’t. No more stupid “Ashlyn time,” as John used to call it.

“You understand, don’t you?” John asked me after telling me I wasn’t invited for her sorority’s dad and daughter weekend last spring. “It’s her choice, and she just wants to spend time with her dad. Kate isn’t going, either, if that helps.”

John had tried to pull me into a hug, but I wasn’t happy, not at all. “I need to be with you, too. You’re always so busy. Can’t it be Ashlyn and Tish time?”

“I know, you get jealous. That’s so cute.” He reached for me.

I slapped his hand away. I think I surprised him with the force of the blow. Turns out, I surprised him with a lot of things. “Not jealous. I just don’t like you two talking behind my back, that’s all. She should call and talk to both of us. It should be a rule.”

John shook his head. “Not smart. You can shut down the communication between Kate and me. That’s fine. But not Ashlyn and me. She’s got a mind of her own, my daughter does. I love that about her.”

“She’s a child.” I had my hands on my hips, still certain of my power over him.

“She is. My only one. I’m going to spend some quality time with her. Alone.”

That had been the first time he’d disobeyed me. The first time he would not agree to play by my rules. My hold was slipping. I was furious.

“If you go without me, don’t come back.” I stomped my foot.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Tish.” John began packing.

I looked at his phone as a text lit up. Can’t wait to see you, Daddy!

Daddy? Really?

John spotted me with his phone. “You need to calm down. It’s two nights, albeit two nights at the Regency. I’ll be spoiled. I’ll bring you some of their famous body lotion, OK?”

As the memory dances through my head, so does the realization I’m wasting time standing here. I need to take charge of the present.

Back to my face. I look in the bathroom mirror and pinch my cheeks. It doesn’t help. The word to describe my appearance is drab. That’s something I’ve never been called, ever. That’s it. The last straw. Period.

I’ve got to get out of this house. Maybe with a new bedroom, a new bed, and some cool air, I’ll erase the vision of John.

It’s time to call the real estate agent. I’m reluctant to move too quickly, what with the suburban gossip mill, and Ashlyn and Kate talking about murder, but I have to get out of here. I wonder if I can sue them for slander or libel or whatever it’s called.

Ashlyn is going back to college, so she’ll be gone; Kate better watch her step.

Focus, Tish. I dial the