Lie, Lie Again - Stacy Wise Page 0,103

better under the haze of sleepiness and the quiet of the night. She would share her news soon, and everything would be okay. A buzzing sounded, and she rolled over, slightly annoyed but also curious. It was the sound of a text, but it wasn’t her phone. No one would text her this late at night, short of there being an emergency. Stealing a look at the closed bathroom door, she jolted to his side of the bed. His phone was faceup on the nightstand, and she could see the text was from Riki. Frowning, she read the bit she could see.

Hey, I know it’s super late, but I thought you might still be up . . .

There had to be a reasonable explanation for it. Another light bulb? Her face grew hot, and an uncomfortable feeling slid through her. She grabbed his phone and typed in his passcode. Nothing happened! Her heart raced as she entered the numbers again, typing carefully. It remained locked. Oh, this was bad! He’d changed his passcode and was getting texts from Riki in the wee hours now? She looked up. The bathroom door was still closed, and the shower was running.

Grabbing her own phone, she held it tight, her mind spinning back to the headshot in Riki’s purse and to him walking out her door.

She had to know. She wasn’t going to sit by and wait for something to happen. No way. She began typing.

Hey, I saw that you were trying to reach Brandon. Is everything okay?

Embry watched the screen, her heart thudding uncomfortably.

Hi, Embry! Yeah, everything is fine. It was probably dumb to text so late. Oops! I’m with a bunch of friends and one of them knows Brandon. I thought it was a funny coincidence. I’m out of town with my boyfriend until Sunday. I can tell him about it then! Hugs. :)

Okay, have a good weekend. :)

She reread the text from Riki, searching for clues that she was lying. But if she was out of town with her boyfriend, it wasn’t like she was texting Brandon for some late-night rendezvous. And she wouldn’t do that! She was their friend. A trusted friend. Embry shook her head. Was it her own secret that was making her think Brandon was being deceitful? She stared hard at the bathroom door. It was true that Brandon hadn’t been himself lately, but maybe they were just reacting off each other’s energy. He wouldn’t cheat on her. She knew that in her heart. And he certainly wouldn’t cheat on her with Embry’s good friend and their kids’ babysitter, would he? She tried to force the hint of doubt away, but it kept reappearing. Tears leaked from her eyes.

She turned off her phone and replaced it on the nightstand before shutting off the light and saying a prayer.

You have nothing to fear, nothing to fear, nothing to fear, the angels whispered. She clung to the words and prayed again. This time, for the sweet escape of sleep.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Saturday, March 18

This is it, Embry thought. She’d woken with an amazing clarity and had decided today was the day to get things done. Riki’s text was nothing to fear. She was certain she was feeling so jittery because of the baby and the financial worries the news would bring Brandon. Getting matters under control was the only way to gain some peace of mind. She closed her eyes and pictured Auntie Boots in her mind. Yes, this is it. She might not make millions, or even thousands, initially, but this was the start of something big. Opening her eyes, she carefully stacked the individual folders that were filled with three neat sheets of information on Hart’s Honey Pops, along with her brand-new business card, and slid them into her tote bag. The boxes of samples were already packed in her car. “Ky, let’s go on our adventure,” she called as she hauled Carson’s infant seat from where it sat on the kitchen table. He’d fallen asleep in it, just as she knew he would. Like Kylie, it seemed he preferred sleeping all hunched up in the carrier rather than in his spacious crib.

“Mama! Look at me!” Kylie zipped from her room, arms out like she was flying.

Embry’s heart lurched. Her sweet girl just might be the one to close the deals. She was dressed in a T-shirt that Riki had insisted on making when she’d asked her for advice on how to put together a bee costume back in