up with a longtime girlfriend, let alone fiancée, on a Monday night at my house right before dinner? Who does that?”
“Leave the guy alone,” Lando snapped. “It’s done. Can’t you see that it’s for the best? He’s not even that broken up about it.”
“Well, sure, I’m disappointed. But it isn’t like I didn’t see it coming. We’ve been at odds with each other for two months now. So, if you’re waiting for some huge emotion out of me, you’re the one who won’t be happy. Because I accepted the facts sometime back in January.”
Lando traded looks around the table before landing his stare on his brother. “Okay, I’ll bite. What happened in January?”
“You guys aren’t willing to let this go, are you?”
“You’re the one who brought it to our door,” Leia reminded him. “It’s your floor show. By all means, entertain us.”
“Fine,” Luke spat out, tossing his napkin on the table. “But just remember I didn’t want to do this. Last January, Lianne seemed preoccupied a lot, obsessed with her phone. One day while she was in the shower, I discovered she was texting another guy. Happy now?”
Leia seemed stunned, speechless. After several long minutes, she glanced around the table. “Are you suggesting Lianne was cheating on you? Because there are other explanations.”
“What else could it be? The number was from Portland, her hometown. We know most of the same people here. I didn’t recognize the name or the number.”
Lando shoved his plate aside. “Did you ask her about it?”
“Yes. That’s when she denied ever getting the guy’s texts.”
“That’s not good,” Zeb said, picking up his beer. “Hard to imagine Lianne not owning up to it. What happened after her initial denial?”
“That’s the interesting part. I think Lianne bought a burner phone and started using it instead of her main cell phone. The tension between us ramped up. It’s been unbearable, especially lately. It’s better this way.”
Zeb glanced at his wife. “Happy now that you have all the gritty details?”
“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I was hoping for a nice evening among friends. Look at us. Gemma and Lianne aren’t even here. And if you ask me, things may never be the same again.”
While those four sat around the table, kicking the story around, Gemma was still in the dark about the breakup. Five miles from the Longhorn house, she pulled her Volvo into the driveway of a cottage on Bar Harbor Lane. Luke’s beach bungalow sat at the end of the block. Surrounded by dunes, beach grass, and stately sand reeds, the color scheme oozed a gray and blue palette of soft pastels.
Gemma turned off the engine and got a whiff of sea air. A brisk wind had turned the night chilly. She twisted in her seat to look at Lianne, who hadn’t said a word on the drive here. Lianne had yet to shed a tear over the breakup. Her lack of emotion mystified Gemma. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I really don’t. I’ve got a splitting headache. I just want to toss a few things into a bag and get out of here, go to bed somewhere else.” Lianne reached to open the door. “I don’t plan to be here when Luke gets back. Thanks for dropping me off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Lianne, you might not want to talk about it tonight, but just know that I’m always here for you when you’re ready.”
“Not sure how long that will last since Luke and I aren’t together anymore. I mean, the guy is your brother-in-law.”
“True. But you’re my friend. Maybe my best friend.”
“What about Leia?”
“Leia’s my oldest friend. I can have more than one, you know.”
“Maybe.”
An awkward silence filled the interior of the car. “Want me to go inside with you while you get your things?”
“No. I’m okay. Thanks, Gemma. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Lianne repeated.
Gemma watched as Lianne took out a key and then disappeared inside the bungalow. She took out her cell phone and texted Lando.
Dropped off Lianne. Headed back now. Weird vibe. Lianne is acting really strange.
A few seconds later, Lando texted back. You don’t know the half of it. Tell you the rest when you get here.
Leia had kept a plate of food warm for Gemma.
But Gemma was in no mood to eat. She studied the ham and potatoes in front of her and glared over at Luke. “Lianne is not having an affair. I don’t care what you think you saw or heard. The idea is ridiculous.”
“Then you tell