Read Ex’s and Oh’s for Free Online

into contact with hundreds of women over the years. Most in her profession were focused and highly competitive. Tori Young was beautiful and bright, yet beneath the acrylics and enhancements was a thread of authentic self-deprecation Caroline couldn’t help responding to.
    “Do I have lipstick on my teeth or what?”
    It wasn’t like Caroline to be caught staring. “Of course not,” she said. “I was just thinking how rare it is to find such honesty and friendliness. You probably have a dozen friends.”
    “Don’t you?”
    It required effort on Caroline’s part to let down her guard enough to say, “Recently I took a long, hard look at my life and found it sadly lacking.”
    “Yeah?” Tori asked. “I take a long, hard look at my life once a day and find it sadly lacking. I’m having a girls’ night at my house in Charlevoix tonight. Why don’t you come and meet a few of my friends?”
    Caroline fumbled for a reply. “I didn’t mean to—I’m really not that—what I’m trying to say is—”
    “You don’t want pity. That’s good, because you won’t get any from the girls. What you will get is the third degree. If you pass muster, they might even invite you back next week. So, will you join us?”
    “The third degree from women I’ve never met. How could I refuse?”
    The gathering at Tori’s house in Charlevoix—a town just a few miles away—was a noisy, messy, informal affair. Tori had promised Caroline the third degree, and the third degree was what she’d been getting all evening. Two of the three women had missed their calling and would have made excellent prosecuting attorneys.
    Elaine Lawrence, the no-nonsense group organizer, was a tall woman with straight brown hair, too-long bangs and two teenaged daughters. Nell Downing, who’d been friends with Tori since grade school, was a plump kindergarten teacher with a marvelous sense of humor and a son about the same age as Tori’s son. Pattie Barber was the only happily married woman in the group. Her two children were still small. Caroline wasn’t sure how she knew Tori, but as far as she could tell, Tori Young was the common denominator among all of them.
    The friends had been getting together every week for years, and conversation ran as freely as the wine. Carolinelost track of how many times they’d finished each other’s sentences.
    “We tried taking turns having these gatherings at each of our houses,” Pattie said.
    “But we all agreed we enjoyed ourselves most at Tori’s place,” Elaine said.
    “It’s one of the few things we’ve all agreed on,” Pattie added.
    “Ever,” one of the others reiterated.
    “Normally, we meet on Thursdays,” Elaine added. “Tonight we’re celebrating the anniversary of Nell’s divorce. No matter what we’re celebrating, what’s said here, stays here.”
    Caroline met Elaine’s gaze.
    Eyeing the bottled water Caroline was sipping, Elaine said, “For future reference, do we need to keep you away from booze?”
    “For heaven’s sakes, Elaine!” Pattie admonished.
    But Caroline shook her head. “It’s okay. I’m not an alcoholic. I’m pregnant.”
    Four pairs of eyes stared at her. Four mouths formed four separate ohs.
    Out of the silence, Pattie said, “Congratulations?”
    Caroline smiled.
    Someone else asked, “Your first?”
    “Yes.”
    And Tori said, “I give you fifteen years and you’ll agree that kicking a drinking problem would be easier than what your kid will be putting you through then.”
    “Amen to that,” Elaine declared.
    “Hear, hear,” Nell said.
    Digging a business card from the bottom of her purse, Pattie said, “This is the name of the midwife I used when I had Peter and Molly. She’s fantastic.” Leaning closer, she whispered, “Ignore them. Parents of teenagers are so depressing.”
    “What about the father?”
    “For heaven’s sakes, Elaine!” Nell said.
    “How are we going to find out if we don’t ask?”
    Responding to Pattie’s humor