“Have you been checking out my wife?” I bark as heat rushes throughout my body, bringing my blood to a boil.

“You asked me to keep an eye on her,” he replies carelessly.

“To make sure she’s doing fine. I didn’t ask you to smell her or look at her nose.” My fist clenches.

“Fuck off, Spencer. If you’re so concerned about your wife, you should be in her bed right now fucking her senselessly. You shouldn’t be asking your friend if she looked okay.”

“Fuck you.” I end the call, but how do I rid myself of the image he’s planted in my head? Autumn, looking breathtaking, with her hair pulled up in a bun. Her cute nose crinkling as I give her a mind-blowing orgasm.

I leave my apartment and am about to get into my Jeep, when Keith calls me. “Spencer, you going somewhere? I thought we could talk.”

“I can’t right now. I’m off to a bar.” I turn on the ignition, and he suddenly hops into the passenger seat. “What are you doing?”

“Joining you for a drink.”

“Keith.” My teeth grind. My renewed patience has turned into nothing but a thin string ready to snap. “I know what you’re doing. You don’t have to spoil your night because of me.”

“Spoil my night?” He tips his head to the side.

I turn off the engine. “You like spending your evenings with Clementine and Merida. Even before Clem, you never stayed out at night. That’s no secret, buddy.”

“It’s true.” He nods. “However, my daughter and my new wife have said in very clear words that tonight is a girls-only rom-com night. Clem’s sister, Florence, and sister-in-law, Kristy, are arriving in a few minutes with so much junk food that I almost died when Merida showed me the list.”

“Fuck, man. You serious?” I smile and crank up the engine, my anxiety easing its grip on me for a second.

“Unfortunately, yes. I’ve told Clementine and Merida that if either of them fall sick tomorrow, I’m not taking them to the doctor.”

I let go of a dry chuckle. “Yes, you are. You’ll even play nurse if they ask you to.”

“I might, but they don’t need to know.” He throws his head back and presses his fingers to his forehead.

“You still get headaches?” I briefly slide my gaze at him before returning it to the road ahead.

“No. Not at all.” He brings his hands down. “It’s just a habit that won’t go away easily.” He chuckles and says, “I never thought I’d be running away from home because there’d be too much laughter in there.”

“You deserve it all, Keith.” Without thinking, I’ve taken the highway to Cherrywood.