The New Husband(51)

Before she reached the kitchen, Nina’s phone buzzed with a message from Ginny. Of course she jumped at the chance to join her two girlfriends for a midmorning workout, some lunch, and maybe shopping after. It felt like ages since she’d seen them.

Nina put her phone away before getting sucked into social media or the news, thinking both would bring her down on what appeared to be a glorious weekend morning. She found Simon in the yard, raking leaves onto a blue tarp.

“I’m going to join Ginny and Susanna at the gym,” Nina announced.

“On Saturday?” Simon sounded perplexed.

“I keep canceling plans on them, and it’s going to be harder for us to work out together now that I have my job. I could use it.”

“I was hoping we’d work on the yard,” said Simon, making his disappointment known. “Fall is the best time to lay down new grass seed. I was going to rent an aerator from Home Depot.”

“I’m not stopping you,” Nina said. “But I’m going to the gym with my girlfriends. Maybe Maggie or Connor can help.”

But Maggie, who had been in the yard tossing a ball to Daisy, bolted in the opposite direction at the mention of her name, running unencumbered now that her boot was off, leaving Nina and Simon to watch her go.

“She’ll come around,” Nina said encouragingly. “Give it time.”

“Yeah, sure.” Simon sounded only sure of the opposite. “Have a good workout,” he said. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

Nina felt a stab of guilt. He was trying so hard to form a family with her and the kids, and she needed to give him every chance to succeed. She’d apologize for leaving him in a bit of a lurch, but later.

“I’ll be awhile,” Nina said. “We’re going shopping after.”

Something shifted in Simon’s expression, and for a moment Nina thought he’d give her that look she’d seen on the day he almost cut down those tree branches, but no, it was only a squint against the bright sun.

“Have a blast,” he said.



* * *



NINA DID as Simon suggested—she had a blast. Las Tres Amigas, Nina, Ginny, and Susanna, together again, burned it up at the studio with leg raises, plié squats, and a host of other tortures. Afterward, the women enjoyed a light lunch, and Ginny ordered a glass of wine.

“Why do you think I work out?” Ginny said, raising her glass, and they all laughed.

A text from Maggie informed, did not ask, of her plans to go over to Ben’s for the day, which for Nina was a major relief. No need for her and Simon to pal around, not when Connor (he had played a Friday-night football game) was home and could lend a hand. Ben had been a true blessing, and the Odells, who had picked up Maggie an hour ago, were an incredibly sweet family. The more she learned how they were raising Ben, with less tech and more culture, the more she respected and even wished to emulate them.

Nina had a passing thought: she didn’t tell her daughter nearly enough how proud she was of her resilience. Maggie’s fighting spirit often moved Nina to tears. Secretly, she wished a nasty case of shingles on Laura Abel and her mother, but thoughts of Maggie’s unfair treatment at school yielded to the more pressing demand of planning the upcoming girls’ weekend.

Their annual sojourn to Connecticut took place at the beach house Ginny’s parents owned. Las Tres Amigas, along with three other women from town, would stay up too late, eat and drink too much, and justify it all with the long walks they would take, each Fitbit tracking calories burned and thus earned. Nina had her misgivings about leaving Maggie at home with Simon, but it was only a weekend away and Connor would be there to act as a buffer.

“We need a shopping list,” Susanna said.

“Okay. Wine,” said Ginny, as she sipped from her glass out on the patio of Pressed Café, the lunch spot close to where they’d exercised. “Red and white. What else do we need?”

“Earplugs,” Nina and Susanna said in unison, an obvious reference to Ginny’s snoring. Everyone laughed, and in that moment Nina lost sight of all her troubles.



* * *



SIMON WAS all smiles when she returned home some six hours after she had left, with a car full of groceries and bags from a shopping trip to the outlets. Thanks to her paycheck, she felt comfortable to splurge a bit on herself.

“What’s gotten into you?” Nina asked, eyeing Simon suspiciously. It seemed she’d been forgiven for her choice to work out instead of pulling weeds. He was sweaty, but his pants weren’t dirty from yard work, nor were his hands.

Simon’s smile lengthened, making him look giddy as a teacher on the verge of summer break.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said, “but you’ve got to put this on first.”

Reaching into the front pocket of his jeans, Simon removed a bandana that belonged to Connor.

“Um, babe. The children are home … or at least Connor is, and I’m not really into that.”

Simon looked at her curiously until it dawned on him. “No, not that,” he said. “Put it on. Trust me.”

Nina took the bandana, unnerved but mildly intrigued. She tied the fabric around her head until the bright sunshine was no more.

“Can you see?” Simon asked.

“No.”