Some Women Read Online Free

remember why she’d even been out at a bar to begin with, even though it was only a year ago. Ah, yes, her colleague Kim’s promotion party. How could she forget? Kim had been bumped up to features editor at the
Journal
, where Piper had been a crime-beat reporter for the past seven years. The new job had come with a lot of extra responsibility, which Piper had not envied, though she was well aware that Kim—a self-proclaimed lifelong bachelorette—was up for the challenge. What she had been jealous of was the bigger paycheck Kim could look forward to, which she’d maintained she was going to invest in a weeklong getaway to Cancún with twelve of her besties. Kim’s declaration had only served to remind Piper that it wasn’t easy being a single mom. Not that she really needed a reminder. There were no vacations to Mexico with her brood of besties. To be honest, there wasn’t even a brood of besties to go anywhere with. Between working and parenting, finding time for friends hadn’t been at the top of Piper’s priority list.
    That night Todd had sent her a vodka martini with three olives, her drink of choice. And then he’d waved from the other end of the bar, smiled genuinely, and pointed to himself and Piper, asking her permission to come introduce himself. She’d nodded and released a quiet squeal, because he was so distinguished-looking.Not her usual type, with his nearly black hair and equally dark eyes, but there’d been something so comforting about him. Something she knew she could trust.
    Eleven months and a whirlwind romance later, Todd had moved in. He’d wanted Piper and Fern to come live with him in his three-story McMansion, which was at least four times the size of Piper’s small yellow house with black shutters, but she’d explained that she could only subject Fern to so much change at once. He’d understood, but said he’d hold on to his house anyway. After all, he’d invested fifteen years in his private dentistry practice in order to be able to afford it. Maybe one day Piper would come around, or they’d sell it and buy a new home for all three of them. Until then, he’d insisted he was perfectly happy to move in with her and Fern, even if they didn’t have flat-screen televisions in practically every room. It had finally felt like everything was falling into place.
    Until things had shifted. Fern had started rebuffing Todd’s offers to take her places, even to the bookstore, which was unheard of. She’d also begun ignoring him when he spoke to her, turning to her mother to reply instead. Her developing coolness toward Todd had been subtle at first, but ever since he’d taken up physical residence, things had gone from not great to downright intolerable far too quickly.
    â€œI guess.” Piper sighed. “I’m starving. How about you?”
    â€œFamished. What do you say we go downstairs? I’ll put the steaks in. You throw together a salad.” Todd extended his hand for her to hold on to. Piper accepted it gratefully.
    â€œSounds like a plan.” Her mouth curled into a smile, although she sensed it didn’t really reach her eyes.
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    â€œLet’s go around the table and say what we’re thankful for.” Piper straightened her posture, as her grandmother had taught her, and clasped her hands in front of her. “Why don’t you start, Fern.” She smiled affectionately at her daughter, whose shock of shaggy red hair framed her cherubic face, with its constellation of freckles. Perhaps the dark storm clouds surrounding her would begin to lift.
    â€œOkay.” She cleared her throat and sat upright, mimicking her mother. “I’m thankful for my book fair at school tomorrow. And my dog.”
    â€œFern, you don’t have a dog.”
    â€œYes, I do. She’s sitting right next to me. Isn’t that right,