How to Lose a Groom in 10 Days by Catherine Mann and Joanne Rock

item in the cart was a bag of kibble. Melanie’s attention flitted between cutesy items for the puppy so fast, he could barely keep up.
    Grady balanced in a squat, petting Polly, who rolled over to accommodate a good belly-rub. Her tongue lolled lazily out of her mouth with unmistakable bliss.
    “Oh Grady. What about this?” Melanie said, a smile on her face as she held up a purple doggie-hoodie that read “puppy love” in white cursive letters.
    “It’s nice. But Polly is going to be growing like a weed. I don’t know if—” He stopped talking as he examined her face.
    Tears welled in her eyes. And she seemed to retreat into herself farther. Damn it.
    With a sigh, Grady forged ahead. “You know what? That’s perfect. Toss it in.”
    He pushed the cart towards her. She plopped the sweater inside, a smile deepening the dimples in her cheeks.
    Turning back to the leashes, she picked up a purple leather one.
    “Now we have a theme. She’ll be a vision in purple,” she said as she tossed the leash and matching collar into the cart.
    They made it five more steps before she stopped again.
    “Look. At. These. Toys,” she squealed, running her hands across the arrangement of squeaky stuffed animals.
    There was such an exaggeration in her voice. It didn’t add up. None of her behavior today aligned with the Melanie he knew and loved.
    She seemed to be waiting for him to comment. A little too eagerly for this to be part of a normal conversation.
    A thought tugged at him. Was she trying to push him away again? To become a pouty girl when he disagreed. While he had been blind to how freaked out she was about their marriage, he knew this wasn’t the real Melanie.
    If she was trying to scare him off with overplayed domesticity, the least he could do was give her a run for her money. It was worth an experiment at the very least. Time to knock her off balance for a change.
    “There are a lot of toys,” he said enthusiastically. “How many do you think she needs? Ten? Fifteen? We will need a variety of toys that squeak, and some toys that don’t. And of course, a Frisbee! Every dog needs a Frisbee. That would be great for camping trips. And speaking of camping trips, look at those outdoor dog beds that can be anchored to the ground. Perfect for camping.”
    She gaped at him, brows raised in complete surprise. It was only for a moment, but it told him everything he needed to know. This was an exaggeration, an act. He was sure of that now. She chewed her lip for a moment, turning sideways to let an older couple walking a lab mix walk past before she turned back to him with an over-bright smile.
    “Yes. Let’s get ten toys. That is the perfect number,” she said removing a variety of toys from the shelves.
    “What about a dog bed for indoors as well?” he asked, gesturing in front of them to the back wall where a middle-aged women held a toy poodle in her arms as she examined the beds. The poodle stared at Polly and barked excitedly.
    “Hush now.” The blonde lady soothed the black poodle, “That nice golden isn’t bothering you.” She glanced over at them. “She gets excited easily.”
    “Please don’t worry,” Melanie said, “we want to socialize Polly. She won’t be an only dog for long.”
    “Oh,” the woman exclaimed, “How exciting. Is this your first dog together?”
    Grady nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
    The woman looked wistfully at them, shaking her head at the memory of things past. “I remember what it was like when Bobby and I got our first dog. That pup taught us so much, though I think it’s supposed to be the other way around. No matter, y’all enjoy the pup and each other.”
    She hugged her poodle closer with one hand and pushed her shopping buggy with the other towards the front of the store. Had Melanie heard the woman’s words? Taken them to heart? Grady turned to his wife, but she was already debating between two dog beds.
    “Which one?” She held up a large bed that was lined