The Treble With Men (Scorned Women's Society #2) - Piper Sheldon Page 0,41
older one. Rose is the baby. Though, she’s almost four now.”
“Oh my goodness! Those cheeks.” Kim’s face melted as her gaze moved over the photos. “Where are they now?”
“Ellie has a stomach bug and Kelly, that’s my wife, didn’t want to bring them and risk spreading germs. They’re having a girl’s night.”
“She’s beautiful too. Looks like Wes won the lottery,” Kim said to me.
“Ha!” Wes guffawed. “I’m wounded.” His hands smacked his gut that protruded over his jeans. “I’ll have you know I was quarterback back in the day. Prom king, too.”
“Oh, I stand corrected,” she teased.
“You two will hit it off. Next week,” he said leaning to the side to slide his phone back in his pocket.
“What’s next week?” Kim asked.
Wes gestured to the meal they all currently shared. “Friday family dinner.”
“I’ll be cooking a lamb recipe,” Dad said. “I’ve been wanting to try it.”
“Y’all have dinner together every week?” Kim asked.
“Of course,” Ma answered. “Since the boys were little. It’s something we insisted on since the beginning. Every Friday.”
“If we can,” Dad said, buttering some fresh cut bread. “When Devlin travels, it’s trickier. There’re months at a time we don’t see him.”
“It’s hard,” Ma said at the same time Wes said, “It’s great.”
“Sometimes we go to the Front Porch. Or Ma and Dad’s,” I said.
“We figure, you did so much to fix up this place, we should come here as often as possible while you’re still in town,” Dad said.
“Next time,” Wes said to Kim.
“Well. I don’t know …” A blush spread over Kim’s cheeks.
“Kim plays in the symphony. She’s helping with the fall showcase,” I said, hoping Wes would take my point.
“Great,” Wes said without missing a beat. “She’ll be here a lot then.”
Kim and I exchanged another glance. She opened her mouth to protest again, but I gave a quick shake of my head. Wes wasn’t worth the effort.
Talking around a full mouth, Wes added, “Light years better than some of your exes.”
Kim frowned at her plate. Now he was just putting her on the spot. Trying to sniff out something between us.
“Wes. I already told you Kim isn’t here in that capacity.”
Kim raised her gaze to mine, and I gave her an apologetic smile.
“Stop trying to stir things up, Wes,” Ma warned.
“You’re making her uncomfortable,” Dad added. Which only made the whole thing even more uncomfortable.
“I’m not uncomfortable,” Kim insisted with a blush.
“Just saying you’re better than those plastic bimbos,” Wes spoke to a frowning Kim. Back to me he said, “I’m not trying to imply that you and Kim are … less than professional.” Wes’s ears were tipped red and his eyes glossy from the wine. “I’m just trying to compliment Kim. I like her, is all,” he added.
I started to speak when Kim spoke. “I appreciate that you like me. But don’t do that.” She held his gaze, her face impassive. This look was unfamiliar. It was steady, no shame or smiles. Just focused.
“Do what?” Wes drained the rest of his wine.
“Don’t insult his exes.”
That startled me. I hadn’t expected that. I thought … I don’t know what I thought.
“His exes? They’re forgettable,” Wes said.
Ma and Dad turned their attention to me, likely trying to gauge my reaction.
“So then detail why. But you don’t need to use their appearances as a reason to dislike them. Especially don’t put them down to try and give me value. And don’t group them together. They’re individuals.”
Wes blinked at her. “I wasn’t—”
“I know you were trying to compliment me. But I also know how it feels to be only ever referred to as so-and-so’s ex. Me and a few girls. A lot of the town sees us as no more than that. But we’re all complicated, living, breathing women.” She took a deep breath before turning to my father. “Can you pass the shells?
He passed it with mild shock.
“I wasn’t trying to—” Wes tried.
“It’s not your fault. Somewhere along the line men learn that the best way to compliment a woman is to insult another. But maybe reframe your thoughts. Because if you would have told me something like, his ex liked to kick puppies, then I’d be like, ‘Yeah she does not sound awesome.’ But blanket statements about all women just end up hurting us all in the end.”
Kim was not argumentative. She wasn’t angry. In fact, she seemed totally in her element—borderline fired-up—discussing this. She scooped another shell and brought it to her plate. “Seriously, these are so amazing. It’s just ricotta, right?” Her focus