Michele Richard ~ Author and Publisher

Peeking Through Wooden Blinds by Jane Reinhart

Summary—

Paige Henderson and Joey Novak are planning their wedding. But a devastating and
mysterious phone call leads Paige onto a path of self-destruction and into the
arms of the wrong man. Her ensuing marriage to Nick Bruska becomes a nightmare
and she struggles to regain self-worth. Joey has never forgotten Paige. Will he
ever see her again? Only then could they discover the terrible mistake that
changed the course of their lives.

Excerpt—

The invitation list included Bob and Maura, a couple who also grew up with
Nick. While Paige was mingling with guests in the living room, Nick and Maura
were in the basement playroom watching television. Bob walked downstairs to
inform his wife it was time to go. All of a sudden, the irate husband came
storming upstairs to confront Paige.

"Do you know what your husband is doing?" Bob screamed.

Paige was dazed and uncertain.

"He is lying on the couch with my wife, and he has his arms wrapped around
her!"

While Paige was trying to create a suitable excuse for Nick's behavior, Maura
ran upstairs to explain her innocence. After a brief scolding from her husband,
she directed her comments to Paige.

"Don't listen to Bob," Maura said. "He has a bad temper. You know Nick and I
have been close for a long time, and he wasn't doing anything wrong."

Bob and Maura left while the other guests were still trying to close their
mouths.

Paige knew Maura spoke the truth. Nick took all aspects of his personality to
the limit, especially his affectionate nature, but she gave him an impending
warning.

"NIck," she started, "one day your over-friendless is going to get you into a
lot of trouble."

Nick agreed, but didn't absorb her warning.

Insisting that it was "nice to be nice," the sociable husband assured his wife
that he knew where to draw the line. For instance, Nick confessed that, once,
when a young woman offered him her phone number after an evening of pinball
challenge, he declined and told the girl he was married. With a gallant air, he
shared the story now to prove his fidelity. Paige reminded him that if he spent
hours cavorting with female competitors, he was already straddling the fence.
Furthermore, she argued that women on the prowl always checked a man's hand to
see if he was sporting a wedding ring. That was something Nick refused to do;
explaining that, since he was a tradesman, wearing one presented the dangerous
risk of getting the ring caught in machinery. He added that when he retired, he
would wear the band of gold with pride.

Trust regained its stronghold, and another obvious wave of the red flag was
ignored.