Lavender Lipstick Lies: A Mystery of Makeup & Mayhem by Mary Maxwell Read Free Book Online

they were planning to do,” she said,
“you put an end to it.”
    “I suppose so.”
    “Have you talked to him since then?”
    I smiled. “He called yesterday
before we went to dinner.”
    She raised one eyebrow. “And? What
did he have to say for himself?”
    “He told me that he’d never seen
the blonde before. He claimed she just showed up unannounced, rang the bell and
pushed her way into the house after he answered the door.”
    “Do you believe him?”
    I thought about the question. I’d
been asking myself the same thing for hours. How could my loving husband
cheat on me? Who was the blonde stranger in the scanty outfit? And why did she
glare at me as if she had a vendetta to settle?
    “Abby?”
    Bree’s voice cut into my muddled
thoughts. I pressed my lips into a smile and locked my eyes on her. “Sorry
about that,” I offered.
    She gave my arm another squeeze. “You’re
not going to enjoy the weekend if you keep drifting in and out of worrying
about Robert.”
    “I know. But it’s hard not to.”
    “They’re going to start in a couple
of minutes,” Emma said, leaning in. “What are you two whispering about?”
    “What else?” I said, rolling my
eyes. “My cheating husband and the blonde strumpet.”
    “Forgot about those two losers!”
Emma chimed in a silly voice. “You’re here with us now, baby! And we’re not
going to let anything bad happen to you!”
    I smirked. “Don’t you mean anything else bad? Did you forget about the threats I received yesterday?”
    The cheerful expression on her face
quivered and she blinked away the gaffe. “Of course, Abs. I didn’t forget. I’m
just trying to help.”
    The sudden flash of anger and
disappointment that I’d felt melted away when I saw the look of remorse on her
face. Even though my heart was now skittering in my chest again, I forced a
smile and apologized to Emma for the outburst.
    “It’s okay,” she murmured. “You’re
under a lot of unexpected stress after the thing with Robert and the creepy threats.”
    Bree echoed the sentiment. “Lots of
stress,” she said quietly. “And we both get it, Abs. We know what it’s like to
have a lot on the line and feel that the whole world is caving in.”
    The comment seemed misplaced.
Unless they’d both been hiding something, I’d never heard Emma or Bree confess
that their husbands had been unfaithful—or even come as close to it as Robert
did in our living room the previous morning.
    “What are you talking about?” I
asked.
    Bree frowned. “We’re on your side,
Abby. Don’t get so defensive.”
    “I’m not,” I said. “I just don’t
know how you two can pretend you’ve been through anything like this before. I
mean, your marriages are perfect, right? Aren’t both of your husbands truthful
and loyal?”
    Emma leaned forward and nodded at
Bree. Then she put one arm around my shoulders.
    “Take a deep breath, Abs,” she said
softly. “We’re not the enemy. We’re your friends.”
    Between the warm hug and the kind
words, I suddenly realized how ridiculous I sounded. We’d been closer than
sisters for years, and I felt silly to be lashing out at the very moment they
were offering support and encouragement.
    “I’m sorry you guys,” I said in a
shaky voice. “I guess this whole thing has got me more rattled than I knew.”
    Emma tightened her hug and Bree
took my hand.
    “Remember what I always say,” Bree
whispered in my ear. “Together forever—through thick and thin!”

Chapter 12
     
     
    The morning session flew by in a
flash of dazzling videos, inspiring speeches and boisterous cheers from the
audience. When a thirty-minute break was announced so that everyone could move
to the educational sessions that would include lunch, I told Emma and Bree that
I wanted to go back up to our suite so I could call Robert.
    “Are you sure?” Emma asked warily.
    “Yeah, Abby,” Bree said. “Maybe a
little time and distance will help you sort through things.”
    I