Read Away From You (Back To You Book 2) for Free Online

budget. We haven’t even put them out yet, one moment.”
    As she
turned to go to the back of the store, I saw Spencer take a deep breath. It was
crazy to think about where we were just a short year ago. He and Ellie were in
this weird limbo stage, and Olivia and I were attempting to break regulation
and get hitched in Vegas. I wondered what would be different this time next
year. At this rate, it could be anything.
    *
    Thoughts of
ring shopping with Spencer distracted me from my conversation with Olivia over
dinner. She was talking about the deployment, I knew that much, but I
accidentally stopped listening at some point and was currently lost. I zeroed
back in on what she was saying hoping to play catch up, but it was too late.
    “Are you
even listening to me?” She asked, pointing at me with her fork.
    “Easy, killer,”
I used my finger to slowly lower the weapon. “I have a lot on my mind. What
were you saying?”
    “What’s on
your mind?” She looked concerned rather than annoyed. “Can I help?”
    I grimaced.
I still hadn’t made up my mind about whether I was going to tell her about Spencer
proposing to Ellie. He hadn’t specifically said that I couldn’t tell her, but I
wasn’t sure if I should. Would it get back to Ellie? I mean, I trusted my wife,
but she was still a girl, after all.
    She waved a
hand in front of my face. “Hello?”
    “Sorry,
babe. Just tell me what you were saying earlier, and if I feel like talking
about this afterward I’ll let you know, okay?”
    She seemed
suspicious, but nodded. I liked that she didn’t try to pester me into spilling
my guts. “I was just talking about the deployment, and how I think it might be
good to move back in with my mom while you’re gone so we can save money.”
    “Seriously?
No. I hate moving. We just moved in here.”
    Olivia
shrugged. “Yeah, but think about how much we could save if we did that! If I
lived rent-free the whole time you were gone we’d have a lot in savings. Other
wives are doing that, and it sounds like a good idea.”
    “Yeah,” I
took a bite of the pasta that I’d been neglecting. “I know of a couple of guys
in my shop who said their wives are doing that, but that’s because they’re from
other states and don’t want to be alone while we’re gone.”
    She
considered this. “Well, I don’t necessarily want to live alone either.”
    “Then have
Ellie move in. You guys can be roomies. And if she chips in on rent we’ll save
money.”
    “That’s a
thought.”
    I took her
hand. “Babe, I really don’t want to do all of that moving. Besides, we’d have
to pay for storage and all of that anyway. Are you really worried about being
alone?”
    Olivia
looked down, suddenly seeming sad. “Yeah, I guess.”
    I kissed the
hand that I was holding. “Honey, you’ll be fine. You’re so strong. And plus,
you have Ellie now, too. And your family is close by. Don’t worry about it.”
    She nodded,
but didn’t seem entirely cheered up. I finished off the last of my pasta and
made a decision. “So, do you want to hear why I was so preoccupied before?”
    She looked
up and nodded, already distracted from her worrying.
    “Hawk and I
were looking at rings for Ellie.”
    Olivia
stared at me wide-eyed. “You were ring
shopping? ”
    “Yes.”
    “With Spencer. ”
    “Yes.”
    “For Ellie .”
    “Yes.”
    She took a
deep breath. “ Ring shopping? ”
    “Olivia.”
    “Okay,” she
laughed. “But that’s insane. My mind is blown.”
    “You’re
telling me! He asked me to go with him at the Halloween party last night.”
    “No wonder
he was acting so off.” Olivia picked up our empty dinner plates and took them
to the sink. I gathered up our silverware, napkins, and glasses. I piled it all
on the counter next to the sink where she stood rinsing the plates. “I mean, I’m
super happy for them, but I’m more shocked than anything. Did you give him hell
about being a hypocrite?”
    “No, but he
expected me