The girls would arrive in about twenty minutes if there was no traffic. Emma put the last cookie sheet in the oven. She’d made cheese tarts with caramelized onions. Emma had taken a half day off today so she’d have enough time to prepare.

Right as she shut the oven door, her phone rang.

She wiped off her hands and picked it up. It was Pete. She smiled like she always did when he called. He preferred calls to texts, and she loved that.

“Hello,” she said.

“Hey, how are you?” Pete asked. “I wanted to touch base before each of our nights began.”

“I’m great. Just finishing all the last touches before the girls get here. It should be fun. Are you bummed you’re missing the block party?” she joked.

“Hell no.” He chuckled.

“I wonder if Candace will have the balls to attend,” Emma said. “I hope she does. The girls need to meet her.”

“I don’t care if she does, and I hope I never lay eyes on her again. Are you sure you don’t need anything? I can swing home first if you need me to pick something up.”

“Nope, I’m good. Have fun tonight with the guys.”

“I will. I’m actually looking forward to it,” Pete said. “It’s been a while since I’ve had a guys’ night out. Michael mentioned that they talk about the lifestyle once in a while. It’ll be nice to be relaxed and chat.”

That’s what Emma was hoping for. Piper was a genius. “I hope you have fun. Take your time.”

“I will. And Emma?” There was a tentative note in his voice.

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Emma had remained adamant in her refusal to discuss the Candace incident each time Pete had brought it up, but mostly because she didn’t want to crack her façade. Ensuring that he knew she still wasn’t happy about the entire thing would go a long way. But she wasn’t going to lie to her husband over the phone.

She loved him like crazy.

“Okay, I’ll see you later.” He sounded relieved, and Emma felt a little pang.

She’d make it up to him tonight. She wouldn’t talk about Candace, but having some hot sex wouldn’t hurt.

“Bye.” She hung up.

Emma set the phone down. Then she smiled. In only a few days she’d felt a shift in things between them—for the better. Pete seemed more attentive, and that felt like a step in the right direction.

Emma hummed as she finished cleaning and took the tarts out of the oven. She was fixing her hair when the doorbell chimed. Before she could get downstairs, Piper’s voice rang out, “We’re here! Damn, I forget how beautiful this house is.”

Emma walked down the steps to greet them. “Thank you! I love it. But if you asked me if I’d be living in the suburbs by choice a few years ago, I would’ve told you hell to the no. Come on in.” She gave both Piper and Caroline hugs in greeting, and they followed her into the kitchen, both of them carrying gifts.

“Your sense of style is totally on point,” Caroline commented as she pulled out a barstool and sat, placing a very nicely wrapped present next to her on the island. “I might have to hire you if we do any more remodeling.”

“It’s off the hook,” Piper agreed. “I’d never be ballsy enough to go with browns and greens, but this totally works.” Piper took the stool next to Caroline, setting her gift bag on the floor.

Emma placed a few platters of finger foods in front of them. “Thanks, I appreciate that,” she said. “What can I get you ladies to drink?” As Emma walked over to the bar, she heard what sounded like a motorcycle pull into her driveway. It must be Gillian. Emma didn’t know if she had a bike, but it wouldn’t be surprising. “Does Gillian have a motorcycle?”

“I’ll take a gin and tonic,” Caroline said. “And I have no idea if she does. But it wouldn’t shock me.”

“Yep, that’s her,” Piper said. “A gin and tonic sounds good. I’ll take one, too.”

“Two gin and tonics coming up.” A few moments later there was a knock at the front door. “Come on in!” Emma called over her shoulder. “It’s open!” Emma finished up the drinks right as Gillian walked into the kitchen.

“Hiya,” Gillian greeted them as she entered, glancing around. “I always forget how nice this place is.”

“I just said the same thing!” Piper said. “It’s shocking.”

Emma chuckled as she set the drinks in front of Caroline and Piper. “Thanks, guys. What can I get you to drink, Gillian?”

Gillian had on full leathers—pants, jacket, the whole nine yards. She set a big leather satchel on the end of the island. “I’ll take a beer. Whatever you have is fine. I can only have one or two tonight. I’m very careful when I take the bike.”

Caroline said, “Gillian, you’re a total badass. I could never ride a motorcycle. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

Gillian slid onto the last barstool, next to Piper, as Emma set a beer bottle in front of her. “Don’t get too excited.” Gillian smiled. “It’s a small bike. I’ve tried to drive Brad’s big Harley, but I don’t have enough lower-body strength to keep that bad boy up.” She shrugged. “When your husband rides, you either ride, or you spend a lot of time at home alone. I prefer having my own bike. Otherwise, I’m just a hanger-on, and that’s no fun. We’d been looking for a while, but I finally found one I can handle about a year ago. It’s been super fun.” She picked up her beer.

“I’m certain I couldn’t drive it, no matter how small,” Caroline said. “But I admire you for it.”

“Okay, ladies.” Emma clapped once, her excitement at the forefront. “I have something to tell you before we head out to the block party, and it’s pretty juicy!”

“Juicier than Gillian hooking up with a celebrity?” Piper joked as she turned to Gillian. “I hope you’re planning on spilling some details tonight. It’s been two weeks, and we are dying. Dy-ing.”

Caroline added, “Yes! We can’t wait to hear who it is.”

Emma chuckled. “My gossip isn’t that good, but it does involve my neighbor trying to seduce my husband right here in this very kitchen.”

“No way!” Piper exclaimed. “That is a great runner-up. I’m totally kidding. Gillian’s sexcapades can wait. Neighborhood scandal right in your own kitchen wins the night. When did this happen?”

“The night we met for drinks,” Emma answered. She turned to the other girls to explain. “I asked Piper to meet me for a drink because I was having some issues with my marriage, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was exactly, so I didn’t want to make it a big deal before I figured it out. Piper was incredible, as you can all imagine.” She grinned at her friend. “You really should be a therapist, you know. I came home feeling completely energized and ready to tackle my life—and walked in right as Candace was trying to tackle my husband.”

“I can’t believe that!” Caroline exclaimed. “That’s so ballsy. Right in your own house? I would’ve been in a white-hot rage.”

“It’s not that ballsy for this neighborhood, let me tell you,” Emma said. “Candace regularly bangs a twenty-two-year-old in her garage, and she apparently discovered that we live an extracurricular sex life, most likely from spying through our windows, and came here looking for some action.”

“Was Pete into it?” Gillian asked. “That doesn’t seem like it would be his style.”

“No, of course not!” Emma said. “But I let him think I was pissed about it. Well, I was pissed, but I wasn’t as mad as I portrayed. Nobody wants to catch their husband kissing someone else.” She nodded at Piper. “That was because you empowered me to not gloss over everything and try to make everyone feel good. I saw my opportunity and took it.” Emma proceeded to give the girls all the juicy tidbits about what happened. “So, in the end, Pete was upset he’d made me mad, and that’s unusual for us. My usual is to make everything fine at all costs. By doing it this way, I’m trying to coax him into seeing me again. Our life has become predictable, but I have high hopes for this vacation. Thanks to Piper’s advice, I’ll be doing some strutting.”