chewed her lower lip for a moment. "The boys must've been getting out of the bath when he stopped by. But I definitely wouldn't have been concerned."
"Yeah, I figure I'll be able to eliminate my suspicions as soon as I talk to him," Kate said. "It's just his out-of-town trip right after the incident that gives me reservations."
"Those firecrackers." Meg stared off toward Kate's house, as if she had laser vision through the Victorian's blue siding and into the wooded area beyond. "I figured they were set off by some teen with too much time on his hands, but you're right about a perfect distraction if someone wanted everyone away from your house."
"Mommmmeeee, can we get a slushie on the way?" Suze pleaded.
"Yeah, Mom, we're thirsty," Sam added.
"Not before the soccer game. Water bottles are in the back cooler," Kate called over her shoulder. "Gotta go," she said to her neighbor.
"Sure." Meg smiled. Then her green eyes took on a surprised look. "Hey, where's Keith?"
Kate's backbone stiffened. "We'll talk later."
*
"Are you crazy?" Meg slammed both palms onto the McKenzie breakfast table, jostling the steaming cups of coffee. "What could possibly make you think Keith might be having an affair? Especially with Sophia."
Kate fought to hold back tears that threatened whenever she thought about this very question. Her mental turmoil had staged a continuing battle during less intense moments of the girls' soccer game—which they won—and throughout the drive home. The coach had whisked away all comers for a hotdog party in his backyard, and the twins had hardly noticed Kate beg off as they joined giggling teammates in the coach's huge Suburban.
Now, across the table from Meg, she finally voiced the worries she'd been vacillating over all day. Mounting circumstantial evidence pointed decisively, at least in her opinion, toward potential marital woes.
"Did I tell you how Keith and I met?"
"Yeah." Meg gave a sideways shake of her head, like she wasn't sure she understood the question. "You were coordinating a big shot corporate event at a Vancouver Canucks game for a group of Portland executives. You each looked into the other's eyes, and bam! I love that story."
Kate smiled, in spite of herself. They had shaken hands and knew immediately from the first touch. Her right hand tingled even now at the thought. "Yes, I think we could've powered all of Vancouver."
Her love for hockey began in an instant, and their courtship was just as quick. Three months later she was Mrs. Keith McKenzie, her wedding a last extravaganza planned as an events coordinator, and she relocated to the Canadian Pacific.
"What I didn't tell you was the underhanded ways some of the hockey wives helped their husbands' careers by shoving a wedge into other players' families with gossip and innuendo. Most of the couples were really nice. But for a few…the competition extended past the ice." She stood and paced. "I know the same thing happens in the corporate world."
"At newspapers, too."
Kate stopped at the coffee counter to gather her thoughts before continuing. "There was always a small clique of snippy wives who built tension between couples, saying things in whispers that just stayed in your mind. That's what happened to Keith and me, anyway. Nights we argued caused friction and little sleep. Travel days when I stayed behind heightened the tension and ultimately led to him not having his mind on the game during crucial plays. Any mistakes Keith made allowed other husbands to step in and increase their own worth with the team."
Meg scooped up the mugs and joined her at the coffeepot. "That would be ingenious if the plan wasn't pure evil."
"Got it in one, friend." Kate sighed and followed Meg back toward the table but only to set down her cup. "It's not an easy life. When other couples broke up, we vowed to double our efforts. After the girls were born things got better—then worse."
She walked over and replayed Keith's first phone
"Yeah, I figure I'll be able to eliminate my suspicions as soon as I talk to him," Kate said. "It's just his out-of-town trip right after the incident that gives me reservations."
"Those firecrackers." Meg stared off toward Kate's house, as if she had laser vision through the Victorian's blue siding and into the wooded area beyond. "I figured they were set off by some teen with too much time on his hands, but you're right about a perfect distraction if someone wanted everyone away from your house."
"Mommmmeeee, can we get a slushie on the way?" Suze pleaded.
"Yeah, Mom, we're thirsty," Sam added.
"Not before the soccer game. Water bottles are in the back cooler," Kate called over her shoulder. "Gotta go," she said to her neighbor.
"Sure." Meg smiled. Then her green eyes took on a surprised look. "Hey, where's Keith?"
Kate's backbone stiffened. "We'll talk later."
*
"Are you crazy?" Meg slammed both palms onto the McKenzie breakfast table, jostling the steaming cups of coffee. "What could possibly make you think Keith might be having an affair? Especially with Sophia."
Kate fought to hold back tears that threatened whenever she thought about this very question. Her mental turmoil had staged a continuing battle during less intense moments of the girls' soccer game—which they won—and throughout the drive home. The coach had whisked away all comers for a hotdog party in his backyard, and the twins had hardly noticed Kate beg off as they joined giggling teammates in the coach's huge Suburban.
Now, across the table from Meg, she finally voiced the worries she'd been vacillating over all day. Mounting circumstantial evidence pointed decisively, at least in her opinion, toward potential marital woes.
"Did I tell you how Keith and I met?"
"Yeah." Meg gave a sideways shake of her head, like she wasn't sure she understood the question. "You were coordinating a big shot corporate event at a Vancouver Canucks game for a group of Portland executives. You each looked into the other's eyes, and bam! I love that story."
Kate smiled, in spite of herself. They had shaken hands and knew immediately from the first touch. Her right hand tingled even now at the thought. "Yes, I think we could've powered all of Vancouver."
Her love for hockey began in an instant, and their courtship was just as quick. Three months later she was Mrs. Keith McKenzie, her wedding a last extravaganza planned as an events coordinator, and she relocated to the Canadian Pacific.
"What I didn't tell you was the underhanded ways some of the hockey wives helped their husbands' careers by shoving a wedge into other players' families with gossip and innuendo. Most of the couples were really nice. But for a few…the competition extended past the ice." She stood and paced. "I know the same thing happens in the corporate world."
"At newspapers, too."
Kate stopped at the coffee counter to gather her thoughts before continuing. "There was always a small clique of snippy wives who built tension between couples, saying things in whispers that just stayed in your mind. That's what happened to Keith and me, anyway. Nights we argued caused friction and little sleep. Travel days when I stayed behind heightened the tension and ultimately led to him not having his mind on the game during crucial plays. Any mistakes Keith made allowed other husbands to step in and increase their own worth with the team."
Meg scooped up the mugs and joined her at the coffeepot. "That would be ingenious if the plan wasn't pure evil."
"Got it in one, friend." Kate sighed and followed Meg back toward the table but only to set down her cup. "It's not an easy life. When other couples broke up, we vowed to double our efforts. After the girls were born things got better—then worse."
She walked over and replayed Keith's first phone
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