“Of course she is. Just like that Kenny Chesney song—somewhere in the lyrics it says that the monkey on his back jumped off. If you’d have knocked the shit out of Clinton today, that monkey would sure be off.”

“Tastes pretty good,” Paula said. “I saw your face when Kayla said that about Rita, and I’m so sorry, Mitzi.”

The lyrics to the Chesney song ran through Mitzi’s mind. The chorus talked about a sign hanging on the wall that said everything’s gonna be all right, and she wanted so badly to believe that.

Jody shoveled a spoonful into her own mouth and groaned. “This tastes so good.”

“I’m so gullible. I believed all his lies. I bet he thinks a fat woman is so desperate for attention she’ll believe anything,” Paula said.

With so many tangled-up relationships going on around her, Mitzi began to think that maybe she was the lucky one of the three. Sure, she was attracted to Graham, but she’d have to think long and hard before she gave that bit of chemistry a chance. Not when Rita was evidently so determined to worm her way back into his life.

Paula went on. “Remember what I told you at the time about his wife just finding out that the in-vitro procedure had finally worked with their first child? And now I find out he’s got a three-year-old son with her, too.” Paula grabbed her head. “Brain freeze.”

“Good!” Jody said. “It might help freeze the stupid feeling that you’ve got about yourself.”

“You’re not stupid. You are not fat,” Mitzi said. “You trusted him. He lied. Now he has to pay for it.”

“Do you realize his wife was already pregnant when he was sleeping with me? And he had a toddler at home? What a jerk!” Paula dug into the ice cream again. “The son of a bitch didn’t even act like he knew me, but if he had, then his sweet little wife, who’s probably a size six when she’s not pregnant, would have had questions.”

“Makes me wonder how many more kids he’s got out there.” Mitzi stuck her spoon in the ice cream and shifted her position to lean against the headboard.

“You might want to get our little girl tested so you can compare DNA with all her boyfriends when she starts to date,” Jody suggested. “Wouldn’t want her going out with her half brother.”

“I may just move to Australia. I don’t think he’s ever been there, but then who knows, the way he lies.” Paula stuck her spoon in the ice cream and rested her hand on her stomach. “I know for absolute sure now that I’m never telling him about this baby. And this is one time I’m glad I’m a large person and don’t look all that pregnant.”