Menopause to Matrimony (Fortytude Series Book 2) by Shelly Hickman Read Free Book Online

overbite. Seth, in return, does the classic egg beater, rolling one arm over the other as he approaches me.
    At this point, Hayden’s had a few, so he joins in, waving his arm in the air like he’s swinging a lasso. Before long we’re all dancing, resembling some kind of sad circus. Despite the fact that this is clearly a funk fest, Richard grabs Luke and leads him across the floor, tango style. Ever the sophisticate!
    Claire has since wriggled herself out of Carly’s arms and stands in the center of our homemade version of Soul Train . Though technically not participating, there’s the tiniest bounce to her knees as she watches with fascination.

 
    EIGHT
     
    Later that same night, I’m standing in front of the mirror, removing the peach fuzz from my face with my Panasonic Pivotal Trimmer. I never expected at the age of forty-eight, I’d be turning into an adolescent boy, but so is my life.
    Kiran comes through the open bathroom door and stops short. “What are you doing?” It’s the first time he’s witnessed this particular beauty ritual.
    I pause and look at him. “I hate to break it to you, but what you see here”—I pass a flat palm in front of my face—“requires substantial effort.”
    “What is that?” He takes the trimmer from my hand and examines it. Then he smiles. “Are you shaving ?” There’s a hint of alarm in his eyes.
    Snatching it back from his hand, I laugh defensively. “No, I’m not shaving! Exactly .” I face the mirror. “Don’t worry. I’ve been doing this since before we met. It’s not going to give me stubble.”
    He shakes his head and wraps his arms around my waist from behind. “How are you feeling? Any better?”
    “Yeah, some. What about you?” I turn around and hold his drawn face in my hands. “You look exhausted lately.” Even now, his eyelids are heavy.
    He rests his chin on top of my head. “I am. It’s the heart meds kicking in, I’m sure. And I ache all the time now.”
    I pull back from him. “Is that normal? I don’t remember the doctor saying anything about achiness.”
    Kiran sits on the edge of the bathtub, his shoulders sagging. “He didn’t. I didn’t read any of the side effects at first, because I figured I’d start having them by power of suggestion. But when I started hurting all the time, I had a look. It’s the cholesterol medication.”
    “Great!” I lean on the bathroom counter. “Medication you don’t even need because your cholesterol’s fine. What happens if it gets too low?”
    He shrugs it off.
    I worry about him because he’s also lost some weight since the heart attack. How much, I don’t know. And the damn blood pressure medication is probably making his pressure too low as well, making him even more tired.
    “Come into the bedroom and I’ll rub your achy bod.”
    “No, it’s all right. You haven’t been feeling well today.”
    “Shut up. C’mon.”
    He takes my offered hand and I lead him to the bed. After he strips down to his boxers and lies on his stomach, I grab a bottle of lotion and straddle his hips. Warming the lotion between my hands a few seconds, I then smooth it onto his back and shoulders and press into his muscles. He groans. I work in silence for a little while before broaching the subject of Claire.
    “So what did you make of that scene of Claire’s tonight?”
    “What do you mean?” he mumbles.
    “You didn’t find it a little… disturbing?”
    He hesitates a few seconds. “Actually, I did. I can’t really say why. She is at the tantrum age, and I haven’t been around little children very much to know what’s normal.”
    “What about it did you find disturbing?” I want to know if we’re having the same concerns.
    He tries to roll over to answer my question.
    “Hey, stay put! I’m not done with you yet.” He’s so bloody solid I have to dig my knuckles into his flesh for him to feel anything.
    “I don’t know,” he continues. “She didn’t just seem mad, like you would