So'd the Rooster - Hardcover

Soon after Pops dies, Mary takes a notion to separate from her husband of seventeen years. Nothing in particular against Jules, it's just that in her father's absence, she has developed a strong craving for unconditional liberty. To bring about the breakup in the most painless way possible, Mary asks her best friend, Tanny, who has considerable experience in the field of male seduction, to take Jules off her hands. The main problem with the scheme is her husband has no interest whatsoever in becoming Tanny's lover or, for that matter, of deceiving his wife with any other woman either. That is, until at a busy intersection one late autumn afternoon, a young lady of questionable repute--Regina by name--in full view of her cheerless boyfriend who happens to have a pistol tucked in his belt, climbs uninvited into Jules's pickup and orders him to step on the gas. As a result of this incident, Jules becomes embroiled in an increasingly grave romantic exploit, while coincidentally, Mary veers from the marital path as well. Unfortunately for her, the man with whom she seeks intimacy has a casual thing going with Tanny already, which excites friction between the women pals. Also contributing to their unease is a car wreck--arguably caused by Mary--in which the philanderer suffers serious injury and swears off women evermore. In the alternate case of shame and blame, inveterate propriety as well as an insanely jealous thug boyfriend provide ample incentive for Jules to keep clear of Regina. But midlife foolishness and untoward circumstance force his continued participation in the doomed affair. And it doesn't help either when his sixteen-year-old son learns what he's up to and decides to pursue the comely sprite himself.