Cole laughed, glanced at me, at Lucas. “That’s one way to put it.”

“I have to tell you, my friend,” Eddie said, “I’m suspicious of all this.”

“I don’t blame you,” Cole said. “It sounds wild, doesn’t it?”

“It sounds,” Eddie said, “like you’re trying to pull the wool over somebody’s eyes.”

Lucas gave me a terrible look.

“Eddie, you’ve got it wrong,” I said.

Cole held up his hand. “I think Ed and I should talk privately. Would you all excuse us? Just for a moment.”

“It’s okay, Lyd,” Eddie said.

What were they going to do? I wondered. Fight? Lucas scooted out of the room, and Kim and I followed him into the kitchen.

“They’re going to walk out here in a few minutes best friends,” Kim said. “He just has that way with people.”

I felt the familiar feeling Kim always evoked in me. I hated her for marrying Eddie. But I also didn’t want to hurt her, and felt guilt and regret and resentment squeezing the walls of my throat. “Want some wine while we wait?” I asked.

I found a bottle in the pantry and Kim and I sat at the table drinking out of mason jars. We used to have wineglasses, but they broke over the years, and we never replaced them.

“Cheers,” I said to Kim, holding up my jar. She laughed. She was a laugher. She finished every sentence with a laugh, whether it was funny or not. She made everyone happy.

Lucas leaned on the counter, too shy to sit down next to Kim, too interested in what was happening behind the living room door to leave the room altogether. We heard their voices, but not what they were saying. A word or two floated at us, but never enough to make meaning.

“Why would you tell him?” Lucas asked after a while. Kim looked at me with interest, but I didn’t answer.

They were in there for half a bottle of wine. I microwaved some popcorn and we were snacking on that when they appeared through the swinging door.

“Sorry I can’t stay longer, Lydia,” Eddie said. “I promised I’d get back to the bar before nine.” He turned to Cole.

“Glad to have had this talk,” Cole said.

“Likewise,” Eddie said, and they shook hands.

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll walk you guys out.”

I stood with Eddie and Kim outside in the dark and the wind. The night had grown chilly after all. I pulled my hands into the sleeves of my sweatshirt.

“What was that little one-on-one about?” I said.

Eddie shrugged. “I just didn’t want him to think you were all alone,” he said. “And I’m glad I came over. Because, Lyd, something’s not right.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”